Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cupcakes came to mind when I was thinking of two upcoming special occasions. Number One - drum roll, please - this week is my first blogiversary! It was one year ago yesterday that I started Delightful Repast. It's been quite a year! You can help me celebrate by following Delightful Repast and telling your friends about it!

What is the other occasion? If you’re looking for an excuse to have one last winter party, the 83rd annual Academy Awards will air on Sunday, February 27. If you want to get at all fancy about it, mail invitations right away asking guests to RSVP by February 18.

You can work the Oscar theme, if you like, but the main thing is the food. Start with a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, allowing 6 pieces per person. Some ideas: Boursin cheese-stuffed snow peas, curried chicken salad in phyllo cups, pâte à choux cheese puffs, phyllo-wrapped asparagus rolls. Or just set out some pâté and dips, like hummus or baba ghanoush.

Have one buffet of nibbles to be replenished throughout the evening and another of “real” food to be set out from 6 to 8 o’clock. Make it “lap food” that requires nothing more than a fork. Display desserts from 7 o’clock to the end of the party. In honor of my Oscar picks, I might make my individual trifles, which are quite elegant. Going along with the idea of individual desserts, maybe I'll make some cupcakes as well. Carrot, I think.

Chocolate was my favorite flavor of cake until the day I had carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I was a teenager, and it was love at first bite. My mother and I couldn't find a recipe for it anywhere, so we made one up. And here it is, with a few minor changes for cupcakes. For cupcakes, I use more finely shredded carrots, more finely chopped nuts, and tiny Zante currants instead of raisins. This is quite a light textured carrot cake, not at all heavy and dense as so many are.

Do leave a comment. It's easy to do. Then, if you make the recipe, be sure to come back and leave another comment. I'd love to hear how they turned out.

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Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Makes 24)

The Cupcakes

1 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) organic canola oil

10 ounces (approximately 1 3/4 cups) finely shredded carrots

3/4 cup Zante currants (tiny raisins)

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

The Frosting

4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) powdered sugar, unsifted

1 or 2 tablespoons milk


1 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Put 2½-inch paper bake cups in two standard muffin tins. In small bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. In another small bowl, stir a tablespoon of flour mixture into chopped nuts and currants to coat and separate.

2 In large bowl, beat eggs; beat in sugar, then oil. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in carrots, raisins and nuts.

3 Using a 1/4-cup measure, fill the bake cups with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for about 24 minutes or until they are golden and test done with a toothpick.

4 Immediately remove from pans and cool on wire rack for an hour. They must be thoroughly cool before frosting.

5 In bowl of stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar (no need to sift) and mix until thoroughly combined, adding milk at the end. With a pastry bag fitted with a 2D (sometimes I use a 1M) tip, pipe frosting on cupcakes in a classic swirl.

Jean

Mexican Rice - Sopa de Arroz

Mexican rice was a mystery to me until I had a lesson from my friend Julia, who came by her technique honestly. Julia claims to be not much of a cook, but I've had some mighty tasty things out of her kitchen! 

And until I had my rice lesson from her years ago, my so-called Mexican rice was awful, very wet and tomato-y, definitely not authentic. I've made a few changes over the years, but the technique remains the same. I leave out the garlic these days, but you don't have to. Just throw the whole cloves in the pan with the rice and oil, and remove them later after they've worked their magic.

Where a lot of people go wrong (IMHO) with Mexican rice is in the seasoning. They think any food called Mexican needs to be full of spices. But that is, according to Julia, "totally unnecessary!" Think about it. You need some variety on your plate, something mild to balance out the heat and spice of everything else.

I've found the only way to get consistent results with any rice recipe is to use the same rice and the same pan each time--especially when making a large quantity. I perfected my recipe using Lundberg organic long-grain white rice and a 5 1/2-quart Le Creuset Round French Oven. So once the recipe comes out to your liking, always use the same rice and the same pan.This amount of rice will feed a crowd, but I make this amount every time. Just refrigerate or freeze the leftovers, and reheat in the microwave.

Update 05/25/17: Or try Mexican Rice - Oven Method.

Mexican Rice - Sopa de Arroz

(Makes 20 servings)

7 cups (56 fluid ounces/1.65 liters) chicken broth (vegetable broth or water, if you're vegetarian)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 2-pound (0.9 kg) bag medium- or long-grain white rice (I use Lundberg organic long grain)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen organic; it is THE best!)

1 In 3-quart saucepan, bring broth and salt to a simmer while browning the rice. The amount of liquid called for varies between brands. My preferred brand calls for a ratio of 1 1/2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice, and I think that ratio would be best with any brand.

2 In 5 1/2-quart pot, heat olive oil and stir in rice (straight from the package--do not rinse). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is lightly browned. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. Throw in a few whole cloves of garlic at some point, if you like. They can be removed before the next step or before serving.

3 Gradually stir tomato sauce into rice and cook for a minute or two, then add broth to rice. Bring to a full boil and stir just once. Put the lid on tightly, reduce heat to the very lowest setting and leave undisturbed for the length of time specified on your rice bag, usually about 20 minutes.
4 If this is your first time making this, take a really quick peek to see if liquid has evaporated and rice is done. Cover and let stand, off heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Garnish, if you like, and serve. 

Jean

Winter Salad and Book Review - Complete Book of Knife Skills

Chard and kale don't have to be cooked. They make a crisp, green winter salad you can actually make, and dress, the day before. I developed this recipe one winter when I was invited to a locavore potluck dinner. Each guest was to bring a dish in which every ingredient had been grown or produced within 100 miles of home, with the exception of salt and olive oil.

It was the first of January, so the possibilities were limited. The locally grown chard and kale looked really good, but what would I do with them? I didn't want to take cooked greens and have to reheat them. I thought if I sliced the chard and kale finely and left them to marinate in some sort of dressing overnight, that would make a nice change from the usual green salad.

Vinegar was out since I didn't know of a within-100-miles source for it. But I had Meyer lemons to provide acid and Satsuma mandarins to add color and a bit of sweetness to balance the slight (and quite pleasant) bitterness of the greens. Satsumas have the added bonus of being seedless and easily segmented. You might want to add some black pepper or a favorite herb; but even without the constraints of the 100-mile locavore diet, I prefer the salad with no embellishments. (I've since added a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe.)

I love to chiffonade; it's my favorite cut! Included, of course, in the excellent book recently sent me for review. The Zwilling J. A. Henckels Complete Book of Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to Use, Techniques and Care is a book I wish had come out much sooner--before I had a chance to develop some of my own sad little techniques. But, hey, I still have all my fingers! Culinary experts Jeffrey Elliot and James P. DeWan have created a book that is the next best thing to a knife skills course at culinary school.

Its 384 pages include more than 1,200 step-by-step photos along with clearly written instructions, and its spiral-bound format makes it easy to use. You will learn how to choose, use and maintain the best knives for your purposes, as well as how to grip the knife properly and hold your guide hand. The book will have you chopping, mincing, paring, fluting and shucking in no time.

In addition to learning how to cut vegetables into sticks, dice, chiffonade and rondelles, you will master the oblique, paysanne, lozenge and tourné cuts. After working your way through the chapters on cutting poultry, meat, fish and shellfish, you'll feel like a charcutier-slash-sushi chef. A comprehensive volume, it even covers carving cooked meats of all types and how to make 11 different decorative garnishes.

Tell me about you and knives. How are your knife skills? What is your favorite knife? What size chef's knife do you like?

Chard and Kale Salad

(Makes 6 Servings)

1 8- to 12-ounce bunch chard, thinly sliced
1 8-ounce bunch kale, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Satsuma mandarin juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 or more Satsuma mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented (about 2 cups)

1 Start the salad the day before it is to be served; the greens need time to tenderize a bit. I do the chiffonade thing with the chard and kale, stacking and rolling the carefully washed and dried leaves and slicing them thinly into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons with either a chef's knife or Santoku.

2 In small bowl, whisk together the juices, sugar and salt; then whisk in the oil. In 3-quart bowl, combine chard, kale and dressing. Cover and refrigerate until next day. Two hours before serving, toss greens and add Satsuma mandarin orange segments.

Note: Rich Ferreira has been growing organic Satsuma mandarin oranges on his family farm, Side Hill Citrus, since 1989.

Chicken and Dumplings - A Comfort Food Classic

Chicken and Dumplings. Could there be a more comforting comfort food! Of course, it's one of those old-fashioned favorites that stirs up a lot of controversy--mainly of the "fluffy" versus "flat" (dropped or rolled) variety. Having grown up on the fluffy kind, I was well into my middle-earlies when I discovered there was any other kind.

We were en route to Williamsburg, Virginia, and stopped for dinner somewhere in West Virginia. I wanted a real Southern experience, so I ordered I-don't-remember-what with three sides, including turnip greens and okra. When I saw what they called chicken and dumplings set before a diner at the next table, I was glad I hadn't ordered that. I wanted to walk over and inspect it thoroughly and maybe get into a little discussion about it, but my husband would have grabbed me by the elbow and held me back from making such a spectacle of myself.

The "dumplings" were flat and looked to me like thick, wide noodles. I like chicken and noodles, so I probably would have liked the meal well enough. I just would have had to let go of my preconceived notions about dumplings. My mother always made the fluffy kind. Are the fluffy dumplings an English thing? But I think my Southern grandmother (my father's mother) also made the fluffy kind. So I'm confused. What kind of dumplings does your family make?

This recipe takes a bit of time, but you can break it up. It's a great make-ahead dish. Just get the stew made, pop it in the fridge for a day or two, then heat it up, add the dumplings and serve. If you're skinny -- I remember when the energy exerted eating a gigantic meal could actually make me lose weight -- serve it on a pile of buttery mashed potatoes.

Chicken and Dumplings

(Serves 6)

The Chicken Stew

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 5 pounds), cut up
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
6 to 8 cups lower sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup flour shaken with 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

The Dumplings

(Makes 18)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (8 fluid ounces/237 ml) milk (1/3 can be buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt; or you can replace 1 tablespoon of the milk with cider vinegar)

1 In large heavy pot (will use my new 5 1/2-quart Le Creuset Round French Oven next time), heat 2 tablespoons oil. Place half the chicken pieces skin side down in hot oil, season with up to (the amount of salt, pepper and broth depends on weight of chicken used) 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes or so. Turn, season second side with up to 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and brown, about 5 minutes or so. Remove chicken to large plate. Repeat with second batch, adding 1 tablespoon oil to pan.

2 Add the chopped vegetables to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in herbs and broth. Stir in flour-water mixture. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken. Return the chicken to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour.

3 Remove chicken to large plate. Use two forks to remove the skin and take the meat off the bone. Cut meat into bite-size (about 1-inch) pieces and return it to the pot. Taste for seasoning. (You can stop right here if you want to and finish the dish tomorrow or the next day.)

4 While stew returns to a simmer, make dumplings. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Drizzle melted butter over flour mixture, stirring with large fork. Stir in milk. Let stand for 5 minutes before scooping onto stew.

5 Stir in the parsley (and a cup of frozen peas, if you like). Spray a #40 scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) or round measuring tablespoon with cooking spray. Drop level scoops or rounded tablespoons of dough onto simmering stew. Cover and simmer dumplings for 20 minutes, then test one to see if toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If not, cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Chili - A Game Day Classic for Super Bowl

If you can’t be among the 100,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, February 6, maybe you'll be watching (or not watching!) Super Bowl XLV with a few friends at home. With a big-screen TV and a little planning, it’s almost better than being there.

To many, it’s just not Game Day without chips and the ubiquitous onion dip. But the Super Bowl is an event that calls for more than a bag of chips and a six-pack. Get the afternoon started with some great snacks—maybe some hummus or pimento cheese. Then right around halftime, bring on the real food—dishes that are easy to serve and easy to eat while watching the game.

Hearty soups, stews and casseroles are perfect foods for the game, and chili – with beans or without, beef or pork, ground meat or chunks, red or green – is a classic. Set up a chili bar where guests can choose their favorite garnishes. Offer guacamole or diced avocado, sour cream, shredded Cheddar and Jack cheese, sliced black olives, diced onion, sliced green onion, shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce, cilantro, lime wedges and thinly sliced radishes.

For dessert, this quick and easy feeds-a-crowd chocolate cake that is served right from the pan is perfect for any large casual party. And here is my Won’t-Even-Miss-the-Meat Chili, a recipe I developed years ago when I was a vegetarian. It was the one dish I could count on to satisfy even the most carnivorous of my friends, who were not expecting to come away from the meal saying “Wow! I didn’t even miss the meat!” So ... tell me how you feel about chili and about football!

Vegetarian Chili - Won’t-Even-Miss-the-Meat Chili

(Makes twelve 1 1/2-cup servings)

2 pounds dry red kidney beans
10 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 cup chopped celery (2 large stalks)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 large)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (soy sauce if you're vegetarian)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to start!)
1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted)

1 Wash beans in cold water. Put beans and water in a 6- or 7-quart pot.* Soak beans at least 5 hours or overnight. Drain off soaking liquid and add 10 cups of fresh water. (I'm so precise about the water because we're going to add the sauce to the beans, so I don't want the beans to be swimming in water.) Bring to a full rolling boil, boil for a minute, then reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for about 2 1/2 hours, adding salt during the last 1/2 hour. And don't bother skimming off the foam that will form on the surface. A lot of people do, but I consider it just a waste of my precious time!

2 During last 45 minutes, make sauce. In large skillet or 3-quart saucepan, heat oil and cook onion, celery and green pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings, and cook for about 10 minutes to "brown" the tomato paste and toast the spices (mixture will be very thick). Add diced tomatoes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. If the beans aren't tender by the time the sauce has cooked 30 minutes, turn the heat off under the sauce, cover and let stand until beans are done.

3 Add sauce to beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the chili is the consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and serve, offering assortment of garnishes. Can be made a day or more ahead--it just gets better!

*I don't have one myself, but I know the ideal pan for foods like this would be the All-Clad Stainless 7-Quart Stockpot with Pasta Insert. I made these gorgeous fettuccine-like shreds of cheese with my new Microplane Professional Extra Coarse Grater!