Amazing Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup drained crushed canned pineapple

1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans

Icing

1 package (250g) brick cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 

Directions

1. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, beat together granulated and brown sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth (can do it by hand). Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir until just moistened.

3. Add grated carrots, pineapple and roasted pecans to batter. Mix until well blended (do not over mix!).

4. Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, verify if cake is cooked by inserting a tooth pick. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready. Also, when you slightly push on the cake, it should spring back and not be sticky anymore. For my oven, the cake was cooked after 35 minutes. 

5. Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes. Then remove cakes from pan and cool on rack for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, if you think that your cake is too sticky and moist, then simply put it back in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Icing

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Gradually add icing sugar, juice and peel, beating until well blended after each addition. Spread on top of cake.

TIPS: I made my cake one day ahead of time and have kept it in the pan, wrapped with plastic film. I have also made icing two days in advance and have kept it in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Once you frost your cake, place it in the fridge so the frosting hardens a little. 

Recipe taken from Canadian Living

Sweet and Spicy Chiken noodles

 

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 broccoli head, cut into bit-size pieces

1 package of asparagus, cut into pieces of about 4 cm

5 geen onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Hot pepper flakes, to taste

2 tablespoon olive oil

500 g chicken breast, cubed

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

350 g whole wheat pasta or Hokkien noodles

Directions

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water. 

2. Prepare vegetables and reserve in one large bowl.

3. In a wok on medium heat, heat olive oil. Add green onions, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. Cook for about 2 minutes. Then add chicken and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink.

4. Once chicken is cooked, add all of the vegetables. Saute and mix well. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, water and brown sugar. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender-crisp. Verify seasoning and add more oyster sauce or soy sauce or even water, if needed.

4. Add cooked noodles to vegetables and mix well.

5. Serve immediately!

Recipe taken from 

Pita Chips

 

Ingredients

Pita bread

Olive oil

Dried oregano or rosemary, or any spice you like

Salt

Directions

1. Open pita breads and separate them.

2. Brush every pita bread with olive oil. Then sprinkle with lots of oregano and some salt.

3. Stack all of the pita breads on top of each other and cut into 8 wedges.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F for about 6 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. When baking pita chips, make sure to space them out on baking sheet so they do not overlap. 

5. Serve with hummus or any kind of dip.

Recipe taken from A la di Stasio

Nutty-Fruity Energy Bars

Ingredients

1/4 cup dates

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup almonds, toasted

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 

Directions

1. In a preheated oven at 350 F, toast almonds for about 5 minutes, or until aromatic.

 

2. In a food processor, pulse dates and cranberries into a paste.

Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add cinnamon.

3. Add almonds to food processor and pulse until finely chopper.Transfer almonds to the bowl.

 

4. With fingers, mix paste and almonds together until well blended. Divide mixture in half. 

 

5. Set out 2 pieces of plastic wrap to shape the bars. Wrap plastic around each bar and start shaping bars, just like play-dough. Shape in any size you want (ideally, about 10 cm long and 2.5 cm wide).

 

6. Place bars in fridge overnight. 

Recipe taken at Enlightened Cooking