Spiced Carrot Muffins

You may have noticed that I make a lot of muffins. My fiance and I pretty much take a muffin or biscuit or something of the sort to work/school everyday. And I get pretty sick of "sweet" muffins (with fruits and/or nuts). Not that the muffins I make are that sweet - since we're eating them pretty much everyday I make them healthier (whole wheat, cut down the sugar and fat, etc) but still. However, even when I was in a hating-sweet-muffins mood, I really loved these. There's something about a carrot spice muffin/cake that I don't think I'll ever get tired of. I loved these little muffins. They were nice and soft and deliciously carrot spicey! I'd highly recommend using the finer grater holes because the first time I made these I used the slightly bigger holes (the ones I use for cheese) and I didn't like how big the carrot pieces were.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Maple Pecan Muffins
Bill's Big Carrot Cake
Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins

Spiced Carrot Muffins
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 12

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups plain yogurt (I used 2% plain yogurt)
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 cups peeled, shredded carrots (about 5 medium)

1. Line 12 cups (each 2 1/2 inches wide) of a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, butter, and egg. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add yogurt mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in carrots.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. (If desired, muffins can be baked immediately in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes.) Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes, then cover tin with plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to bake, up to 3 months.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake muffins (still frozen) until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake

I looooove regular cheesecake and so was super intrigued by this savoury vegetable cheesecake I discovered in the wonderful The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest. The cheese used is mostly ricotta with some mozzarella and parmesan. The vegetables are zucchini, onions, carrot, parsley, garlic and tomato. Add in some salt, pepper and herbs, put it in a cheesecake pan, bake it and you have savoury vegetable cheesecake!

It was really yummy, and I love this idea for a vegetarian main (and will likely make more savoury cheesecakes in the future). But I do think it needs the tang and uncreamyness (totally made that word up) of tomato sauce to complement it because it's so rich. I ended up eating it with red sauce and pasta all mixed together - so basically like a broken down lasagna. Let me know if you have a good savoury cheesecake recipe! I'd love to try out a different version.

Abby feet!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Butternut Squash Casserole
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Feta and Ricotta Cheese Pie

Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake
Adapted from The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Serves 6 (but would serve more if you ate it with pasta as I did)

3 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 3 or 4 small zucchini)
a little salt
a little oil for the pan
1 tsp olive oil
1 minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated carrot
2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (could omit this)
3 cups (1 1/2 lbs) ricotta cheese
1 packed cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 beaten eggs
black pepper to taste
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced into rounds, with each round sliced in half (into "Ds")

1. Place the grated zucchini in a colander over a sink. Salt lightly and let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, carrot, flour, and dried herbs, and cook, stirring over medium heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in garlic, parsley, and lemon juice.

4. Place the cheeses and eggs in a large bowl, and beat vigorously for a minute or two. Add the vegetable mixture, and mix well. Season to taste with black pepper, and adjust salt, if necessary.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Arrange the tomato "Ds" in a lovely pattern on the top.

6. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes. Cool for at least 20 minutes before remove the sides of the pan. Serve at any temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cheese Straws

These cheese straws are truly outstanding. They're crispy and super cheesy and so so delicious. And easy to make. There really isn't much else to say about them aside from urging you to make them asap!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Apple Cheddar Scones
Savoury Green Onion Ricotta Muffins
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Cheese Straws
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
3/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt and red pepper in five 5-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and process until the dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds.

3. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8- by 10-inch rectangle that is 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife (or a pizza or pastry wheel), cut the dough into thin 8-inch strips, each 1/4- to 1/3-inch wide (dipping the knife in flour after every few inches ensures a clean cut). Gently transfer the strips to an ungreased cookie sheet (I used my Silpats), leaving at least 1/4-inch between them. The dough may sag or may break occasionally in the transfer, but don’t be concerned — just do your best. The straws can be any length, from 2 to 10 inches.

4. Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

5. Serve at room temperature. Cheese straws will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for two days. They will not last an hour at a party.

Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon

I had bought a big tub of ricotta from Costco and had 1 cup left so went searching for ricotta recipes and came across this simple dish. (Stay tuned for what I had originally needed 3 cups of ricotta for!) It's yummy and super easy to prepare, so makes a great weeknight meal. I used asparagus and frozen peas (I looooove frozen peas, I can eat a big bowl of them plain) but feel free to use whatever vegetable you have on hand. I liked the tarragon but if that's not your favourite herb, try a different one.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
French Pasta Salad
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms in Mustard Wine Sauce

Asparagus and Pea Pasta with Ricotta and Tarragon
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 4

12 ounces gemelli or other short pasta
1 bunch asparagus (about 3 cups), ends broken off, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dried tarragon (not the crushed kind)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup ricotta cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than al dente. Add asparagus and peas, and cook 1 minute (or until asparagus is bright green). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables, and return to pot.

Toss pasta and vegetables with butter, tarragon, pepper, salt and ricotta, adding a little reserved pasta water as needed to create a thin sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper as desired.

Tres Leches Cake

This tres leches cake may not look like anything exciting but it really is. I've wanted to make a tres leches cake for years. But I must admit I was always scared of the cake being mushy because you pour a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream over it. And when I say you pour it over the cake I mean you completely drench it. I was happy to find out the cake was actually really nice and moist, and NOT mushy - I'm thinking this works out well because the cake is kind of like angel food cake. Combined with the whipped cream on top, it was perfect. This is a really simple but unforgettable cake! Ree suggests topping the cake with maraschino cherries which I looooooove but I know not everyone feels the same so I left them off.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Maple-Walnut Cake
Lemon Lust Cake
Strawberry Cream Cake
Creamy Coconut Cake

Tres Leches Cake
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoons Salt
5 whole Eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/3 cups Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
1/4 cups Heavy Cream

FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the heavy cream and sugar until peaks form. Spread over the cake.