The Porridge Diaries: Carrot Cake

Guys, I had an 'Eureka' moment.

I have found it....

You know those people who judge other people for eating cake for breakfast....Yeah, if you are one of them, please don't do that anymore. You don't make me feel good while I stuff my face with spoonfuls of chocolate icing and cover my formerly clean outfit with cake crumbs.

Anyway, people ain't gonna judge me no more because from now on breakfast time is porridge time!!!

Because porridge slash oatmeal (they are the same thing, aren't they??) is undoubtedly the breakfast of champions.

Fellow food blogger Kath from Kath Eats Real Food is clearly of the same opinion, check out her Tribute to Oatmeal where I got my inspiration and massive craving from.

This is the first edition of "Edith Eats Porridge That Tastes Like Cake" featuring Carrot Cake.

I made porridge that tastes like carrot cake. That's right.

Oh dear, I am way more proud of this achievement than I should be....

Carrot Cake Porridge

1/2 cup porridge oats

1 cup applesauce*

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup walnuts

Cook the oats and the carrot in the applesauce for about 3 minutes, add water depending on how creamy or liquidy you like your porridge.

Add flavours and toppings such as sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts (or pecans) to your liking.

*I made the applesauce myself. It's really easy. I cooked one peeled and roughly chopped apple with a cinnamon stick and cloves in boiling water for about 10 minutes. When the apples were soft I transferred all the apple pieces into a blender, added about 3 tablespoons of the remaining water in the pot and blended until I got a smooth and creamy sauce. 

Carrot and Apple Salad

I am heartbroken. My love affair with blueberries has ended.
Today I went to the shops to stock up on blueberries, only for like the third time this week, and they were gone.
All gone. Blueberry season is over. Just as I was thinking of more ways to eat these berries of the gods.

But one has to move on. It's carrot season now, let's embrace it!!

And carrots love apples. I have already proved this with my carrot muffin tops.

But this is a whole different thing.

We are uniting the fruit and the vegetable in a refreshing blueberry-season-is-over/end-of-summer salad.
It's crunchy, it's sweet, it's sour, and it's daaang healthy.

Carrot Apple Salad (makes 1 portion)
1 carrot
1 apple
1 tbsp raisins
dijon mustard
honey
white wine vinegar
salt
parlsey

Chop the carrot and apple in any shape you like.
Add the toppings. I only used raisins, but cranberries, sunflower seeds or nuts would surely be nice as well.
Combine the mustard, honey, vinegar (any other white vinegar would work as well), slat and parlsey to a dressing. Taste it to make it as sweet or vinegary as you like it.

Carrot Muffin Tops

My boyfriend is a huuuge sucker for yorkshire puddings. He kept praising the yorkshire puddings his auntie makes, so I got jealous.

What does this have to do with muffins tops, you ask?
Hang on, I'm getting there...

So the good woman I am, I went out, bought a special yorkshire pudding pan, and made my first ever attempt at making yorkshires.
BUT they weren't the 'real' ones...because apparently yorkshires are best made in a regular muffin pan.
There you go.

Luckily, I am an inventive lady with a sweet tooth, and I have found an amazing, way, waaay better purpose for a yorkshire pan.....Muffin tops.
Because everyone knows, they are the best part of a muffin anyway. Fact.

Carrot Muffin Tops (makes 4)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded apple
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cream together the egg and the sugar.
Add the carrot and apple. You can grate them or make a puree, depends if you like pieces of carrot in your muffins. Add the oil.
Mix in the dry ingredients.
Add the walnuts, or raisins, or both if you like. Shredded coconut would be nice as well.

Bake at 180C for about 20 minutes.

Aren't they just the prettiest bottomless muffins you have ever seen?

My fridge was scarily empty, so I had to enjoy those babies plain, but you should totally fancy them up with a delicious cream cheese frosting! Mmmhh :)