Ever crave a treat that tastes decadent but is a bit healthier? Get your veggies and good fats with this brownie-like moist loveliness. (Check out an audio version of this recipe and post h-e-r-e.)
Khashayar came up with it just before the two of us came down with COVID-19. (Here he first contracted it and here I got it too and here is how it went after this.)
Thank goodness COVID-19 hasn’t affected my ability to write and read, aside from the days it weakened my sight and energy. We’re much better, wake each morning slightly less raggedy than the one before in terms of feeling totally human.
It has a week since I’ve been able to smell and taste. If I hold my nose to a jar of cinnamon powder or a bottle of lavender oil, absolutely nothing registers. Taste is down to an occasional three notes of flavor. They’re subtle and offer no complexity. If something is super salty, ultra sweet, or blazing hot, they’ll call like old friends from a place so distant I can hardly hear them.
I tried sniffing a bottle of bleach… nearer = nothing… nearer = nothing… short of sticking my nostril right over the spout, a revelation terrified me. How easily I could accidentally truly damage myself without these two senses. How easily anyone could! My heart goes out to all who suffer this.
I try to rev my appetite by conning it that texture and temperature are flavors. My clothes haven’t gotten too baggy yet. I try not to stress over whether things will always be this way.
Ah, yes! There is indeed another note of taste I neglected to tell you about! It’s the most important one; the love Khashayar infuses into all of his vegetarian cooking rings loud and clear…
Ingredients
2 pounds grated carrots
2 cups regular white sugar
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Topping
2 cups greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 farenheit degrees.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients: carrots, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and milk.
4. Combine all the above with the melted butter and olive oil.
5. Pour the batter into a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking dish.
6. Bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool.
8. Stir topping ingredients together: yogurt, honey, and almonds.
9. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of the topping. Garnish with fresh or frozen berries (frozen ones look tantalizing as they thaw, as if they’ve been powdered with sugar). It also gets a nice chewy crust when heated. If you prefer it warm, don’t add the topping until it’s out of the oven.
Hungry for more? Khashayar has lots of other veggie/healthy recipes such as a great hot soup, a crunchy salad, a fruity dessert, an entree, and this appetizer and this one.
Do you have a favorite healthier dessert?
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Hi da-AL, I am sorry about your loss of taste and smell and I hope it comes back soon. It is interesting to me that Khashayar puts nutmeg in his carrot cake. Mine doesn’t have that so I must try it. I love the topping idea – terrific. I am making a humming bird cake for my son, Greg’s, 18th birthday on 24 February.
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I hope you feel better soon–not being able to taste and smell is horrible!
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Lost your smell then? Happens a lot. Just wanted to see how you’re doing. Looks like you’re getting there. Take it slowly. 🙏🏻
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yes, thank you for checking — has your daughter gotten her sense back?
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Not quite yet. And it’s been a month. She still can’t smell much.
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ours finally came back — sending my best that your daughter either is already or will soon fully recover ❤
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Ok. So you two are better now. Fully recovered? Gini, my daughter is good. Back to working like crazy… 💕
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So very glad Gini is well! she is fortunate to have such a loving, wise, fun father ❤
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You’re only too kind, my dear… have a great week. 💕
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& now a great weekend to you 🙂
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Thank you. We tried our best. take care.
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SO relieved you are feeling not so raggedy. I wonder if you had a snuff pouch with spices in it if it would be classed as exercise for your senses. lol. Seriously though I do hope & pray that your sense of smell & taste surprises you by coming back & you are both fully fully fully recovered. The recipe is now in my blog recipe book, where all my beautiful sharing caring blogging friends recipes go.
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snuff? lololol great advice — so glad you enjoy the recipe — & much appreciate the kind words & the grin 🙂
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Very nice to see that you are better and engaged. Keep this way and always stronger both so as all of the people that have been hit from this virus.
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thank you, Maryrose. we’re lucky to have each other & I am fortunate for so many nice people in blog-land 🙂
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Of course, you are a nice person as well, who cares about others as it looks like.
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