The Best Wholewheat Carrot Cake

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is having an awesome start of 2019. This is my first blogpost of the year and am excited to be back again to my space. 2018 was a slow and steady year for me. While I spent a lot of time learning to be a mother of a hi-energy toddler, I also lost a little focus on my mantra of healthy living. But I was aware what I was doing wrong. I wanted to give myself the time to figure out ways to adapt to my new life. After-all, it all about re-inventing. Because change is the only constant here. Do tell me what were your hits and miss of the year 2018.

Now coming back to 2019, I am so excited to share with you all the best wholewheat carrot cake recipe ever. Literally! I am excited about this like a little kid who first learns to read. Or like a girl who bakes her first cake without fail. The reason for this excitement is because though I love baking and do that quite often, I still hesitate making major changes in a cake recipe. Breads and muffins are very forgiving. But not cakes...to me. That said, I went all out and dared to make bold changes in the traditional carrot cake recipe. And sometimes it is a good thing. I was very nervous, when my oven timer beeped and I pulled out the cake. Well it looked as I would expect. But any of you who bake, know that it is not the real test. I jumped with joy when i flipped the cake on the rack because I could feel it was light, airy, spongy and super moist. It gave no feel of this being a 100% wholewheat cake.

Recipe
makes one 8*2 inch round cake

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil/vegetable oil
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup palm sugar/white sugar
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup 100% wholewheat flour
1.5 cup finely grated carrots, fresh
1/2 cup pecans/walnuts chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven at 350 deg F and prepare a 8 inch or 9 inch round baking pan.
2. In a bowl, combine oil, Greek yogurt, eggs, honey, sugar with an electric mixer.
3. In another bowl, sift all the dry ingredients.
4. Mix the dry ingredients in batches to the liquid ones. Make sure you do not over mix. Just until well incorporated.
5. Fold in the freshly grated carrots. Stay away from the store bought grated carrots. They lack the moisture which your cake badly needs. It is really worth the time and pain to freshly grate the carrots for that beautiful chiffon finish.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 mins.
7. Let it cool in the pan for a good 10-15 mins.
8. Place it carefully on a cooling rack and let it cool for another 10-15 mins.

So take my word on this being the best wholewheat carrot cake ever. It will be a guilt free, go-to cake and pass all the tests to be made for your little ones anytime. 

Not just that, bake it in 2 layers and incorporate your favorite cream cheese/Greek yogurt frosting and it will an elegant formal cake suitable to any occasion.

Dates and Nuts Roll

I wanted to write this post the day I made this recipe. But things don't go as planned when you are occupied with Diwali preparations and a toddler running around all the time. I hope everyone had a beautiful Diwali and still savouring the delicious snacks and sweets. 

Every year, I ask my family what would they like me to cook for the Diwali dinner. And this time my husband suggested to go all healthy for anything and everything I prepare. Diwali is one festival where I let go of my healthy hat and go out all traditional. But I did not want to pass on my husband's suggestion. With a lot going on around me, I had really no time to think out of the box. All I could do was to best utilize my in stock pantry items. Dates and nuts make that list. I was extremely happy with the results and the fact that start to finish it took 15 min to prepare this beautiful looking dessert. 

Recipe
1 cup chopped nuts mix; almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts
1.5-2 cups chopped dates
1 tsp of cardamom powder
1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter

• Dry roast the nuts mix on medium heat. This should take not more than 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, grind the chopped dates in a food processor until they become a big lump.
• Remove the nuts from the pan and add little ghee/clarified butter and add the dates. Cook on low-medium for 6-8 mins until dates become pulpy.
• Turn off the stove. Add the nuts mixture and cardamom powder and mix well. When the mixture is almost room temperature make a roll out of it. Tight and compact. 
• Spread the toasted sesame seeds on a cutting board and cover well the dates nuts roll.
  
• Cover with aluminium foil and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
• When ready to serve, cut into discs and serve.

It tastes best at room temperature. It is soft, chewy and lot of texture due to nuts. And no need to quote the healthy benefits. And...it just looks so pretty! What do you think?

Happy Festivals!

Hidden Veggies Pasta Sauce

There are so many great hidden veggie pasta sauce recipes out there but I wish I had time to go through each to try them one by one. I tried a couple but those failed the test. Neither my darling daughter approved of them nor did the house adults. Moreover, as a parent am a big advocate of feeding the kid what everyone eats at home. It is not only too much work to prepare separate meals but also, for me, it takes away that feeling of dining together. I felt most hidden veggie pasta sauce recipes are intended only for kids. And I wanted to have one which we all can savor. Not to forget the store bought ones are loaded with sodium and many more other ingredients that you just do not need in your food. This recipe does take 50-60 mins to prepare a whole jar of pasta sauce but it is so worth it. Once the sauce is prepared, seal it in an airtight container. Stores well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and freezes well for 3 months. 

Recipe
2 stalks celery, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, grated 
1 green pepper, grated 
1 onion, grated
1 zucchini, grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes, no salt added

• In a large saucepan, heat oil and add all the grated veggies. Add a pinch of salt to let absorb excess moisture and cook uncovered for 8-10 min on medium. Keep stirring to avoid veggies from getting burnt.
• Add the canned whole peeled tomatoes and squish using a masher. Cover and let cook for 25 mins.
• Turn off the burner, add all spices, mix well and cover again. Let it sit to cool down at room temperature.
• Using a hand blender, lightly blend the cooked sauce. I like mine not too smooth. 

The goodness of all veggies you want to add in your family's diet is ready to be packed in a jar. Or even better, serve fresh over cooked pasta. This sauce was better tasting than any store bought pasta sauce. I can bet on it!

And here is my little one's bowl