Sunday, February 16, 2014

Easy Orange Tart

I enjoy juicy citrus fruits in the winter and thanks to this recipe, I’ve now tried blood oranges – they are delicious! Think of them as extra-sweet oranges. This simple tart is great for a quick dessert, or even breakfast.

Ingredients

1 blood orange
1 navel orange
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Thaw puff pastry overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Peel oranges, remove seeds and slice into about 8 rounds.
4. Place pastry on parchment-lined backing sheet, spread with marmalade.
5. Top pastry with oranges and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool.
6. Beat cream and sugar until thick, serve with tart.

From Rachael Ray

Pan-Roasted Swordfish

My boyfriend loves swordfish and has been asking me to make it for years, but I did not think it would be worth it to buy such expensive fish since I was sure when I cooked the fish it would not live up to restaurant dishes. But, when I got my iron skillet and made the best salmon ever, I decided that it was time to give swordfish a try using the same method I used for the salmon.  Voila! This recipe has a very buttery sauce for the fish that makes it taste as rich as a restaurant entrĂ©e. My boyfriend raved about it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1-inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
3. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven.
4. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.

From Epicurious


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

The pineapple upside down cake in my new iron skillet was so successful that I wanted to try another cake in it. I love the brown sugar glaze in this bananas foster cake. I would never have thought of serving a cake made with Bisquik, but it was golden and delicious!

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose baking mix (I used Bisquik pancake and baking mix)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer for 7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once.

2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum.

3. Cut bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle pecans over bananas.

4. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.

5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

6. Add milk, sour cream and vanilla extract; beat just until blended.

7. Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.) Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Place skillet on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan.

8. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in skillet over cake.

Adapted from Southern Living