Saturday Post

I know, I almost never post on weekends. But I figured I might extend my posting (at least temporarily) to six days a week - at least for a couple of weeks to test it out.

Hope your weekend is going well. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Zucchini Lasagna and Rosemary Olive Oil and Orange Cake. Enjoy!

ROSEMARY, OLIVE OIL AND ORANGE CAKE

This comes from Yotam Ottolenghi in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yotam wrote, “This is a very light cake, similar to a lemon drizzle but with a ton more flavor. The rosemary and orange add delicious floral notes. A fluted Bundt pan looks especially nice. Prepare the crystallized rosemary sprigs at least 6 to 8 hours (or the day before) before serving the cake, which will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days.”

Yield: 10 servings.

This was featured in “The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan” and can be viewed online at here.

Ingredients

For the Crystallized Rosemary:

10 small rosemary sprigs, no more than 1 inch each in size (see note)

1 egg white, lightly whisked

2 teaspoons granulated or superfine sugar (caster sugar)

For the Cake:

About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour), more to flour the pan

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)

1 1/2 tablespoons packed finely chopped rosemary leaves

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Orange Icing:

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, or 1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar

Preparation

At least 6 hours before you plan to ice the cake, prepare the crystallized rosemary: Brush rosemary on all sides with a little of the egg white and then dip it in the sugar, so the needles are lightly coated on all sides. Set aside on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining rosemary.

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter Bundt pan with half the butter and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Butter again, generously, and then flour it, tapping away the excess.

Put olive oil, superfine sugar, orange zest and chopped rosemary leaves in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until combined, then add eggs, one at a time. Whisk for another minute, until thick, then add sour cream and mix until combined on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the olive oil mixture and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and whisk for 1 minute.

Scrape batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top with a small spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. (You may want to trim the cake at this stage, if it rises unevenly, to allow it to sit flat on the plate.)

Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. When the cake has cooled, drizzle icing on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake, then top with the crystallized rosemary and serve.

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

This recipe begins, “Substituting vegetables for white carbs not only adds nutrition, but flavor.”

This is from Diabetic Connect

To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/7300-zucchini-lasagna

Ingredients

3 zucchinis

1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)

1 tsp fresh oregano leaves (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

1 whole eggs

1 jar marinara sauce (sugar-free)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a mandolin or a knife, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks. Place zucchini on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil on front and back, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Roast for 20-25 minutes.

Combine in a mixing bowl the cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, and mozzarella.

Layer in a casserole pan, 1-inch marinara, 1/2 of zucchini slices, 1/2 of cheese mixture, then repeat layering being sure to end with cheese on top. NOTE: There may be marinara left over. If so, refrigerate for later use.

Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 3o minutes, or until cheese is melted and lasagna is heated through.

Remove the foil and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and basil if desired. Allow lasagna to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 6; Calories: 300; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Potassium: 750 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 24 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 18 g

ONION SUPREME

My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.

This recipe can be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.

8 – 10 potatoes

2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin

4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

3-4 yellow onions, sliced thin

1 stick butter or margarine

20 small white onions

1 1/2 C half & half

Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.

JEAN'S SPECIAL POTATOES

Jean and I used to spend many hours on the phone together. One afternoon, we spent the better part of 30 minutes talking about food. I told her about Dad’s Onion Supreme; she, in turn, gave me this recipe.

This recipe can also be found in my e-cookbook Off the Wall Cooking.

8 – 10 potatoes

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 C butter

2 tsp. chives

Peel and cook potatoes. Whip cream cheese and add potatoes. Mix sour cream, butter and chives. Add to potato mix. Cover and chill overnight (or several hours). Put in greased 2-quart casserole & cover; bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

FIVE BEAN SOUP

This comes from Eden Kitchens

Serves 10. Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 40 minutes.

2 Tbs Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1/4 C celery, diced

1/2 C carrots, diced

3 Tbs barley, rinsed

3 C water

1 can Eden Organic Pinto Beans

1 can Eden Organic Black Beans

1 can Eden Organic Kidney Beans

1 can Eden Organic Navy Beans

1 can Eden Organic Garbanzo Beams

1 C sweet corn, fresh or frozen

1 can Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Onion

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf

1 tsp Eden Sea Salt – French Celtic

Heat oil in soup pot, sauté garlic & onion until onion is translucent. Add water, celery, carrot & barley, beans, corn, tomatoes & herbs. Add salt, cover & simmer 30 minutes. Serve.

TUSCAN-STYLE QUINOA

This is from the November 2005 issue of Runner’s World.

1 1/2 C quinoa

3 C water

2 Tbls olive oil

3 coves garlic, minced

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

6 C shredded Swiss chard

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1/3 C Parmesan cheese

Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in saucepan, heat to medium-high, pour in quinoa to toast for four minutes. Cover with water, turn down to simmer, cook for 15 minutes until tender. Heat nonstick skillet with remaining olive oil & sauté garlic & onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chard & sauté until wilted. Add tomato & heat through. Fold in cooked quinoa, season with salt, pepper, & chili flakes to taste, & top with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 3-5 minutes to blend flavors.