Clodagh McKenna‏, My Carrot Cake with Orange Blossom frosting recipe #foodaware

Makes 1 Cake (10 portions)

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs

140ml/5floz vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

220/7oz light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

350g/12oz grated carrots, (grated weight)

100g/3½ oz golden raisins

100g/3½ oz walnuts, chopped

200g/7oz self-raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the orange blossom frosting 

300g/10½ oz cream cheese, chilled

70g/2½ oz butter, at room temperature

300g/10½ oz icing sugar, sifted

1 orange, zest only

2 teaspoons of orange blossom water

METHOD:

1.          Preheat the oven to 180°C and oil and line a 13 x 23cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

2.        For the carrot cake: beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, grated carrot, raisins and chopped walnuts.

3.        Sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together using a wooden or large metal spoon until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If you’re using a ceramic baking dish then you’ll need to add 15 minutes to the cooking time.

4.       Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for about five minutes before removing. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

5.        For the orange blossom frosting: beat the cream cheese and butter together in a bowl until well combined. Add the icing sugar, orange blossom water and finely grated orange zest and mix until the frosting is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake, dipping the knife into a bowl of hot water if the icing is hard to spread out.

6.       Decorate with orange zest on top of the frosting.

This recipe calls for more natural sources of sugar, including honey and molasses, and no added salt. With plenty of flavor in healthy ingredients, garlic is also good for your heart, while cayenne pepper and ginger provide anti-inflammatory protection. @ClevelandClinic #foodaware

Instead of using pre-packaged barbecue sauce, which often contains high fructose corn syrup and tends to be very high in sodium, this recipe calls for more natural sources of sugar, including honey and molasses, and no added salt. With plenty of flavor in healthy ingredients, garlic is also good for your heart, while cayenne pepper and ginger provide anti-inflammatory protection.

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons (3 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken (breasts, drumsticks), skinless

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a saucepan.
  2. Simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Wash chicken and pat dry. Place on large platter and brush with half of sauce mixture.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  5. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil for 10 minutes on each side to seal in juices.
  6. Turn oven to 350 F and add remaining sauce to chicken. Cover chicken with aluminum foil and continue baking for 30 minutes.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Makes 6 servings
Serving size = one piece

Calories: 176
Fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: <1 g
Sodium: 199 mg
Protein: 27 g
Carbohydrate: 7 g
Sugars: 4 g
Dietary fiber: 1 g

 Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2003).

Cashel Blue Mini-Cheesecakes with a Pecan-Pepper Crust @KerrygoldUSA #foodaware

mini-cheesecake

Ingredients:
  • Ingredients for crust
  • ¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup pecan pieces
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, melted
  • Large pinch salt
  • Filling Ingredients
  • 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup Kerrygold Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese, crumbled
Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 ° Fahrenheit

For Crust:

Place breadcrumbs, pecans, pepper and salt in food processor

Pulse until pecans are finely ground

Add butter and pulse a few times until mix begins to come together

Line mini cupcake tins with paper liners

Fill each cup with a teaspoon of crust mix

Press down hard with fingertips or water bottle cap to make a firm, flat layer

Chill tins and make the filling

For Filling:

Using a stand or a hand mixture, beat cream cheese and cream together until smooth  Note: Cream cheese must be room temperature or mixture will be lumpy

Add egg, beat until fully incorporated, add second egg, beating until fully incorporated

Once mixture is smooth, fold in crumbled Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese

Fill cups evenly with cheesecake batter, to about three-fourths full

Bake for 18-20 minutes