Recipes: Raw Peanut Sauce and Yummy Carrot Cake

Hello Friends!

   Well, I'm happy to report that after two full days, the migraine hangover is gone and I can FINALLY move on with life.  The stress of "being down", not being fully functional, weighs heavily on my spirit and I'm always happy when I can move on back into normalcy... whatever that looks like on any given day around here!  The following are recipes that are much loved around here.  I make the carrot cake about twice a year... it takes a long time to grate carrots and just mixing this bad boy up takes a long time...so I was quite happy to finish this and put the recipe away for another 6 months or so.  The last couple pieces are sitting on the counter and I may just have to snag one of 'em.  I'm not too big on sweets, in general, but this is a good one, so we'll see.   The peanut sauce is a modified recipe.  We make peanut sauce to go with Asian noodles, stir fries, chicken satay... I thinned it out a bit and added a bit of additional spice and it went wonderfully over a lovely bed of zucchini and cucumber noodles.  It is a PERFECT "first food" for anyone wanting to try a raw diet and a fabulous way to take a break from meat or just a nice, real food yet quick to prepare lunch.

Raw Peanut Sauce

1 cup raw nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew or sun butter all work well)
3/4 Tablespoon powdered ginger (OR 2T fresh grated)
1/2 cup water (I used a bit more)
6 T lemon juice
2 T pure maple syrup
3 T soy sauce (I use liquid aminos)
4 T sesame oil (I use dark)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 a jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds for less heat)

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate.  Spoon over zucchini and cucumber noodles. To make noodles, shred zucchini, yellow summer squash and cucumbers.  Allow to "cure" for several hours (up to 8 hours) in a colander, they will drain liquid during this time.  Arrange on a plate and spoon cold peanut sauce over noodles.


Carrot Cake

6 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup dark brown sugar
(combine in bowl for 1 hour)
add 1 cup raisins after 1 hour.

Preheat oven 350*.  Grease and flour two 10" cake pans.

In a large bowl:

beat 4 eggs   gradually beat in:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup veg oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

In a separate bowl:

Combine:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 tsp cinnamon

Stir flour mixture into  wet mixture until well blended.  Stir carrot mixture into batter and add 1 cup chopped walnuts.    Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.  Cool on wire racks and frost with cream cheese frosting when completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
3 - 4 cups confectioners sugar
1 T vanilla

In a stand mixer (or use hand mixer), cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and slowly add confectioners sugar until frosting is the desired consistency.