Apple Carrot Bread

The original recipe is for muffins. I found this over at Whole Foods Market website. As you know, I cannot leave a recipe alone. I read through the original recipe, and thought what can I do to make this better?

Instead of using applesauce, I used a fresh apple, peeled, cored, and then double grated in the food processor. Since I was losing the liquid from the applesauce, I increased the milk. I also added nutmeg to the recipe to help bring out the cinnamon more. The recipe also called for whole-wheat flour, I used a combination of white and wheat. I also omitted the sea salt.

The recipe makes will yield 8 to 12 muffins and since I was not in the mood to prepare muffins tins, I made this into bread. The house smelt so good when this came out of the oven!

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup flour (whole wheat, white or combination of the two)

¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup carrots, double grated in the food processor

1 Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored, and then double grated in the food processor

2 large eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare loaf pan, set aside

 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda

 In a separate bowl, combine carrots, applesauce, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla

 Add half the flour mixture to the carrot mixture stir until blended

Blend in the remaining flour mixture

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of a muffin comes out clean

Serve warm

Barley, Potato and Ditalini Soup

I have been trying several recipes and not many of them have been worth writing about. There were a few my family wishes I had never fed them.

I wasn’t too sure how they would react to this soup with having so much barley in it. I guess they have enjoyed it since my daughter and husband have taken it for lunch the past two days.

For those who have high cholesterol, a cup of barley eaten every day, will help lower your levels.

What I like about this recipe is you can play with the ingredients as you wish. If you are a vegan, use vegetable broth. I made my mine with chicken broth, but I think beef broth would be really tasty.

Ingredients

1 cup ditalini pasta

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

¾ cup uncooked barley

12 cups of broth (your choice veggie, chicken or beef)

4 carrots, diced

½ cup celery, diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

In large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat

Cook garlic and onions, for four minutes

Add broth and barley bring to a simmer

Add carrots, celery, potato, ditalini, let simmer for 30 minutes

Add spices simmer for 6 minutes longer

Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes before serving.

** The longer this sits, the more liquid the barley and pasta will absorb. I added water, when I served the next day. **