Recipe Friday - Carrot Edition

I don't know what's up with me and carrots lately - I've been craving them.

Carrot Bread

3/4 cup sliced carrot
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I used cardamom)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook carrot in boiling water 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Place carrot in a food processor; process until smooth.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine whole wheat flour and the next 6 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl. Combine carrot, sugar, and the next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. (this is some nasty looking stuff) Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
4. Pour batter into an 8-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut bread into 12 slices

Verdict: pretty good. For such a dark, wheat-y looking bread, it was very moist. Not too sweet and the spices were yummy. I had a couple of slices buttered with tea for breakfast and it made me very happy.


Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby carrots with tops, peeled
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Steam carrots, covered, 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in carrots, cilantro, and remaining ingredients.

Verdict: it's hard to get a lot simpler than this. For once, Cooking Light had the right amount of salt in their recipe, which of course made mine too salty. But it was still excellent. I doubled the sauce ingredients and added in a pound of asparagus. Very spring-like and fresh tasting. I served it with barbecued chicken and a salad and it went over very well. I took the leftovers for lunch the next day, and while they were a little to soft from sitting overnight, the sauce was even better. I think this will definitely be a recurring side-dish at my house.