When my husband and I were first married, we frequently exchanged invitations for dinner with other newlyweds. My maid of honor, who married a few months after we did, served cooked carrots at the first meal she prepared for us. At the time, Bob did not like cooked carrots; but being a good guest, he ate those on his plate and complimented them.
That’s right. Every time thereafter that Bonnie invited us to dinner, she cooked carrots because Bob had enjoyed them so much. Fortunately, carrots cooked in soups, casseroles and with roast beef have become a favorite vegetable for him.
One of my mother-in-law’s favorite salad was carrot and pineapple. Over time, it has become a favorite of mine. I still don’t like grating carrots. I’ve discovered that Craisins may be a tastier ingredient than raisins.
Carrots were first grown as for medicinal purposes, then later used as a seasoning, like herbs, in stews and soups. But recently, I’ve made a new discovery about this vegetable which has been around kitchens for about 5,000 years according to historical records and still life paintings with the usually orange in color root crop arranged artistically on a table or in a farmer’s basket.
I was surprised when I came across a crab cake recipe that included finely diced carrots as an ingredient. But after I experimented with this recipe, I learned that carrot added to the concoction.
Then, I heard a nutritionist explain that adding grated carrots to a meatloaf recipe keeps the meat moist. She also suggested substituting oatmeal for the bread or cracker crumbs found in most meatloafs. I’ve made these changes to my standard meatloaf recipe. Those grandchildren which consider this dish a treat do not seem to notice the healthy change and addition.
Crab Cakes
Meat from six crabs
6 tablespoons cracker crumbs
1 egg slightly beaten
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
Remove all cartilage from crab meat. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Gently mix all ingredients.
Gently shape into patties, about two inches in diameter. These can be fried. However, I scantly coat a glass casserole with olive oil. And gently coat each patty on both sides with the oil. Place in dish. Sprinkle tops with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in 450-degree oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. If not as brown as you would like, continue to bake, checking frequently, until patties are golden brown.
Meatloaf
2 lbs extra lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 red pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon ketchup
Topping
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix all of the ingredients of the meatloaf well and mold into a loaf. Mix topping ingredients and spread on top of loaf. Bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Check for doneness. It may need to cook another 1/2 hour or until completely done.(The thickness of loaf determines length of cooking time.)
2016
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