Candied Orange Muffins with Rosemary

Now that I'm left with quite a few candied orange sticks in the house, I have to find clever ways to use them in my cooking. The kids and I feasted on a few plain ones, and then had some more dipped in chocolate. It was all nice, until the sugar buzz kicked in and I started running laps around the kitchen. My children were quite entertained by their mother's unusual twitchy high. They miraculously seemed immune to the effect it was having on me, and I had to wonder if their tolerance is not a sign of how poorly I monitor their sweet tooth. I am of the philosophy that taking it away only makes them crave it more and I refuse to be the food police. What I do is provide ample healthy choices, nutritional information, as well as alternatives and most of the time they make the right choices. Anyway, back to the candied orange sticks... I decided that a good way to start the day would be by baking a fresh batch of muffins. There is something delightful about the combination of rosemary and oranges. It's like two friends getting together after a long time living apart and picking up right where they left off: compatibility in every bite.




Candied Orange Muffins with Rosemary (makes 12)

Here's a great way to use up the candied orange sticks you've made, or bought.
Those muffins are delicious, sweet and so moist. If you are not concerned about wheat-free, gluten-free requirements feel free to substitute the funky flours for 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose, omit the xantham gum and continue as indicated with the baking powder and salt. However, if you like to experiment with new products the combination of those unusual flours might just delight you.



Preheat oven 375F


In one bowl put the following wet ingredients and mix well:
Juice and Zest of 1 orange
1 cup vanilla soy milk or regular milk
1 tablespoon of roasted almond oil or regular vegetable oil
1 egg
4 oz of unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup of agave nectar
1/2 cup of candied oranges, chopped


Reserve:
12 1/2 inch pieces of candied orange


In another bowl combine and mix well:
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup of teff flour
1/2 cup of sorghum flour
2 teaspoon of xantham gum
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix. Divide into pre-oiled muffin pan. Top each muffin with an 1/2 inch piece of candied orange. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through (knife inserted in the center of muffin should come out dry).

The Pomegranate Plate That Started It All

It all started with a package, which showed up at my door: brown, unremarkable in all its markings. Just a box with my address staring back at me. I knew instantly what it was. My sister has been exploring pottery this past year. She has sent me pictures of all her works and each time my feedback goes like this: beg, beg, "make me something" beg some more "Don't you love me?" --insert a little more begging here if necessary... Either I have become one manipulative sister or she does love me because next thing I knew she announced that she was working on a plate for me and that I would receive it in this Summer. Finally, I am the proud owner of my very own pomegranate plate, handmade by my sister.




I am so thrilled with the new addition to my pottery collection that I have been pondering what I could make to showcase its beauty and honor it properly, and then it came to me: Candied Orange Sticks.



My sister loves them and I am pretty sure that we tried to make our own at some point in our childhood... but the memory is so vague (probably drowned in too much sugar) that I think I better let that one go. I'll just keep it simple: she loves them, I love her plate (and her of course), therefore it had to be Candied Oranges.



My sister gets credited for cooking with me at such a young age that I had to prop myself up on a chair. I remember the mousse au chocolat (chocolate mousse) and cakes, and the croissants we made together. She had this book called: La Cuisine Des Petites Filles Modeles (The cooking of Exemplary Little Girls). Under her leadership, we set out to prove that we were "exemplary little girls" indeed.



I have great plans for those little sticks of sugar, orangy goodness... I'm having visions of cakes, cookies and pilafs. Oh, the possibilities... First things first, some of them are destined for a dip in some dark chocolate and then we'll see how many survive our hungry sugar-craving fingers.

So where can you find a recipe for Candied Orange Sticks? Here are a few links that will lead you right to it:

Food Network
Use Real Butter
Cooks.com

Kohlrabi, Broccoli Salad

Every once in a while you fall in love... And sometimes it's with a vegetable. Kohlrabi was a stranger to me a couple months ago until it started appearing in my CSA box. It visits me regularly, to my delight, and leaves transformed. Where did this vegetable come from? From the cabbage family, full of vitamins in all its purple glory. The outer part is quite tough, but once you free it of its coat this bulb is just scrumptious. It taste a lot like broccoli, except the texture is that of a radish. After your taste-buds adjust to the confusion of not knowing what to make of it, you'll enjoy its crunchiness and slightly sweet flavor. I eat it raw, cut up into sticks with some hummus or shredded in salads. Either way, it's love in every bite.

Kohlrabi, Broccoli Salad (serves 4 to 6)

In a bowl combine:
2 cups of shredded kohlrabi (about 2 bulbs)
1 cup of shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
2 cups of small raw broccoli florets (1 head)
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of heirloom, colorful, cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:
In a jar with a lid combine:

2 tablespoon of tahini
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, passed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons of orange juice
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Close jar. Give a good shake and pour over the salad. Mix well, check for salt, and adjust to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad keeps well for leftovers the next day.

Blueberry and Plum Clafoutis

When I was growing up one of the many highlights of Summer was the homemade cherry Clafoutis my mom would make-- that and spitting out the pits into our siblings' faces when our "maman" was not looking... Traditional Clafoutis is made with pits, which adds a "je ne sais quoi" to this fine dessert. Since I haven't figured out what this "I don't know what" is, I leave them out.

Today, I opted for sweet blueberries and a sliced plum for added color instead of the more traditional cherries. The batter is super easy to put together and Sorghum flour substitutes beautifully instead of the traditional all purpose wheat flour.
I'm making this wonderful, light dessert another submission for SHF, hosted by Susan.





Blueberry Plum Clafoutis Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of honey
3 tablespoons of sorghum flour
1 cup of lowfat milk
2 cups of washed and picked through blueberries
1 sliced plum
1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350F
-Oil a pie dish
-In a bowl mix energetically the eggs and honey. Add the flour and continue mixing, then incorporate the milk little by little.
-Put the blueberries in the prepared pie dish. Pour the batter on top and finish with the plum slices. Carefully transfer to the oven.
-Bake for 30 minutes and then sprinkle the sugar on top of the Clafoutis. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until set in the center. Let cool completely and refrigerate. Serve cold.

Sweet Thing: Agave Nectar

Marc from the wonderful food blog Chefectomy suggested I speak a little bit about Agave Nectar since so many of my recipes call for it.

Agave nectar has been a favorite sweetener of mine for a few years now. It's a natural sweetener created from the juice of the Blue Agave plant. It behaves like sugar or honey in recipes, but is sweeter and more fluid.





I first started using it for health reasons. Even though I don't have diabetes, many sugars send my energy on a roller-coaster ride. Agave Nectar is low on the glycemic index and therefore has less of an effect on my blood-sugar. It's wonderful for its versatility and clean taste as well.

I reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe by about half if I am going to use agave nectar as a replacement. Some recipes, such as muffins, also require you to adjust the liquid level by 1/3 less to compensate for this sweetener's fluidity. However, in the type of baking I do extra moisture is welcomed, and I don't bother with that adjustment.
At times, I use it instead of honey. Keep in mind, that Agave Nectar will not provide the aromatic hint that is so delightful in honey, for that you still need the real deal. It's a great way to sweeten ice-tea and salad-dressings, because it blends right in.

For more information you can go to the Madhava honey website. It's sold in health-food stores, some bigger grocery stores and at Trader Joe's.

Here are some links to past posts that included this now famous ingredient:

Quick and Simple Fig Jam
Beet Daikon and Carrot Salad
Chocolate Almond Raspberry Muffins

Fig Chicken with Rosemary and Thyme

Last time my friend Marieke visited me she brought with her some exotic ingredients to experiment with. We've been friends for a long time and share many of the same passions. A perfect day for me is hanging out in my kitchen with her while working on a meal, chatting away about our lives. The meal always tastes better somehow, perhaps because of the ingredients, but most likely because of the company.



This chicken recipe is my idea of what to do with a wonderful ingredient she brought that day: fig granules, tiny dried up pieces of figs:



I decided to make a marinade for some organic, free-range chicken. The result was wonderful, fragrant and delicious. The marinade not only flavors the meat beautifully but keeps it moist as well. Fig granules are a great addition to any pantry. You can put them in your salad with some walnuts, over some nice creamy cheese, or simply on top of ice cream.

Fig Chicken with Rosemary and Thyme (serves 4-6)


2.5 lbs chicken parts, bones in, skin removed (optional)

In a bowl mix together:
1 tablespoon of minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
Juice of one lemon + zest
1 tablespoon of agave nectar
3 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoon of fig granules

-Add the chicken pieces to the marinade in the bowl, rub it all over the meat, and refrigerate for an hour (no more or else the lemon will start cooking the chicken).
-Preheat oven to 400F.
-Cook loosely covered with foil in the oven at 400F for 30 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350F and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Here's a link to USDA website on poultry temperatures for doneness:
Is It Done Yet?
If you have trouble finding fig granules in your area, you can find them online by following the "fig granule" link above.

Dishes Inspired by Others

I travel every day. Blogs allow you to experience different flavors, cultures and ideas. Food blogs offer culinary sightseeing without having to leave your office or home. Need a break from the guy in the next cubicle or your cherub-like children? Click to an Italian blogger's site and you are in Rome licking your gelato. Short of catching a plane, this does the trick for me as I explore the world created by other bloggers.

Food is always a great destination. The picture above was composed from two of my recent visits to other food blogs. The Wednesday Chef posted a middle eastern pepper spread called Muhammara that I just couldn't resist. It's a thing of beauty: silky, crunchy, garlicky, slightly tart at the same time,and simply wonderful on bread. It would be excellent on a cheese-melt or any sandwich. Closet Cooking featured a wonderful, simple, lemony Hummus which is creamy, light and refreshing. I topped it with some smoked paprika and zaatar. After test-tasting both of them, I decided that the two should definitely meet over dinner tonight... they compliment each other perfectly.