Tag: Oranges

Green Juice

Note: I was sent a Hurom H320 Slow Juicer in order to write this post including a recipe for Green Juice. Opinions are mine alone.

This summer, I have really been enjoying having a CSA share again. However, no matter how hard I try, it is still difficult to use up all of those beautiful fruits and vegetables!

When Hurom contacted me about trying one of their Slow Juicers, I felt like the timing was perfect! What a great way for me to utilize these ingredients more, like in this recipe for Green Juice!

My husband has been making himself “green drinks” for years now in a blender (paid link) but I have trouble getting over the super pulpy texture of it. So Hurom’s H320 Slow Juicer (paid link) called out to me immediately. Not only is the juicer quite the visual stunner (shown in color “Kale”), but it also has two different strainers, one which yields an ultra-low pulp juice.

Despite the name, slow juicers are still pretty darn quick. Hurom’s patented Slow Squeeze Technology uses an auger to squeeze out juice (similar to how you would hand-squeeze an orange). This natural motion minimizes damage to ingredients, keeping their natural taste and nutrition intact.

Photo courtesy of Hurom

I am still learning the ins and outs of juicing and how to create the perfect balance of tasty and nutrient-rich juices, but I figured I’d take inspiration from my husband’s green drinks for my first try to make this Green Juice.

This recipe for Green Juice uses quite the colorful group of fruits and veggies, but the color of the kale and spinach wins out in the end, providing that nice green color to the drink.

Ingredients (makes ~16 oz juice; multiply as needed):

  • 1 orange, skin removed and quartered
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 banana, skin removed
  • 1 apple
  • 4 cups spinach or kale (I used a mix of both)

Continue reading Green Juice

Spiced Fig and Pear Jam

Early fall is my favorite time of year. I love that it’s still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, the selection of produce available is awesome, and the back-to-school vibe fuels me to get things done.

It’s also an awesome time of year to can some jellies and jams, like this delicious Spiced Fig and Pear Jam!

Figs and pears are in season at the moment, two of my favorite fruits, so what better time to make (and can) this Spiced Fig and Pear Jam?

Ingredients (makes about 6 8oz cans):

  • 1 1/2 pounds Bartlett pears, peeled, deseeded, and cut into small bite sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh mission figs, cut into eighths
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • the juice and zest of 1 navel orange

Continue reading Spiced Fig and Pear Jam

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
  • ⅔ 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

Continue reading Citrus Poppy Seed Pound Cake

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

Fall Sangria

Summer stuck around for a while in Philadelphia; it’s now October and the weather is just starting to feel like fall, so it’s time for some Fall Sangria!

I’ve wanted to make a fall sangria for weeks now, but wanted to wait for cooler weather to truly enjoy it!

I picked up a bottle of spiced rum from a local distiller, Cooper River Distillers a while ago, and have been patiently waiting for fall weather to enjoy their Driftwood Dream Spiced Rum in a recipe.

This fall sangria recipe includes red wine, apple cider, pomegranate juice, and spiced rum to make a tasty fall-inspired sangria.

Sangria:

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
  • the juice of 1/2 orange
  • 3/4 cup spiced rum
  • 1/4 cup spiced simple syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 orange, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • cinnamon-sugar, for garnish, if desired

Spiced Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 2 cardamom pods, smashed
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Fall Sangria

Old Fashioned Cupcakes

Note: I was sent a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, Silicone Baking Cups, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool from OXO. All opinions are my own.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, so I’m sharing this recipe a bit ahead of time. Every year, OXO donates up to $100,000 to support an organization called Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The organization was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees) who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer, a disease which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support to allow anyone to easily get involved in fundraising to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

To help reach their goal, OXO donates $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blogger who posts a recipe to bring awareness, up to their $100,000 commitment. I’ve posted twice a year for the last few years to help bring awareness to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Click here to see some of my past posts.
This year, OXO sent me Silicone Baking Cups, a Non-Stick Pro 12 Cup Muffin Pan, and a Baker’s Decorating Tool to make this post.
Here’s a little about each product:
  • The Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan (paid link) features a unique micro-textured pattern that ensures even baking and adds structural rigidity. It’s made with a ceramic-reinforced, two-layer, commercial-grade coating that provides ultimate non-stick release and is scratch-, stain-, corrosion- and abrasion-resistant.
  • The BPA-free Baking Cups have handy tabs to help remove them from muffin tins without making a thumbprint, and the inside of each Cup is smooth and non-stick to release your treat easily. With a fill line, your cupcakes will be consistent every time.
  • Our easy-to-use, easy-to-fill Baker’s Decorating Tool is designed to give you complete control while decorating. The unique trigger provides a smooth stream of icing for clean lines, and the comfortable handles ensure a steady grip and protect icing from warm hands.

I wanted to make a new, fun, and different cupcake to try out all of these cool tools. My husband and I are huge fans of Old Fashioned Cocktails, so I decided to turn those flavors into Old Fashioned Cupcakes! Note: the frosting contains alcohol so this is not a kid-friendly recipe.

To bring in the flavors of an Old Fashioned, I made a Vanilla-Orange Cupcake and topped it with Bourbon-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. To finish it off, I added a maraschino cherry and some orange peel.

Ingredients:

Vanilla-Orange Cupcakes: (adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • vanilla bean, split and scraped out
  • the zest of 1 navel orange
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeeze orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached All Purpose White Flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Bourbon-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • the zest of 1 navel orange

Other ingredients:

  • peels from 1 navel orange
  • 12 maraschino cherries

Continue reading Old Fashioned Cupcakes

Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

NOTE: I was sent some blood oranges and cara cara oranges from  The Limoneira Company to use in a recipe. All opinions are mine.

It’s pretty obvious that I love citrus, I use the juice and zest of lemons, limes, and oranges in most of my recipes, so I’m excited to share this recipe for Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas.

So when The Limoneira Company contacted me to help spread the word about their new offerings, I jumped at the chance. Limoneira is traditionally known for its lemons, but recently began expanding their orchards to include more specialty citrus, including Cara Cara and Blood Oranges.

Blood Oranges have a slightly less acidic taste than regular oranges, and their bright red color makes for some really beautiful dishes. I wanted to showcase their color, so I decided to make blood orange margaritas.

As much as I am trying to will it to be spring, it is still pretty cold in Philadelphia, so this version has a bit of cinnamon to add a bit of warmth to the flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup blood orange juice (about 6 blood oranges)
  • the juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup triple sec
  • 1/2  cup tequila
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • sugar, for rimming glasses (optional)
  • lime wedge, for rimming glasses (optional)
  • rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Continue reading Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas

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

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

Lower Calorie Sangria

Last year, I gave my dad sangria for Father’s Day. He loves sangria, so I thought I’d make it a yearly thing.

This time around though, I was also trying to sneak something by him. Instead of using sugar in the sangria, I used Monk Fruit In The Raw, a natural substitute. My father is diabetic, and Monk Fruit In The Raw is diabetic friendly (according to their website, “Monk Fruit In The Raw contains less than one gram of carbohydrates (by food exchange measure) and may be used in conjunction with food programs for people with diabetes as well as with guidelines for people with diabetes who use carbohydrate counting.”)

Now, I understand sangria in itself is not exactly diabetic friendly. But he is able to enjoy a glass or two once a year. The real reason I am trying the Monk Fruit In The Raw within the sangria is to see if he can taste a difference. You see, not only is he diabetic, but he is what some refer to as a “super taster.” He can tell you the secret ingredient in a recipe, and knows whether a wine is worth drinking. But, boy can he be picky too.

Unlike stevia, which leaves behind an aftertaste, Monk Fruit should be undetectable. So this is the first test to see if I can sneak Monk Fruit In The Raw into future recipes for my dad. So what is a Monk Fruit? Monk Fruit is a vine-ripened fruit found in Asia that kind of resembles a tiny watermelon. Monk Fruit In The Raw is made from Monk Fruit extract, which is about 300 times (!) sweeter than sugar. To make it measurable for consumption, dextrose (a natural bulking agent) is blended with the extract. Monk Fruit In The Raw also comes in a Bakers Bag, which is measurable cup-for-cup like sugar (in volume, not weight). The Bakers Bag contains Maltodextrin, which is also a natural bulking agent, that does not change the flavor of the sweetener. I used the Bakers Bag for this recipe.

Lower Calorie Sangria Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (~3 oranges)
  • 1 bottle Rioja wine
  • 1/4 cup Monk Fruit In The Raw (Bakers Bag)
  • 1 apple, cored and sliced
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced and quartered
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 2 limes, thinly sliced
  • club soda, to taste

Continue reading Lower Calorie Sangria

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Ice Cream and Grilled Fruit

Whenever I visit my friends who live on the Chesapeake, I try to bring some food. I found a recipe for a Tart with Grilled Fruit in a cookbook called Crazy About Pies that I bookmarked for my next trip to Maryland because we always end up grilling and I thought it would make a great complement to a barbecued dinner. I decided to instead make a dark chocolate brownie to go with the grilled fruit instead of the tart. (I will have a post about Crazy About Pies in the near future, there are some amazing sounding recipes in this cookbook!) The brownie recipe is adapted from an Alton Brown recipe.

Ingredients (makes 16 servings):

  • 2 pints of ice cream, preferably fruit based (I used a strawberry almond milk ice cream)

Brownies

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 8 ounces melted butter (2 sticks) plus more for greasing
  • 1 cup dark chocolate cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fruit

  • Fruit of your choice (about 1 cup): I used pineapple, kiwi, and watermelon
  • the juice of 2 oranges
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Continue reading Dark Chocolate Brownies with Ice Cream and Grilled Fruit

Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 12 ounce package of cranberries
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup port wine
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (or 3 oranges, squeezed)
  • 1 tablespoon zest (also about 3 oranges)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • a dash (1/8 tsp or smaller) allspice

Continue reading Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

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