Monday, August 8, 2011

Botio's Carrot Cake

Ok, so I haven't made this recipe yet. But it comes from a trusted source. In fact, it comes from the Master Chef and God of Cooking: Botio! He can make anything taste good.

Botio's Carrot Cake

2 c sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 c grated carrots
1 ½ c vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 c chopped nuts

Icing:
1 8 oz softened cream cheese
¾ c softened butter
1 16 oz box confection sugar
1 c chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Combine flour, soda, and cinnamon. Set aside. Combine all other cake ingredients, and then add dry ingredients. Stir with electric mixer at medium for about 3 minutes. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans. Bake 40-50 minutes. Check with toothpick to see when it is done. Your baking time may vary.

Cool thoroughly* before icing. For icing combine and beat thoroughly with electric mixer.

*I put put the cooled cake in the freezer and frost it later. This makes it very easy to frost and handle.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Brown Sauce for Stir Fry

  • The original recipe was found here. It's a double recipe so it makes enough for two meals or lots of extra dipping. We didn't have everything the recipe called for so we made some substitutions which are in parenthesis.
  • 2/3 cup soy sauce
    1/2 cup chicken broth
    1/3 cup rice wine (we used apple juice)
    3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
    1 tablespoon sesame oil
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper (we used black pepper)
    2 tablespoons cooking oil
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    1 tablespoon minced ginger
    2 tablespoons cornstarch (we used flour)
    1/4 cup water
  • Directions:
  • 1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper.
    2.Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
    3.Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
    4. Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil.
    5. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute.
    6. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens
  • This sauce was AWESOME. Or as Zoey said, "This is the best YUM ever!"