Orange Cake with Mascarpone

I love having people over because it gives me an excuse to make a big fancy dessert. This cake was lovely, it had a nice citrus flavor and the mascarpone frosting really made it sweet and creamy and delicious.

Cake:
3/4 cup orange juice + zest from 2 oranges

113 g butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup orange marmalade (to put in between the layers)

Frosting:

1 1/2 cup mascarpone

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup mandarin oranges

Preheat oven to 350 (176 C)

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then blend in orange juice and orange zest. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients (baking powder, salt, and flour). Combine flour mixture with orange mixture and fold in coconut. Pour into a prepared 9 inch (22 cm) round cake pan and bake for about half an hour or until the center of the cake springs back when touched. Let it sit until cooled completely.

Once cool, use a sharp serrated knife and gently cut the cake in half. Spread a generous 1/2 cup of marmalade on the top of the bottom half of the cake, and gently replace the top of the cake, sandwiching the jam in between the two layers. Then mix the mascarpone with powdered sugar and spread it generously on the cake until it is completely covered. Garnish with mandarine oranges and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

P.S. This cake is even better the next day!

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

adapted from Dianasaur Dishes

This dish is anything but healthy. But it is oh so good. Creamy, rich flavors that are hearty and so pleasing. It's easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. So ignore your waistline, invite people over as an excuse to make it, and give it a try.

Serves 4-6

4-6 servings Penne pasta

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup bacon, crumbled

1 small red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1 cup sliced artichoke hearts

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup cream

1 cup spinach

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan

Boil your pasta according to the directions on the package. In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion in butter until softened, then add bacon, mushrooms and artichokes. After about two minutes add the wine. Cover and let simmer 5 minutes until it has reduced. Then add cream and seasonings and mix well. When you drain the pasta, add spinach while pasta is still very hot so it will wilt in the steam. Finally, pour sauce over noodles and garnish with parmesan. Serve warm.

Chicken Véronique

Ben made this for dinner the other night and it was AMAZING. So good I wanted to lick my plate clean! These pictures really don't do it justice. It's basically chicken in a white wine sauce, cooked with grapes and eaten over rice. The chicken is tangy and the grapes are sweet and juicy. It's an incredible combination.

serves 4

2 Tbsp butter

4 chicken breasts

1-2 cups green seedless grapes

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2 tsp parsley

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and pepper and sear both sides until they are slightly browned. Then transfer the chicken to another plate.

2. Turn the heat down to medium and add the second tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Saute the shallots until they are translucent. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off of the bottom, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Add the cream, cornstarch (mix with a Tbsp wine so it will be smooth), and spices and let it remain on low heat until it has begun to thicken up, then return the chicken to the sauce. Poach the chicken until it is cooked through. (about 5-10 minutes)

4. Finally, add the grapes for just a few minutes before taking the pan off of the stove. Leave them in just long enough to become hot. Serve over rice.

Creamy Leek Soup

Adapted from Sister's Cafe

As a rule, I try to buy what is on sale (ie: in season) at the grocery store. It's generally cheaper and tastes better too so it's a win-win situation. And last week these long, green leeks were calling my name. I've never really cooked with leeks before, but when I saw this recipe on the blogs everything fell into place. This soup was warm and creamy and the flavor was wonderful.

Serves 4

1 Tbsp butter

6 potatoes, diced

2 leeks, washed and sliced, including the white and green parts

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp parsley

1/2 cup cream

bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Cook leeks, onion, celery, salt and pepper in 1 tbsp butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Add potatoes along with wine, stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and simmer 5 additional minutes. Add cream and stir until smooth. Top with cheese or chives as a garnish.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

adapted from Fake Ginger

I make snickerdoodles often because they are distinctly American and I always seem to have all of the ingredients in my fridge. I made these for a church party and they were snapped up right away. They aren't too different from the cookie version, except they can be baked all at once in a pan like a sheet of brownies, so it is a little bit quicker to make. I ended up cutting them out with cookie cutters after they had cooled to make them look a little more interesting.

2 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (250 grams)

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

cinnamon and sugar mixture for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth, then add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add in the vanilla and set aside. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then slowly add the dry mixture to the wet one, stirring until batter is smooth and consistent. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish and sprinkles cinnamon sugar on the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is turning golden brown and you can stick a toothpick in it and it comes out clean. Wait for them to cool before cutting into them.

Greek Burgers

adapted from Food-o del Mundo

I love Greek food. The flavors manage to balance sharp and creamy, salty and sweet in a way that is marvelous. So when I saw this recipe for Greek style hamburgers, I just had to try it. They were wonderful, needing very little garnish except for a slice of tomato and Tzatziki sauce.

Hamburger patties

17 oz ground pork (500 mg)

1 egg

1/2 cup of bread crumbs (or oats)

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup minced Kalamata olives

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Tzatziki sauce

1 cup plain yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 finely chopped cucumber

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1-2 tsp dill

Hamburger buns

Tomato slices (for garnish)

Mix hamburger ingredients together well. Gently form 1/2 inch thick patties (1.25 cm), trying not to overwork the meat. Using a grill is optimal, but if that isn't available, just use a frying pan on the stove. Heat the stove very hot. Place the patty on the pan and let it sit. Do not push down on the burger, it lets all of the juices out. Fry on a hot stove, 7-9 minutes each side. Take off the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Prepare the Tzatziki sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Put the patty on a bun, with a layer of sauce and a tomato and enjoy!

Summer Peach Salad

I look forward to the day when you walk into a grocery store and peaches are on sale. I end up buying so many that peaches are part of every meal in order to eat them all before they spoil. This is an easy, versatile salad and a delicious way to say goodbye to summer.

Salad

3-4 large peaches, sliced

3-4 tomatoes, chopped and seeded

salad greens

mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup nuts

Fruity Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp mustard

2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp poppy seeds

Chop up lettuce or other salad greens and put in a large bowl. Chop peaches and tomatoes, and add them to the bowl and toss. Grate mozzarella on top and garnish with nuts. Mix vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and serve on the side.

Cranberry Brie Sandwich

I had this grilled cheese sandwich at a restaurant in Edinburgh called "Two Thin Laddies" and it blew my mind. So the first thing I did when I got home was recreate it. Easy and warm with such interesting flavors, perfect comfort food.

Quality bread

cranberry sauce (or any tart berry jam)

brie

2 meduim onions, cut thinly

about 1 Tbsp butter

salt and sugar

Saute the onions on low for 10 minutes, add a sprinkle of salt and sugar and keep stirring until they begin to caramelize. Butter the bread and set a layer of brie, cranberry sauce and a scoop of the caramelized onions. Put the other bread on top and toast the sandwich on low heat until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted. Then be prepared to swoon.

Basil Chili

It's been cold since we moved to Austria. And I finally got a pot big enough to make soup in. So in celebration I made Ben and I a bowl of chili. And it was good.

Serves 4-6

1-2 tsp oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups kidney beans

1 cup corn

1 cup mushrooms

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

cheese (to garnish)

Saute garlic and onion in oil until starting to soften. Then add carrots and mushrooms and saute until carrots are starting to soften. Then add ground beef, stir occasionally until browned. Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn, chili powder, cayenne powder, half of the bunch of basil and beef broth. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve warm with cheese and fresh basil on top.

Chocolate Popcorn

from A Cozy Kitchen

My dad always gets tons of flavored popcorn from his clients for Christmas, so for that reason fancy popcorn has a Christmas-y feeling to it. The chocolate covered popcorn is always my favorite, and it is so easy to make. I combined this with a batch of caramel popcorn to take to a party and it was a hit. This stuff is seriously addictive.

1 Tbsp oil (to make the popped corn)

1 cup popcorn kernels (unpopped)

2 Tbsp butter

12 oz (350 g) chocolate

splash milk

salt to taste

Make popcorn using a pot, or whirly pop or air pop machine.

Using a double boiler (or a glass bowl over boiling water) mix together the butter, chocolate, and milk. Stir until melted and smooth.

Pour the chocolate over the popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until popcorn is fairly evenly covered, then spread out on a baking sheet or some waxed paper and sprinkle with salt.

Let cool for 3-4 hours for the chocolate to harden (can also put in the fridge or freezer to speed cooling process)

Caramel Nut Popcorn

from Taste

I love popcorn so much, but sometimes I get a little bored with the simple sprinkling of salt. This was a really easy way to make popcorn POP.

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup popcorn kernels (unpopped)

9 Tbsp (125 g) butter

3/4 c white sugar

2 Tbsp honey

1 cup nuts (I used almonds, but walnuts or pecans would also be great)

salt to taste

Using the oil and a pot or whirly pop or air pop machine, make the popcorn. Put in a bowl and set aside.

Combine butter sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring for 5-7 additional minutes (or until a light golden brown). Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and stir until the popcorn is coated fairly evenly. Spread on a baking sheet (lined with baking paper for easy clean up) and set aside to cool. Break into pieces and serve.

Pineapple Black Bean Salsa

In an effort to eat a little healthier, I made this salsa to bring to a world cup party with some friends. It was great, spicy and sweet from the pineapple and combined with the salty chips it was wonderful.

1 cup pineapple, chopped into chunks

1 bell pepper, chopped roughly

1/2 red onion, finely minced

1-3 jalapeño, minced (Add according to your heat preference. Removing the seeds keeps it mild)

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup corn

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice if using canned pineapple)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ground chili

1/8 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Chop and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I find that making it a few hours in advance helps the flavors to mingle a little better. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use. Serve with tortilla chips.