Olive Oil and Orange Cake

I've always been intrigued by the idea of baking with olive oil, which is why I decided to try this recipe of Mario Batali's for Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Wow, it is delicious. Not too sweet, and it could just as easily serve as a morning treat with coffee as an after-dinner dessert.

Mario recommends serving it with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt. I opted for thick, plain yogurt and some lemon zest. The cool sourness of the yogurt worked incredibly well against the dense, citrus-spiked still-warm cake. I polished off the whole thing single-handedly in under a week.

Olive Oil and Orange Cake

Makes 6-8 servings

6 medium oranges
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a 9-inch round cake pan.

Using a grater, zest all the oranges, and juice one of the oranges. (Reserve the fruit for another use.) In a small bowl, combine the zest, juice and olive oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and salt until frothy and light, about 2 minutes. Slowly beat in the sugar, and continue to mix until pale and thick, about 2 minutes more.

Sift the flour and baking soda together, and gradually beat into the egg mixture. Fold in the citrus zest mixture just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool to room temperature.

Courtesy Molto Italiano, Mario Batali, HarperCollins, 2005

Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage

Ever since blowing a significant wad of dough on my Le Creuset Dutch oven last year, I've been looking for any excuse to use it. Flipping through Mario Batali's cookbook Molto Italiano, I found a recipe for Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage. Talk about comfort food, and definitely a dish for my flame-coloured beauty.

This was my first time making polenta, and in all honesty I'm not sure I'm a fan. It was nice in the stew but on its own it was a bit bland. Next time I may use half chicken stock, half water instead of all water to give it a bit more flavour. Still, I realize it's supposed to be the starch here and not overpower the other flavours.

On the other hand, I am loving celery root! I've used it in a number of recipes lately and I love its texture and flavour. And as Mario notes, this stew reheats well, so it's nice to make on a Sunday and then have it Monday night when you've come home from work and are in no mood to cook. My favourite kind of recipe.

Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage

Makes 4 servings

5 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking polenta or fine cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3.5 to 4 lb chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces, rinsed, and patted dry
4 ounces chicken livers
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large celery root, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups Barbaresco or other fruity red wine
1 cup basic tomato sauce
8 fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp parsley, chiffonade
1 tbsp lemon zest

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pull the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta is as thick as molten lava. Pour into an 8-by-10-inch baking pan and allow to cool.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and spread on a plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then dredge the chicken livers in the flour. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Brown the chicken pieces in two batches, then transfer to a plate. Add the livers, onion, and celery root to the pot and cook until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the wine, tomato sauce, and sage and return the chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the thighs are nearly cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the polenta to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, place on platter, sprinkle with parsley and zest, and serve immediately.

Courtesy Molto Italiano, Mario Batali, HarperCollins, 2005

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Arugula Salad With Warm Oyster Mushrooms

Salad is a hard sell for me in winter, when all I crave are soups, stews and rich pastas. But this is one I never turn down, I think because the flavours are so robust. We're not talking watery iceberg lettuce and Italian dressing here, this is sharp, peppery arugula balanced against soft, buttery mushrooms, brought together with freshly squeezed lemon and fruity olive oil. Because there are so few ingredients, try to make sure you're using top quality stuff. Unblemished mushrooms, your best bottle of extra virgin olive oil (my brand is Olio Carli), and of course genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano (not the powdered stuff).

The original recipe I based this on is one of Mario Batali's, but his called for porcini mushrooms which I'm sure would've been wonderful. But it was also very tasty with the oyster mushrooms, and I'm guessing portabellos, creminis, and shiitakes would also work well.

Oyster Mushroom Salad with Arugula

8-10 oyster mushrooms, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 bunch arugula, washed and patted dry
1/8 cup plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for shaving
Coarse sea salt

Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan, then add the mushrooms. Cook until softened, 8-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, place the arugula, 1/8 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to mix thoroughly. Divide the salad equally among two plates.

Remove the hot mushrooms from the pan and place on the arugula. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmigiano-Reggiano onto the salad. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and coarse sea salt over top and serve.

Serves 2

Modified from Mario Batali's recipe for Porcini Salad with Arugula, from Molto Italiano, Mario Batali, Harper Collins, 2005.

Farfalle with Mushrooms, Prosciutto and Rosemary

I'm a recipe girl. I browse through cookbooks, find something I want to make, buy the ingredients and follow the instructions more or less to the letter. That's not to say I don't make substitutions and get creative based on what I have on hand on a given day, but when it comes to creating my own dishes the results have typically been less than spectacular. I still recall scraping a disastrous lemon chicken dish -- so overpowering with lemon my lips pucker just thinking about it -- into the trash bin in frustration.

Tonight's dinner was another story -- without a recipe in mind but knowing I had prosciutto, cremini mushrooms and whipping cream in my fridge I decided on a pasta dish. Simple, maybe, but still many places where it could go wrong in the flavour and texture department. Tomato sauces I've done a million times, but I avoid cream sauces because they can be heavy (and of course they're not great for the waistline). Still, tonight I was feeling like something decadent and figured I should at least know how to do a cream-based pasta should the need arise.

I started by browning quartered mushrooms -- about two cups' worth -- in a bit of butter and olive oil over medium heat, adding a splash of water to the pan to prevent them from drying out too much. Once they had some nice colour to them and had shrunk down a bit I added four slices' worth of diced prosciutto along with 1 tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary. I let that cook for a few minutes, turned down the heat slightly, then added 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup whipping cream and the juice of half a lemon. I stirred all that together and let it reduce down until thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, I'd been cooking about two cups worth of farfalle in boiling, salted water, just to al dente. Reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water, I drained the farfalle and then mixed it into my saute pan with the cream sauce. I added some salt and black pepper to taste, and then dished it out. To finish I grated over some Parmigiano-Reggiano, a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and some chopped fresh parsley. And the verdict? Delicious! Creamy without being heavy, and with a really balanced flavour -- the saltiness of the prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the vibrancy of the lemon and rosemary contrasting with the cream. Not bad for an improvised dish, in fact part of the reason for this blog post is so I don't forget it!

I think the key is practice and the refusal to let kitchen failures discourage you. Even recipes aren't foolproof, after all!

Farfalle with Mushrooms, Prosciutto and Rosemary

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cremini mushrooms, washed and quartered
4 slices prosciutto, diced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
Juice of half a lemon
1/8 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in large saute pan over medium heat, add quartered mushrooms and a splash of water and cook until browned and a bit shrunk down. While this is happening cook farfalle pasta until al denta in salted, boiling water.

Add prosciutto and rosemary to pan and cook for a few minutes to allow the flavours to meld together. Turn down the heat slightly then add the chicken stock, white wine, whipping cream and the lemon juice. Reserve the lemon to squeeze a few drops over the finished dish. Stir all ingredients together and cook until cream sauce has thickened slightly, 5-10 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water to help the sauce coat the farfalle if need be. Mix the cooked farfalle in the saute pan with the sauce. Add salt and black pepper to taste and stir everything together. Ladle it out, and garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, and a final spritz of lemon juice.

Serves 2.

suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Orange-Infused French Toast With Maple-Glazed Pears

I've posted about French toast before, but I couldn't not include this version as it's the best one I've tried to date.

I was in the mood for breakfast for dinner tonight, French toast specifically, but put off by the mediocre bread I had in the fridge. Hard to go back to the run-of-the-mill grocery store variety when you're used to using challah (it really is the ultimate bread for French toast).

So, I was determined to make up for the lousy bread by elevating everything else, from the egg batter to the toppings. I started by slicing up some gorgeous Bartlett pears and sauteing them in butter and maple syrup until they were softened. For the batter, I mixed eggs with a splash of milk, some cinnamon, some orange zest and orange juice, and a pinch of salt. I dredged the bread slices for about 30 seconds on each side, and then fried them up in some butter. I like to keep the oven at about 300F, and I place the cooked slices on a baking sheet to keep warm.

Once the bread was nicely browned on both sides, I toasted some sliced almonds in my fry pan for a finishing touch. I then plated it up: French toast on the bottom, maple pears and toasted almond slices over top. A final drizzle of maple syrup over it all, and done! I have to say it was a fantastic combination. The orange really came through and complemented the pears nicely. And the almonds added a welcome crunch. For a made-up recipe, it turned out quite well! Even with the crappy bread!

Orange-Infused French Toast With Maple-Glazed Pears

8 slices of bread, preferably challah
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Zest and juice of half an orange
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter

Maple Glazed Pears:

3 Bartlett pears, sliced
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 300F.

Toast sliced almonds in a dry fry pan over medium heat until golden, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp butter in the same pan. Once melted and starting to foam, add sliced pears and saute for 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup, stir to ensure pears are evenly coated, and continue to cook until pears are slightly softened and syrup is warmed through.

Make the batter by beating eggs, then adding milk, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and orange juice. Put batter in a large shallow dish and dip bread slices in, one at a time, for 30 seconds a side. Meanwhile, heat clean fry pan to medium-low and add 1 tbsp of butter. Cook two slices at a time if your pan is big enough. The bread should need about 3 minutes per side -- if it's not browning, turn up the heat. Between batches, add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan to keep the bread from sticking (and for flavour!).

Once each batch is done, put the slices on a baking sheet in the preheated oven to keep warm. Serve two slices of French toast per person, and garnish with the pears, almonds, and a final drizzle of maple syrup.

Enjoy!!

Suzanne

suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

Where has the time gone? I can't believe it was August when I posted here last. It's been a crazy busy fall, the main change being my new job. I've left CityNews.ca to run CityLine.ca, the website for national lifestyle program CityLine, on Citytv. One of the main benefits? I get to write about, among other topics, food! I've had the pleasure to meet some great chefs, including our regular experts Jason Parsons, Massimo Capra and Michael Bonacini.

Earlier this week I interviewed Vancouver chef, and host of The Main, Anthony Sedlak -- wonderful guy, and incredibly talented. Next week I'm looking forward to speaking with food writer/cookbook author Lucy Waverman, and Anna Olson, cook-baker extraordinaire and host of the Food Network Canada series Fresh. All very exciting, as I own cookbooks by many of these folks and getting the opportunity to chat about food and cooking with them is hugely rewarding.

In honour of next week's interview with the lovely Ms. Olson, I want to encourage everyone to try this delicious pumpkin cranberry loaf from her 2004 cookbook Sugar. I love the interplay of sweet pumpkin and tart cranberry, and this loaf stays incredibly moist for days.

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf
Makes 1 9x5-inch (2L) loaf

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 325F.

Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt and spices and set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir in pumpkin puree, orange zest and vanilla. Stir in orange juice.

Add dry ingredients in two additions and blend just until incorporated. Fold in cranberries.

Spoon batter into greased loaf pan and bake in centre of oven for 60-75 minutes until a tester inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Allow to cool before slicing.

Courtesy Anna Olson, Sugar, Whitecap Books, 2004

suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com

Roasted beet and goat cheese salad with orange vinaigrette

I roasted beets for the first time last summer and the results were a revelation. Sweet, tender, and nothing like the over-vinegared jarred ones I remember from childhood. They pair incredibly well with tangy goat cheese, so tonight I made a salad with those two ingredients as the base.



I added some spring greens, chopped walnuts for crunch, and a homemade orange vinaigrette (homemade salad dressings are so much better than bottled and they're a snap to whip up). I'm not one for making a meal of a salad, but if the ingredients are interesting enough, and filling enough, it can be pretty satisfying. This one filled me up nicely.

Roasted beet and goat cheese salad with orange vinaigrette

4 medium sized beets, roasted*, peeled and chopped
1 navel orange
bagged spring greens (or buy in bulk, enough for about 2 cups worth per serving)
1 small log of goat cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

*Roasting beets: wrap cleaned beets in foil, then place on a baking sheet. Roast in 375F oven for about an hour. Beets are done when you can easily pierce them with a knife. Wearing rubber gloves, peel skins off beets and slice.

Make vinaigrette by first zesting the orange and putting zest in a Mason jar. Then halve the orange and using a citrus reamer, squeeze the juice into the jar. Then spoon in the mustard, followed by the olive oil. Add some salt and ground black pepper. Pop the lid on the jar and shake until emulsified. Add more salt and/or pepper if needed.

Clean the salad greens and place in a big bowl for mixing. Add the sliced beets and walnuts to the greens, and mix in the vinaigrette. Use tongs to ensure the dressing is uniformly distributed. You may not need all of the dressing, you don't want the ingredients to be dripping with it. Place in serving bowls and top with chunks of goat cheese.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Suzanne

Capellini cacio e pepe

As far as easy dinners go, it doesn't get much simpler than capellini cacio e pepe. The classic pasta dish has Roman roots, and it's essentially comprised of three ingredients: the cooked pasta, Pecorino romano cheese, and black pepper. Cacio translates into cheese; pepe into pepper. It develops a creaminess from mixing the hot pasta with the cheese and some of the pasta cooking water.


I made it for dinner tonight out of sheer laziness, but I have to say the results were delicious. The cracked black pepper provided a nice bite, and I used Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rather than Pecorino and it worked well. I've seen recipes that suggested mixing a few tablespoons worth of pasta cooking water with the cheese so that it forms a paste, which is then combined with the pasta. Instead I combined the pasta. grated cheese and water quickly in the still-warm pot after draining the noodles, and that helped melt the cheese into a sauce. Use as much pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Also, don't be skimpy with the pepper!

You can use any kind of pasta, short or long, for this dish. I used capellini, but you can easily use spaghetti, penne, whatever your favourite.

Capellini cacio e pepe

1 lb capellini (or other pasta)
1 cup grated Pecorino romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for garnish
1 cup pasta cooking water
Ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining.

Mix pasta, grated cheese and about 1/2 cup cooking water in pot that pasta has cooked in.

If pasta is still dry, add more cooking liquid. Grind black pepper over top and mix in.

Serve in big bowls, with extra grated cheese sprinkled over top and another grinding of black pepper.

Serves 3-4

Enjoy!

Suzanne

Bulgur salad with grilled chicken and parsley pesto

Preserves have been my obsession this summer and I have to admit I love having a fridge full of Mason jars filled with all sorts of things: basil pesto, parsley pesto, strawberry jam, strawberry-balsamic vinegar-black pepper sauce, etc. My mom's been preserving up a storm as well, and I can't wait to try the pickles she jarred a few weeks back.


One of the best surprises has to be the aforementioned parsley pesto, which I made specifically for a recipe from the June 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. I had quite a bit left over, and I've since used it as a sandwich spread and all-around garnish. Try it -- I found it a fresh, summery alternative to the ubiquitous basil pesto.

Bulgur salad with grilled chicken and parsley pesto

Prep: 30 min Total: 45 min
Serves 4

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking bulgur
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves with tender stems
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted, cooled
1/3 cup (generous) coarsely chopped shallots
2 1/2 tbsp (or more) fresh lemon juice, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
4 large chicken breast halves with skin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
8 fresh apricots, halved, pitted, or 16 drained canned apricot halves
Butter lettuce leaves (optional)

Place 3 cups water and bulgur in medium saucepan; sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until bulgur is tender but still slightly chewy, stirring occasionally, 11 to 12 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, place parsley, almonds, shallots, and 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice in processer. Using on/off turns, process until parsley is coarsely chopped. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup oil and process to coarse puree. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir 3/4 cup pesto and remaining 1 tbsp lemon juice into drained bulgur. Season to taste with salt and pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush chicken and apricot halves with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken and apricot halves until chicken is cooked through and apricots are slightly charred, 7 to 8 minutes per side for chicken and 2 minutes per side for apricots.

Line 4 plates with lettuce leaves. Divide bulgur salad among plates. Place 1 grilled chicken breast on each plate, Spoon dollop of pesto atop chicken. Divide apricot halves among plates and serve.

Courtesy Bon Appetit, June 2009

Basil risotto with roasted tomatoes

I have to admit I've gotten into this season of Hell's Kitchen, even though it borders on the ridiculous at times. Like most, I watch purely to see Gordon Ramsay give the contestants hell for burning scallops and under-cooking chicken. In the first episode of each HK season, Chef Ramsay asks the contenders to present their signature dish. It got me thinking about what my signature dish is -- do I even have one? I love to cook, and I cook frequently, but is there one particular dish that I'd call my own (even if the recipe isn't mine)?



There's definitely one that stands out from when I first started to enjoy cooking, and I remember making it for company on more than one occasion: Basil Risotto with Roast Tomatoes from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 1. It was the first risotto I ever made, and though I tried others, I kept coming back to this one. For starters, it just looks so pretty. A row of beautifully roasted cherry tomatoes still clinging to the vine, vibrant green basil pesto, chopped roughly so you can still make out bits of basil and chunks of pine nut, all sitting atop a mound of creamy risotto. The white, green, and red brings to mind other classic Italian dishes such as the Margherita pizza or the Caprese salad (also favourites of mine).

I hadn't made the dish in a while, and on a recent night when I didn't know what to do for supper I realized I had everything I needed in the pantry for it, with a few modifications. Though I didn't have cherry tomatoes on the vine, I had a pint of grape tomatoes. And with three jars of homemade basil pesto in the fridge I wasn't about to make more, even though I do like the texture of the rough chopped version. And I have to say the finished product was just as tasty and satisfying as I remember -- one bonus being the homemade chicken stock that added a wonderful richness to the risotto. Of course the key to a creamy, not gluey, risotto is taking the care to add the chicken stock to the rice slowly while stirring constantly. It's not a dish you can pop on the stove and leave, you're actively involved the whole time. But I personally don't mind that. With a glass of wine by my side, and some music on in the background, I find risotto-making therapeutic.

So while I'm still pondering what my current signature dish might be -- maybe I just haven't found it yet! -- here's one I know I'll keep in my repertoire for years to come. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Basil risotto with roasted tomatoes

4 vines or 24 individual cherry tomatoes
olive oil for drizzling
cracked black pepper
sea salt

risotto
20g (1/2 oz) butter
1 tbsp olive oil, extra
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 1/2 cups (2 1/4 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

rough pesto*
1 cup basil leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup toasted and roughly chopped pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Place the tomatoes in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour or until soft.

Make rough pesto by roughly chopping the basil leaves and mixing with the chopped garlic, grated cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil. Set aside until risotto is done.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, extra olive oil, onion and garlic for 6-8 minutes.

Place the stock in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a slow simmer. Add the rice to the onion, stirring for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the hot stock, a bit at a time, stirring continuously until the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente (about 25-30 minutes). Keep checking the rice as you may not need all of the stock (nothing worse than a soupy risotto). The rice should be soft but still have a bit of a bite to it.

When the risotto is done, stir through the Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve in bowls topped with the rough pesto and the tomatoes. Drizzle some olive oil over top and serve.

Serves 4.

*If you don't want to make the rough pesto, a dollop of a good-quality store-bought pesto will work. But the rough pesto adds a nice texture to the dish and I recommend taking the time to make it.

Courtesy Modern Classics 1, Donna Hay, HarperCollins, 2002.

Enjoy!

Suzanne

Email comments to suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com.