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  Pesto Chicken and Carrot Wraps

  A great use of that leftover rotisserie chicken. Or you can quickly cook and shred two boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

  TO MAKE THE PESTO:

  2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)

  2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts

  2 large cloves garlic

  ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

  Combine first three ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until finely minced. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow stream, scraping down the sides (carefully). When smooth, add the cheese and refrigerate. You’ll have enough for the wraps, plus more for salad.

  TO MAKE THE FILLING, MIX TOGETHER:

  4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

  ½ cup pesto

  1 teaspoon cumin

  FOR THE WRAPS:

  4 wraps (tortillas, wraps, or thin pita bread)

  4 slices Swiss cheese

  2 cups shredded arugula or spinach leaves

  2 cups thinly julienned or grated carrots

  Olive oil for brushing

  To assemble: Lay out 4 wraps. On each wrap, place 1 slice of cheese, followed by 1 cup chicken mixture, ½ cup shredded greens, and ½ cup carrots. Roll up tightly. Brush each wrap with olive oil and heat in a hot sandwich maker, a Panini press, or a nonstick pan on medium heat.

  Tomato Basil Soup

  The carrot lends body, flavor, and nutrition to this homemade soup. If you prefer a creamier soup, substitute cream, half-and-half, or evaporated milk for a portion of the chicken stock.

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 medium onion

  3 cloves garlic, minced

  2 stalks celery, diced

  1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

  1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, crushed or diced

  1½ cups chicken stock

  6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

  Sour cream

  Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion, adding garlic, celery, and carrot when the onion is translucent. Cook together until the carrots are soft. Add tomatoes. Puree until smooth with your immersion stick or in a blender. (Careful: it’s hot!) Return to heat. Add chicken stock and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 4–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into serving bowls, dollop sour cream on top. Makes four 2-cup servings, eight 1-cup servings.

  Healthy Carrot-Maple Muffins

  The whole family will love these tasty muffins—and they’re nutritious, too. This recipe makes 12 regular-size muffins, 22–24 mini-muffins. To cut the prep time, double the recipe and freeze the extras.

  1¾ cups flour

  1½ teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  ½ teaspoon salt (may be omitted)

  ½ cup raisins or Craisins, tossed in 1 teaspoon flour

  2 cups peeled and grated carrots

  ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

  ⅓ cup olive oil

  ½ cup maple syrup

  2 large eggs, beaten

  1 cup plain yogurt

  ½ teaspoon maple flavoring (optional)

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  Prepare your muffin tin (grease or insert paper muffin cups). In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Blend thoroughly. Toss the raisins or Craisins with 1 teaspoon flour (to keep them from sticking together). Add to flour mixture. Add grated carrots and nuts and mix well. In a medium bowl (I use a 4-cup glass pitcher for easy pouring), combine the oil and syrup and whisk together. Add the beaten eggs and mix well, then add the yogurt, maple flavoring, and vanilla. Stir all together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined. As with all muffins, don’t overmix: a few lumps won’t hurt. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 450 degrees F for 13–14 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a wooden pick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack immediately.

  Spinach and Carrot Quiche

  Great for brunch or Saturday night supper. Prebaking the crust of this custard pie keeps it from getting soggy. If you prefer, you can bake the filling in a greased (or sprayed) casserole dish, as a crustless quiche. For individual servings, you can bake the filling in a muffin tin (instructions below).

  Unbaked crust for one 9-inch pie, prebaked for 15 minutes and cooled

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 onion, diced

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed (about 1½ cups)

  ¾ cup shredded carrots

  2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, cheddar, or mozzarella—or a mix)

  6 eggs

  1 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk

  ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon pepper

  In a skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic. In a large bowl, mix the spinach and carrots. Stir in the sautéd onions and garlic. Evenly spread the cheese across the cooled prebaked crust. Spread the spinach-carrot-onion mixture over the cheese. Beat eggs, then beat with half-and-half or evaporated milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over filling. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. (The quiche will set more firmly as it cools.) Serve warm or cold; slices may be reheated in the microwave.

  For individual servings baked in a muffin tin: Spray the tin generously. Cut piecrust, tortillas, or thin bread slices in circles to fit the bottoms of the cups. Add cheese and spinach-carrot mixture. Fill cups two-thirds full with egg mixture. Bake until almost set and tops are puffed and brown, 20–25 minutes.

  Cosmetic Carrot-Infused Oil

  There are two kinds of oils commonly called “carrot oil.” The first is cold-pressed from carrot seeds and mixed with a carrier oil; the second is a carrot-infused oil you can make at home from the flesh of the carrot. Both oils are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A and E, and pro-vitamin A, and may help to heal dry, chapped, and cracked skin and condition hair. Here’s a recipe for the carrot-infused oil.

  2 pounds carrots

  Oil, enough to cover (Some excellent choices: olive, coconut, almond, avocado, grapeseed, jojoba—all good for your skin)

  Vitamin E oil

  Peel about 2 pounds of carrots and grate with a food processor or hand grater. Place the grated carrots in a slow cooker and add enough oil to cover. Set to warm (the lowest temperature) and infuse the oil for 66–72 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh or cheesecloth. Label and store in the refrigerator for up to 8 months.

  To use: Carrot-infused oil may stain lighter skins. Make a sample by diluting the carrot-infused oil with a carrier oil, starting with a 1:10 ratio—that is, ½ teaspoon of infused oil to 5 teaspoons of carrier oil (one of the above). If that doesn’t produce a stain, increase the ratio of carrot-infused oil to the carrier oil. Once you’re satisfied with the ratio, add several drops of vitamin E oil. Apply to skin, lips, elbows, heels. You may also mix with your favorite cream, lotion, makeup remover, shower and bath gel, or shampoo.

  About the Author

  SUSAN WITTIG ALBERT grew up on a farm in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. A former professor of English and a university administrator and vice president, she is the New York Times bestselling author of the China Bayles Mysteries, the Darling Dahlias Mysteries, and the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. She and her husband, Bill, coauthor a series of Victorian-Edwardian mysteries under the name Robin Paige. The Alberts live near Austin, Texas.

  For more information about the China Bayles series, go to abouthyme.c
om. You can read about the Darling Dahlias at darlingdahlias.com and the Cottage Tales at cottagetales.com. You can also visit Susan’s blog at susanalbert.typepad.com, visit her website at susanalbert.com, follow her on Twitter @SusanWAlbert, or friend her at facebook.com/susan.w.albert.

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