Moosewood Mondays: Orange Cake

 

The smell of oranges is seductively intoxicating, one of my favorite scents in all the world.  Anytime I find a recipe that allows me to fill the kitchen with one of my favorite scents I am always tempted.  A quick glance into the kitchen proved that I had more than enough oranges on hand to make this beautiful cake.  I chose to ignore the fact that this cake has three sticks of butter.  Instead, I focused on all the fresh orange juice and yogurt and declared this cake part of a perfectly well-balanced breakfast.  What can I say?  I'm good at rationalizing.

My talented friend Natashya, of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, has decided to dust off her  Moosewood Cookbooks and celebrate them each Monday, hence Moosewood Mondays.  Mollie Katzen's 15th Anniversary Moosewood Cookbook happens to be one of the first cookbooks I bought for myself back in my vegetarian years.  

Back then, Katzen was one of the only vegetarian cookbook authors and her books were like a goldmine for me.  I've always enjoyed her recipes and loved the style of her cookbooks, most of them being handwritten. 

I love the handwritten style of Katzen's cookbooks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Orange Cake isn't the healthiest of Katzen recipes, but it does highlight the scope of her recipes, as well as the beauty of her food.

Orange Cake

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

Serves 12-16

Ingredients for the Orange Cake:
Butter for the pan

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened

1-3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon grated orange rid

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoons orange extract (my addition)

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream or yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

Ingredients for the Orange Glaze:

1/2 cup orange juice

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-3 tablespoons Orange Liqueur or Dry Sherry (I used Grand Marnier)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Stir in the orange rind, vanilla, and orange extract.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sour cream or yogurt, and the 1/2 cup orange juice.  Set aside.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add this to the butter mixture alternately with the combined sour cream (or yogurt) and orange juice, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix by hand after each addition - just enough to combine well.

Turn into the prepared pan.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted all the way down comes out clean.  Cool for about 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate.  Allow to cool completely.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes.  Pour the hot glaze onto the cooled cake.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing so that the glaze has an opportunity to soak into the cake.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add this to the butter mixture 

Notes/Results:  This Orange Cake was incredible.  Everyone raved about it!  The cake itself was very reminiscent of a pound cake, both moist and dense.  We found the orange flavor spot on, not too mild or too strong.  I do want to note that I added 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract, just because I had it on hand.  I do think it helped to bring out the orange flavor, but don't think it's a necessary ingredient.  This cake is great served right away, but is even better when the orange glaze has had time to soak into the cake.
 
Note: I used Navel Oranges in both the cake batter and glaze.  The blood oranges were used only as a garnish.

Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Fontina Meatballs

This recipe is full of secrets.  Spicy little secrets.  Cheesy little secrets.  Delicious little secrets.  Fontina cheese oozes out of the meatballs to reveal a hidden center.  It doesn't end there.  The Amatriciana sauce is full of it's own secrets:  spicy toasted red pepper flakes, meaty chunks of pancetta, and handfuls of Romano cheese.  The end result is a very cheesy, slightly spicy, robust version of spaghetti and meatballs that will have everyone in your family singing your praises and asking for seconds.

In her cookbook, Giada notes that her Aunt Raffy likes to add a bit of wine to the simmering tomato sauce.  I tend to agree with Raffy on this one and added about 1 cup of white wine to my sauce as it was simmering.  Giada's recipe also calls for smoked mozzarella for stuffing the meatballs, but I'm not real fond of smoky cheese so I opted for creamy Fontina.

Yummy cheese oozing out of the baked meatballs

Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Fontina Meatballs

Adapted from Giada at Home

Serves 4-6

Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, diced 

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Optional: About 1 cup wine (I used white)

Meatballs

1 small onion, grated

3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup Italian-style seasoned dried bread crumbs

1 large egg

2 tablespoons ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces ground beef

8 ounces ground veal

2 ounces fontina cheese, cubed into 16 -1/2"- cubes

1 pound percatelli or other long pasta

For the sauce: In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-heat.  Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and set aside.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and the cooked pancetta.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

For the meatballs: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, 1/2 cup of the parsley, 2/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Add the beef and veal.  Using your hands, combine the ingredients gently but thoroughly.  Shape the meat mixture into 16 1-1/2-inch-diameter meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Make a depression in the center of each meatball and place a cube of fontina inside.  Re-form the meatball so that the fontina is completely covered with the meat mixture.

Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 11 minutes (depending on the type of pasta used). 

Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl.  Add the sauce.  Toss gently and season with salt and pepper, if needed.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cu parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Put the meatballs in a separate bowl and serve alongside the pasta.

 

Notes/Results:  This recipe is the ultimate in cheesy as there is quite a bit of cheese in both the sauce and the meatballs. We all loved biting into the meatballs and tasting that cheesy center.  A good thing for sure! The sauce is slightly spicy which is a welcome break from the norm.  Of course, the meaty chunks of pancetta in the sauce were as tasty as can be.  This is a keeper recipe that I would be happy to make again. 

Now Celebrating the Recipes of Giada De Laurentiis

The First Sunday of Each Month @ Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

Emeril's Garlicky Sizzling Shrimp

It seems a lot of people have mixed feelings about Emeril Lagasse.  I've always liked Emeril and LOVE his cookbook, 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast. I find myself going to this cookbook over and over again when I want a quick and simple meal that really delivers in the flavor department.  This recipe for Garlicky Sizzling Shrimp takes less than 10 minutes and is fantastic.  It's fabulous on it's own, but pairs well with pasta, rice, and/or bread....anything to mop up the juices with.  

Garlicky Sizzling Shrimp

Adapted from Emeril 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast

Serves 2-4

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence or Creole Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic

6 tablespoons shrimp or chicken stock 

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the Essence/Creole seasoning and the salt.  Set aside

Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the butter and garlic.  Once the butter is nearly melted (about 20 seconds), add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Add the stock, lemon juice, and parsley, and cook for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat.  Serve immediately.

Notes/Results:  Fantastic!  In my opinion, this is probably the very best way to enjoy shrimp.  The shrimp were buttery, garlicky, and cooked to perfection.  We enjoyed ours served over angel hair pasta, but I really think this recipe begs for a little bread on the side so that you can mop up all the delicious juices.  This is another keeper recipe!

Lemon Meringue Muffins

 

Lemon Meringue Pie holds a special place in my heart.  It happens to be my family's classic go-to dessert, one that everyone loved, especially my Grandpa.  My Grandpa loved Lemon Meringue Pie with a passion. Each time he took a bite, he'd rear his head back and close his eyes, savoring every bite. He'd always chuckle, as if the Lemon Meringue Pie was so good that he couldn't help but be amused by how much he loved it.  His chuckle was contagious and before long my parents and I would be laughing right along with him.  Sometimes we'd laugh our way through the whole pie, just the four of us.

Every time I see anything resembling Lemon Meringue Pie I am reminded of my Grandpa and all the fun times we had as a family gathering at the table. Ironically, I stumbled across this recipe for Lemon Meringue Muffins the day before what would have been my Grandpa's birthday.  It seemed fitting to make these on his special day and I'm so glad I did.

 

Lemon Meringue Muffins

Adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 12

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar, divided 

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1-1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

In a large bowl, cream butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the yogurt, lemon juice, peel and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Transfer meringue to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe onto muffins. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until meringue is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts: 1 muffin equals 188 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 4 g protein.

 Notes/Results:  This is one exciting muffin!  The muffin itself is light and lemony with a very tender crumb.  The meringue topping is billowy and fluffy and makes these muffins a very special treat.  The entire family loved these muffins, but I do think a little layer of lemon curd between the muffin and the meringue would be especially nice.  As far as muffins go, these are pretty light and not so bad for you, making them a pretty good choice in the muffin department. 

Eating pie with Gramps

Dessert Wars: Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn

Sweet, crunchy, nutty, and chocolatey, this is one addictive snack that will satisfy all your cravings.  Buttery caramel corn is mixed with chopped hazelnuts and coated with a chocolatey Nutella drizzle.  A big bowl of this caramel corn would be great to serve at your Super Bowl party and/or packed up as gifts for Valentine's Day!

Nutella & Hazelnut Caramel Corn

A Stirring the Pot Original

For the Caramel Corn:

12 cups plain popped popcorn 

1 cup hazelnuts (optional)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Nutella Glaze/Coating:

1/3 cup Nutella, room temperature

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream (enough to make thin or pourable)

 

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans.  You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans.  Add the hazelnuts (if using) to the popped corn.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.  Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend.  Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  The mixture will be light and foamy.  Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat.  Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated. (The caramel will become liquid-like in the oven and will be easy to mix in intervals).

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes (this will evenly distribute the caramel).  Line the counter top with waxed paper.  Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces.  Allow to cool completely.

While the caramel corn is cooling, mix together the nutella and milk and/or cream in a small bowl until evenly mixed and smooth. When the caramel corn has completely cooled, place nutella mixture into a squeeze bottle or simply use a fork to drizzle over the caramel corn.  Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the coating is allowed to firm up.

This is my entry for the new Dessert Wars, hosted by Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and Christine of The Cupcake Bandits.  This month's challenge was to create a dessert using Nutella and the winner will win the fabulous gift pack you see below:

-Whisk and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs

-The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer

-Beanilla Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans

-Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake

-1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes

-Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

-Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

-$50 Gift Certificate to Theme Kitchen

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Valley Products

-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Prairie Products

Cheesy Baked Farro

Farro.  Have you had it before?  I hadn't, until today.  On my travels up in Cleveland, I ran across a bag of farro and bought it with this recipe in mind.  In case you haven't heard of farro before, it is an ancient grain with a nutty flavor and firm texture.  It also happens to be one of the first cultivated grains of ancient Italy.  It is used in salads, pilafs, soups, and also in place of pasta.

 I'm always a little skeptical to introduce new foods to my picky family, so I thought this recipe was perfect. A big douse of cheese is always a good way to introduce anything, right?

Cheesy Baked Farro

Adapted from Giada at Home

4-6 servings

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups warm milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Farro

6 cups low-soldium chicken broth

2 cups farro, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 cups assorted mushroooms, cleaned and sliced

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes

2 -1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.  Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 8 minutes (do not allow the mixture to boil).  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

For the farro:  In an 8-quart stockpot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the farro, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain if necessary.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until tender.  Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, Gruyere cheese, Fontina cheese, and thyme.  Remove 1 /2 cup of the  mixture and set aside.  Add the cooked farro, sauce, and mushroom mixture to the cheeses.  Stir until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup reserved cheese mixture.  Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.  

Bake until the top is golden brown and forms a crust, 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before servings.

Notes/Results:  It looks very brown and unappetizing, but I promise that it is delicious.  I really loved the nutty taste of the farro combined with the nuttiness of the cheese.  In fact, the whole family enjoyed it.  This is something that I would definitely make again!

I made quite a few changes to the original recipe.  I halved the recipe, leaving out the mushrooms and using diced canned tomatoes in place of fresh cherry tomatoes.  I also subbed out extra Parmesan in place of the Gruyere (which I didn't have on hand).  Other than that, the only other change I made was to add more chicken stock to the farro so that the chicken stock didn't cook out and in addtion, I cooked the farro a little longer, until tender, about a total of 30-35 minutes.

Now cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis

French Fridays with Dorie Rewind: I'm a Month Behind!

So I'm literally drowning in recipes, but that really isn't a bad thing, right?  I'm a month behind on French Fridays with Dorie, so this is actually December's monthly roundup (minus the speculoos, which I didn't make).  Surprisingly enough, my very favorite recipe of the bunch was Dorie's Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots.  The carrots are cooked until tender and glazed in a wonderful combination of onion, ginger, garlic and cardamom seeds.  As a lover of cooked carrots, these were some of the best I've ever had.

No one else in my family likes cooked carrots (I told you I lived with a bunch of crazy folk), so I just made a half batch.  I had them as a side dish for dinner one night and then ate the rest of them for lunch one day.  Just me and a plate of carrots.  I felt virtuous, for once.

I've done an obscene amount of braising this month, but Dorie's Go-To Beef Daube really does stand out among the others. A very robust and hearty beef stew loaded with veggies and braised in red wine.  A real winner for the whole family.  Even my picky daughter asked for more!

I usually don't have a least favorite when it comes to Dorie's recipes.  However, I really didn't care for the Leek and Potato Soup.  I think the recipe was written well enough.  It was really more of a personal thing.  I'm thinking that maybe I'm not the biggest fan of leeks.  Not sure.  Either way, I jazzed mine up with some extra buttery croutons, which made the soup MUCH tastier.

And, finally, Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts.  I made the recipe two times and both times they disappeared quickly.  The first time I made them according to the recipe, with chili powder, cinnamon and a dash of cayenne.  We loved them!  The second time I made them with only cinnamon, sugar and a sprinkling of cardamom.  We loved those too!  I think it's safe to say that Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts are a winner.  I can see myself making them many times in the future (almonds and pecans are my favorite)! 

Now onto next month!  Hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up.

I hope you all have a great weekend!