Recipe: Carrot & Apple Loaf Cake

Let me preface this post by saying that I have made those loaf twice in the past week because we're inhaling it like air. It is THAT good. 

We finally saw some cooler weather this week in Jacksonville. Nothing cold enough to bring the coats and scarves out of their storage box, but this weather was just perfect for leaving the windows open during the day. This is what we Floridians claim as our fall. 

To celebrate, I got to baking. I found this recipe for a carrot & apple loaf cake on Pinterest and knew it was the one. We had all the ingredients on hand, including 2 apples hanging on for dear life and a 10-lb bag of carrots (go big or go home, amiright?) we needed to make a dent in. Perfect!

I can't speak highly enough of this recipe. The cake is bursting with flavor and spices that wrap you up in warmth like a blanket. Then you get the textures of the crunchy carrots, gooey baked apples, moist bread and crisp crust. The original recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting that I'm sure would be delicious as well!

Carrot & Apple Loaf Cake

Barely adapted from The Best Remedy

Ingredients

1.5 c all-purpose flour

1.5 c whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

3 eggs

1/2 c vegetable oil

1.5 c sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 c grated carrots (~3 carrots)

1 c apple, cubed (~2 apples)

1/4 c shredded coconut

*(or 1.5 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp nutmeg)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and spices. 

3. In a separate large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar and vanilla and whisk/beat until thick and slightly foamy.

4. A third at a time, add dry ingredients into wet and gently stir by hand after each addition. Gently fold in carrots, apples & coconut.

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf ban and bake for 60-70 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool the bread in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack to cool thoroughly. 

Recipe: Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Quinoa. I'm obsessed with the stuff. It's so incredibly good for you so you don't feel so bad about adding a half-pound of cheese to it!

This dish is also packed with veggies. We went with red bell peppers, mushrooms & onions. But you can really put your own spin on it with whatever you'd like. Spinach & artichoke? Yum! Tomatoes, mozzarella & basil? Mmhmm. Prosciutto & parmesan? Aren't you fancy.

Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Barely adapted from Moni Meals

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed & drained

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Accent)

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken stock

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated & divided

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, mushrooms & seasonings. Cook 5 minutes until tender. Stir in quinoa and garlic, cook 5 minutes until grains turn opaque.

2. Add chicken stock. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 25 minutes or until most of liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350' F. Coat glass baking dish with cooking spray (we used a 6-cup rectangular Pyrex). Whisk together eggs & milk in a large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and 3/4 of the cheese. Stir well.

4. Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish and top evenly with remaining cheese. Bake 40 minutes or until browned around the edges. Let cool a few minutes before serving.