Lady's Coconut Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple (undrained)
2 c. grated carrots
1 1/3 c. shredded coconut

Icing Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 lb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 c. confectioners sugar

Directions
Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together in a different bowl. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until smooth. Add carrots and coconut. Pour into a greased & floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Firecrackers

Another pickle recipe from Alton Brown, these Firecrackers start out with a sweet flavor, but kick you in the pants before you're through!

Ingredients
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili flakes
2 dried chilies

Directions
Place carrots in a spring top glass jar or standard canning jar. Bring water, sugar, cider vinegar, onion powder, mustard seeds, salt and chili flakes to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Boil for 4-5 minutes. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Place the chilies in the jar. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for two days and up to one week.

Autumn Veggie Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers in the fridge. Last night, I was working with a butternut squash, goat cheese and onions... here's what I came up with!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
4 oz. chevre goat cheese
1 bunch of fresh sage
1 handful of pecans
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 large onion, carmelized
prepared pizza dough
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
ground nutmeg, to taste

Directions
Coat the squash with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turning over halfway through. Bake the pizza dough about halfway (according to package instructions). In the meantime, create a "pesto" using sage, pecans and olive oil, combining in a Magic Bullet or small food processor. Spread pesto on half-baked dough, follow with crumbled goat cheese, carmelized onions and roasted squash. Finish baking pizza, sprinkle nutmeg to taste. Makes one pizza.

Creamy Carrot Soup

This recipe is extremely easy, and only requires ingredients that most cooks have on hand.

Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped Vidalia (or other sweet onion)
2 pounds carrots, cut 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Dash of ground ginger
Cayenne pepper powder, to taste
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots to the pot, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in salt, pepper, ginger and cayenne pepper. Add 2 cups water and broth to pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat; cool.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, process 20 seconds or until smooth. Add cream and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Gazpacho (or is it a Bloody Mary?)

This gazpacho recipe takes advantage of one of my favorite bottled beverages... Spicy V8! Honestly, add a little vodka and this Mexican favorite comes dangerously close to a perfect Bloody Mary. If your taste buds can't handle the heat, I recommend trying it with basic or low-sodium V8.

Ingredients

32 oz. V8

1 cucumber, seeded & chopped

1 green pepper, seeded & chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 tsp. vegetable bouillon base

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

avocado, to garnish

sour cream, to garnish

vodka (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients and blend using an immersion blender. Serve with sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.

Tammy's Fall Fling Corn Chowder

Back in my days at M&T Bank, our team used to have an annual fall fling. Tammy only had to make her corn chowder once... it was an instant favorite. I believe I ate so much soup the first time around, I didn't make it to dinner : ) Recently, I substituted yams for the russet potatoes and added one chopped chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce) for a southwestern twist... scrumptious!

Ingredients

3 carrots, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 cups vegetable broth

1 small shallot, minced

1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp. sweet paprika

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups frozen corn, thawed

2 cups heavy or light cream

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup dry white white

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Saute carrots, celery and onion in butter for about 10 minutes. Add broth, shallot, basil, thyme, paprika and garlic. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and corn. Bring to a boil again. Add cream. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Mix cornstarch and wine in a bowl until smooth. Add a little soup liquid to thin the roux and then stir into soup. Add salt. Cook, stirring, until thickened (about a minute). Serves 8, but freezes well!

Cornbread

Unlike the "johnny cakes" of yesteryear, this cornbread recipe is sweet and moist... perfect with Aunt Herta's Vegetarian Chili recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups cornmeal

2 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Separately, beat eggs in a bowl. Add honey and buttermilk to eggs and mix. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Melt the butter, pour into mixture. Add cheese and mix. Pour into a greased plan -- the recipe should fit into a 9x14 glass baking pan or two 9x9 pans. Bake for 25 minutes.

Perfect Oven-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
thyme
salt
ground pepper
sage
3.5 lb. roaster chicken
lemon juice
butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean, rinse and pat dry chicken. Put a few pats of butter on the chicken in a oven-safe dish. Sprinkle herbs inside and outside of bird. Bake for 2 hours (30 minutes per lb. if refrigerated until cooking). As it starts to brown, sprinkle some lemon juice over the bird.

Creamy Chicken

This might be the easiest recipe I know.

Ingredients
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
6-8 oz. sour cream
1/4 cup white wine
Mrs. Dash
olive oil
4-6 chicken breasts
egg noodles or rice

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with Mrs. Dash and saute in olive oil until golden brown. Mix soup, sour cream and wine together. Pour over chicken in a casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

Classic Pot Roast

At home, if we had the opportunity to choose a meal, this was always my pick. I've always liked the meat pulled apart, served mixed in with the carrots, onions, noodles and gravy. Mom's comfort food at its best!

Ingredients
bottom round of beef (or non-fatty chuck roast)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 spanish onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 cups water
ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. brown sugar
3-4 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cubes beef boullion
1 lb. carrots, peeled & julienned
Wondra flour
1 lb. egg noodles

Directions
Brown beef in a pot with olive oil, garlic and ground pepper. Take out the beef and brown the onion. Put the beef back in the pot, add 2 cups of water (cover about 3/4 of the beef). Add ketchup, brown sugar, lemon juice, boullion. Simmer for about an hour per pound. Add carrots to the pot about an hour before the meat is expected to finish. Remove meat from pot and slice as needed. Remove carrots and most of the onions. Make gravy following Wondra flour instructions. Serve over egg noodles.