ArcaMax

900

When I was six years old I walked into our family kitchen on a Saturday morning and asked my mother if she would teach me how to cook. My mother was busy. My mother was always busy. She was raising seven kids. She was always doing laundry, ironing, doing dishes, shopping for food, cooking the next meal or shuttling us around. She didn’t have time.

She looked at me over her hot ironing board, and said, “Honey, if you can read, you can cook.” That’s all it took.

I walked into the pantry. I had to pull out a drawer so I could boost myself up onto the counter. I opened the upper cupboard door and took out the prized bag of chocolate chips. I turned the yellow package over and looked at the back. There was the famous recipe. I could read it. And the rest is history.

This month I hit a new milestone.

I have now designed 900 recipes for Plan Z.

I don’t know any other diet on the planet that is this comprehensive. The recipes get you started simply. They progress to more complicated. They give you comfort food. There are now six different kinds of meatloaf. There are seven recipes for chili. All kinds of chili -- from a straightforward meat chili that your kindergartener would like, to a flaming hot Caribbean chicken chili devoured by those who crave island hot.

Are you craving a wasabi crusted mahi-mahi with baby bok choy? I’ve got it for you. Scallops, and a steak with a super-tasting simple marinade? A French chicken with an exotic mushroom sauce? Comfort food to gourmet and everything in-between.

Need a casserole to take to the potluck? We’ve got you covered. Appetizers? Desserts? Side Dishes and Entrees? Count on me.

People ask me how I can be so prolific. How does one person come up with 900 recipes in less than six years? The answer is dedication. I told people this would be the best tasting diet on the planet and I am determined to keep my promise.

I do have liberties, though. I own the company. I can take 10 minutes out of my day and decide what I’m craving. Then I can do a little bit of private brainstorming and come up with a plan. It might be a variation on an old family favorite. It might be something I read that inspires me. I might be thinking of the ladies of Iowa who need casseroles to take to those church events. Right now I have a new pork roast in the slow cooker. I am hoping that recipe will be one to satisfy those who have to put dinner together in a hurry before they rush off to work, and need to come home to dinner, done.

Just in time for the holidays, I’m announcing my 900th recipe...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:

Apple Pie Filling
White Chocolate Custard with Strawberry Coulis

This is a ZReboot 3.5 recipe. This is a quick cake that can be served at a party. You don’t need large pieces when something has as much flavor as this does. Pumpkin treats are a big hit in the Fall and over the holidays.

Servings: Serves 12

Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:

2 Tbl of melted butter
1 cup of pureed pumpkin (from the can)
½ cup of ZSweet or Swerve sugar substitute
4 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp of vanilla
½ tsp of grated sea salt
1-1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
¼ tsp of pumpkin pie spice
1/3 tsp of nutmeg
¼ cup of coconut flour or Carbalose flour
¾ cup of almond flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan with butter spray or baking spray. I used my nine-inch round springform pan. You can also use a 9-by-9-inch square pan. The final result will look like a single layer cake.

In your mixing bowl, put in the eggs, butter, pumpkin, sugar sub, and vanilla. Begin beating on medium to mix the ingredients. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides so everything is incorporated. Now let the mixer run for two minutes on high. I actually use a timer because I want to make sure the eggs get good and whipped.

Turn off mixer. Now, most cake recipes will tell you to mix all of the dry ingredients in another bowl and then incorporate them. I’m too lazy for that or in a hurry. I put all of the dry ingredients in the bowl on top of the wet ones but I make sure that as I add them I sprinkle them on so nothing is in one blob. So dust your spices over the top. Dust the baking soda and even spread out the flour. Then do the same thing to mix. Run the mixer on medium for about 10 seconds to blend. Then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Then let it run for another two minutes to make sure it’s all incorporated well and you’ve stirred it up really thoroughly.

Pour the batter into your prepped 9-inch pan and make sure it’s spread evenly. Then bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You can test for doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean you’re all set.

Cool the cake and then frost it with Cream Cheese Frosting (below). Store leftovers in the refrigerator. I try to take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving it but truthfully, the cold cake tastes really lovely too.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

8 oz of softened cream cheese
½ stick of softened butter
1 tsp of vanilla
3 – 4 drops of liquid stevia
½ cup of POWDERED ZSweet or Swerve*

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until creamy. You can taste test your frosting to see if you want to add any more liquid stevia. I think it’s plenty sweet with just a few drops. A little goes a LONG way of that stuff so be careful when adding it.

I frosted this cake in a simple manner. If you want to decorate it you can make half again as much frosting and then you’d have enough to pipe a border on top and bottom.

*I buy powdered ZSweet on line but if you only have the granulated version you can put it in your food processor and turn it on to make your own powdered sugar.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola