Carrot Cake (dairy-free topping)

Carrot cake with cashew topping
Makes 12-16 slices

Ingredients
100-150g (2 cups) grated (shredded) carrots
200g (1 cup) white sugar
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
120g (1 cup) white flour
120g (1 cup) wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
4 eggs (or substitute)
435g can crushed pineapple, drained (about 1 cup)
100g (1 cup) raisins
60g (1 cup) crushed walnuts (optional)

Topping:
150g (1 1/2 cups) cashews, soaked overnight
60ml lemon juice
2 tblsp coconut oil, melted
2 tblsp sugar or honey
(water if needed)

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C, without using a fan if possible. Grease a deep 23cm (9 inch) springform or loose-bottomed round cake tin with butter or coconut oil. Line the base with greasefree paper if the pan is likely to stick.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, until well combined.  Place in the pan, and cook for about 45-50 minutes until risen and firm in the middle.

Cool in the pain for at least 20 minutes, then remove carefully to a wire rack.

To make the topping:
Drain and then rinse the cashews, which should be quite soft and larger than they were. Blend or food process with the other ingredients, stopping every thirty seconds or so to scrape down the sides.  If it seems very stiff, add a little water, but it needs to be quite firm.

Eventually it should become a homogenous mixture, rather like traditional cream cheese topping, which can be spread roughly over the cake when it's cooled down.  

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This was originally an American recipe, which is very easy to make with US measuring cups. So if you have a set, or indeed any cup or small jug with a 225 ml capacity, it's much quicker than weighing everything separately.  Exact quantities don't matter too much in this recipe, which is very rich and moist.

It can also be made in other sizes of cake tin; a larger round one or a big rectangular pan would lead to a flatter, dryer cake; you would have to adjust the cooking times accordingly, and perhaps make more topping.

This is a good cake even without the frosting; if you want a low-fat cake, omit the walnuts and eat it without a topping. You could use all wholewheat flour to make it healthier, although it would then also be denser.  Carrots, pineapple and raisins ensure that this is a surprisingly nutritious cake as well as being delicious.

However, carrot cake is traditionally topped with a cream cheese based frosting, whipped with a considerable amount of icing sugar.  Since we are mostly dairy-free, I was delighted to discover this cashew-based equivalent.  Raw cashews can be expensive, but if you can find them in bulk they are the basis of many dairy-free desserts, and make an excellent milk.  

Curried Carrot and Ginger Soup

(serves 6-8)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5cm (2 inches) ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tblsp curry powder
900g (2lb) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1.6 litres (about 2.5 UK pints or 3 American pints) stock or water and stock cube

Method:
Gently cook the onion and garlic in the oil in a large pan, stirring, until softened. Stir in the ginger and curry powder, and cook for another minute. Add the carrots and a little of the stock, and cook for another minute or two. Add the rest of the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then blend in a liquidizer until it turns into a thick soup. Return to the heat and cook gently, stirring, until piping hot.

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This is a tasty soup which is quite spicy - if you don't like hot tastes, reduce the amount of the ginger and curry powder, or even leave the curry powder out. The ginger does give a pleasant tang to what would otherwise be quite a bland soup.

You can adjust other ingredients to taste - any kind of stock can be used, meat or vegetable, or even just water. If you have leftover wine that can be added too.

After the simmering, this looks most unappetising, with bits of vegetable floating in a sea of dark-coloured stock. Don't worry! The liquidizer turns it into a lovely orange soup that is excellent for a cold day, eaten with fresh bread.

French stew

(serves 4)

750g stewing steak, chopped
150ml stock or water and marmite
1 large peeled, sliced carrot
1 cup french beans (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 cup water or wine
2 tblsp vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1 tsp mixed dried herbs

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a suitable-sized ovenproof dish with a lid. Bake in a slow oven (140C) for 4-6 hours, adding extra water if needed. Alternatively cook in a slow-cooker/crockpot for 8-10 hours on low. Excellent served with baked jacket potatoes and more veggies. Freezes well.

This can also be done in a slow-cooker (crockpot), doubling or trebling ingredients if necessary so the crockpot is at least half full. Place the carrots and onions at the bottom and the stewing steak on top, then the rest of the ingredients poured over. Cook for about an hour on high, then simmer on low all day. Even the cheapest stewing steak becomes tender with this method.

Vegetable and Nut Cobbler

Vegetable nut cobbler
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 tblsp olive oil
1 small cauliflower in florets
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
180g green beans, sliced
1 tblsp curry powder
1 tblsp turmeric
200ml milk or almond milk

100g grated cheese (cow or goat)

For scone topping:
225g flour (can be half wholewheat)
3 tsp baking powder
100g butter or spread
120ml milk or almond milk
50g chopped walnuts
extra flour for rolling

Method:

Cook the vegetables in the oil, stirring, for about ten to fifteen minutes, until the onions are softened. minutes. Stir in the spices and milk. Put in a covered casserole and bake for 15-20 minutes at 200C.

Meanwhile mix the flour with the baking powder, rub in the fat, and add the nuts. Stir in the milk and mix to a soft dough. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes. It will be very soft and sticky, so use liberal amounts of extra flour, and roll on a work surface to about 1cm thick. Cut into 12-15 rounds.

Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables, then place the scone rounds on top, overlapping as shown. Brush with milk (or keep some of the cheese to sprinkle on top). Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, then lower heat to 180C and continue cooking until the scones are golden brown.

We like to serve this with roasted garlic tomatoes and braised red cabbage. For hungry teens, you could bake some potatoes too. 

Cheese and Lentil Bake

(serves about 3-4 people)

1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
pinch of sage, marjoram, thyme
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes, tomato juice or water
2 large carrots, sliced
1 tblsp dried parsley
1 cup grated cheese

Method:
Put all the ingredients except for the carrots, parsley and cheese in an ovenproof dish, cover, and bake at 175C for about half an hour. Stir gently, add the sliced carrots, cover again, and bake for a further 30 minutes. Sprinkle over the parsley and cheese, then bake uncovered for about five minutes until the cheese is melted.

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This is a simple vegetarian meal based on lentils. Added cheese makes this a good source of protein: use rennet-free cheese for strict vegetarians. Serve with vegetables, and perhaps some garlic bread or baked potatoes if you have hungry teenagers.

Sweet and Sour Cheese

(serves about 3-4 people)

2 carrots, sliced
¼ pint vegetable stock or water
12oz can pineapple pieces in syrup
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp tomato puree
1 level tsp sugar
2 tblsp vinegar
1 level tblsp cornflour
8 oz cubed cheese (cheddar or mozarella work well)

Method:
Put the carrot in pan with stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple, including the syrup, with the garlic, tomato puree and sugar. Blend the vinegar with the cornflour in a small bowl, then stir into the pan slowly. Bring to the boil stirring well, until thickened - this takes about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese. Serve at once.

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A quick and easy light meal suitable for vegetarians. Use rennet-free cheese if you have a strict vegetarian. If serving to meat-eaters, you can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. We like this served over rice, with cooked green vegetables or a salad.