ALT CARROT CAKE

 

No-gluten, sugar-free carrot cake.

I baked a cake to celebrate other birthdays, but a cake of which I, too, with my various dietary restrictions, could partake. Call it “alternative” carrot cake. 

The carrots were real enough. But the batter was made with no-gluten flour and sugar substitutes. Instead of the original recipe’s bland “vegetable oil,” I used extra virgin olive oil. The sugar-free frosting should have been made with no-lactose cream cheese, but I was unable to find it. 

I’ve lived a sugar-free life for 20 years now, ever since I found I was pre-diabetic. No sugar, no honey, no maple syrup, but, yes to all fruits. I’m not pretending that fruit is  calorie-free, but it allows me a little wiggle room when it comes to dessert. 

Sugar is valued in baking for its hygroscopic properties, the ability to attract and hold moisture, as well as for sweetness. I have found that dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, and dates are superb substitutes for sugar. They add volume and keep the cake moist. 

I used dates for my carrot cake and I also added some King Arthur Baking Sugar Alternative, a 0-calorie product from the U.S. (erythritol, corn fiber, cane sugar fiber, monk fruit extract and stevia leaf extract). No-gluten flour is easy to find in supermercados in Spain.  Grated orange or lemon peel complements the fruity flavor of extra virgin olive oil. I also like spices such as ginger and cardamom with olive oil cakes. 

Dates give the cake sweetness. 

Extra virgin olive oil makes a moist, soft-crumbed cake.

Sugar-Free Carrot Cake

Bizcocho de Zanahoria sin Azucar

Serves 8. For a two-layered cake, double the recipe and bake in 2 pans.

1 cup no-gluten flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

½- ¾ cup pitted and chopped dates

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Grated orange or lemon peel

2 eggs

¼ cup baking sugar substitute (optional)

1 cup peeled and grated carrots

½ cup chopped walnuts

Frosting, optional (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil an 8-inch cake pan and line it with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt.

Combine the dates, olive oil, and grated peel in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a mixing bowl beat the eggs with sugar substitute if using. Beat in the oil-date mixture until smooth. Fold in the carrots. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until well combined. Add the nuts. Pour into the baking pan. Bake the cake until a skewer comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack. Remove parchment and let the cake cool completely. Place it on a cake platter. Spread frosting, if desired.

For the frosting:

Use lactose-free cream cheese, if available.

Cream cheese (approx. ½ cup)

Grated orange or lemon peel

Liquid stevia sweetener, to taste

Beat the cream cheese with grated peel until smooth. Add sweetener to taste. Spread on cake. 

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Note: When I am testing recipes for traditional pastries and puddings, such as those that appear in my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, I use real sugar and honey, not substitutes. Yes, I taste, but I give away the rest. Interestingly, many Spanish "sweets" don't require sugar. An example is the dough for buñuelos, or fritters, that are customarily rolled in sugar after frying. 

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More sugar-free cakes:

Applesauce-Prune Spice Cake.

Apple Cake with Sweet Wine

More gluten-free cakes:

Chocolate-Almond Torte.

Gluten-Free Tea Cakes (Magdalenas)

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Did you know? The Arabs introduced sugar cane and the making of sugar to al-Andalus, the Muslim kingdoms of medieval Spain. Read more about sugar in my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus.

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

This new cookbook has lots of recipes for cakes, cookies, and pastries, perfect for upcoming holidays.  Ask for Flavors of al-Andalus from your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS by Janet Mendel is the #1 New Release in Spanish Cooking on Amazon!

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EGGPLANT PARM—LACTOSE FREE

 

Layers of fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and two kinds of no-lactose cheese.

Gorgeous late season eggplants entice me to make a bubbly, gooey, cheesy casserole, my version of eggplant Parmesan. Do I dare? I am still cheese-averse, avoiding most dairy (see my post about alternative milk) because maybe I am lactose intolerant. I’ve started eating some dairy yogurt again, but in reduced quantities. But cheese?

Lactose is a natural component of dairy milk, a sugar that is broken down in digestion to its simpler elements (glucose and galactose).  Lactose intolerance, with digestive symptoms such as bloating, occurs when the body lacks the enzyme lactase, making it difficult to digest lactose.

Selection of lactose-free cheese and milk.

I’ve discovered that many cafés now offer lactose-free milk for the standard café con leche. Milk can be made lactose-free either by a filtration process or by the addition of an enzyme, lactase, which pre-digests the lactose. Now it’s time to try lactose-free cheese.   

Hard cheeses such as Parmesan, Gouda, and Manchego are fairly low in lactose as some of it is converted to lactic acid in the aging process. Goat milk cheeses are naturally lower in lactose than cow’s milk cheeses. 

I quite like queso tierno de cabra sin lactosa, a white uncured goat’s milk cheese, firmer than queso fresco. A non-melting cheese, I use it for breakfast and to dice into salads. I found lactose-free mozzarella at a big hipermercado. In the pueblo store I’ve got no- lactose sliced Gouda, great for snacks and sandwiches. And eggplant parm! 

Nicely gooey with lactose-free mozarella, savory with Gouda and sauce.

Eggplant Baked with Lactose-Free Cheeses

Berenjena al Horno sin Lactosa

I used store bought canned tomato sauce for this recipe. The sautéd onions, peppers, and garlic give it extra flavor. Use any no-lactose hard cheese such as Parmesan, Manchego or Gouda, grated, shredded, chopped, or sliced. 

Serves 4,

2 medium eggplants (1 ½-2 pounds)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil + more for frying and greasing baking dish

¾ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 clove chopped garlic

1 cup tomato sauce (store bought or homemade)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch dried oregano

4 ½ ounces fresh lactose-free mozzarella

2 ounces lactose-free firm cheese, such as Parmesan, Gouda, or Manchego

½ cup lactose-free milk (or non-dairy milk)

Fresh basil 

Fry eggplant slices.

Cut ends off the eggplants and slice them lengthwise ¼ inch thick. Beat 1 of the eggs with 1 teaspoon of water. Place it in a shallow bowl. Heat a skillet on medium-high with enough oil to cover the bottom. Dip slices of eggplant in the beaten egg and fry them in batches until browned on both sides and somewhat softened. Remove the eggplant slices to absorbent paper. Reserve any remaining beaten egg.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small pan on medium heat and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, salt to taste, pepper, and oregano. Cook until sauce is thickened, 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Oil a baking dish.

Layer eggplant, cheese.

Spread a spoonful of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of eggplant in the dish. Cut sliced cheese, if using, into strips and scatter half of it (or grated cheese) on top of the layer of eggplant. Add another layer of eggplant. Spread half of the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant with a few basil leaves. Slice the mozzarella and place it on top of the eggplant. Place remaining eggplant slices over the mozzarella, spread with remaining tomato sauce, and scatter remaining sliced or grated cheese on top.

Beat remaining egg with any egg left from dipping the eggplant slices. Add the milk. Season with salt. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the eggplant. Top with a few basil leaves.

Bake 10 minutes. Lower oven to 350ºF and bake until egg is set, 15 minutes. Garnish with additional sprigs of basil. Let the eggplant sit 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

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Are you looking for more eggplant recipes? Check out my new cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. 

Eggplant was the emblematic vegetable of Moorish cooking. In Flavors of al-Andalus, you’ll find recipes for Pickled Eggplants, Almagro Style; Roasted Eggplant Salad with Chickpeas (pictured at left); Eggplants Stuffed with Cheese; Eggplant Croquettes; Slow-Fried Eggplant and Vegetables (Alboronía); and Eggplant Timbale.

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FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

This new cookbook has menus and recipes for Tapas Party, Brunch, Summer Barbecue, Family Dinners (including vegetarian), Sunday Lunch, Dinner Party, Spring Holiday Meal, and Autumn/Winter Holiday Meal. From your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

Order on amazon.es

PLUM GOOD

 

Four varieties of plums go into this galette. The small green Claudias, although not quite ripe, had the most complex flavor--sweet, tart, and floral. The big dark purple plums (a vendor at my local market called them huevo de toro, "bull's balls") were juicy and sweet. The big yellows were juicy but lacking in flavor. The smaller red plums with yellow-green flesh were, to my taste, the best with tangy skin and sweet flesh.

Seduced by the jewel-like colors, I could not resist buying a bagful of plums. I intended to stage a taste-test to decide which variety I liked best. But instead I combined them all, from the tiny green Claudias to the big red plums in a galette pastry crust.

Galette is a free-form pie. This one filled with plums has a crust spiced with aniseeds.

Galette is a French word for a freeform pie, a rustic tart in which the fruit is heaped in the center of a round of pastry dough which is then folded up over the fruit. You can make a galette with any favorite pie crust dough, with buttery pâte brisée, or storebought pasta quebrada. 

My version, made with an olive oil dough, is inspired by those beloved tortas de aceite, crisp olive oil “cookies,” with their subtle flavors of aniseed and sesame.** (A few weeks ago I used the tortas as a base for a quickie dessert—fruit heaped on top of the tortas, topped with whipped cream, and drizzled with caramel sauce.) This pie crust is super fast to mix up, but it does need time to chill before rolling. 

**There is a recipe for making tortas de aceite in my new cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS.

Plum Galette with Aniseed

Ciruelas en Tarta Rústica con Matalahúga 

Use any variety of plum, from eight to twelve depending on size, and more or less sugar, depending on their tartness. The galette is good hot or cold, accompanied by whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or ice cream.

Serves 4-5.

8-12 plums

1 cup all-purpose flour + additional for rolling out dough

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon aniseeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 egg yolk 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

4-5 tablespoons ice water

2 tablespoons almond flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)

Halve the plums and remove pits. 

Combine 1 cup flour, salt, baking powder, aniseeds and sesame in a mixing bowl. Combine the egg yolk, oil and 4 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk to mix them.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yolk-oil-water mixture. Gradually stir the flour into the liquid ingredients to make a soft dough. Add additional water if necessary. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and gently knead just to combine the ingredients well. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with a clean cloth. Chill the dough at least 1 hour. (The dough can be prepared a day in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.) 

Fold dough up over the fruit.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Roll the dough out thinly on a lightly floured work surface to a circle about 14 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it onto the baking parchment. Sprinkle it with the almond flour. 

Combine the plum halves and cornstarch. Place the plums, skin-side up, in the center of the dough leaving a 1 ½ -inch border around them. Sprinkle the plums with 1 tablespoon of sugar, if using. Fold the border of dough up over the plums, pleating the dough as needed. Sprinkle with remaining sugar if desired.

Bake until the plums are bubbling and the pastry crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Serve galette with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

More ideas for using plums:

 

Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce.

Plum Ice Cream

Purple Plum Chutney

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

This new cookbook has menus and recipes for Tapas Party, Brunch, Summer Barbecue, Family Dinners (including vegetarian), Sunday Lunch, Dinner Party, Spring Holiday Meal, and Autumn/Winter Holiday Meal. From your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS by Janet Mendel is the #1 New Release in Spanish Cooking on Amazon!

Order on amazon.es