Tag Archives: citrus recipes

Citrus Cranberry Relish

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving for me without homemade cranberry sauce or relish. It’s so simple to make and it tastes so good. When I’m starting my cooking for the holiday I love to make the cranberry sauce first , because it takes just a few minutes and I can look at my list of dishes to prepare and within minutes – cranberry relish – check and done!

From by the bay, wishing you citrus cranberry food memories!

Maryann

blog citrus cran

Citrus Cranberry Relish
Serves Six

Ingredients

2 oranges , juice and zest
1/2 cup fine sugar
1 12oz, package whole fresh cranberries
¼ cup Grand Mariner
1 cinnamon stick

Directions

Combine cranberries, orange juice, zest,sugar  and cinnamon in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Remove from heat and add Grand Mariner. Cool completely and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken. Serve chilled.

Lemon Posset

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Here is a perfect summer dessert both simple and delicious. It takes just minutes to make and then several hours in the refrigerator, using only three ingredients: cream , sugar and lemon. This yummy treat has the texture and consistency of a silky pudding. I consider this is a virtual food magic trick. So intrigued by the results, I did a little on line research to learn about possets. The name posset which seems to be a reference to the small saucepan they are prepared in, first appeared in Britain during the 15th century. In those days a posset was a hot beverage of curdled milk mixed with wine or ale, often spiced. By the 16th century, the recipe evolved to cream, sugar and citrus juice. With refrigeration, the posset evolved to a cold dessert. I suggest you try this recipe soon and enjoy the pleasures of a simple lemon posset. 

From by the bay, wishing you lemony food memories!
Maryann

Lemon Posset
Serves 6
Ingredients3 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups granulated fine sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Directions
In a medium sauce pan add the cream and 1 1/4 cups sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into 6 ramekins. Refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours. To serve mix the lemon zest and sugar together to top each portion.

Ideas for serving Lemon Posset:
1. with fresh berries
2. with whipped cream
3. with cookies – such as shortbread or amaretti
4. with a berry sauce, such as blueberry or raspberry

Two Spring Crostini

I like to welcome Spring with food. Two of the first vegetables to make their appearance at the farmstands are bright green pencil thin aparagus and vibrant red/pink radishes. My favorite way to to eat both are fresh and raw. Here are two easy appetizers to make at the first sign of Spring. Enjoy!

From by the bay wishing you vibrant food memories!
Maryann

blog aparagus crostini

Asparagus Puree with Lemon Ricotta Crostini

Serves 4

Ingredients

16 very thin asparagus spears or 8 asparagus thicker spears

2 tablespoons fresh mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ pound fresh ricotta cheese

4 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese

4 slices ciabatta bread toasted

Coarse sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Clean asparagus, remove the tender tips and place to the side. Snap off woody stems and discard. In to food processor add asparagus stalks broken into pieces and coarsely chop. Add the following to the asparagus:  mint, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tbs. grated pecorino. Pulse a few times. In a separate bowl combine the ricotta cheese, lemon zest salt and pepper. On hot toasted ciabatta bread layer the ricotta cheese, puree asparagus, grated pecorino cheese. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and add asparagus spear to the top.

blog radish app

Simple Radish Crostini

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 fresh radishes
2 tablespoons salted butter

4 slices ciabatta bread

Coarse sea salt

Directons

Clean radishes and using a mandoline slice the radish into rounds. Keep radish slices in iced water until ready to use. In a 400F degree oven, place 4 slices of ciabatta bread on a baking sheet in the oven until the bread starts to brown, flip bread over and toast the other side, 2-3 mins per side. Let toasted ciabatta bread cool a little, then spread with the best salted butter you can buy. Take radish slices out of the water and dry with a paper towel before layering the rounds on top the bread and butter. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve.

Dad’s Wild and Crazy Marinade

My dad was the great griller in our family! It was something he enjoyed and I think , he took this role pretty seriously. He always had his hat , apron and tongs at the ready! I smile at the thought of dad coming in and saying what should we grill for dinner today? When it was to be special, it was a flank steak!  My dad would marinate  the steak for hours. We actually are not quite sure what dad had in his marinade.  I actually think he changed it every time he made it. I would try to peek , but it was his secret marinade. We would just call it John’ wild and crazy marinade. It tasted like it had a little bit of everything. I’m sure it even included a splash of scotch from the glass in his hand!  All I know is that those were the best steaks and memories I ever had. That’s the beauty of marinades, it’s the time you could let your freak flag fly a bit with creativity. I , of course ,have tried to recreate dad’s marinade over the years and this is what I’ll share with you in honor of dad and father’s day. I suggest you use this as a jumping off point and play around with your own version of this to create fond food memories for your family and friends this summer.

Happy Father’s Day to my dad and all those cooking dads ( or moms) out there!

 

From by the bay wishing you wild and crazy food memories,
Maryann
blog dad's marinade
Dad’s Wild and Crazy Marinade
2 pound flank steak
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons scotch
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Directions
Place all ingredients into a resealable plastic bag, mix well and refrigerator over night. Prepare on grill as you like.

Scallion Cheddar Corn Bread with Lime Butter

blog cornbread

Scallion Cheddar Corn Bread with Lime Butter

Serves 8

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 egg beaten

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup scallions, chopped

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

½ pound unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon lime zest

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter  2 – 5.75  by 3 inch mini loaf pans. In a large bowl combine well these dry ingredients: flour, salt, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. In a separate medium bowl combine and beat milk, eggs and butter. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well. Fold in the cheese and scallions using a spoon. Pour the batter into the mini loaf pan. Place pans onto baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes until the tester comes out clean. Cool on metal rack for 10 minutes. When cool remove bread from pan. To make butter, place softened butter , salt , lime zest and cayenne pepper . Combine well. Serve with sliced cornbread.

Mitzi’s Plum Cake

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Mitzi’s Plum Cake

¼ pound unsalted butter softened plus 1 tablespoon

½ cup fine sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for topping the cake

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 italian plums

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split plums and remove pits. Place plums in bowl, cover with lemon juice, mix and set aside. Using electric mixer combine  ¼ lb butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and combine. Next add  the flour and  baking powder and combine. This makes a soft dough.  Take an 8” non stick cake pan line with parchment and butter and flour the pan. Press the dough into the pan covering the bottom of the cake pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Press plums into dough with the cut side facing up in a concentric circle. Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, mix and sprinkle on top of the plums. Dot with extra butter. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until  cake tester is clean.

Variations: replace plums with apricots or peaches

Citrus Pistachio Pound Cake

This buttery pound cake is filled with the taste of fresh citrus for tang and green pistaschios for crunchy texture. This cake looks and taste like the sunhsine in Spring.  Enjoy this dessert and say good bye to winter!! No looking back.From by the bay wishing you tangy citrus food memories!
Maryann

 

Citrus Pistachio Pound Cake
Recipe published in Bon Appetit 2012 from The Tasting Room in Houston Texas
 
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided
Directions
Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Coat a 9x5x3″ loaf pan with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.Whisk 2 cups flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1–2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions. Add juices and zests; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled), 2–3 minutes. Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios over.Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan. Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.