Carrot Cake - Testing

1 - Almost but no cigar. First, I got Aiden to do the conversion for me, which was perhaps a mistake since I didn't bother to verify the changes. The resulting cake was too fluffy and too cinnamon. I also only had pineapple tidbits, and didn't bother crushing them because I was pressed for time. Otherwise, it went well. I'll need to verify the ratio of ingredients for any future attempts. Then I will start to convert the tropical elements (coconut and pineapple) to local ones (pear? apple?)

190 g vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, but beat them together and weigh out ~144 g beaten egg

290 g sugar

192 g crushed pineapple

238 g shredded carrots

96 g coconut

61 g walnuts

304 g white flour

2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

3½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1. Place the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Butter two 8-inch round cake tins and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. Whisk together the oil, vanilla, eggs, and sugar until perfectly combined.
4. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins (about 900–930 g batter per tin).
8. Bake for 32–38 minutes, until the centre springs back lightly and a skewer comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Roasted Plum Tahini Brownies - Untested

Makes: 16 brownies (8" × 8" pan)

175 g Italian prune plums (about 5–6 medium plums), pitted and quartered

1 tsp maple syrup

½ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

(600 g chocolate-tahini mixture)

196 g Raw tahini

120g honey + 120g maple syrup (to replace 162 g Brown rice syrup + 76 g Maple syrup)

43 g Unsweetened cocoa powder

89 g Unsweetened shredded coconut

13 g (about 1½ Tbsp) Flax seeds

12 g (about 1 Tbsp) Chia seeds

6.5 g (about 1½ tsp) Vanilla extract

1.6 g (about ¼ tsp) salt

3 eggs

60 g melted butter

70 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

50 g toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Flaky salt for finishing (optional)

To roast the plums, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a small baking tray with parchment.

Toss the plums with the maple syrup, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.

Arrange them cut-side up in a single layer.

Roast for 12–15 minutes until the juices are bubbling, the edges have begun to caramelize, the plums are soft but still hold their shape. Do not over-roast. You want soft wedges, not plum jam.

Let them cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).

Butter and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.

Warm the chocolate tahini mixture gently over very low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, just until smooth and fragrant.

4. Whisk together the eggs and melted butter.

5. Stir the egg mixture into the tahini mixture until smooth.

6. Fold in the flour and baking powder until no dry flour remains.

7. Fold in the toasted nuts, if using.

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## 3. Add the plums

1. Spread about **two-thirds** of the brownie batter into the prepared pan.

2. Arrange the roasted plum pieces evenly over the batter.

3. Spoon the remaining batter over the plums and gently spread it to cover them.

4. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky salt over the surface if desired.

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## 4. Bake

Bake for **30–35 minutes** until:

* the top looks set and slightly crackled,

* the edges are firm,

* a skewer inserted near the centre comes out with **moist crumbs**, not wet batter.

Do not overbake.

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## 5. Cool

Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for **20–30 minutes** before lifting them out.

They become fudgier as they cool.

### Notes

* **Plums:** Italian prune plums are ideal because they hold their shape and have enough acidity to balance the tahini and maple syrup.

* **Roasting first:** Roasting concentrates the plum flavour and evaporates excess moisture so the brownies stay fudgy instead of soggy.

* **Storage:** Keeps 4–5 days in the refrigerator and freezes beautifully.

THE BASE

196 g Raw tahini

162 g Brown rice syrup

76 g Maple syrup

43 g Unsweetened cocoa powder

89 g Unsweetened shredded coconut

13 g (about 1½ Tbsp) Flax seeds

12 g (about 1 Tbsp) Chia seeds

6.5 g (about 1½ tsp) Vanilla extract

1.6 g (about ¼ tsp) Fine salt

Stir together the tahini, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

Mix together the cocoa powder, coconut, flax, and chia.

Fold the dry ingredients into the tahini mixture until a uniform scoopable dough forms.

Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette - Untested

For crisp green salads.

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small Griselle shallot, grated very finely.
Salt and plenty of black pepper.

Warm White Beans with Garlic & Fresh Herbs - Untested

1 can (19oz/540mL) white beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tbsps. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsps. finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, or a combination

OR 1½–2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon and 1–2 tsps. lemon juice 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for about 1 minute, taking care not to let it brown.
2. Add the drained white beans and stir gently to coat them with the garlic and oil.
3. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs just before serving.

Leftover White Bean & Arugula Pasta Gratin - Untested

An attempt of a creation of my own to use up leftovers from 

For about 4 servings

4 cups leftover white bean, tomato and greens pasta (about 800g)

¼ cup (60g) water or chicken broth, plus more if needed

½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
2. Place the leftover pasta and sauce in a baking dish. Stir in the water or broth. If the pasta is particularly dry, add another tablespoon or two.
3. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil over the surface. 
4. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until heated through and bubbling around the edges.
5. If desired, increase the oven temperature to 425°F/220°C for the last 5 minutes, or place briefly under the broiler, until the cheese is browned in spots.
6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Chickpea Stew with Feta and Rosemary - Untested

https://tahliadavies.substack.com/p/chickpea-stew-with-feta-and-rosemary

1 - This just screams slow cooker. This is what I will do with this to start.

1 cup of dried chickpeas (soaked overnight to rehydrate)

1 onion, diced

1 leek, cut in rounds

1 carrot, cut in large chunks

4-5 stems of parsley (retain leaves and slice finely for garnish)

2 - 3 sprigs of rosemary.

1 head of garlic (sliced in half)

1 + 4 cups of water

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 cup of olive oil

Lemon

Feta

Salt

Pepper

1. Soak dried chickpeas for at least eight hours or overnight.
2. Rinse well before use.
3. Preheat oven to 180c / 350f.
4. Sauté onion and leek with a pinch of salt until they start to soften, about 4 - 5 minutes. Deglaze with 1 cup of water.
5. Use a dutch oven or a deep heavy bottomed saucepan that can be transferred to the oven.
6. Put the onion and leek mix into the slow cooker and add carrot, rosemary and sliced garlic head and stir through.
7. Season with salt, pepper and dried oregano.
8. Add the remaining water, olive oil, parsley stems, and chickpeas.
9. Transfer into the oven and let cook for 2.5 - 3.5 hours.
10. Cook on high for 4 hours.
11. Serve topped with a big squeeze of lemon, fresh chopped parsley, olive oil, and feta.

Baked Feta and Chickpeas in Harissa sauce - Untested

https://www.bytheforkful.com/baked-feta-with-chickpeas/#recipe

https://www.dianekochilas.com/spinach-and-chickpeas-baked-with-greek-feta/

200 g feta sliced into 3-4 blocks

3 garlic cloves minced

400 g tinned chickpeas drained and rinsed

400 g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon harissa paste

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil or parsley to garnish

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In an oven-proof pan, add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, spices, olive oil, and harissa paste. Stir everything together to combine.

Place the feta blocks in the pan, nestling them into the chickpea harissa sauce. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Bake the chickpeas for 25 - 30 minutes.

To finish, top the baked feta and chickpeas with the fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice, and the red pepper flakes. 

Serve with pitta bread or crusty bread for dipping.