Chia Seed Fruit Salad

This is one of the most delicious sugar-free dishes I've eaten. If you use bananas it really reminds me of frog eye salad (a cool whip fruit salad), which I don't make any more.

Chia Seed Fruit Salad

4 cups of diced fruit (berries, bananas, pears, apples, oranges, peaches)
1/4 cup currants or chopped raisins
1/3 cup chia seeds
2 cups coconut milk (1 can)
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Make this in one big bowl or four single serving dishes. To serving bowl (or bowls), add the fruit and currants. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the chia seeds, coconut milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Pour chia seed mixture over the fruit. Top with shredded coconut. Allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Apple Butter

One of my favorite almost-weekly purchases at the farmer's market is local apples. The farmer I buy them from has several different varieties each week. I think he said they grow about 50 kinds. They are super flavorful - really, so complex and delicious most store bought apples are not in the same league.

The farmer recommended a certain variety for apple butter, and so I thought I'd try it. Then I found this fabulously easy recipe to make apple butter in a crockpot. What could be easier or more delicious?

I didn't have the 5-6 pounds of apples recommended in this recipe, so I had to guess on the amount of sugar and spices. But, fortunately, it turned out great.

Apple Butter
from Dawn's Recipes

5 or 6 pounds of apples, or enough to fill slow cooker
2 1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
zest and juice from 1 small orange

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices.
2. Core and quarter the apples. Do not peel them.
3. Lightly grease the inside of the slow cooker.
4. Alternate layering the apples and sugar mixture in the slow cooker. Pour the orange juice and zest on top.
5. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours.
6. Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Or use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker.
7. If you want the consistency of the apple butter to be a little thicker, cook an additional 30 to 60 minutes with the lid off. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

Can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 months or in the freezer for 3 months.

Key Lime Cheesecake

I made this refreshing cheesecake for my friend's birthday. I made her mini cheesecakes in small ramekins, and then with the leftovers, I made this pie dish of cheesecake. The cheesecake came out of the ramekins pretty cleanly, thankfully. A while ago, I made another recipe for key lime cheesecake, but it was much too tart. This one was just right - a little tart, but still creamy.

Key Lime Cheesecake
adapted from Simple and Homemade

Crust
10 graham crackers
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Cheesecake
14 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs + 1 large egg white
2 freshly grated lime zest, preferably Key lime
1/2 c fresh lime juice, preferably Key lime

To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325° F. Put a kettle or pot of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 10 or 11″ springform pan with cooking spray. Tightly wrap the bottom and outside of the pan with a double layer of foil [fold a sheet in half lengthwise].

Process graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form (or put in a ziploc bag and pound them with a meat tenderizer). Transfer to a medium bowl. Add butter and toss until evenly moist. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

To prepare cheesecake: When the crust is almost cool, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth — in a large bowl with an electric mixer or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add yogurt, eggs, egg white, lime zest and juice; beat until well blended. Pour the batter over the cooled crust.

Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1″ up the outside of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake in the center of the oven until set around the edges but the center still jiggles, about 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let sit in the oven with the door ajar for 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour more. Place in the refrigerator with sides still in tact.

Once ready to serve, remove the sides from the springform. Top with zest and slices of Key lime, if desired.

Peach Salsa

Through my peach canning days, I had a few extra peaches and decided to make a small batch of peach salsa. I've had pineapple salsa, mango salsa, and now peach salsa. Each time the thought of fruit salsa kind of weirds me out, but after taking a bite, I'm hooked.

Peach Salsa

6 peaches, peeled pitted and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium sized red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup loosley packed cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.

Canned Peaches and Peach Butter

I've finally joined the canning club! For Christmas, I received some canning gear, including a water bath canner (a large pot with wire rack). Since we've arrived in the summer bounty season, I thought I'd start with peaches. Here's the half bushel of peaches I purchased from the peach/apple seller at the farmer's market.

Some of the peaches had black spots on the skin, but the peach flesh was not affected. Here's my end product: 4 quarts, 7 pints, and 3 8-oz. peach butters. I'm being patient and have not tried anything yet. How can peaches and sugar go wrong?

I used canning instructions and recipes from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

Light Syrup
syrup yield: 6 cups (1.5 L)

2 1/4 cups (550 mL) granulated sugar
5 1/4 cups (1.3 L) water

In a stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until needed, taking care not to boil the syrup down.


Peaches in Syrup
Makes about eight pint (500 mL) jars or four quart (1 L) jars

8-12 lbs (3.6-5.5 kg) peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, treated to prevent browning and drained
1 batch hot syrup

Raw pack method:

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.

2. Pack peaches, cavity side down and overlapping layers, into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar. Ladle hot syrup into jar to cover peaches, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary, by adding hot syrup. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

3. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process pint (50 mL) jars for 25 minutes (30 minutes in my case) and quart (1 L) jars for 30 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.


Peach Butter
Makes about eight 8-oz (250mL) jars or four pint (500 mL) jars

4 1/2 lbs (2 kg) peaches, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 cups (1L) granulated sugar

1. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine peaches, water and lemon zest and juice. Brint to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, about 20 minutes.

2. Working in batches, transfer peach mixture to a food mill or a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. Do not liquefy. Measure 8 cups (2 L) of peach puree.

3. In a clean large stainless steel saucepan, combine peach puree and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and holds its shape on a spoon.

4. Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

5. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot butter. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

6. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. (15 minutes in my case.) Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream

Fourth of July weekend I picked some blueberries at a local farm. Besides getting fresh blueberries, I love the actual picking. It's simply fun. The weather even cooperated - it was a little cooler and overcast.

I bookmarked this blueberry ice cream recipe last summer, but sometimes it takes a while for the stars to align to allow the perfect timing for some recipes to be made. I'm glad this recipe didn't totally fall off my radar, because this is definitely a keeper. One to make at least once every summer.

This is actually one of the simpler ice cream recipes I've made. The texture for this ice cream was perfect - soft and creamy. And the color is gorgeous. I need to use up the rest of my huge bag of blueberries soon. I'm thinking I will prepare the blueberry, water, and sugar portion and then freeze it in a ziploc bag to finish up on a early (still warm) autumn day. I love finding forgotten surprises in my freezer!

Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream
from Susi

2 cups (8 oz/ 250g) fresh blueberries
3/4 cup (6 fl oz/180 ml) water
1 cup (8 oz/ 250 g) sugar
1 cup (8 fl oz/ 250 ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a heavy saucepan, combine the fresh blueberries, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally too help dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes to steep.

Transfer the blueberry mixture to a blender. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

Add the cream and lemon juice to the blueberry puree and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture in to an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Cream

It's been a strawberry party at my place lately. Aren't these local strawberries luscious with red centers, not white? I recently discovered how fabulous balsamic vinegar tastes, even quite exposed, like in this recipe. Someday I hope to try this with a high quality, aged balsamic vinegar.

This recipe was simple and delightful. I kept the cream unsweetened, but feel free to add powdered sugar and vanilla.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Cream

Slice fresh strawberries and add a splash of balsamic vinegar and sugar. Let sit for a half hour. Serve topped with unsweetened whipped cream.

Tips for whipping cream:
- put the bowl, beaters, and cream in the freezer for 15 minutes before whipping
- use heavy cream
- if your kitchen is hot, set the whipping bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice for added chill

Peach Berry Crumble

I had an abundance of fruit recently that I needed to use up. I had fresh peaches and strawberries that I thought would pair well together, but ended up adding frozen blueberries waiting patiently in the freezer too. This fruit crumble was delightful; I especially liked the addition of almonds to the crumble crust. I love the fruits of summer!

Peach Berry Crumble
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Filling:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound medium strawberries or mixed berries, strawberries halved
1 1/2 pounds yellow or white peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup old fashioned style oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and flour until smooth. Add the strawberries/berries, peaches and brown sugar. Gently toss until the fruit is coated. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pan.

For the topping: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Pulse until mixed. Add the butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Sprinkle the mixture over the filling and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is light golden. Cool the crumble for 5 minutes.

Spoon the warm crumble into bowls and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Dessert Crepes

Dessert crepes are so easy and so wonderful. They are extra easy if you make the crepes (see this recipe) ahead of time and freeze them (stack with wax paper in between each crepe and store in a gallon-sized ziploc bag). When ready to serve, warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave.

Crepes with Nutella and Strawberries

crepes
Nutella
strawberries, sliced

On a warm crepe, spread Nutella. Roll up crepe and top with strawberries. Voilà!

Crepes with Lemon and Sugar

crepes
fresh lemon juice
granulated sugar

On a warm crepe drizzle fresh lemon juice. Then sprinkle sugar on top to soak up the lemon juice. Roll up crepe and enjoy.

Baked Oatmeal

This is the best oatmeal I've ever eaten. I almost thought I was eating dessert, yet it's not overly sweet. My favorite part was the bananas that form the bottom layer - warm bananas warm my heart. I made this one day and ate it for breakfast the rest of the week - it still tasted great stored in the refrigerator and rewarmed.

Triple endorsement: my friend made this recipe as well and she and her husband loved it too. We both used blueberries for the berry element.

Baked Oatmeal
from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

2 cups/7 oz/200 g rolled oats
1/2 cup/2 oz/60 g walnut pieces, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup/2 oz/60 g natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups/475 ml milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch/1 cm pieces
1 1/2 cups/6.5 oz/185 g huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch/20cm square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

Breakfast Quinoa with Banana

I heard someone mention their favorite breakfast was quinoa with banana, honey, and milk. So I tried it and was surprised that I loved it! The banana and honey are an appealing flavor pairing. A breakfast for champions - healthy, natural, and whole.

Breakfast Quinoa with Banana

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
half a banana, sliced
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. crushed walnuts, optional

Follow the package directions to cook the quinoa. Or try it in a rice cooker with 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa (works like a charm). See this link for more information on how to cook quinoa. Cook as much quinoa as you need. It's easy to cook more than one meal's worth and keep it in the fridge. Warm it in the microwave when you're ready to eat the leftovers. Then add sliced bananas, a small spoonful of honey, and a splash of milk. Optional: add crushed walnuts.

Orange Sherbet

One of the standout foods I ate in Italy was mandarin oranges from the corner grocery store. Hands down the best oranges I have ever eaten. It makes me wonder why the only available mandarin oranges I've seen are in a can. So the other day when I saw a carton of mandarin oranges for sale in Whole Foods, I had to get them. They were pretty juicy and sweet, like the ones from Italy. There were only a few cartons of the oranges for sale; that was the only time I saw any.

I came across this recipe for orange sherbet using satsuma oranges. Satsuma oranges may or may not be the same thing as mandarin oranges. All I'm going on is internet research. But the author of the recipe also recommended navel oranges or tangerines.

Sherbet contains more juice than cream (as opposed to ice cream, where cream wins). The sherbet was a nice forecast of the spring and summer months to come. My husband did not like the zest - too tangy - and I think the recipe would work fine without it.

Orange Sherbet
adapted from Scoop Adventures

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (zest the fruits before juicing them)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Zest of 3 small or 2 large fruits
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 3/4 cup orange juice, sugar, and salt. Heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl. Add zest. Stir in remaining orange juice, milk, and cream. Whisk to combine.

Cover bowl and place sherbet base in refrigerator to fully chill. Once chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place plastic or parchment over sherbet (to prevent ice crystals) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Muffins

I couldn't pass up a bag of Meyer lemons for $2. Meyer lemons are sweeter and less tart than regular lemons. But what to do with them? I made a lemon pudding, which was just okay. I'm in clean up my freezer mode, and I had some frozen strawberries. So for a Sunday breakfast treat, I tried out these muffins. The strawberry and lemon combination was delightful!

Frozen strawberries are a little tricky because they can become juicier and more mushy than fresh strawberries. I defrosted mine just slightly so I could cut them in chunks, but firm enough to be mixed into the batter. I also waited to add the strawberries until I had already mixed in almost all the flour. This reduced the risk of pink muffins.

UPDATE 3/3/12: Just made these with frozen raspberries and highly recommend it!

Meyer Lemon Strawberry Muffins
from My Baking Addiction

2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one Meyer lemon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk
2/3 cup (160 ml) melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups chopped, fresh or frozen** strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Position rack in center of oven. Butter or spray with a non stick cooking spray 12 – 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups. Set aside.

2. In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, Meyer lemon juice and vanilla extract.

3. In another large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest. Gently fold in the berries. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.

4. Fill each muffin cup almost full of batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Best when eaten day of baking as the strawberries add extra moisture to the muffins.

**If using frozen berries, you may have to bake the muffins a little longer than the stated time.

Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

What could be more classic than plain cheesecake topped with syrupy cherries? Cheesecake really isn't that tough to make, but it does require a springform pan. If you love cheesecake, but usually buy it pre-made, I dare you to try making it yourself.

This recipe calls for a shortbread type crust. This time I tried a graham-cracker crust and have decided I prefer the shortbread. Also, other fruit toppings work instead of cherry, like Blueberry Sauce or another fruit sauce.

Cheesecake Supreme
from my mother

¾ c. flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, divided
6 Tbsp. butter
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
½ tsp. vanilla, divided
3 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¼ c. milk

To prepare crust, combine ¾ c. flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, ½ tsp. lemon peel. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in slightly beaten egg yolk and ¼ tsp. vanilla. Pat one-third dough onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch springform pan (without sides). Bake in 400˚ oven for 7 minutes or until golden; cool. Butter the sides of pan, attach to bottom. Pat remaining dough onto sides of pan to a height of 1 ¾ inches, set aside.

For filling, in a large mixer bowl beat together softened cream cheese, remaining lemon peel, and remaining vanilla until fluffy. Stir together 1 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour, salt; gradually stir in cream cheese mixture. Add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk all at once, beating at low speed until just combined. Stir in milk.

Turn into crust-lined pan. Bake at 450˚ for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300˚ and bake 50-55 minutes more or till center appears set and knife comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen sides of cheesecake from pan with a spatula. Cool 30 minutes; remove sides of pan. Cool about 2 hours longer. Chill thoroughly.


Cherry Topping

10 ounces (2 c.) sweet or sour cherries, pitted (frozen or fresh)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar (for sour cherries, consider increasing sugar)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Place all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for an additional one to two minutes then remove from heat. Cool completely.

Mini Cranberry Apple Tarts

I only made this dessert because I had the ingredients and was trying to use them up: pie crust in the freezer, apples from the fall market, leftover fresh cranberries. I'm so glad because the result was very cute and yummy!

Because I only had half the cranberries and apples needed, I decided I would use mini tart pans. Because more crust is needed to make more mini pies, I used a whole pie dough recipe (for one regular-sized crust) with a half recipe of pie filling. This yielded 6 mini tarts and 3 slightly-larger ramekins. Obviously, for individual pies, less baking time is needed. I didn't time it exactly, but I'm pretty sure I baked them for at least 45 minutes.

Deep Dish Cranberry Apple Pie
from An Apple Pie

pie dough for one crust

Filling:
7 cups green apples (about 5 medium apples) peeled, cored, and cut into twelfths
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups fresh cranberries (1 12-oz. bag)
1 cup sugar

Crumb topping:
5 Tablespoons of butter, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cups flour

Roll out the dough to a 16" round between lightly-floured wax papers and gently place the pancake (without the wax paper, of course) in a pie pan (11-inch deep dish), making sure it doesn't stretch. Trim the overhang and decorate the edge however you want.

In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the pie crust, mounding the fruit in the center.

In a small bowl, mix the crumb topping ingredients until the mixture is homogeneous and sandy. Cover the fruit in the crumb topping and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes. Suggestion: Place foil on the rack below where you place the pie in order to catch any spillage. When finished, cool it on a rack.

Sweet-Tart Orange Cranberry Bread

The tartness of cranberries paired with orange zest in this bread (or muffins) makes for a refreshing winter baked treat. I've tried this bread with dried cranberries, but I highly recommend fresh. Dried cranberries usually have added sugar, so the tartness is diminished, and they're not as juicy as fresh.

Sweet-Tart Orange Cranberry Bread
adapted from Recipes for IBS

3 c. flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 oranges, zested (2 Tbsp) and juiced (1/2 c.)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients, and stir well with a wire whisk or fork to thoroughly blend. Set aside. In a small bowl combine vinegar and milk and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together orange juice, zest, oil, and vinegar/milk mixture. Blend well. Stir cranberries into wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry with a few swift strokes of a wooden spoon just until blended. Pour into non-stick loaf pan sprayed with cooking oil; smooth batter evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in to the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on rack.

For four mini-loaves: pour batter evenly between four greased mini-loaf pans. Bake for 25 minutes.

For a dozen muffins: pour batter into greased or paper-lined muffin tins, about a dozen. Bake for 18 minutes.

Spiced Persimmon Shake

Besides trying new dishes like Palak Paneer, I've been adventurous in trying new fruits. I was at a produce market when I spied persimmons. Having never tried one before, I bought two. After searching for some recipes, I settled for this simple shake. It wasn't the best thing I've ever slurped, but it was decent. The spice combination was just right. It was a good introduction to this uncommon fruit.

Spiced Persimmon Shake
Cooking Books

1 completely ripe hachiya persimmon
1/8 teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Milk to just cover
Ice, if desired

Cut the persimmon in half and scrape the pulp out of the skin and into the bowl of a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Sparkling Cranberries

I've been thinking about these cranberries for over a year. I saw them on 101 Cookbooks and have been waiting for the right time to try them. I don't know why now was the right time, but it was.

Not only do these look beautiful, they are so fun to eat! The tartness of raw cranberries is definitely tempered by the sugar. I ate some plain and along with some chocolate chips.

For Christmas, my sister gave me a few props to help stage photos for my blog. Thanks to her, these cranberries look so elegant in this setting.

Sparkling Cranberries

from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked over
2 cups water
2 cups sugar (raw cane, real brown, granulated sugar, or a mixture all work)
More sugar for coating (something with a small grain, like granulated)

Place the cranberries in a medium glass bowl and set aside.

Make a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a couple minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst, so be careful. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them with larger grained sugar until they are well coated. Use a scoop of sugar at a time, and small batches of cranberries, so the sugar doesn't get too damp. Place the coated cranberries on a baking sheet to dry for a few hours.

Do a second toss with the regular granulated sugar, this typically takes care of any sticky spots on the cranberries. Let dry another hour.

Makes 2 cups of sparkling cranberries.

Steak Salad with Orange-Honey Dressing

Winter is citrus time! I especially love eating clementines in the winter. I needed a quick meal and had some steak and clementines, so I decided to make this salad from the latest Everyday Food magazine. As always, good dressing usually makes the salad, and this combo of orange juice and honey worked well.

This recipe is for one, so make sure you increase quantities if more than one person is going to eat it.

Steak Salad with Orange-Honey Dressing
from Everyday Food


serves one

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 eye of round steak, fat trimmed (4 ounces)
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium orange, peel and pith removed
1 Tbsp honey
1 small heart romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp thinly sliced red onion
1 small carrot, shaved with a vegetable peeler

1. In a small skillet, heat 1/2 tsp oil over medium-high. Pat steak dry; season with salt and pepper and cook until medium-rare, 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain.

2. Working over a medium bowl, cut out orange segments, then squeeze 1 Tbsp juice from membranes. Whisk in honey and 1 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, onion, and carrot and toss to combine. Transfer salad to a plate and top with steak.

Upside-Down Cranberry-Caramel Cake

I made this cake a few weeks ago and brought it to an event with friends.
It was still warm, and the first person to cut into it probably thought it was a pudding-filled cake. The center was not all the way baked! How embarassing. But my gracious friends ate the edges of the cake, which were fully baked and still said the cake tasted good.

This weekend I attempted this cake again, with great results! I don't think there's anything inherently difficult about this recipe; I must have unknowingly done something weird the first time.

A perfect Christmas cake, I love the tart cranberries. For the optional flavorings, I added almond extract and nutmeg. Delicious!

Upside-Down Cranberry-Caramel Cake
from Smitten Kitchen

Unsalted butter or cooking spray for the baking pan
2/3 cup (5 ounces) packed light brown sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (8 1/2 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
Optional flavorings: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, few gratings of fresh nutmeg or a combination thereof
Whipped cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and cover the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the melted butter, molasses and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir well and pour into prepared cake pan. Set pan aside.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sour cream together at medium speed until well blended. Add optional flavorings of your choice. Scrape down the bowl and add remaining melted butter (1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Add the cranberries to the prepared baking pan and gently press the fruit into an even layer. Dollop the batter on top and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it into place without disturbing the cranberries underneath. Bake on the center rack (with a tray underneath to catch drips) until golden and a tester inserted into just the cake comes out clean, 35 - 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan then insert over a flat platter that is larger than your cake pan, to catch any puddling or jumping cranberries. Remove the parchment paper.

Serve warm, with freshly whipped cream. The cake will keep for two to three days covered at room temperature.