Orange & Red Onion Salad

I wanted a simple dinner. I don't mean easy; I was perfectly willing to put in kitchen time. I wanted something simple tasting. I decided on a straightforward Marinara sauce, made from a quart of my home canned summer tomatoes, served with spaghetti and freshly grated parmesan cheese. To go along with it, an orange and onion salad, which I have made several times.

Depending on the oranges, I may add a LOT of onion and a LOT of parsley. I have also arranged the orange slices on a mound of spinach. This time, I used a combination of very beautiful and dramatic Cara Cara and Moro (Blood) Oranges. Because of the juiciness of the oranges, their bright color, and intense flavors, I barely kissed them with the onions and parsley. I love this salad with tomato based pasta dishes.

Orange & Red Onion Salad
(from LIDIA'S ITALY by Lidia Bastianich)
8 small blood oranges or other oranges
1 medium red onion
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cut off the peel and pith of each orange completely, exposing the flesh of the fruit. Slice the oranges into rounds. Handle them gently so they remain intact.

Peel the onion and slice thinly.

Arrange the oranges prettily on a serving platter or individual salad plates. Scatter the onion slices all over the oranges.

Sprinkle the salt all over the top. Grind lots of coarse black pepper over the top. Drizzle with the best quality olive oil you have. Shower the parsley over all and serve.

Cheesecake

I have never seen a cheesecake recipe quite like this one, not to say one doesn't exist. This cheesecake is very rich and cheesy, but bakes up much lighter and not as sweet as a standard New York style cheesecake, without using commercially prepared "lite" ingredients. I have made this recipe many, many times over the years, and everyone who has ever eaten it has complimented its deliciousness.

I got the recipe from a cookbook called, Mother's in the Kitchen, which was published in the 1970's by La Leche League International. The book is filled with recipes submitted, tested, and compiled by mothers, over a four year period of time, with the goal of helping families acquire good eating habits, which is to say, the habit of regularly eating food that will be good for you. The recipes contain no mixes or packaged food, and the focus is on nutrition, stretching the family food budget, and economy of time, presented with the philisophy that feeding your family should be done with tender loving care.

Cheesecake
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
6 to 8 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
Graham cracker crust

For the crust, combine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 5 Tbsp. melted butter. Press into the bottom and part way up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the filling, have the eggs and cheese at room temperature. Separate eggs, using enough to make 1/2 cup yolks. Blend cottage cheese and egg yolks in blender until smooth. Add sugar, cornstarch and cream cheese and blend. Add vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into prepared crust. Bake in the middle of a 300 degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and allow to cool 1 hour without opening the oven door. Serve with fresh fruit or other topping of choice. I served it with figs I preserved last summer.

Unfortunately, this little gem is out of print but if you ever see a copy in a used bookstore or garage sale, nab it, especially if you have children. The last time I checked, Amazon had 2 available, used, one priced at $85.00 and the other at $89.95! The original price, printed on my book is $4.00.

Classic Caesar Salad

This is the salad for my Saturday Steak Dinner. I adapted it only slightly from a recipe of the esteemed Deerpark Restaurant, which is located on the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. All the components of this salad can be prepared ahead of time.

Caesar Salad
4 -5 anchovy fillets
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
1 small baguette
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large head romaine lettuce
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated black pepper

Prepare the dressing by processing first 3 ingredients in an electric blender at low speed until smooth. Add next 7 ingredients and process until well blended. Cover and chill.

Trim romaine lettuce core and separate into leaves. Tear into pieces and plunge into a sinkful of cold water. Lift lettuce from the water and spin dry. Wrap in paper towels and place into a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Make the croutons by cutting the baguette into bite sized pieces. Heat the 2 Tbsp. olive and 1 Tbsp. butter and add the garlic cloves. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the garlic and add the cubed bread, stirring until it is all coated. Spread onto a sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, until toasty.

In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce with the croutons. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing, tossing gently. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and freshly grated black pepper.

Saturday Steak Supper for a Soldier

The Soldier in our family is leaving for his deployment to the Middle East. I had told him I wanted to cook a dinner for him before he left and asked what he would like. Without hesitation, he replied, "Steak and a baked potato."

His wife helped me hone the menu. How does he like his steak cooked? Does he want a sauce? How does he like his baked potato? Don't forget the chives she advised me--he is always disappointed when he orders a baked potato in a restaurant and they don't have chives. What kind of salad dressing does he like? He loves cheesecake.

Menu to Honor a Service Member

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Charcoal Grilled Angus Beef New York Strip Steak

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Classic Caesar Salad

Yeast Rolls

Cheesecake with Summer Preserved Figs

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
4 slices bacon
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 Tbsp. softened butter
2 Tbsp. snipped chives

Scrub potatoes very well under cold running water. Dry them, then rub all over with olive oil. Place onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Cook bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towel.

Slice off the top quarter of each potato. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving a quarter inch of flesh on the skin. Place all the scooped out potato into a bowl and mash with a hand masher. Add the butter and sour cream and continue mashing until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the reserved bacon, crumbled. Stir in the chives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the potato mixture back into each of the potato shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Lady Cakes

I went outside at daybreak and heard birds singing! Music to my ears after the seemingly endless run of cold and snowy (and silent) weather this winter. A respite is forecast for the weekend with relatively balmy temperatures, maybe even 50 degrees, and plenty of sunshine. Should feel like heaven.

Here are some little cakes I made to have with a cup of tea or coffee. I made these because I wanted an excuse to use my square muffin pan. They are super easy to make and clean up is a breeze--no mixer or food processor needed. They are not too sweet and have a texture somewhere between a scone and a cupcake.

Lady Cakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
6 Tbsp. butter, sliced into pieces, and allowed to come to room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place oven rack in upper third of oven. Butter and flour muffin pan or use cupcake liners, if desired.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix and cut in the butter until the mixture becomes moist crumbs. Add egg yolk, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat together, with a wooden spoon or spatula, until well combined.

Crumb Topping
3/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine the flour, sugars, salt and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the dry ingredients are moistened but still crumbly.

Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups and top each with some of the crumb mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving, if desired.