Food, Glorious Food
With a weekend off from travelling to London, Alicia and I finally got round to making a carrot cake. It was pretty good and so I thought I would share the recipe. If we were going to make it again, we agreed that we would use a little less sugar and possibly add some coconut.
Disgusted with the cheese and butter icing, Alicia made a green bean and almond salad that was equally delicious, if not significantly more healthy. Both recipes are outlined below.
Carrot Cake (1 Medium Loaf) - Adapted from Delia Online
- Peeled and Grated Carrot (75g)
- Plain Whole-wheat Flour (110g)
- Bicarbonate of Soda (½ Level Teaspoon)
- Ground Cinnamon (1 Teaspoon)
- All Spice (½ Teaspoon)
- Ground Cardamom (½ Teaspoon)
- Groundnut Oil (75ml)
- Soft Brown Sugar (75g)
- Lightly Beaten Egg (1 Large)
- Chopped Walnuts (50g)
- Flaked Almonds (2 Handfuls)
- Sultanas (2 Handfuls)
- Full-Fat, Soft Cream Cheese (50g)
- Butter (50g)
- Icing Sugar (50g)
- Chopped Almonds (Enough to cover cake)
Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (gas mark 2). Place the grated carrot into a large bowl and sift in the flour. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Place the mixture in a loaf tin and bake in the oven at for 1 hour. While waiting, make the topping. Mix the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar into a smooth paste. Once the cake is cool, cover with the icing and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.
Green Bean & Almond Salad (Serves 2)
- Green Beans (100g)
- Flaked Almonds (1 Handful)
- Tomatoes (2 Large)
- Balsamic Vinegar (2 capfuls)
- Finely chopped Red Onion (Half an onion)
- Salt (To taste)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper (To taste)
Steam the green beans until until tender (around 10 minutes). While waiting, quarter the tomatoes and place in a bowl along with the flaked almonds and the red onion. Add the green beans and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Divide into two bowls, season to taste and serve immediately.
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