By Popular Request . . . Recipes from Susan Hoover

Susan recently hosted her MOPS table in her home.  What she served was so enjoyed by her moms that I'm happy to share them through my recipe blog.  Thank you, Susan, for sharing your recipes.

Susan's Apple Cake

This moist cake makes a good fall or winter dessert. If cut into small squares it can be eaten like a brownie, or it can be served on a plate and topped with a warm, rum flavored butter sauce.

Whisk together:
2 C. flour
1 ½ C. sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp allspice or cloves
1 ½ tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon

Add to the above:
2 beaten eggs
3 C. diced raw apples
½ C. chopped walnuts
½ C. cooking oil

Bake in a greased 9” x 13” pan at 350* for 40-50 minutes.  Serve, topped with warm Rum Flavored Sauce (below).

Rum Flavored Sauce
½ C. butter
½ C. heavy cream
1 C. sugar

Bring to a boil and add:
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp rum flavoring

Boil gently for 1 minute.
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Yellow Split Pea Soup with Spiced Yogurt
From The Greens Restaurant Cookbook

This smooth yellow soup is seasoned with fresh ginger, cumin, and lemon. The peas benefit from being soaked at least 2 hours-they will break down more quickly and absorb less liquid when cooked.

THE STOCK
Use water, prepared vegetable stock or Stock for Curried Soups and Dishes.

SOUP
2 Tbsp clarified butter or 1 Tbsp each butter and olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced into ¼” pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground cloves
1 2/3 cups yellow split peas, soaked 2 hours or longer
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small squares
7 cups water or stock
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
Spiced yogurt (recipe follows)
Cilantro or parsley, chopped for garnish

Warm the clarified butter, or butter and oil in a soup pot and add the onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, and salt, cumin, cloves. Stir everything together and cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Drain the peas, and add them to the onions along with the celery, carrots, and the 7 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil; then simmer until the peas have completely fallen apart, about 45-60 minutes.

Pass the soup through a food mill or puree it in a blender; then return it to the stove. Add more water or stock as needed to achieve the consistency you like. Season to taste with additional salt, the lemon peel and the lemon juice.

Serve soup in warm bowls with a spoonful of spiced yougurt and a sprinkling of cilantro or parsley.

Spiced Yogurt
½ cup plain yogurt
½ tsp tumeric
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
¼ tsp ground cumin
pinch salt

Whisk yogurt until smooth. Chill. Serve with soup.

Stock for Curried Soups and Dishes
2-3 Tbsp clarified butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1 large celery stalk, with leaves, diced
1 large red onion, sliced
1 small potato, chopped
5 parsley branches
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 3” piece cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp cardamom seed
1 ½ tsp salt
8 cups water

Heat the clarified butter in a soup pot and add the vegetables, herbs, spices, and salt, giving the vegetables a stir to coat them well with the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to color, about 10 minutes, then add the water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer about 30 minutes. Strain the stock and use it in soups seasoned with Indian spices. If you wish to use it in a vegetable stew, return strained stock to the stove to reduce it, simmering it for another half hour to strengthen the flavor.

Makes 6 cups