Recipes

PREP TIME: 30 min COOK TIME: 30 min SERVINGS: 16 servings 12/3 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil, or any mild-flavored oil) 1cup granulated sugar 1cup packed brown sugar 6 eggs 1tablespoon vanilla extract 3 1/4 cups all-purpose fl our 1tablespoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons fi ne sea salt 1teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1pound fi nely-grated* fresh carrots optional: 1cup chopped nuts or 1/2 cup raisins 3 (8-ounce) bricks cream cheese, room temperature 1cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature 1tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon fi ne sea salt 6 cups powdered sugar (or more, if needed to thicken) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and fl our three 8-inch round baking pans. (Or to save a step, you can coat them with baking spray, which already contains flour.) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, bakingsoda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves) until combined. Gradually add the dryingredient mixture into the egg mixture, and stir until smooth. Fold in the grated carrotsand stir until combined. If you would like to add nuts and/or raisins, stir them in at this time as well. Portion the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the baking pans to a wire cooling rack and let the cakes cool until they reach room temperature. Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined and smooth. (You can either do this with a spatula, or with a hand or stand mixer.) Gradually stir in the powdered sugar and mix until it is completely combined. You want the frosting to be pretty firm for a 3-layer cake, so add more/less powdered sugar as needed to reach the correct consistency. Once the cakes reach room temperature, use a cake leveler or a bread knife to slice off the rounded tops of the cakes so that they are completely flat on top. Place the first cake on your serving platter, add a large scoop of frosting on top of it, and spread the frosting so that it covers the cake evenly and extends a bit over the edges. Repeat with the second and third layers of the cake. Then use the remainder of the frosting to frost all around the side edges of the cake. Once you’re ready to serve the cake, slice it up and enjoy! Or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

PREP TIME: 20 min COOK TIME: 25 min SERVINGS: 12 pancakes INGREDIENTS 2 cups all purpose flour (290 g) 1/4 cup granulated sugar or sweetener (60 g) 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups milk (440 ml) 1/4 cup butter (60 g) 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 large egg Combine together the flour, sugar (or sweetener), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg. Use a wire whisk to whisk the wet ingredients together first before slowly folding them into the dry ingredients. Mix together until smooth (there may be a couple of lumps but that's okay). (The batter will be thick and creamy in consistency. If you find the batter too thick -- doesn't pour off the ladle or out of the measuring cup smoothly -- fold a couple tablespoons of extra milk into the batter at a time until reaching desired consistency). Set the batter aside and allow to rest while heating up your pan or griddle. Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease pan. Pour ¼cup of batter onto the pan and spread out gently into a round shape with the back of your ladle or measuring cup. When the underside is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit, ice cream or frozen yoghurt, or enjoy plain!

PREP TIME: 5 min COOK TIME: 10 min SERVINGS: 4 INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound ground beef 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds DIRECTIONS: 1. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger. 2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. 3. Stir in soy sauce mixture and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. 4. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds, if desired.