No Bake Chocolate Orange Tart

This No Bake Chocolate Orange Tart is a wonderfully luxurious dessert that you can make with very little effort!

Not only is it no bake, but this tart only has five ingredients!

However, there are a few tools you will need to make this tart (paid links):

This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep, and then just needs two hours to set, so prepare accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (8 oz) box shortbread cookies
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 (10 oz) bags dark chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tablespoon orange extract
  • candied orange slices, for garnish, optional

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Citrus Poppy Seed Pound Cake

My mom’s birthday was earlier this week and I wanted to make her a treat to celebrate. She might be citrus’ biggest fan, so I knew I had to incorporate a couple of citrus components into it. This Citrus Poppy Seed Pound Cake was the result!

This recipe is adapted from a NYTimes Cooking recipe.

Ingredients:

  • Butter, for greasing the loaf pan
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon, divided 
  • the zest and juice of 1 orange, divided
  • the zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided 
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, or vanilla extract to make nut free
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

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Sheet Pan Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel

I’m kind of on a Sheet Pan kick. I love how simple they are, and how easy cleanup is! And this recipe for Sheet Pan Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel is no different!

This recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe to make it a pure sheet pan meal.

I know the combination of flavors may seem a bit odd, but it really comes together in the end. My husband even asked for this to be put in our normal dinner rotation!

Ingredients:

  • 2 small oranges (I used one navel, one blood orange)
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs with stalks
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 small shallots, halved
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
  • Optional: 1 cup cooked rice, for serving

Continue reading Sheet Pan Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel

Grilled Citrus Salmon

 This post is #sponsored by LongHorn Steakhouse. All opinions are my own.

With summer in full swing, it’s time to get grilling! As I’ve mentioned before, I unfortunately do not have any outdoor space at my apartment for a grill, but that hasn’t stopped me! I use my trusty grill pan as often as possible to bring the flavor of summer indoors.

 

This yummy recipe for Grilled Citrus Salmon was sent to me by LongHorn Steakhouse, and a version of this is actually available in their restaurants as part of their Summer Chef’s Showcase menu. I adapted it slightly to include ingredients I had on hand, so be sure to stop in to your local LongHorn Steakhouse to try their version as well!

 

 

 

As we all head out to grill this July 4th, LongHorn Steakhouse will have their Grill Us Hotline open Thursday, July 2 through Saturday July 4 from noon to 5 pm to answer grilling questions via phone and text. At-home grillers can call 1-855-LH-GRILL or text LHGRILL to 40679 (wait for a response & follow the prompts) to be connected with a grilling expert to answer questions live in real-time.

 

LongHorn Steakhouse was also kind enough to offer to give away a LongHorn Steakhouse Summer Grilling Party Pack to one winner! The grilling pack includes various grilling tools, koozies for your outdoor grill-out and a $25 gift card to visit LongHorn Steakhouse. More details after the recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

Salmon

  • 4 (7-oz.) salmon fillets
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Citrus Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Summer Vegetables and Pearl Couscous

  • 4 cups cooked Israeli (pearl) couscous (~1 cup dry)
  • 1/2 batch of fresh asparagus spears
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

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Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

Every Mother’s Day, I make my mom a citrus-themed dessert. She loves lemon desserts, so I’ve made Earl Grey Lemon Squares and a Lemon Tart with Raspberry Shortbread Crust in the past. This year, I decided to make cupcakes, specifically Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes!

I adapted a recipe from Martha Stewart into a cupcake recipe to make these Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup sifted cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 12 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cake flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

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Gemelli with Brown Butter Beet Sauce and Herbed Citrus Ricotta

I had a craving for beets … of all weird things to get a craving! Anyway, as I was searching for a yummy beet salad recipe, I came across a recipe for Cavatelli With Brown Butter Beets, Ricotta and Pistachios.

I was intrigued; I’ve never thought to use beets as a sauce for pasta!

What’s great about this recipe for Gemelli with Brown Butter Beet Sauce and Herbed Citrus Ricotta is that it doesn’t take that much time to make! Beets are typically roasted for 45ish minutes in the oven, but this recipe grates the beets before sauteing to cut down on their cooking time.

I changed the method a bit but the general idea is still there. The result is a beautiful brightly colored pasta with great flavor. It reheats wonderfully as well!

Ingredients:

  • 3 beets, peeled and finely grated in a food processor
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta
  • 1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, more to taste, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 16 oz box gemelli (or other pasta of your choice)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Continue reading Gemelli with Brown Butter Beet Sauce and Herbed Citrus Ricotta

Lobster Rolls with Shaved Fennel and Citrus

This year’s South Street Spring Festival is right around the corner!

On Saturday, May 3 from 11:00 to 8:00 pm, eight blocks of South Street will showcase the best restaurants, bars, food trucks, live music, and shopping the street has to offer at a huge block party! The free, all-ages Spring Festival will be held on South Street between Front and 8th and will also run along the 2nd Street Plaza between South and Lombard. There will also be three main stages and eight other performance areas along the festival featuring live music.

 

During the Festival, Brauhaus Schmitz will also host their second annual German Maifest on the 700 block of South Street featuring German beers, dancers, music, food, flower headbands and even a May pole!

 

 

I was invited to attend a media preview at Brahaus Schmitz and got to taste and sip some of the offerings you can find at the Festival.

 

Everything was delicious! Be sure to look out for the sausage and potato salad from Brauhaus Schmitz, the Shepard’s Pie from Cavanaugh’s Headhouse, the Short Rib Tacos from Bridget Foy’s, the Sliders from Redwood, and the Lobster Rolls from Headhouse Crab and Oyster. Twisted Tail was also serving up Mint Juleps which should not be missed!

 

We also got to learn some German dance moves! Many thanks to all the chefs, mixologists, and everyone else who helped make the media event a success!

 

I decided to try my own hand at making a Lobster Roll and found this recipe for Lobster Rolls with Shaved Fennel and Citrus in Cooking Light’s Global Kitchen Cookbook. These are a bit different from the Headhouse Crab & Oyster ones so be sure to check out their version at the Festival!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups coarsely chopped cooked lobster meat
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 medium bulb)
  • the zest from one orange
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 6 New England hot dog buns

Continue reading Lobster Rolls with Shaved Fennel and Citrus

Honey Citrus Champagne Cupcakes

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! My boyfriend and I had a New Years Eve party this year, complete with a champagne bar, dessert bar, and a DIY photo booth!

Minted sent me the banner and signs as well as paper cups, plates, and napkins to really snazz up our party. Aren’t those signs so cute? The theme shown in the photos is “Sparkle Everywhere”

Their party decor is really great; Minted has decor for any party you can imagine! You can build your own package or choose from three suites: unique party, perfect party, or dream party. Minted has you covered from the napkins to the table confetti to even adorable paper straws and cake plates. You can also order invitations that match your theme!

The Champagne Bar was a huge hit. I included suggested champagne cocktails but creativity was encouraged. My favorite combination was St. Germaine filled with sparkling wine and topped with some cranberry juice.

We had a blast in the photo booth and people had fun with all of the props!

The dessert bar turned out great too! I will be sharing recipes that I made for it over the coming days but I wanted to start with a particularly appropriate New Years Eve cupcake, although these are so good you will want to make them all year round 🙂

(The Nutella Cupcakes are a recipe from Gimme Some Oven and they are fantastic. Head over to her blog for the recipe! I have made the Lemon Earl Grey Squares before and posted the recipe on this blog. Check out the recipe for Lemon Earl Grey Squares here)

This recipe for Champagne Cupcakes was sent to me by Golden Blossom Honey. Golden Blossom’s honey is composed of honey from three flowers — extra-white clover, sage buckwheat, and orange blossom so the flavor profile is unique and really tasty!

These cupcakes highlight the taste of the honey with the addition of orange and dry champagne, making for a really moist and flavorful cupcake.

Ingredients:

  • CUPCAKES
  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup Golden Blossom Honey
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 cups champagne
  • the zest of one orange
  • FROSTING
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 tablespoons champagne
  • 6 tablespoons pulp free orange juice
  • the zest of one orange

Continue reading Honey Citrus Champagne Cupcakes

Citrus Poached Salmon with Mustard Sauce

Hooray for more salmon recipes! I will never have enough different recipes for salmon, it is definitely one of my favorite proteins.

This recipe for Citrus Poached Salmon with Mustard Sauce comes courtesy of Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli’s new cookbook: The Lemonade Cookbook: Southern California Comfort Food From L.A.’s Favorite Modern Cafeteria  (paid link). The cookbook’s name comes from Chef Alan Jackson’s fast-casual eatery’s Lemonade, which offers fresh and seasonal food in a modern cafeteria setting.

There are some really fantastic sounding recipes in this cookbook. Just look at how I tabbed this book trying to decide which to make for this post!

Included in the cookbook, which features 120 recipe, are:

  • Forbidden Rice with Hearts of Palms, Mushrooms and a Jalapeno Vinaigrette
  • Bay Shrimp with Cannellini Beans dressed in Shallots and Cayenne Pepper
  • Red Miso Short Rib Braise
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
  • Unique Lemonade concoctions like Peach Ginger, Pear Basil, and Cantaloupe Sage

 

With descriptions like that, I have to point out that these recipes are surprisingly unfussy and manageable to make at home. I decided to make the salmon because 1. it sounds delicious and 2. I have never poached fish before and I love trying out new techniques.

 

This recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish so it is great for a special weeknight dinner (or as a mid-week pick me up!) I changed the ingredients ever so slightly so to see the original, check out the cookbook, available in stores now!

 

From The Lemonade Cookbook by Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli. Copyright © 2013 by Alan Jackson and Joann Cianciulli and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press, LLC.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine (I used Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Chardonnay)
  • 2 oranges, divided
  • 2 lemons, divided
  • 2 limes, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 fresh dill sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon chopped dill, divided
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 4 (5 oz) salmon fillets, skin removed
  • coarse salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • 2 cups cooked rice (I used basmati)

Continue reading Citrus Poached Salmon with Mustard Sauce

Lemon Tart with Raspberry Shortbread Crust

Almost every citrusy post I have on my blog is dedicated to my mom. She is obsessed with orange, lemon, bergamot, etc. So in honor of Mother’s Day, here’s another one!

As a Walkers Official Blogger Ambassador, Walkers Shortbread sent me an awesome assortment of treats my way to make a spring/Mother’s Day themed post. Walkers Rapsberry Thins was in the mix, my mom also loves raspberries, so I decided to use the rapsberry thins to make a shortbread crust for a lemon tart. To make it even more citrusy, I topped the tart with candied orange peel.

 

Ingredients:

Candied Orange Peel:
  • 2 oranges
  • Water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
Crust:
  • 1/2 cup finely ground Walkers raspberry shortbread thins cookies (about 6 cookies)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter (cold cut into small chunks)

Lemon filling:

  • 3 meyer lemons
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup meyer lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Mini Orange & Cardamom Muffins

This weekend, I am co-hosting a Tiny Food Party with Bridges, Burgers & Beer, another Philly food blogger, using recipes from Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park’s cookbook: Tiny Food Party. A bunch of the recipes we are making use mini muffin tins. I wanted to try out my new min muffin tins at least once before making food for the party, so I found this recipe for Mini Orange & Cardamom Muffins from a book I received last year and have used once before for a recipe (see it here) called 1 Mix, 100 Muffins.
The flavors of these muffins sounded absolutely delicious. It was a lot of prep though: you have to juice and zest the oranges for the recipe. It’s well worth it, the citrus-y flavor is perfect with the cardamom seeds.
Ingredients: (makes 48 mini muffins)
2 oranges
1/2 cup milk (maybe less)
6 whole green cardamom pods
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Begin by melting the butter over medium-low heat. Allow to cool.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the mini muffin pans with paper liners.
Grate the rind from the oranges and juice the oranges.
Add the milk to the orange juice until you have 1 cup total of liquid. Add the orange rind.
Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods (I just cut into them and poured them out).
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and cardamom seeds.
Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the orange/milk mixture and the cooled butter.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the muffin pans (I used a coffee scoop to measure them out, it worked really well).
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
So the original recipe said to bake these at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. When I did that they turned out quite dark and slightly burned on the bottoms. (in the photo above, they are the ones in the background)
Next batch I tried at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Not as browned but still too dark bottoms (that’s the one in the foreground of the above photo).  So I suggest trying 350 degrees instead, checking on them at 15 but probably baking for 20 minutes.
The muffins were wonderfully floral from the cardamom, which was balanced out by the citrus of the orange. I’m glad these were mini muffins, if not I’d probably consume at least 2 normal sized versions, I loved how they tasted!
I will have a post about the Tiny Food Party in the coming days so stay tuned!

Pan-Fried Salmon with Citrus Vinaigrette

If you haven’t picked up on this yet, I’m quite the fan of salmon. It’s easy to make, tastes great, and is good for you. To add to my lovely salmon repertoire, I thought I’d give Food & Wine’s Pan-Fried Salmon with Citrus Vinaigrette (and Asparagus) a try.

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 6-oz skinless salmon fillets

Ok. So I cut corners & bought OJ. shh

1/4 cup lemon juice ends up being about 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice is equal to about one lime.
Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. When the water is boiling, drop the asparagus in, and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry and transfer to a plate. Drizzle some olive oil over the asparagus and toss.
In a small saute pan, mix the orange, lemon, and lime juices and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the shallot, chives, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper
Add to the saute pan, skin side up.
Cook for 3 minutes and flip. The salmon should have a nice browned sear.
Cook for another three minutes until cooked through in the center. Transfer the salmon to plates and spoon some of the citrus vinaigrette on top. Serve the salmon with the asparagus.
Ah. I love any kind of citrus with asparagus and salmon, and this was no exception.  It was a quick and easy recipe too, easily made on week days. The citrus vinaigrette would be great on raw spinach as well.
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