Carrot themed post: carrot cupcakes + carrot soup

Happy Friday y'all!

It has been another busy week. I was off work on Monday and Tuesday (which means I work this weekend, unfortunately), and was able to spend time doing what relaxes me most: cooking and baking. I have been fighting a cold for a while now, while The Husband has been in full-on man-cold mode. This, combined with the ever-present emotional roller-coaster of the whole infertility/adoption thing, and you have the winning formula for a drained and blubbery wife.
Thankfully, there is always cake to bring me back to sanity.

The flavour of the week: carrot cupcakes with "cream cheese" icing. I am using quotes here, because I actually made my own cream cheese out of cashews using this recipe, but you can just use plain old cream cheese, of course. To get an idea of how delicious these cupcakes were, know that I was planning on taking them to work after The Husband and I sampled a couple. Well, I regret to inform you, dear coworkers, that The Husband and I ended up eating all 10 cupcakes in 3 days. Enough said.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing: 

For the cupcakes:

- 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
- 1/4 canola oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely grated carrots
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with 10 liners.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
In another, medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, oil, applesauce, apple cider vinegar and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots, raisins, walnuts and pineapple.
Fill liners and bake for 18-20 mins. Wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled before icing.

For the icing:

- 3/4 cup cream cheese
- 1.5 cups icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat all the ingredients together and spread a thin layer on each cupcake.
Reward yourself with one.

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The carrot recipe that I will share now is quick, easy, and probably healthier than the cupcakes if you are looking for a main course.

Carrot Coconut Curry Soup:

- 1 medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
- 1.5 lbs unpeeled and roughly chopped carrots
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 can coconut milk
- 4 cups veggie broth
- salt + pepper, to taste

In a large pot, sauté the onions in olive oil until they are starting to soften, then add carrots and sauté for a few more minutes. Add cumin, curry and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add coconut milk and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are just soft. Blend the soup in batches, return to pot, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

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One more baking effort worth mentioning is that I made bagels. I don't often buy bagels because of the crappy ingredients that most brands contain, which means that we don't often eat bagels....that has now changed, thanks to this recipe.

And for those who are curious to see how my cashew "cream cheese" turned out, here ya go!

Not too shabby!


















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Have a great weekend my friends!

Red curry lentil soup + Slow cooker baked beans

I'm back!

What an amazing experience this Victoria marathon was. We got to catch up with good friends, tour around a beautiful city, eat some delicious food - and I achieved my goal of running the race in under 4 hours. As usual, I started feeling very sick after 25K or so, and the last hour was a struggle. A constant battle in my head that goes something like this:
"Ugh, I'm so sick; let's just walk for a bit" "No, you can't walk, you said you were going to finish this thing in under 4 hours" "How about not finishing at all? We could just stop all together, call The Husband and get tucked into bed!" "Are you kidding me? We didn't come all this way to give up 6 miles back from the finish line!"..... etc, etc, etc.
Positive Me won over Negative Me. And this victory over my self-doubts makes me feel like I can do ANYTHING.

I'm already feeling back to normal, and starting to think about the next marathon. I'm weird like that.

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Back in Whitehorse, fall is definitely here, along with cravings for warm comfort food.

This red curry lentil soup is sure to warm you up! It's not very spicy - just very flavourful. Feel free to add a few veggies in there - I didn't have much on hand when I made this!

Red Curry Lentil Soup:

- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp ketchup
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups dried split red lentils
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 1 can corn
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil for a few minutes, until soft. Add garlic, curry paste, cumin, nutmeg and ginger and cook for another few minutes.
Add all other ingredients except for lime juice, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper before serving. Delicious with brown rice, cornbread or homemade biscuits!

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This morning, I had some spare time before work and decided to experiment with baked beans in the slow cooker. They did not disappoint! I will be making them again and again.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans:

- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp Ketchup
- 5 or 6 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
- 2 cans red kidney beans
- 3/4 cup veggie broth
- salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and walk away! Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Loved them with couscous and a side of greens.


Have a wonderful and healthy weekend!

My Perfect Pancakes

Happy Friday!

Oh wait. It's Wednesday. It's my Friday though! I am vibrating with excitement, all packed and ready to jump on a plane tomorrow, heading south to run the Victoria marathon!
I feel ready to tackle 26.2 miles. It has taken a lot of running, doubting myself, persevering and finding my confidence again to get to this point.

Another thing that this training has required: FOOD, and lots of it. After stuffing myself every morning with pancakes much hard work, I have finally perfected my pancake recipe. It is the right blend of healthy and decadent - a good fit for a lazy Sunday as well as a busy Monday (you can freeze them and pop them in the toaster and yes, you can have weekday pancakes!).

My Perfect Pancakes: (serves 2)

- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (you can use all-purpose instead, but it does decrease the health factor)
- 1/4 quick oats
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 medium banana

In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, combine milk, water and maple syrup.
Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until just combined. Slice the banana right into the batter and fold in. If the batter is too thick, add water, 1 tbsp at a time.

Let the batter stand while your pan heats up. You know what to do after this.
Serve with chopped walnuts and warm maple syrup. Drool.

Enjoy - I'm going to bed for some much needed rest!

Mushroom Pesto + Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes

Hi!

What a very relaxing weekend this has been. Pancakes (I still haven't perfected the recipe enough to share it), running, reading, coffee, good friends, hiking, studying, and a s**t load of cooking. 

Living here in Whitehorse, we all know that when the Superstore is well stocked, you just have to buy it all, just in case a certain product disappears, not to be seen again for weeks on end. This is the case with cremini mushrooms. When they are around, I just have to buy them. And then the fun starts, when I get to decide on the fate of these poor mushrooms. GET IN MA' BELLY. 

So I made a double batch of lentil-mushroom-walnut balls (recipe can be found here), I made mushroom gravy to go with some mashed potatoes, and I made a kick-ass mushroom pesto. It is great on noodles, and fun on pizza with roasted asparagus and caramelized onions...the possibilities are endless!

Mushroom Pesto: 

- 3 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2/3 cup walnuts, divided into 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste

Roast the garlic and saute the mushrooms until most of the liquid cooks off, about 12 minutes.
In a food processor, process garlic + lemon juice + parsley + olive oil + salt.
Add mushrooms + 1/3 of the walnuts and process until the mixture is combined but still has texture. Add the rest of the walnuts and the black pepper and pulse a few times to combine.

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And then....there were cupcakes. Not just any cupcakes. We are talking vegan, gluten free chocolate cupcakes made with quinoa and tahini. To me, they were just a delicious piece of chocolate cake. And trust me, I know my chocolate cake. Face your fear of quinoa and try them - you won't regret it!

Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes:

- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 2 cups cooked quinoa

If you do not have cooked quinoa on hand, cook a batch according to package directions.
In a small bowl, combine flaxseed and water and refrigerate while you prepare the rest - this will allow the mixture to become gelatinous, the consistency of egg whites.
Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder + baking soda + salt and set aside.
In a blender, blend applesauce + vanilla + almond milk + maple syrup + flax/water mixture. Then add tahini, then quinoa. Blend until smooth and silky - this may take a few minutes.
Pour liquid mixture into the large bowl and mix with the dry ingredients - do not overmix. Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs clinging to it.

For the icing, I used 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips melted on low heat with 1/2 cup coconut oil. I then refrigerated the mixture for a half hour, added 2/3 cup icing sugar, and whipped until fluffy.
Thanks to the coconut oil, this icing hardens after you refrigerate the cupcakes and gives them some nice crunch!
Of course, feel free to substitute your favorite icing recipe.

Enjoy the snow - yes, we are September 30th, after all - and stay cozy, my friends!

Sweet Potato Veggie Chili and Cornbread

Happy Saturday!

Tomorrow will be my last long run (20 miles) before the training tapers off until the marathon. I am getting excited! So I am taking it easy today, running errands, cooking, and drinking tons of water.

I have a little bit of time to share my favorite chili recipe and the deliciously sweet and crumbly cornbread that goes along with it. For the chili, don't be afraid of the long list of ingredients - they are mostly stuff that you have on hand. It was originally a turkey and sweet potato chili recipe, so feel free to add some cooked turkey in there (a good recipe for the day after Thanksgiving).

Sweet Potato Veggie Chili: 

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finally chopped
- 1/4 cup jalapeno or banana peppers
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 cans diced tomatoes, with their liquid
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large sweet potato, diced

In a slow cooker, combine the oil, onion, green pepper, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, cocoa powder and pepper. Cook on high for an hour, until the onions soften.
Add all other ingredients, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

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Now, let's talk cornbread. This recipe isn't particularly healthy, but it's quick, easy, and delicious!
I added zucchini to the latest one I made (about 3/4 cup grated, and I decreased the milk by 1/4 cup to account for the extra moisture), but it's just as good without. It's a very forgiving recipe. Enjoy!

Cornbread:

- 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
- 3/4 whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup almond milk (or regular dairy milk)
- 1/2 cup water (add more, 1 tbsp at a time, if batter is too thick)
- 1/2 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients.
Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

This recipe also makes 12 muffins - they cook faster though, about 20 minutes.

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Stay healthy, y'all!

Flourless Cookies and Portable Oatmeal

Happy Wednesday!

I'm on fire in the kitchen today. I have a chili on the go, I just experimented with a couple of recipes that turned out wonderfully, and I am planning on making zucchini cornbread later today. 

I happen to have mid-week day off to make up for the past weekend worked (which I worked to make up for our visit to the Kootenays). Anyway. This is a very welcome day off. 

We have some crisp blue sky, mild temperatures and bright fall colors outside. Love, love, love. 

The first recipe that I was inspired to create this morning is for flourless peanut butter cookies, which taste decadent while packing a nutritional punch. Each jumbo cookie has about 350 calories and 12g of protein. I try not to count calories - which is tough since I happen to know the calorie content of almost everything - but I thought some of you out there might want to have this information. 

I won't keep you waiting any longer....here is the recipe!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies:

- 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

- 1/3 cup chia seeds

- 1/2 cup hemp hearts

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter (I used the crunchy variety, but smooth works just fine)

- 1/4 cup maple syrup

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- pinch of salt

- 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, and drop balls of dough onto baking sheet (I used a silicon baking mat, but otherwise you might want to lightly grease your baking sheet). Flatten slightly with a spatula. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Let cool completely on a wire rack before devouring! This recipe makes 9 jumbo cookies. 

Before baking

After baking, and before disappearing!

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As the Victoria marathon gets closer (less than a month to go!), I am starting to think about what foods I will eat on race day. While training this summer, a big bowl of oatmeal is what has worked best for me before long runs. I found myself wondering how I was going to be able to make good quality oatmeal in my hotel room on the morning of the race. This morning, I had a lightbulb moment: why not make PORTABLE oatmeal? I basically made my usual stovetop oatmeal into a baked and portable breakfast. 

Happy!

Portable Oatmeal:

- 2 mashed bananas

- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- pinch of salt

- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

- 1/4 cup raisins

- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

- 1 1/2 cups large flake oats

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 4 half cup ramequins (a jumbo muffin pan would work as well). 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and scoop into ramequins. Pack tightly. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes. 

As soon as the ramequins are cool enough to handle, place oatmeal on a wire rack so that the bottom doesn't get soggy. 

Each dense baked oatmeal portion contains about 300 calories and 8g of protein. You can, of course, play around with the recipe and substitute your favorite oatmeal ingredients!

Enjoy the rest of your week! 

Catching Up

Hi y'all,

Life has been so very busy. You know what fixes everything though? A visit at my in-laws. I get to catch up on down time, family time, and, of course, blogging. I always come home feeling refreshed, refocused, reminded that family is what matters most.

I have been wanting to share a few recipes with you; none of them are my own creation, but all of them are worth trying in my opinion!

To start, let me ask you this: what if the best hot chocolate you ever had did not have an ounce of dairy in it? Would it turn your world upside down? It sure rocked mine.

You can find the recipe here. Hands down, it was the best hot chocolate I have ever had - dairy or no dairy!

Switching gears, this potato and lentil salad is healthy and hearty, perfect as a vegetarian entree paired with a hot cup of soup or as a side to chicken or fish. I have made it many times now, and have no intention of stopping! Click here for the recipe.

Drool.

Last but not least, I was intrigued by this Super Power Chia Bread recipe. Now, keep in mind that this isn't your typical slice of bread, but it is a dense, filling, nutritious and delicious snack. Slather some hummus on it and top that off with slices of avocado, and you're good to go!

Soon, I will attempt a sweet version of this bread - I'm thinking raisins and cinnamon....I'll keep you posted.

Eat your greens and have a nice week!