Tasty Tuesdays Bloghop: Guest Inspired2Cook

Today I'm mixing it up here at Tasty Tuesdays and bringing you a special guest. This lady knows her way around a kitchen. Her blog is a foodie's dream, chock-full of fab recipes. Click here to learn more about her. She has an extremely busy schedule and still managed to squeeze in a couple great recipes for the holiday season. Without further delay I bring you Andrea.
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Hello! My name is Andrea and I’m a stay-at-home mom and author of Inspired2cook, a blog filled with recipes and cooking tips. I post new recipes 2-3 times a week…recipes that are easy enough for a new cook yet interesting enough for a “seasoned” cook. My hope is to inspire you to get in the kitchen!

When I’m entertaining, I try to do as much as possible ahead of time. This is especially true for the major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I love cooking, I don’t want to spend an entire holiday in the kitchen and miss out on precious family time. Here's a couple recipes that are delicious and can be made a day ahead of serving… WOOHOO!

-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Fresh Herbs, a perfect side dish for turkey.
-Pumpkin and Ginger Pound Cake, an excellent alternative to pumpkin pie.

I hope you’ll swing by and say “Hello” at Inspired2cook . Happy cooking!

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Fresh Herbs- recipe from The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan


Here’s one vegetable dish that doesn’t need any last minute attention from the busy Thanksgiving cook—and I'm thankful for that. These orange and ivory root vegetables, flecked with fresh herbs, complement turkey and are a colorful addition to the holiday table. Parsnips are woefully underused; once most people try them, they are surprised by how sweet and pleasantly complex they taste. Look for medium-sized, well-shaped parsnips that are firm. Avoid ones that are limp or spotted. Store them wrapped in paper towels inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They are also terrific combined with potatoes for a pureed winter soup. Serves 8 to 10.

7 medium parsnips (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 1/2 pounds tender carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 3-inch-by-1/2-inch sticks
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large roasting pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the parsnips and carrots with the olive oil, dill, parsley, pepper, and salt. Roast, stirring once or twice, for about 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and lightly caramelized in spots. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm for up to 1 hour before serving.

Do Ahead: The roasted vegetables can be made up to 1 day in advance. Refrigerate, covered, and bring to room temperature 2 hours before reheating.

Pumpkin & Ginger Pound Cake
-recipe by Diane Morgan, Fine Cooking Magazine (October 2002)


This delicious twist on pumpkin pie will keep for two days at room temperature if wrapped tightly. You can also make it up to three weeks ahead: Wrap it first in plastic, then in foil, and freeze it; pull it out of the freezer four hours before serving.

Serves eight, with ample leftovers.

1/2 lb. (1 cup) unsalted butter, completely softened at room temperature; more for the pan
9 1/2 oz, (2 1/2 cups) cake flour; more for the pan
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 to 2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar for dusting
1 qt. vanilla ice cream (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan, preferably nonstick. Tap out any excess flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the vanilla and the brown sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. When all the brown sugar has been added, stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, and cream the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Use a fork to lightly beat the egg yolks; then, with the mixer on low speed, add them slowly to the butter-sugar mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium, and beat for 1 minute. On low speed, add the pumpkin purée, oil, and fresh ginger. Beat until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, stir in one-third of the flour mixture, and continue stirring just until the flour disappears (don’t beat or overmix). Repeat, adding the remaining flour mixture in two more passes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and set it aside.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer just until they hold soft peaks. Gently but thoroughly fold them into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake springs back when touched with a fingertip and a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and gently remove the pan. Let cool completely. (If you’re making the cake ahead, wrap it now). Just before serving, use a fine sieve to sift the confectioners’ sugar over the cake. Cut into 3/4-inch slices and serve with a scoop of ice cream, if you like.

Thanks Andrea for these wonderful recipes. That pumpkin pound cake is calling my name. If any of you would like to be a guest here at Tasty Tuesdays, please let me know via comment or email, lish@mchsi.com.

As always I appreciate the visit. Leave your recipe below and feel free to grab the button or the linky. Happy hoppin.



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