Recipes « (y)our food choices™

We can get citrus year round today, but specialty citrus like blood oranges are still only available seasonally, and that’s a good thing. We like instant gratification just like the next person (one of us more than the other), but some things are better when we have to wait, and when that thing is almost over it’s nice to preserve some of it for a little longer.

Candied citrus is an easy way to make a good thing last another month or two. I read about the technique at epicurious.com and made up a batch. Slicing was a bit of a challenge since the fruit was a little soft. That didn’t matter much, the fruit topping produced an interesting rustic look for the banana bread, a slight adaption from something I found at 101cookbooks.com, thank you.

Fruity olive oil and dark chocolate play well with the ripe bananas and orange. Adding zest to the bread batter will enhance the bright orange flavor from the candied topping. I forgot the zest in the batched in the photos, but I included it in the recipe. No matter. Like everyone else, we have more than enough bananas in the freezer to whip up a batch of banana bread anytime we want, and a little more time to make another batch of blood orange candied citrus.

Candied citrus can be used in a variety of ways. When sliced properly, the beautiful rounds fit perfectly on top of muffins and cupcakes—either baked in or decorated with. Chopped candied citrus can be thrown into a variety of baked goods or desserts when a little citrus is needed. Candied citrus truly is a good thing for any baker, but hurry and get the end of season citrus now or you’ll just have to wait until next year. Enjoy!

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Orange Banana Bread

1 cup / 4.5 oz all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz graham or whole wheat flour
1/3 cup / 2.35 oz light brown sugar/coconut sugar/muscovado sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup / 3.5 oz coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups / 12 oz mashed, ripe bananas (~3 bananas)
1/4 cup / 60 ml plain, whole milk kefir or yogurt,
Zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the top:
canned orange slices

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate pieces and combine well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, zest, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and top with candied orange slices.

Bake until golden brown, about 50-55 minutes..

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely.

Yes, we’ve gone a bit batty for St. Patty’s day, but in truth, the pizza really is quite good. Given our low supply of pantry staples yesterday, Jason did a quick search keeping in mind a few things that we did have in our larder and this cabbage bacon pizza from epicurious popped up. We tweaked the recipe quite a bite, starting with the dough. Rye and graham flours give an earthy tone to our crust, a nice cheddar mornay sauce for the base, fewer pieces of bacon (we like bacon, but 8 pieces seems excessive), a dash of sherry vinegar over the cabbage, and a light touch with the gruyere cheese is all that is needed—no mozzarella necessary. A little Irish, a little Italian, and a little Swiss. This multicultural pizza is a perfect substitute for the usual corned beef and cabbage. However, Guinness is a must!

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Pizza Dough (adapted from Mark Bittman)

1 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup rye flour
1 cup graham flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1 – 1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the oil through the feed tube.

Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is still dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. Process until the dough forms a ball.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time short if you’re in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.) Proceed to Step 4 or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or a zipper bag and freeze for up to a month. (Defrost in the bag or a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature; bring to room temperature before shaping.)

When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like; roll each piece into a round ball. Put each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rest until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.

Cheddar Mornay Sauce

1 cup whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
salt & pepper
optional: ground mustard, cayenne, and/or Worcestershire sauce

In a small sauce pan, warm the milk with the bay leaf. In another sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter and melt until bubbles form. Add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds or until flour is slightly tan. Add the warm milk, minus the bay leaf, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese, whisking until smooth. Set aside.

Bacon and Cabbage

3 strips of bacon
1/2 medium cabbage head, cored and shredded
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt & pepper

Add the bacon to the skillet, over low to medium heat, and slowly render the fat from the bacon until it is crisp. Flipping and turning as necessary. About 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. Pour off bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the shredded cabbage and sauté until wilted and slightly brown. Make a hot spot in the center of the pan and add the caraway seeds. Toast for 10-30 seconds then stir into the cabbage. Remove from heat and season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.

Assembling and Baking the Pizza

1/2 pizza dough
cheddar mornay sauce
bacon and sautéd cabbage
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the dough or toss to form a circle.

Par bake the dough for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and smear half to all of the cheddar mornay sauce; bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and crumble the bacon over the top, then add the sautéd cabbage, and top with shredded gruyere. Back for another 10-15 minutes or until top is slightly toasted and pizza crust is also toasted and crisp.