Our Family's Favorite Carrot Cake Veganized!!

Our favorite carrot cake for years has been our modified version of "Sam's Famous Carrot Cake" from allrecipes dot com. I've managed to veganize it by eliminating the eggs and buttermilk, and it is fantastic!! Double the recipe for a layered cake. Next time I'll use oat flour to make the cake gluten-free. This uses a sifter; it may be fine without one. Click HERE for frosting recipe.

9" cake pan lined with parchment paper
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F

Ingredients in sections this time according to steps of preparation:

In medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used white wheat this time)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt

For egg substitute, mix together:
1. 5 T ground flax seed
3 T water

For buttermilk substitute:
5 T soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice
(can sub white or apple cider vinegar)
Stir together and let sit for 5-10 min to curdle






In large bowl, beat together:

the egg and buttermilk substitutes above
6 T light olive oil
3/4 cup of sugar (ideally natural, unbleached sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract


THEN add the dry ingredients from the medium bowl to the large bowl and mix well.









In medium bowl, stir together:

1 cup shredded carrots (about 2), lightly coated with lemon juice
1/2 cup organic shredded coconut*
1/2 cup raisins*soaked in 2 T of warmed orange juice
1/2 cup pecan pieces
4 oz crushed pineapple, drained

✓ Fold the fruit/veggie/nut mixture into batter

*Warm about 2 T of orange juice and soak raisins in it for a few minutes. You can do this at the beginning of the recipe, too, for plumper raisins.

If your coconut is dried out too much, add 1-2 more T of oj and soak the coconut in that, too. Start with the raisins, first, though.

Fruit, veggie, nut mixture.
The colors are beautiful!
The photo doesn't do it justice :(

✓Pour the batter into lined cake pan
✓Bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes
✓Check doneness by testing with toothpick poked in center of cake comes out clean
✓Remove from oven (turn oven off *cough*)
✓✓Let it cool completely before removing cake from pan

Line pan with parchment paper
(this helps to remove cake easily)

✓Get a cutie to sing Happy Birthday to you

Parsnip Pancakes

{Here's a link to an improved and more-approved version of this recipe:  Click Here.}

Kid Rating:  0 out of 3 like them, but 2 out of 3 will eat them

Do Again:  Yes, because they are delicious, and I believe the kids will acquire a taste for them.  One condition, the shredding is time-consuming (20 min.) and painful, so I would prefer to do these with a food processor.

Parsnip pancakes look like hash browns, but they don't taste like hash browns.  I'm wondering if that is what threw my family off.  I love the light, sweet flavor that has a hint of gingerness.

My friend made these for us for brunch, and I thought they were fantastic.  I wanted to eat the whole tray of them.  My batch paled in comparison (I don't think I steamed them correctly), but I thought they were still good.  They are definitely worth trying, again, and helping my kids get used to the new flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound parsnips, peeled and shredded (buy small to med)

1 large carrot, shredded (I used 1 1/2 medium sized)

1 shallot thinly sliced (original recipe* calls for 2 scallions)

1 egg 

1 T flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt (I used Kosher)

1 T vegetable oil (I used light olive oil)

Parsnip stubs:  I did not like shredding the
darn things.  I shredded my thumb in the
process and vowed it's time to invest in
a food processor.

I sliced up the stubs, steamed them for 5,
and munched on them while finishing
the rest of the parsnip recipe.

1.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2.  In a steamer or colander set over a pot of boiling water, steam the parsnips and carrot for 5 minutes or until softened but not mushy. Set aside to cool slightly.  (My friend put her batch in a big, metal colander in a dutch oven pot with boiling water and lid for 5 minutes, which is what I should have done).

I didn't steam them correctly.  I was afraid the
holes were too big, so I put them in the colander.
Then the lid didn't fit, and the steam escaped.  :-P
I think the steamer holes would have been fine. 

3.  Transfer vegetables to a medium bowl and add the scallions shallots, egg, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until well combined.

4.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil over moderate heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure (I used an ice cream scooper -- my grandmother's), spoon mixture into skillet (may have to do in batches).  Cook for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.  Transfer first batch to a large baking sheet (I sprayed with cooking spray).

After adding scoops, I flattened them and
patted the loose sides in.

5.  After finishing the batches, bake the parsnip pancakes for 7 minutes or until they are heated through and lightly crisped.

They are a beautiful color (which the photo
doesn't do it justice), pale white with specks
of bright orange (except for the ones I overcooked).

FAMILY REVIEW

11 y.o. - ate it, didn't like it

10 y.o. - ate it, didn't like it, she says she doesn't like cooked carrots

5 y.o. - spit out first bite (didn't like it -- ya think?)

Hubby - was expecting hash browns but was okay with it when once he knew it wasn't supposed to be hash browns.

Me - I liked it although not as much as when my friend made them.  I really liked the steamed sliced stumps.

Next time:

Use scallions, steam correctly, lower skillet heat, maybe use a different cooking oil, and get a food processor!

*"Parsnip Pancakes with Scallions" from Reader's Digest Eat Well, Stay Well, 1998, p. 89.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and a St. Patrick Day's Twist

Kid Rating: 3 out of 3 like them

Do Again: Yes

(plus surprise Irish dancing video at the end)

I found this fun recipe over at Amy's Super Healthy Kids.

Makes 12

Pre-heat to 350 degrees F

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (my addition)

3 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1tsp vanilla

1 cup carrot puree (click HERE for recipe)

Mix it all together. Spoon into muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from pan to cool on rack.

Frosting

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 - 1 cup powdered sugar (I used 1 cup to make it thicker)

1/2 tsp vanilla (I used 1 tsp)

I only had 1/2 cup of brown sugar and
supplemented with white. I suppose I
could have added molasses.

It was very thick. I wonder if a softer puree would
have produced a thinner batter.

St. Patrick's Day Decorating:

Here's a link to Gourmet Mom to print out the leprechauns: click HERE

I have a black-ink printer, so I just used pens to color in.

Cut.

Fold for mirror image.

Finer cut.

I used clear packing tape to "laminate" the image so I can
reuse the images. Lay out strip of tape. Practice first to
learn how to avoid the static that makes the tape leap up
to the image and adhere in the most frustrating way.

Fold over tape, seal, and do a final cut (make sure
to leave sealed edges - don't cut them off).

Family Review:
YUM!
I love the after-taste: fresh, carrot-sweet, and not all "chemically" like store-bought artificial stuff.

Here's the hilarious video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0rrLdWLu_0
(watch it until the fun ending)

Carrot Puree

...as an ingredient for other recipes


For 1 cup of puree:  3-4 medium carrots (I used 4 large carrots and had 1 1/3 cups of puree)


-peel and chop carrots into smaller pieces
-fill pot with 1-2 inches of water, up to steamer basket
(or you can boil the carrots, instead)
-bring to boil
-add carrots, cover
-steam for 10 minutes (at least 10 min. -- my carrots chopped to bits instead of into a smooth puree, which is fine with me, but if I want a finer product, I should steam/boil longer).
-puree in a processor or blender, add a tablespoon of water to help it blend (if you cooked your carrots until they are mushy-soft, then you can use a potato masher if you don't have a blender/processor)

Amy's "Aye Caramba!" Cabbage Salad Veganized

Kid Rating: 2 out of 3 will tolerate a little bit
Do Again? Yes! Because Danny and I loved it, and the kids will just have to get used to it


This recipe is from Amy's Super Healthy Kids blog. Thanks, Amy, for sharing!


1/2 cabbage, shredded (she uses bagged pre-cut cabbage for time-savings)
1 carrot shredded (it's about 1 cup)
1/4-1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4-1/2 cup pecan pieces


And this fabulous homemade dressing (I used about half of the dressing and saved the rest):
1/2 cup vegan mayo (Such as Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart - Yum!)
1/4 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
1/4 cup sugar (less to-taste if desired)
1/8 cup white vinegar
1 T poppy seeds

Dressing in the measuring cup, shredded cabbage, pecans,
dried cranberries, shredded carrots. See the remaining carrot
stick? My 5 yo pretends it's his light saber then eats it.

Question for you: How much of the center am I supposed
to remove?

Put how ever much you want of each ingredient in the bowl and stir.

Viola!

Family Review:
5 y.o. - "It's sort of good and sort of bad."
9 y.o. - At first bite, it's sour, but it leaves a good after-taste. She's willing to eat "a little bit."
10 y.o. - "Not sure. Maybe no." -- But he's willing to eat a little bit, too.
Hubby - "It's really good. I love it."
Me - I like it, too. I'm pleasantly surprised how easy it is to make my own dressing.

Veggie and Brown Rice Meal in a Pan

Rating: 2.5 out of 3 kids
Do again?: Yes


This is great for whatever veggies you have on hand. It's also good for using left-over meat. I made brown rice earlier (it takes 50 min to cook) and made enough for other meals.


For this meal, I used:


Summer squash (golden yellow crookneck), peeled and chopped
Green onions, sliced/chopped (green separated from white)
Garlic clove, pressed
Carrot, peeled and sliced
Green cabbage (1/4), chopped
Butter (or oil or nada -- I like the flavor of butter)
Chicken (left over grilled, cut into bite-size pcs)
Brown rice
Teriyaki sauce

See the thing in the bag? It's a partial zucchini -- I don't like zucchini (yet),

so it stayed in the bag. The summer squash ended up being chopped into bite-size pieces at my 9 yo daughter's request.

(We prefer veggies firmer. Cooking times are shorter.)

1. Heat up large pan and begin cooking carrots*, white portions of onions, and garlic. I used about a tsp of butter and Tsp of water. You can omit the butter or use a different oil or broth. *Out of all the veggies I was using, the carrots were the hardest and take longer to become tender. 5 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, more water, and lid. 2 minutes.
3. Add squash and green part of onion and more water (enough to keep from scorching). 1 minute.
4. Add meat and rice. Heat through.
5. Teriyaki sauce - give a few shakes.
6. Stir it up and serve.

Veggies with chicken and rice added.

Family Review: We all liked it except for the 5 year old, "I don't wanna eat squash!" He ate around it. I'll serve it, again. He'll get used to it.

Quote from 10 yo son when I asked him how he liked it, "I dunno. I'm just eating it." (I'll take that as a thumbs up).

I got two thumbs up from 9 yo daughter.