First Night Design | “Eight peas, please.” | #Carrots #Recipes

“Eight peas, please.” When I was very young, peas were the only vegetable I could stomach. Luckily, I grew out of that. Nowadays, there are very few vegetables I dislike. While okra and artichokes leave me cold, I eat almost every other vegetable available. Carrots, meanwhile, I could eat until the cows come home. They hold a special place in my heart. So many uses, such delicious options.

Carrots Make Great Soups & Fabulous Cakes

The following soup recipe is a staple at our place  and is an adaptation of one published in a Sainsburys cookery book from the 1980s, originally meant for a pressure cooker.

Carrot, Coriander & Ginger Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• 4 large carrots, scraped and sliced.
• 1 large onion, sliced.
• 900ml / 1 1/2 pints vegetable or chicken stock.
• large bunch fresh, chopped coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan on a low to medium heat.
2. Saute the carrots and onions for a few minutes until the slices are transparent.
3. Pour in the stock and add the coriander and ground ginger. Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are tender.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
5. Puree the soup with a blender and season to taste.
6. Reheat as necessary.
7. Serve with warm, crusty bread and a side salad of choice.
8. Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course.

I haven’t made the cake below for an age but I’m going to mix and bake right this minute!

Captivating Carrot & Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 225g / 8oz self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 150g / 5oz light muscovado sugar
• 100g / 4oz carrots, grated
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 150ml / 5fl oz sunflower oil

Icing

• 175g / 6oz low-fat soft cheese
• 50g / 2oz butter
• 100g / 4oz icing sugar

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to  Gas mark 4 / 180C / 350F.
2. Butter an 8in / 20cm deep cake tin.
3. Fold all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into the cake tin and level the top with a knife.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 mins. Make sure it is fully risen and that the sides are starting to shrink away from the sides of the tin.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for a few minutes before turning it out onto a cake rack.
7. Blend the icing ingredients into a bowl until smooth.
8. Wait until the cake is completely cool before spreading the icing on the top.
9. The cake will need to be kept in the fridge before serving because of the icing.

Enjoy!

Take care and keep laughing!

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