I love making creamed carrots as a side dish instead of mashed potatoes.  They are extremely simple and oh, so yummy! The other night we had cinnamon chicken with creamed carrots and zucchini timbales.  The carrots were the perfect accompaniment to the flavor of the cinnamon chicken.

INGREDIENTS
5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon of butter
1 to 2 Tablespoons of cream, half & half, or milk
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Place the peeled and sliced carrots in a steamer and cook until soft.  If you don’t have a steamer you can just boil them until soft and drain off all the liquid.

Put the cooked carrots into the food processor, along with the rest of the ingredients.  Process until smooth and creamy.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Cooks Note:  You can add a little bit of cinnamon, if you’d like.  I didn’t, because I was serving them with cinnamon chicken, and I didn’t want cinnamon overload.  Or instead of adding a little cinnamon, try a pinch of nutmeg to create a delicious hue of flavor without being overpowering.

Ok, get ready for some super deliciousness – ’cause this is the best Carrot Cake I’ve ever tasted… if I must say so myself!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups of Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 cups of Sugar
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
2 cups grated Raw Carrots
1 (8 1/2 oz) can crushed Pineapple, drained
1/4 cup toasted Coconut
1/4 cup Golden Raisins

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour pans (either 3 9-inch layer cake pans, or a 13″ x 9″ pan).
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until creamed together (about 2 minutes). Add dry ingredients and mix together until well blended. Add carrots, pineapple, coconut and raisins.
Pour into the greased and floured baking pan(s). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for a little bit in the pans, then turn onto wire racks.
Once the cake is completely cool frost with the Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Butter
1 8-oz. package of Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1 lb. Confectioners Sugar

METHOD
Combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat until well blended and creamy. Add the sugar gradually beating vigorously until smooth.