7 Days of Oranges - Day 2

Orange, Fennel, Olive and Arugula Salad

Here goes day 2 of my 7 Days of Oranges mission! Today is the second course which is salad and I made Orange, Fennel, Olive and Arugula Salad. Wow, talk about a refreshing, bursting with flavor salad. I love fennel but Dave is not a fan so I was a little hesitant about making this salad. I figured if he really didn't like the fennel he could push it aside or simply give it to me. Fennel has a bitter licorice taste and the oranges slices balance the bitterness. I was going to add sliced almonds and I'm glad I didn't because it wasn't necessary...the fennel adds a nice crunch to this dish. I also made an Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette as a dressing for the salad. Honestly, it didn't even need the dressing because the ingredients alone compliment and enhance each other so well. The orange vinaigrette added an extra sweetness to this salad. I liked the vinaigrette so much that I would use it on other salads or even as a marinade for poultry or seafood. The colors alone in the salad are vibrant and gorgeous. It looked so pretty I didn't even want to eat it. I took a few bites before I photographed the salad and I had to stop myself from devouring the whole entire salad. Take one bite and you won't stop, it's seriously that good! I made this salad for lunch but it would be superb along side of grilled chicken or grilled shrimp as a dinner. The other great thing about this salad is that it keeps well over night so if you have leftovers it's just as good the following day. I'm loving this orange mission by the way! Salute to 7 Days of Oranges - and 5 more to go!

Use the freshest ingredients for the best taste 

Freshly squeezed oranges using my late grandmother Brigid's
50 year old juicer!

Tastes as delicious as it looks! Look at those vibrant colors.
This white platter is my other late Grandmother's, Josephine, which is also well over 50 years old! 

Orange, Fennel, Olive and Arugula Salad: (Click to print recipe)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges, each slice cut in halves or thirds 
• 1 fennel bulb, halved length wise, cored and sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 20 kalamata olives or green olives ( I used both)
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
• 2 cups baby arugula 
• 1/2 cup of orange balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe below)

In a large mixing bowl add all of the ingredients above and add the orange balsamic vinaigrette. Mix well until the dressing is incorporated into the ingredients. transfer to a large platter or salad bowl. Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 1 large orange
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 t sugar
• salt n pepper
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl whisk orange juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt n pepper together. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking at the same time and mixing until well blended. Drizzle over lettuce greens. 

Food Impressions:

Dave: "Wow this is superb! Very fresh tasting. I surprisingly like the fennel."

Andrea: Can't wait to make this again. All of the ingredients go really well together. Would serve well with any grilled protein. 

7 Days of Oranges - Day 1

Orange and Sesame Glazed Chicken Skewers

Dave came home with a huge red box. The boys ran to greet him and said "Daddy, WHAT's in the box?" He set the box on the ground and encouraged them to open it. I think they were hoping it was a cool electronic gadget. Nope, no electronics.... it was a box of fruit! 15 pounds of valencia oranges, ortanique oranges and ruby red grapefruit to be exact! A client of Dave's sent him the oranges from Florida as a gift of appreciation. It was very thoughtful of his client but what in the world will I do with 15 pounds of citrus fruit? I know, cook with it. My mission: finding 7 sweet and savory orange and grapefruit recipes! I can't let this box of premium juicy fruit go to waste, so my plan is to incorporate them into this week's recipes. Plus, it's orange season in Florida so these orange beauties are bursting with sweet flavor. They taste like they were freshly picked right from the grove. I'm going make a course each day, so in the end it will be like serving a 7 course meal. I can't wait! So today I am am serving an appetizer as the first course. The appetizer recipe I chose to make is Orange and Sesame Glazed Chicken Skewers. It turned out amazing! The orange added a nice sweetness while the red pepper added a hint of spice. Salute to 7 days of oranges and 6 more to go!

Our oranges and grapefruit from Hale Grove,
Vero Beach, FL

Pan searing the chicken tenders until golden

Squeezing the orange juice in the sesame soy glaze,
smells so good

What a sweet appetizer!

Orange and Sesame Glazed Chicken Skewers (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh chicken tenders
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt n pepper
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 1 orange
• 1 tb orange zest
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tb rice vinegar
• 1 tb sesame oil
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 1/8 t crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1 tb cornstarch, mixed with 2 tb water
• 1 tb sesame seeds
• 2 tb sliced scallions
• 12 large wooden skewers - soaked in water for 15 minutes

Place wooden skewers through chicken tenders. Dip tenders in flour to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook on each side for 7-10 minutes until golden and crisp and cooked through. Meanwhile for glaze: in a small sauce pan add orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes and garlic, stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cornstarch and stir well. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Brush chicken with orange glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve on a platter warm or at room temperature.

Food Impressions:

Dave: "Superb!"

Andrea: Sweet with a hint spice. Great appetizer but would also make a great dinner over white rice!

Crying Over French Onion Soup

Classic French Onion Soup

Today I was crying for a solid 10 minutes. The boys walked into the kitchen and said "Mommy, why are you crying?" I said "Don't worry I'm not crying because I'm sad, I'm crying because I'm slicing all of these onions!" My mascara was running down my face and I couldn't wipe my tears with my hands because they were covered in the juice from the onions. I said "Hurry, get me a napkin so I can wipe my tears." Nate said "Mom, I saw on u-tube that if you chew gum while cutting onions you won't cry." I was like "Nate, how and why in the world do you know that gum prevents you from crying when cutting onions?" He said "Mom, I know a lot of things...just call me the human Wikipedia." I said Nate this sounds crazy but I'm willing to try anything because I still have a lot more onions to cut." So Tyler ran to find me some gum. Coincidence or not it worked! As I'm writing this post I'm still not sure about Nate's claim that gum chewing really prevents one from crying, so I googled it. Well I'll be darned, Nate was right! Here's what I found from WikiHow: 

Chew bread or gum. Many people report that chewing, especially gum, 

helps avoid tears when cutting onions.

So after I stopped crying I was able to continue making my French Onion Soup recipe. I love this soup and I haven't made it in a very long time. I remember having Dave's Grandparents over for dinner when we were first married and I made them French Onion Soup because I knew his Grandfather always had soup before dinner. I served them in these adorable soup crocs. I probably served french onion soup to them just so I could use those crocs. Whatever the reason, they loved my soup. I still have those adorable crocs and used them tonight for our soup. The boys thought they were the coolest. And of course Zachary loved the ooey gooey cheese that was melted over the tops. This is a classic french onion soup that will be a family favorite for years to come. Salute to crying over French Onion Soup!

Caramelized onions

Toasted baguette 

Just out of the oven

Classic French Onion Soup: (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: An hour and a half

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs onions, thinly sliced
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tb minced garlic
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1 tb Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 t sugar
• 3/4 cup dry sherry
• 8 cups beef stock
• 6 slices of baguette bread
• 6 slices of Gruyere cheese or provolone

Using a medium soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic and salt n pepper, and cook until soft and golden. Stir often and make sure they cook for 40 minutes or until they are caramelized.  Add thyme, worcestershire sauce and sugar, stir until blended. Add sherry and beef stock and cook on low for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven on broil. Broil slices of baguette bread on a cookie sheet on the middle oven rack for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side until lightly golden. Arrange oven proof crocs or soup bowls on a cookie sheet and evenly spoon the onion soup into each bowl. Add one baguette slice in each croc on top of soup then add slice of cheese over the top. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Food Impressions:

Tyler: "Oh my gosh, Zachary look at those bowls and the cheese it melted all over. This is really good." (Tyler ate everything and had fun eating the oozy gooey cheese)

Zachary: "I love this soup. Can you make this again?"

Dave: "The best french onion soup you've made. It's a quintessential classic."

Andrea: Super flavorful.

Tyler enjoying the ooey gooey cheese!

Zachary in heaven with the ooey gooey cheese

More interesting factoids from WikiHow: 

Why do onions make you cry?

Onions are made up of a tunic of outer leaves (the brown layer), scales (the white firm juicy edible part), and thebasal plate (often called the "hairy part" or the "root"). Onions make you cry because:

1. When you cut the basal plate or shoot, they release an enzyme.

2. That enzyme reacts in the rest of the onion to release a gas.

3. When that gas combines with water, it creates an acid.

4. If that water is in your eye, you have acid in your eye. That makes you cry.

Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip - The Real Way!

OMG! This dip is so amazing! I bought 5 pounds of onions to make French Onion Soup this week and it sparked the idea of making a French Onion Dip to go along with my Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges. This is not your run of the mill, processed, loaded with MSG Lipton French Onion soup out a of package kind of dip! This is the real stuff and it's healthy...total bonus! Plain greek yogurt is the base of the dip and the rest is basically caramelized onions. How good is that? This dip is not the quickest to make but the extra steps are so worth the superb taste! While I was mixing all of the ingredients I asked Tyler and Zachary to taste it and they were like this is the best! I tried to get Nate to taste the dip but he wouldn't go near it...anything having to do with onions is off limits to him. Onions to Nate are like kryptonite to Superman or like garlic to vampires! I guess he won't be eating my French Onion Soup tomorrow. Zachary asked what I was making the dip for and I told him the Potato Wedges, he then proceeded to tell me how vegetables, potato chips or bread would be really good with the dip. And he's absolutely right! So I cut up cut up some vegetables and bread and wala! This dip is so versatile that you could use it as a spread or even as a topping on soups and stews. Salute to the healthy delicious Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip!

Great with Crudite and Baguette Bread

Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip (Click to print)

Preparation and cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 tb butter
• salt n pepper
• 2 cups plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tb minced parsley

In a medium skillet, over medium heat melt butter and add diced onions and some salt n pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Make sure to stir often. Let cool. Meanwhile in a bowl stir yogurt, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce and parsley until well blended. Add onions to yogurt mix and gently stir until well incorporated. Serve in a decorative bowl and use dippers such as Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges, vegetables, crackers, breads or potato chips. 

Great with Potato Wedges, French Fries or Chips!

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Yuck onions!"

Tyler: "Super yummy and oniony."

Zachary: "This is so good and it could be used to dip carrots or potato chips."

Dave: "Very good"

Andrea:  Loved, loved, loved this dip. Fresh tasting and very healthy.

Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges

I love Dash's pre-made sliders... they are so quick to make and super flavorful! Tonight I made 2 types of sliders: chicken, feta and spinach and beef with cheddar. Dave cooked them in the cast iron pan over the stove top and they were out of this world. Any time I make sliders or hamburgers I have to eat  french fries with them. It doesn't matter which kind of fries they are I just have to have them with my hamburgers. If I was given a blotter test and there was a shape of a hamburger I would immediately say- french fry! Maybe I associate hamburgers with french fries because of the gazillion McDonalds Happy Meals I ate as a kid. We rarely eat at McDonalds but I have to admit I LOVE their french fries! So when we do make a fast food run I always get a small order of fries. I don't care that they are made with 17 ingredients, one including TBHQ which is basically lighter fluid and that they are fried in 7 types of oil....they are darn goooood! Well the version I made tonight are much healthier than any french fry out there and tasted way better too. I made Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges. Every time I make them I say to myself why don't I make these more often. They are so easy to make and so addicting. You can't just have one! The best thing about them is that they are 100% natural so you can eat them with no guilt or feeling like you have to run 3 miles afterwards. I am making French Onion Soup this week for dinner so I have a ton of onions and that sparked the idea of making a Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip to go along with the potato wedges. The dip is incredible and pairs so well with the potato wedges! Salute to Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges - a healthy alternative to french fries!

Healthy, Delicious and Addicting!

Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip is the perfect match!

Sea Salted Baked Potato Wedges (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 60 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled and cut into wedged slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t sea salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1 tb minced parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean the potatoes and cut them length wise into wedges, about 6 wedges per potato. Place potatoes, olive oil, sea salt, pepper and parsley in a large zip lock baggie. Mix the potatoes and olive oil mixture in the baggie well. Spread the potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then turn the potatoes over and cook for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and golden brown. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley and sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Greek Yogurt French Onion Dip.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "These are so amazing, they are way better than McDonald's French Fries."

Tyler: "These french fries are so big. I like dipping them in the onion dip rather than ketchup."

Zachary: "These are the best ever...can you make these french fries all of the time?"

Dave: "Really good."

Andrea: "Delicious and healthy. I love that they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. A little goes a long way with the sea salt. The onion dip was delicious with the potatoes. I can't wait to make this for fiends and family."

Cast iron deliciousness! 

The Pear that "had me at hello!"

Poached Pears with Mascrapone Cheese and Honey Glaze

I am often inspired to make a recipe based on what looks appealing and delicious at the grocery store. I had no intent on making Poached Pears with Mascrapone Cheese and Honey Glaze this weekend. The bushel of the most beautifully ripened bartlett pears perched by the cheese section "had me at hello!" I knew I just had to make something with those pears. They would have been delicious all by themselves but I wanted to make something special. Plus, Dave is not a dessert guy so I figured if the ingredients consisted of fruit, wine and cheese I couldn't go wrong and with those ingredients it hardly seemed like a dessert. The best thing about this dessert is that it's so elegant looking and tastes like you are eating a dessert from a five star restaurant. If you served this dessert to guests they would think you spent hours making it. The key word there is think, in reality it will only take you a total of 45 minutes to make... ultra sophisticated dessert in a snap! What's nice about this dessert is that it can be made a day ahead. I made the dessert in the morning and served it after dinner. Anytime I make a dessert Zachary is the first one to volunteer to help out. We had a fun time making this dessert together. Although he had a fun project going on himself while I was prepping the pears. The boys have these books called Wreck This Journal that I highly recommend. The boys are entertained for hours when they use there books and it's quite entertaining watching them complete each page. His Wreck this Journal required some of the ingredients we were making the recipe with so it our dessert making took a different twist. I posted a few pages of the book below. The boys loved this dessert and devoured it before I had a chance to sit down and eat mine! Since this recipe has several steps I've incorporated pictures with steps.

The pear that had me at hello!

The sweet honey being added to the wine and vanilla

Half the pears at the stem, peel and core

The pears poaching. The aroma that fills the kitchen is amazing!

The honey glaze and poached pears with cinnamon

Ultra Elegant!

Poached Pears with Mascarpone Cheese and Honey Glaze (Click to print)

Preparation and cook time: 45 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored (I used Bartlett) 
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup water
• 6 tb honey
• 1 tb vanilla extract
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tb sugar
• 1/8 cup candied walnuts

Using a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, white wine, honey and vanilla. Stir until honey dissolves. Add pears and place parchment paper over the top of the pears. Cook for 15 minutes on one side then turn over and cook for another 15 minutes until pears are tender when pierced. With a slotted spoon remove pears and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Continue to boil honey glaze for 5 minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile, which mascarpone cheese and sugar until well mixed and it turns fluffy and peaks form. Place half a pear on a plate and top with mascarpone cheese and crushed walnuts. Then drizzle with warm honey glaze. 

Food Impressions:

Nate: "The pears are so juicy. I like the pears warm."

Tyler: "It tastes like a warm apple pie."

Zachary: "It's so juicy and sweet."

Dave: "Very good, the pears were a little al dente. Love the mascarpone and the honey glaze reminds me of mead wine."

Andrea: Simple and elegant. The flavors weren't too sweet and the mascarpone, pears and honey glaze were a perfect combination. This is a dessert that will impress guests. Will make again for sure.

Zachary's Wreck this Journal!

Using the honey from our dessert!

From Friday's dinner!

Shrimp Scampi, Skiing and Scenic Oil Painting!

Today, I was going for a dinner that was easy to prepare because we skied all day. So Shrimp Scampi over Linguini was on the menu tonight. The conditions at Holiday Valley Ski Resort were so perfect and the sun was shining all day. Every skier was in a good mood and the vibe was high energy. We hung out at Yodler Lodge where there was an outdoor charity auction being held. We sat by the outdoor fire pit, chatted with friends, ate cheese and crackers and sipped wine. Life was good at Holiday Valley! We ran into our friend Darlene who was helping organize the auction, she is also very active in the arts community in Ellicottville. We were catching up with her and she mentioned that one piece of art was not bid on at the live auction; she also shared that it was one of Todd Plough's original pieces titled Heaven and Earth. We were shocked to hear that one of his pieces wasn't bid on. Todd is one of the most talented local artists we know and we have several pieces of his art work displayed in our home. So when we heard it didn't sell, Dave was like well it's sold now, we'll take it. Darlene was thrilled and so were we. The charity benefitted and we got a gorgeous piece of art work to add to our collection! Total bonus day...skiing, scenic oil painting and shrimp scampi! It was an  "S" kinda day today!

Shrimp Scampi over linguini is a recipe that I've been making for years and I make it often. This is also one of those recipes that I make if I am having company over. So if you know me and I've had you over for dinner, it's likely I made this for you. It cooks in 15 minutes tops. So if you want a quick, easy to prepare delicious meal, this is a recipe for you. Shrimp, garlic, butter, white wine, parsley and linguini....those are the ingredients for shrimp scampi, that's it! I love adding shaved parmesan cheese over the top and sometimes I add a squeeze of fresh lemon. This recipe is also very versatile....add cherry tomatoes or chopped asparagus or whatever strikes ya. Shrimp Scampi was the perfect choice for us tonight. It was so buttery and garlicky. Everyone loved it and no one left a speck of food in their bowls. That qualifies as a winner meal.

Salute to Shrimp Scampi, skiing and a scenic oil painting from artist Todd Plough!

"Heaven and Earth" by artist Todd Plough.
Now the decision - where to hang it!

Shrimp Scampi over Linguini (Click to print recipe)

Preparation and cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups/stick of salted butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 lb linguini
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley 
• salt n pepper
• optional: grated parmesan cheese, squeeze of lemon

Cook linguini according to package, set aside and keep warm. In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 5 minutes and stir. Add white wine and cook for 3 minutes. Now add shrimp, salt n pepper and cook until pink, about 7 minutes. Add parsley to shrimp and stir. Then add pasta to skillet and mix well. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon for extra flavor. Serve in bowls.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Super delicious. The shrimp is tasty."

Tyler: "It's like a butter sauce." 

Zachary: "I want more and pass the grated cheese." 

Dave: "Very flavorful but could use a little red pepper flake."

Andrea: My staple go-to recipe. It's always a hit, everyone always loves it. Super easy to prepare. 

Zachary piling on the parmesan cheese!

Tyler loving the buttery scampi sauce!

Nate just being goofy! He ate all the shrimp before
eating any of the linguini!