Winter « (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.

New Years Day came complete with over full bellies and mildly stressed livers. The fatigue passed quickly as the house filled with the aroma of these tasty BBQ black-eyed peas. Friends in the neighborhood hosted NYD brunch and the peas were our contribution to the pot- luck gathering. The recipe was taken from Popsugar. The original comes from talented chef Bryant Terry‘s terrific book Vegan Soul Kitchen. With the inclusion of accompaniments like Mr. Terry’s quick-pickled greens and savory corn muffins, our year is off to a delicious start!

We wish everyone a wonderful new year full of good food, good friends, and good times.

By the way, you’ll see us blogging more in 2015, hopefully once a week but don’t hold us to it.

Cheers,

Steve and Jason

BBQ Black-eyed Peas

1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
2 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 large chipotles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Be sure to pick through the peas to remove any rocks or damaged bits. Rinse the dry beans in a colander to get the dust off. Add to pan and cover with about two inches of water. Bring to boil then reduce the heat to low to keep the pot at a simmer. It may take up to 50 minutes for the beans to cook, but check them periodically after 30 minutes. Drain beans, but be sure to save a cup of the cooking water.

While the beans are cooking, sauté the onion and pepper in 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a blender, combine vinegar, lime juice, tamari or soy sauce, tomato sauce, chipotles, nectar, cumin, thyme, one cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and three tablespoons olive oil. Puree until smooth, about 30 seconds.

In an oven safe pan, cast iron skillet, dutch oven or two-quart baking dish, stir cooke beans, sautéed vegetables, and sauce until mixed. Bake uncovered for two hours, stirring occasionally.

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