Copper Penny Carrots

 

 

 If you're looking for something new and different to serve at your next BBQ, this might be just the thing. Well, actually, it's not new, but it's definitely different. 

 So, what are Copper Penny Carrots? Or to quote Nicole from All Recipes.. "What in the 1970s Grandma is this dish?" 

 It's a chilled salad made of carrots (sliced into rounds, or rather coins..hence copper pennies), and finely diced onions and bell peppers which are then tossed with a sweet and tangy dressing. From what I've read, it is believed to have originated in the South and Midwest in the 40s and 50s when there was a surge in popularity of using convenience foods... specifically, Campbell's tomato soup, which serves as the base for the dressing. 

 I know, I know, sounds crazy, right? But trust me! It's SO tasty and refreshing, sort of in a gazpacho meets relish sort of a way. It goes extremely well alongside your hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad. I mean, we've done other veggie salads, so why not carrots?

 Definitely give this one a try. It just might surprise you ! 

 

 

1 10.5 oz can condensed tomato soup

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 medium bell pepper, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

 

 Bring condensed soup, sugar, vinegar, and oil to a boil in a saucepan. Stir well, remove from the heat, and let cool until needed. 

At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add carrots and boil until just tender, about 10 minutes. 

 Drain carrots and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Pour soup mixture over vegetables and stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, before serving. 

 

 

 

Tips:

There are many versions of this recipe. Some include mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce. This version is from All Recipes, but of course I can't leave well enough alone, so here are my tweaks:

First, I used baby carrots, because that's what I had on hand. They don't exactly look like pennies as much as the larger carrot slices would, but I was willing to look past it. 

Second, I added half as much onion, and twice as much celery. Why? Because that's what I like! You do you. 

 I also found it to be VERY sweet. The tomato soup is already sweet, so I would cut back on the sugar. I usually like a stronger hit of vinegar anyway. I also added salt and pepper, because I think it needs it. Maybe next time I'll try it with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  

Oh! One more thing.. I know it says to refrigerate it for 8 hours, but I don't think it's really necessary. I tasted it as soon as I made it, after it chilled for 2 or 3 hours, and again the next day. The only thing that really changed was the amount of crunch. You want to serve it well chilled, so I think a good 2 hours is the best version. And I think the CRUNCH of the celery is what makes it!

 

 

Joey's Cabbage and Potato Bake

  I was in the mood for something warm and comforting and homey and casserole-y. Usually that means some kind of noodle, but since I already had pasta earlier in the week, I figured I'd do potatoes instead. I was inspired by a recipe I saw on a blog called Hungry Happens, but then of course I didn't follow it. I just started throwing things into a pan.
 I decided to go with baby potatoes and baby carrots just because they’re easier. No peeling! And the cabbage.. well, I think that was originally gonna be a batch of sauerkraut that didn’t happen. From there, I just added some spices that I thought would work. And guess what! They did! It came out so flavorful and tasty, I had to go back for more. This was definitely one of those times where simplicity was best. Nothing too complicated, all in one casserole dish. Perfect.
 Now, I will say that this made a giant casserole, just because I used the whole head of cabbage, and the whole bag of carrots, and the whole bag of baby Yukons. (I mean, what else was I gonna do with half a bag of potatoes, right?) So, you’ll make as much or as little as you want. 
 The other thing is it took much longer to cook than I thought it would. So if you want to speed up the process, you can microwave or steam your potatoes and carrots first before you start. Otherwise, this recipe is simple and straight forward and it’s the perfect comfort food. Serve as is, or with a sliced ham, or any kind of roast. It will absolutely satisfy your craving the next time you feel like having something warm and casserole-y! 



1 small head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
1 lb baby carrots
2 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved or quartered
1 small onion, chopped
A big sprinkle of each, or to taste:
Salt, black pepper, paprika, dried thyme leaves, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder
1/2 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 scallions, chopped


Heat oven to 400ºF.
Place all vegetables (except scallions) and seasonings in a large casserole dish. Pour broth and cream over all. (I may have added a little extra cream!) Toss lightly to coat. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for an hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Remove foil. Top with mozzarella cheese. Place in oven again (uncovered) and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Garnish with chopped scallions sprinkled over the top. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. 



Tips:
 This entire recipe is the perfect springboard for whichever direction you'd like to go. Literally every ingredient in the recipe can be increased or decreased to suit one’s taste. Do you want lots of carrots and not a lot of potatoes? Do you want just cabbage and potatoes and no carrots at all? Do you want to swap out the seasonings for your favorite blend?? Would you rather do Cheddar or Swiss cheese? Or both? 

DO IT!!
You can also add any kind of meat if you want. Diced ham, diced corned beef, smoked sausage, diced chicken, really anything you want! 

Cauliflower, Carrot, and Artichoke Bake

 

 

 When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, you really can't go wrong with the classics. You have your turkey and gravy, obviously, and then you have your cranberries, your stuffing, your mashed potatoes, and your green bean casserole, among others. But then I got to wondering.. what if I play around with them a little? Would that be so terrible? 

 So I looked at the ingredients in the classic green bean casserole, or Green Bean Bake, as we used to call it. I thought, what if we swap out the green beans and use something else? So that's what I did! I still wanted the convenience of using the canned cream soups and French fried onions, but just skipped the green beans altogether. 

 OH. MY GOD. Can I just tell you how good it turned out?? Why have we never done this before? I'm not even kidding when I tell you I couldn't stop myself from going back for seconds and it was gone in no time. Who knew something so simple could be so good? 

 So if you're not a fan of green beans, just swap 'em out for something else! I used carrots, cauliflower, and artichokes. Why? because I LOVE them (also I just happened to have them on hand), but pretty much any vegetable(s) will work. Which veggie is your favorite? I betcha it'll be awesome! And who knows? Maybe this will be your NEW favorite classic!! Ok, good talk. 

 

 

 

1 lb cauliflower florets 

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

6 oz container of French fried onions

Salt and pepper

 

 

Place carrots and cauliflower in a steamer. Steam until just crisp tender. 

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, reserving about 1/2 cup of the onions. Resist the urge to snack on them while you make the rest of the casserole. 

Gently toss the par cooked veggies with the soup mixture. Pour into a 9x13 or similar casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved onions, if there are any left. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

 

 

Tips:

Instead of steaming, you could also par boil the veggies, and then drain well.

I intentionally did not add any kind of cheese because, well, it wasn't included in the original green bean casserole. Also I didn't want to make it too heavy. But I realize, for some people, it's just not a casserole if it doesn't have cheese. So feel free to add 8 oz of any kind of shredded cheese, if you like. I would go with Swiss or Cheddar, but you do you! And for heaven's sake, do NOT use the pre-shredded cheese in a bag. It melts SO much better when you buy the block and just shred it yourself!  

 

Joey's Scalloped Root Veggies

I've often said that Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner is my very favorite dinner in the whole wide world. One of the reasons for this, in addition to the turkey, is all the fabulous casseroles and side dishes that go with it. Yum!
But here's the thing... sometimes those casserole are so heavy, it's no wonder everyone goes to sleep afterward. But it doesn't have to be that way! Instead of a big thick heavy cream sauce, what if we lighten things up a bit? This thought was sort of bouncing around my mind for a while, so I decided to come up with something.
I recently had some sweet potatoes, turnips, and carrots, and I thought PERFECT!
I sliced them, layered them with a delicious sauce, and then baked them. The final result has Thanksgiving written all over it!
And it has all of the flavor, but it won't send you into a food coma.
So give this one a try, even if you're not looking to lighten things. It's so good!!



3 large sweet potatoes
5 or 6 small turnips
2-3 lbs large carrots
1 stick butter
1 medium onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1-2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup bread crumbs + 3 tbs butter

Peel vegetables, and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt stick of butter and add chopped onions.
Saute until they soften. Add seasonings and flour. Stir until the butter and flour are well incorporated, about two minutes.
Add milk, wine, and just enough broth to make it the right consistency. Stir well over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
Into a large casserole dish, ladle a little of the sauce, and then layer slices of each vegetable, with a little more sauce in between each layer. Pour any remaining sauce over the top.
Cover with foil. Bake in a 350 over for about an hour, or until veggies are tender. Just test with a fork.
Remove from oven. Remove foil.
Sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs. Place back in oven for 20-15 minutes until lightly golden. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.


Tips:
These amounts are just guidelines. If you’re cooking for a small group, maybe cut back on the amounts. Of course, if you have a GIANT crowd, then double everything!
-Be sure to use enough salt and pepper. This particular combination of veggies is very sweet, so you need that salt to balance it. Feel free to add fresh herbs, if you’re so inclined. Before you layer everything, taste the sauce to see if it needs anything.
-You may not need all of the broth. Just add it a little at a time until it's a light sauce consistency. On the other hand, If the sauce is too thick for your liking, just add a little extra broth. You want it to be nice and light.
-Be sure to let it sit after the last bake because the sauce will thicken up just a bit as it cools.
-Want to use regular potatoes? Go for it!  Don't like turnips? Leave 'em out! Try parsnips instead! Any root vegetables will work!

Onion Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

 Have you ever used onion soup mix to make roasted potatoes? If you haven't, where have you been your whole life?????  It's one of those tried and true recipes that has been on the back of the box of Lipton Onion Soup mix for a million years. For me, it's one of those classic recipes that I'll always love, kind of like the favorite Green Bean Casserole or Libby's Pumpkin Pie.
 But this time, I thought, why not add something else to it? How about carrots? YES! That sounds fabulous. (Wait, why have we never done this before??)
 So I tried it, and just as I figured, it was amazing! It’s literally just the exact same Lipton recipe with added carrots. Normally, I’d think “eh, not exactly ground breaking”, but I’m telling you, it was so good that I needed to share. It’s good enough for a holiday dinner or just a Sunday roast beast.
I think this just might be the new way I make this recipe from now on. LOVE it.

2 lbs potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Combine all ingredients in 13 x 9-inch baking, roasting pan, or sheet tray.
Bake, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Top with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.


Tips:
If you want to do a mix of root vegetables, go for it! I would absolutely add diced sweet potatoes, butternut squash,  and/or turnips to this. Make it your own! Are you feeding a crowd? Double everything!

Slow Cooker Ranch Carrots

  One of the biggest questions that everyone asks me around the holidays is "With such a large family, who does all the cooking?" And the short answer is EVERYONE! I mean, yes, I'm lucky to have several siblings with the means to host different holidays.. Thanksgiving at Tommy's, Easter Brunch at Cathy's, New Year's Day at Michael's, Christmas Eve at Jeanie's, Christmas Pollyanna at Patty's... But the whole family always contributes to the menu, and the first thing everyone asks is "what can I bring?"
 Usually, for Thanksgiving, the menu planning committee decides what foods we want to have, and then an email goes out to the entire family, and the cooking tasks get divvied up between everyone. (yes, there really is a menu planning committee. not even kidding). Some of the more experienced cooks in the family will take on some of the bigger jobs such as roasting the turkeys, (yes, plural) and then the family members with a little less experience will take on the easier cooking tasks.
 So this recipe falls squarely into the latter category. It's really one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make so it's a cinch for the culinary novice. Not only that, it's perfect for Thanksgiving because it uses a slow cooker (your best friend in the kitchen) so it doesn't take up any oven or stove top space. You can also prep it in advance and then just turn it on when the time comes. So simple! And most importantly, it's delicious!!! Full disclosure, I'm not even sure where I found the recipe. Somewhere on the interwebs. But I made it for my Friendsgiving Dinner, and everyone loved it. I was an immediate fan, and I'm sure your gang will love it too! You should give it a try!


2 lbs carrots
1 sweet onion
1 stick butter
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and slice carrots. Chop the onion. Place them in a slow cooker. Top with pats of butter. Sprinkle with half the packet of dressing mix. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Sprinkle with remaining dressing mix, and toss all to combine. Turn slow cooker to warm until you're ready to serve.


Tips:
To make things easier, you can just use baby carrots. No peeling or slicing! I must say, I prefer to cut  large carrots into chunky wedges, but any kind of carrots will work!
When I chopped the onions, I left them in large chunks as well, but then decided I would prefer a smaller dice next time.  
And one other thing.. I usually don't mention specific brands, but in this case, for me there's no ranch dressing other than Hidden Valley Ranch. And that's all there is to it.

Asian Chicken and Veggies

  Are you looking for a dish that comes together in just a few minutes?? If so, I think I've found the perfect thing for you! Lately I've been in the mood for take-out Chinese food, but then I thought "Well, I have a wok, I can just make it myself!!" And frankly I could be enjoying a delicious dish LONG before the food would arrive anyway. So here we go!
 I found (and ever so slightly tweaked) a recipe for Sauteed Asian Broccoli, but then I wound up adding chicken and a few other veggies. Actually, I swapped out a couple sauce ingredients and changed a few of the amounts too. Wait, actually, I didn't cook it the same way either. Anyway, this is where I landed! And honestly, it turned out so perfectly, I immediately made another batch, just so I would have leftovers! It's SO tasty!!! And seriously, it cooks so quickly, it's literally ready in less time than it takes to cook the rice. Now that's what I call a perfect week night meal! Even if you don't have a wok, give this recipe a try. Just use a big saute pan! For an even speedier time, you can prep the chicken and veggies the night before!
Hope you like it!


2-3 cups stir fry veggies of your choice (broccoli, peppers, snap peas, carrots, etc)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup water, plus a few splashes
2 pc boneless chicken breast, VERY THINLY sliced into small pieces
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
 toasted sesame seeds for garnish


Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the veggies and stir to coat in the oil. Add a few splashes of water. Cover and let the veggies steam for about 3 minutes, or unto most of the water has evaporated. Add the chicken and frequently give everything a good stir.
In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup water, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk to combine. Immediately add to the wok and stir to coat everything for about two minutes or until sauce thickens. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Serve over rice. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve.


Tips:
The original recipe called for crushed red pepper flakes. I wasn't feeling the spice, so I omitted it, but if you're all about the heat, go for it!
Be sure to use just a TINY drizzle of toasted sesame oil. It's only meant to be used as a flavor enhancer, and a little goes a very long way!
If you like a lot of sauce, just double all of the sauce ingredients!
For extra delicious rice, saute a small chopped onion in a little bit of oil, then add your rice to the pot. Instead of adding water, add chicken broth. Then cover and finish cooking as directed. You won't believe how delicious white rice can be!

Pineapple Carrot Cake Trifle

 I was recently invited to dinner with a group of friends, and of course, my first question to Marie, (who is quite the hostess) was "what can I bring?" She said she wanted something chocolate. Perfect. So I decided I would make a deliciously decadent chocolate trifle with layers of cake and chocolate whipped cream. The perfect showstopper dessert! But then Marie said "I'd kill for caramel brownies." Ok, I'll make them, but they weren't the showstopper I was looking for. After taking a quick survey of the ingredients I had on hand, I thought OH! A carrot cake trifle!! Great idea! But baking an entire cake would have been more than I needed for the dessert. So then I found this recipe for carrot cake squares on a blog called Eat Cake For Dinner, and decided to layer them with spiced pineapple and cream cheese whipped topping. THIS was the showstopper I had been looking for! HUGE hit!!  Everyone loved it!
 Now, if you don't want to make a trifle, you can easily just make the squares, cover them with cream cheese icing and call it a day. They're fabulous all on their own! But if you're looking for a showstopper, this is it!

For the carrot cake squares:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon pinch of nutmeg, opt. 2 eggs, slightly beaten 2 1/2 c. shredded carrots 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil 1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.  In a medium bowl combine the eggs, shredded carrots, brown sugar, sugar, oil, and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and spread out evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the trifle:
Drain a 20oz can of pineapple chunks, then chop them up a bit smaller. Place them in a small bowl and add 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 tbs of sugar. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 large container of Cool Whip (or your favorite store brand non-dsiry whipped topping) and an 8oz package of cream cheese.

Now make layers in a trifle bowl or any high-sided glass bowl:
Start with a little bit of the whipped topping mixture on the bottom. 
Then do 3 layers of cake then pineapple then topping. (refer to the picture if you need to!)
Chill until ready to serve!

Tips:
Instead of using the spiced pineapple, you can just use a jar of pineapple preserves. Just add a tbs of water to loosening it up a bit. You can also use crush pineapple, or chopped fresh pineapple, or any combination. It will all work!
When you're making your layers, take extra care to make perfectly clean layers around the outside of the bowl. This will make it a showstopper!
Btw, when I made the carrot cake squares, I used pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. why? because I like it!!!

Joey's Cauliflower and Carrot Gratin

 If there was ever a dish that screams home cooking, it's a casserole. By definition, a casserole is a dish served in the pan in which it was cooked, and it often has meat and vegetables and a crunchy or cheesy topping. That sounds like home cooking to me! For this casserole, there's no meat, but the veggies are a match made in culinary heaven! Who would have ever guessed that something as simple as cauliflower and carrots would go so well together in a casserole???? Well, Pillsbury, for one, which is where I first discovered the recipe.
 But here's the thing.. when I first made Pillsbury's recipe, I found the cheese sauce to be just SO bland. Like, there wasn't really anything special about it. It just tasted like melted American cheese. Now, I love American cheese as much as anyone, but for a casserole to be good enough for Thanksgiving, it needed to be just a little more fabulous, in my humble opinion. So I gave it a little makeover. OMG it was SO much better!!! Clearly, they should have asked my opinion as they were developing this recipe! LOL I'm not even kidding. Just the addition of a couple extra ingredients pushed everything WAY over the top and suddenly now we've gone from boring to showstopper!
 So if you're looking for a new something to add to your Thanksgiving menu, consider giving this one a try! Even if you're not making it for a big holiday meal, it's still easy enough for a simple Sunday supper. This just might become a new favorite!

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced into thick coins

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets

6 tbs butter1 onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 or 2 two big pinches of dried or fresh thyme leaves

3 tbs flour

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 

2 cups milk 

8 slices American Cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 1/2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
In a large pot, bring about 8 cups of water to a boil. Add carrots and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Cook onion in butter about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and thyme. Saute a minute or two longer. Stir in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper with whisk; cook about 1 minute or until bubbly. Slowly stir in milk. Cook and stir until bubbly and slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in carrots and cauliflower. Pour into casserole. In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 3 tablespoons butter on high for 1 minute or until melted; stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Tips:
For a little extra something, add a splash of white wine to your cheese sauce. It will elevate it to "special occasion" status!
Use whatever veggies you like! You could absolutely add broccoli or parsnips or even just baby red potatoes. Anything you like!
Not a fan of American cheese? Use any kind you like? Any cheese that melts really well will work!

Bacon 'n' Onion Carrots

Ok, seriously...I think this just may be your new favorite way to eat carrots. Frankly, is there ANYTHING on this planet that doesn't taste better when you add onions and bacon? Why have I never thought of this before??? So quick, so easy, and so DELICIOUS. They had me at bacon, but the brown sugar just pushes it over the top. If you know someone who isn't a fan of carrots, tell them to try this recipe. It's from Taste of Home and it's amazing. Sometimes the simplest things are the best!!
Try it!

1 lb baby carrots
4 strips bacon, cut into lardons
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbs brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place carrots in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 7-9 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add the onions and saute until bacon is slightly crispy and onions are slightly caramelized. Stir in brown sugar and pepper until brown sugar is melted. Drain carrots; toss with bacon/onion mixture.

Tips:
If there is quite a bit of bacon fat, just drain some of it before you add the brown sugar.
I used baby carrots just to save time, but if you have regular carrots, just peel and slice them before boiling them.

Joey's Carrot Soufflé

 I'm always searching for new and delicious recipes for Thanksgiving side dishes, and here's one you should DEFINITELY try. Frankly, I love all things carrot, whether it's steamed, roasted, mashed or even just raw. So I knew I'd love a carrot souffle too!
 The only problem was that I looked at several recipes and they all seem to be absolutely LADEN with butter and sugar. Now, if you know me, you know I'll take sweet over savory any day. But in this case, all that butter and sugar just seemed excessive to me. Plus, it seems to me that including cinnamon (as many carrot souffle recipes do) would just make the souffle taste like a pumpkin pie. Call me crazy, but if I'm gonna have a carrot souffle, I want it to taste like CARROTS, not a dessert. So this is my version of a recipe I found online. I scaled the butter WAY back (less than half of what the original called for) and omitted the sugar altogether, because the carrots are already sweet!! No need for added sugar! And I used just a tiny pinch of nutmeg instead of cinnamon. It was PLENTY sweet, it didn't need all the extra butter, and the nutmeg added just a hint of spice. Plus, as you can see from the photo, it puffed up beautifully as it baked. Perfect! So if you're looking for a new way to enjoy carrots, try this one!

2 pounds carrots, peeled, cut into chunks
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg (optional)

 Cook carrots in boiling water until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes; drain well. Place all ingredients in a food processor with a metal blade and process until well blended and pureed. Pour into a buttered casserole or soufflé dish. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 45 minutes.


Tips:
If you REALLY feel the need to add sugar, just add maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons.
If you don't feel like peeling and cutting up the carrots, just buy baby carrots. No peeling necessary! Just throw them right into boiling water and follow the recipe. Simple!
This recipe probably makes about 6-8 servings but it can be doubled or tripled as needed to feed your crowd.

Heirloom Carrot Spoon Cake

I recently saw this recipe on Semi Home made with Sandra Lee. It's pretty much the same recipe as the Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake that I posted a while back, but it just substitutes carrot cake ingredients instead of the chocolate cake ingredients. FABULOUS! It's warm and gooey and more like a bread pudding than a cake. OH so yummy! And one of the best parts about it is that you make it in a crock pot, so you can do it early in the day an it'll be ready for tonight's dessert!
I love that!

1 (18.25-ounce) box spice cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)

1 (3.4-ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix (recommended: Jell-O)

1 cup water

2 cups shredded carrots

3/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 cup sour cream

Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with butter flavored cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Place a couple paper towels over the cooker and then place the lid on top. (this will absorb the water that forms under the lid from the steam). Cook on LOW for 4 1/2 to 6 hours.

Note from Joey:
Serve it warm as is, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with a scoop of my Cream Cheese Frosting Ice Cream.

Joey's Tips:
When I made it, I could only find sugar free instant pudding, so I went with it. I also used regular vegetable oil instead of canola oil. Turned out great!
I like a really spicy carrot cake, so I added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. I probably would have added some coconut too, (since I love coconut in a carrot cake) but I didn't have any on hand. I'm sure I'll add some next time!
The crushed pineapple is a nice touch, but you can just omit it if you and pineapple don't get along so well.
When I made it, it seemed to take a little longer than 6 hours to cook all the way through. Maybe all crock pots are not created equal, who knows? Just keep an eye on it and let it cook until it's set all the way to the center.

Oh, btw, sometimes I can't seem to get the photo to be just right, so I just decided to borrow the one from FoodTV.com. I hope they don't mind!

Balsamic Root Vegetables

 

Usually, when you're cooking a turkey dinner, you have to figure out how to keep everything hot at the same time, right? This can sometimes be tricky, since the turkey is taking up all the room in the oven. Often times, it's easiest to have all of your side dishes ready to go, and then when you take the turkey out, you put the side dishes in. The turkey has to rest anyway, so now you can cook everything else. Great.
 But wait! What if everything doesn't fit in your oven at the same time? Well, here's a solution. Use your counter top instead! I'm talking about your crock pot, of course. You can set this up the night before, turn it on when you put your turkey in the oven, and boom, everybody gets to the finish line at the same time. Problem solved! So now, Brian, you don't have to get nervous when I mention "oven management". This recipe is fabulously delicious, and it's just as easy. Even if you've never cooked a thing in your life (just like Brian), you can absolutely do this one. If you can peel a potato, you're halfway there!
I saw this recipe in a magazine, and I liked the idea of  cooking the vegetables with balsamic vinegar. It reminded me of seeing Jamie Oliver making different kinds of oven roasted vegetables and he used a different kind of vinegar for each one. Fabulous. Every other ingredient in this recipe has a natural sweetness and the vinegar balances everything beautifully. The final dish kind of reminds you of pot roast vegetables, only they have a little extra tang and a little extra sweet. Jason gave them a big 'thumbs up' when I was testing the recipe. I think you'll give them a big 'thumbs up' too!

1 1/2 lbs fresh sweet potatoes
1 lb fresh parsnips
1 lb baby carrots
2 large red onions
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh flat leave parsley, if desired

Peel sweet potatoes and parsnips. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Peel and roughly chop onions. In a lightly buttered 6-qt crock pot, stir together the parsnips, carrots, onions and cranberries. Layer the sweet potatoes on top. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper. Drizzle over potatoes. Do not stir. Place lid on top. Cook on high heat for 4-5 hours. Toss with chopped parsley, if desired, just before serving.


Tips:
When you whisk up the vinegar mixture, you'll think that there must be a typo and that this couldn't possibly be enough liquid, but trust me. It'll be the perfect amount. There's plenty of moisture in the rest of the veggies.
I'm sure you could change the amounts of vegetables to suit your likes or dislikes. Maybe you're not feeling the parsnips, but you love carrots. So add more carrots and omit the parsnips. Cook what you like! I thought of adding fresh beets to the mix, but then of course realized that it would turn everything red. Not that it would be a bad thing, but it was just a thought.

Sue's Cider Carrots

 

 

 Many many years ago, I met my fabulous friend, Sue, when a few of my theater friends and I were putting together a cabaret road show. We needed someone to play the piano, and lucky for us, Sue agreed! Seriously, she's possibly the best accompanist with whom I've ever had the pleasure of working. No matter how lost I would get in the middle of a song, Sue would play me back on track. And by the same token, if I ever took a major wrong turn in the middle of a song, she'd jump ahead to be right there with me and the audience would never have any idea. Simply amazing. Anyway, ever since then, Sue has been a trusted friend whose opinion is always requested and respected. So, when I got an email from her saying that this is 'the only way she'll ever cook carrots again", you  KNOW I had to try them.
  She told me she originally made them to go with a cold couscous salad with feta cheese and pecans, and suggested adding a pat of butter for serving them hot. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of those "how can this not be good" recipes and it SCREAMS holiday side dish, don't you think? It's almost absurdly simple to make, and the flavors go together so perfectly that this might possibly be the only way you'll ever cook carrots again!
Thanx Sue!!

1 lb bag baby carrots
1 bottle sparkling apple cider*
nutmeg
cinnamon

Simply boil the carrots in the apple cider with a few pinches of nutmeg until tender. Drain. Dust with a few pinches of cinnamon. Add a little knob of butter, if desired.

*Sue suggested using Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, but I'd just bet that any apple cider would be delish!

Carrot Cake Ice Cream

When I first got my ice cream maker, I knew I'd eventually be trying new and different recipes. I've always loved ice cream flavors that are a little outside the box. I definitely think this one fits the bill. When I told my niece, Kelli, that I wanted to try a carrot cake ice cream, she gave me a look as if she was seeing the Holy Grail. She LOVES my carrot cake! So, of course, this is what I decided to make for Kelli's birthday. She absolutely LOVED it and I know you will too.
Happy Birthday, Kel!


2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
tiny pinch of salt


Combine the milk, cream, carrots, and coconut in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture just to under a boil, then reduce heat to very low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. (Do not let boil.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugars and spices until fluffy and lighter in color.
While beating the egg yolk mixture, pour in a little of the hot milk mixture and continue to beat. Do this a few times, adding a just a little at a time, until all of the milk mixture is added to the egg mixture. (This will temper the eggs, so that you don't wind up with scrambled eggs.) Pour everything back into the saucepan and set heat to medium-low. Cook about 8-10 minutes longer, stirring frequently with a spatula to scrape all corners of the bottom of the pot. Do not let boil. The custard should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Let custard cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and completely chill in the refrigerator. Follow your machine’s instructions for churning length. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for 2 hours or until it reaches desired firmness. Serve with the Cream Cheese Sauce.

Honey Glazed Baby Carrots

Here's an easy variation of your regular steamed or roasted carrots. The glaze enhances the carrots' natural sweetness without being too sugary. Serve them next time you make a roast beast.
They're SO good!

2-3 cups small baby carrots
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt


Heat oven to 400F.
Melt butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar, honey, nutmeg, and salt. Pour mixture over carrots and gently toss until well coated. Place in oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Tip:
If you don't have honey, you can easily substitute maple or corn syrup.

Apricot Carrot Bread

Whenever I see a recipe with apricots, I always think of one of my favorite people on the planet, my friend Ginna. She LOVES anything apricot! So, this one is for you Gin Gin! It's SO simple! You just throw everything together, pour it into the pan and bake it. EASY! Ginna, even YOU could make it! No, that's not a cabinet at the far end of your kitchen. It's called an OVEN! Love ya!

1 3/4 c. flour
1 ts baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. carrots, shredded
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1/3 c. dried apricots, cut into small bits

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8x4" loaf pan with cooking spray. In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium size bowl combine beaten egg, sugar, apple sauce, carrots, and vegetable oil. Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in apricots. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Optional:
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar and 2 tsp apple juice to make drizzling consistency. Pour over cooled bread.

"To Die For" Carrot Cake Cookies

For years I've searched for a good carrot cake cookie. Ultimately, I wanted something that tasted like my "To Die For" Carrot Cake, but in the form of a cookie. Most times, when I try a carrot cookie recipe, the result is always too much like cake instead of the chewy cookie that I want. So, I bet you can guess what I did! I took a few different recipes, decided what I liked about each one, and incorporated all the pieces into one recipe. The result is a delicate, chewy, and delicious cookie. They're amazing just by themselves, but add cream cheese frosting to them and they're over the top!!

2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to batter, a little at a time. Add oats, coconut, and carrots. Gently stir until everything is well combined. Chill for about 30 minutes. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a flat surface.
Mix up a batch of Cream Cheese Frosting, put frosting on the bottoms of the cookies, and then press two together to make a sandwich cookie. It's best to let them chill in the fridge for a little while so that the cream cheese firms up a bit.

Tip:
Be sure to use parchment paper or a silpat to line your baking sheet so they won't stick. I use parchment paper so that I can just slide the whole sheet of cookies off the pan to the table and then let them cool a bit before removing them from the parchment.
Usually, when I bake cookies, I like to under bake them slightly to insure a nice chewy texture. These cookies are already chewy so you don't need to do that. You can bake them until they're nice and golden and crispy around the edges.
Feel free to add raisins or chopped pecans.

That Carrots and Parsnips Thing That Denny Makes for Thanksgiving

  If you know me, you know that Thanksgiving is my very most favorite holiday. My family has it down to a system. We're like a well-oiled machine. It's all about the planning. Everyone has his or her food assignments. The more experienced cooks do most of the main dishes and desserts. The cooks who are slightly less experienced will sometimes do appetizers. And the family members who prefer not to cook will pick up the ice cream, the eggnog, and the wine.
 Many of us have our signature Thanksgiving dishes that we make every year. My brother Dennis always makes oven roasted carrots and parsnips that are out of this world. He never really followed a recipe for it. He clearly cooks from the Cass Quaile School of Cooking (a little of this, a little of that, cook it until it's done.) So, I asked him how he does it, and here it is. Thanx Den!

Carrots
Parsnips
Onions, 1 per pound of carrots
Celery, 1 stalk per pound of said carrots
Garlic, a few cloves, smashed
Small can chicken broth
Olive oil
S&P

Peel and cut carrots and parsnips.
Roughly chop onions and celery.
Drizzle with olive oil, season with S&P.
Throw everything in a roasting pan, pour the chicken broth in.
Cover with foil, put into a 400 degree oven. Go watch the Macy's Parade.
When the carrots are almost done to your liking, remove the foil and let them roast 'til they ARE to your liking.

Tip:

The amounts of carrots and parsnips are left up to you. Are you feeding a crowd? Or do you only have a small gathering? Make as much as you want!

If cooking a turkey, chicken, or roast... baste the veggies with some of the pan drippings. Tastes so good you'll want to slap someone!

Swiss Vegetable Medley

So, my Jeanie and Roz called me to ask me if I could remember a recipe that Mom used to make all the time, like a million years ago.
"Do you remember it? It was like a casserole with vegetables, and it had French fried onion rings in it, or something like that."
I immediately knew what recipe she meant.
"Not only do I know what recipe it is, but I know the actual name of the recipe, where Mom got it, and I even remember how to make it (since I just made it recently!) It was called Swiss Vegetable Medley. Mom clipped the recipe out of the newspaper because she thought it looked good."
When I told Jeanie this, she was amazed!
"How do you remember that?? It was a million years ago! You were probably, like, 10 years old when she used to make it!"
Well, even then, I was watching and learning everything that my Mother cooked. I used to come home from school and sit and watch and ask questions.
So, here it is. It's very similar to my Chicken DiQuaile but just slightly different.
Last year, before Jason and Jimmy got married, I made it when I catered their engagement party, but I added chicken to it (because I wanted it to be an entree instead of a side dish). It was a big hit!
I've seen versions of it that have chopped pimento, or water chestnuts, but I didn't include them. I'm sure it's delicious any way you make it!


1 (16 oz.) bag frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 c. sour cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (2.8 oz.) can French fried onions

Thaw and drain vegetables. Mix vegetables, soup, 1/2 amount of the Swiss cheese, sour cream, black pepper and 1/2 amount of the French fried onions. Put into casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remainder of the Swiss cheese and French fired onions. Bake 5 minutes more.

Tip:
When I made this, I used fresh vegetables instead of frozen. Also, I like to mix it up instead of always using the same vegetables. I like to see what looks good at the produce section of the grocery store and then decide which veggies to use.
If you'd like to add chicken to it, like I did for Jason and Jimmy's engagement party, just cut some boneless chicken into bite sized pieces and saute them in a skillet until they're almost but not completely cooked. Stir them up with your vegetables and bake as usual. YUM!