Tag Archives: orange

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Orange Pecan Cookies

Posted by Emily in baked goods, cookies, desserts and tagged with , , , , ,

I introduce to you my new favorite cookie. It is a jumble of goodness all mixed together in 1 1/2 inches in diameter, baked for 9 minutes then thoroughly enjoyed by all. Seriously y’all, these aren’t your grandma’s chocolate chip cookies (no offense grandma). These are the type of cookies that you’ll create memories with by baking them for your kids and grandkids. Of course, if you’re my age, you can always start baking them sooner.

oatmeal raisin chocolate chip orange pecan cookies

Also, I am announcing a new posting schedule for Voila! The fall semester has begun and between two internships and three classes, I’ll be posting just once a week. For all you folks going back to school – happy fall classes!

One Year Ago: Orange Oatmeal Currant Scones
Two Years Ago: Caesar Salad with Chicken | Buttery Jam Cookies

Ingredients
Source: Simply Recipe
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
16 T. butter (2 sticks)
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups oatmeal rolled oats (Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned, do not use instant)
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans (can sub walnuts)
1/2 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
2. Combine granulated sugar with grated orange zest, set aside.
3. Heat ten tablespoons butter in small saucepan, place remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large mixing bowl. When butter is nicely browned (this takes a few minutes) and has a nutty aroma, pour over the remaining butter and mix until all butter is completely melted.
4. Add the granulated sugar and orange, brown sugar, vanilla and salt to the butter and whisk until combined. Add the egg and egg yolk. Whisk for thirty seconds and let stand for three minutes, repeat this process twice more until mixture is thick and shiny, this will enhance the flavor and texture of the cookies.
5. Using a whisk or plastic spatula, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in the oatmeal, chocolate chips, raisins and nuts and mix well.
6. Spoon dough into balls onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the edges just turn brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Voila!

Cranberry Orange Bread

Posted by Emily in baked goods, breads, breakfast, brunch and tagged with , ,

RALEIGH, N.C. — I’m working from home this week and after a long day of sitting at my parents’ kitchen table on my laptop, I decided it was time to bake. I declared my intentions outloud to my brother who had just woken up (at 12:30 p.m….oh, to be in college), “Don’t you think it would be a great idea to make some cranberry orange bread, David?!” He laughed and I ran out to get fresh cranberries.

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while so I knew exactly where to turn to make this dream a reality. I left out the walnuts since my dad is allergic, but besides that this bread is delicious! My mom said that some cranberry orange items often lack the orange kick. Not this. This has everything you’d want in an orange cranberry bread: the tartness of the cranberries, the zestyness of the orange and the ability to compliment ice cream or a morning latte.

cranberry orange bread

Ingredients
Source: Good Things Catered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 T. orange zest
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cup plus 2 T. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour loaf pan
1. In a large bowl, add sugars and oil and mix until very well combined.
2.Mixing while incorporating, add milk, zest, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine well.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt over wet ingredients.
4. Fold dry ingredients in until half way combined, about 5 full strokes.
5. Add cranberries and walnuts and fold in. Batter should be just barely combined. Spoon batter into loaf pan and tap to release air pockets. Place pan into oven and bake until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes for regular loaf and 25-30 minutes if using mini loaf pans.
6. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn loaf out onto wire rack and let cool completely before slicing.

Voila!

Orange Oatmeal Currant Scones

Posted by Emily in baked goods, breakfast, brunch and tagged with , , ,

I’m pretty sure this is my favorite scone recipe yet. They’re not too big and keep their flavor over a few days, instead of turning into big morning cakes where they’re too doughy and dense. The recipe also seems flexible enough in terms of leaving out the orange and currants and adding your own twist of blueberries and lemon or cinnamon and walnut.

orange oatmeal currant scones

orange oatmeal currant scones

Ingredients
Source: Epicurious
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 T. sugar, plus additional (granulated and brown) for sprinkling
1 T. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats (plus more for sprinkling)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
Finely grated zest from 1 large navel orange
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup dried currants

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 and line baking sheet with parchment paper

1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt into a food processor, then add oats and pulse about 15 times. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with small pea-size lumps, then transfer to a bowl.
2. Stir together zest and buttermilk. Toss currants with oat mixture, then add buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times.
3. Using heel of your hand, pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. 4. Cut out as many scones as possible with knife or cookie cutter. Transfer scones to baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball, then pat into a round and cut out more scones in same manner.
5. Combine 2 T. of granulated sugar, brown sugar and a small handful of oats in small bowl. Sprinkle top of scones lightly with mixture. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and store in ziploc bag.

Voila!

Pot Roast with Orange and Figs

Posted by Emily in dinner, gluten free, holiday, jewish cooking, meat and tagged with , ,

This was the main dish for Passover this year. I would rate it a 8 out of 10. However, since I had a ton leftover, James and I ate it for two nights after and on those nights it was a 10 out of 10! The extra time it had to marinate and soak up the flavors really helped the savory goodness of this dish. I’ve adapted the recipe below to reflect making it ahead as opposed to the same day.

Pot roast on it's way to the oven. Photo by Jennifer.

Pot roast on it\’s way to the oven. Photo by Jennifer.

Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
NOTE: The proportions below are doubled from the original recipe to serve 9 and have lots of leftovers

2-3 1/2 pound boneless beef chuck roasts
8 teaspoons sugar
6 T. olive oil
2 pound onions, thinly sliced
12 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. ground allspice
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cup orange juice
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups figs, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
1. Sprinkle roasts on each side with salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoon sugar. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy wide ovenproof pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add roasts. Cook until brown, about 8 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
3. Add 2 tablespoon oil and onions to pot. Sauté until dark brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Mix in vinegar and allspice; boil until reduced to glaze. Add broth, orange juice, and tomato sauce; bring to boil.
4. At this point, if your dutch oven isn’t big enough, transfer everything into roasting pan.
5. Return roasts and accumulated juices to pot/roasting pan. Scatter figs around roasts; sprinkle with parsley.
6.Cover pot – if using roasting pan, cover tightly with foil. Place in oven. Braise roasts 1 hour. Turn roasts over, cover, and braise until tender, about 1 hour. Cook another 20 minutes. Then cool uncovered 1 hour.
7. Transfer roasts to board, scraping sauce into pot. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place pot roast back in pan, cover and refrigerate over night.
8. Reheat in large dutch oven on low heat for an 25-45 minutes or so before serving.

Voila! Enjoy!

Yom Kippur: Break the Fast Feast

Posted by Emily in baked goods, chicken, dinner, holiday, jewish cooking, soul food and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

From 6:00 Wednesday night to 6:00 Thursday night I fasted. I had a little bit of water throughout the day, but that’s it. It’s not easy to fast and cook at the same time! Talk about challenging my will power.

I was making a video but mid way through my energy levels were low and I wasn’t feeling it. So I’m sorry for no video, but there are photos…does that make up for it?

In this video (R.I.P.) I talked about the Hebrew term: l’dor v’dor, meaning from generation to generation. Broadly it means passing on the Jewish faith, culture and traditions down the line. I also interpret this term specifically when I’m coooking. All the recipes on this menu comes from my mom. They are soothing, warm, traditional and delicious. Can’t beat that!

pretty table

pretty table

I made dinner for 5 people so proportions and amounts are based on that. I also tend to overestimate how much I need. For example, I still have 8 blintzes in my fridge. I still have 2 pieces of chicken. I have a huge pan of kasha and one-quarter of an apple cake (after giving the other 1/4 to Kristina.)

Ingredients

    Orange Chicken

2 cups orange juice
4 T. dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
1 medium onion sliced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed

kasha varnishkes

kasha varnishkes

    Kasha Varnishkes

1 box kasha
2 eggs
2 T. butter
2 cups chicken broth
4 stalks celery, chopped small
1 cannister of mushrooms, chopped small
1/2 box of bowtie pasta, cooked as directed

    Blintz Souffle

3 boxes frozen blintzes, fruit or cheese flavored (I used 3 different kinds for variety’s sake)
2 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
8 eggs
1 cup orange juice

    Apple Cake

4 large granny smith or other tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
5 T. plus 2 cups sugar
5 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 cups sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 T. vanilla

Directions

    Orange Chicken

Preheat oven to 350
1. Combine orange juice, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in medium bowl
2. In separate medium bowl combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Stir, then add paprika
3. Line sliced onions around the edge of pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and
paprika

orange chicken

orange chicken

4. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in orange juice mixture until completely covered. Dredge in bread crumb mixture. Then place in pan. Repeat for each piece
5. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes

    Kasha Varnishkes

1. Boil broth and butter in wok or sauce pan
2. Pour kasha in small bowl. Add eggs and coast kasha kernels completely
3. Sautee celery and mushrooms until soft. Cook and drain bowtie pasta
4. Add kasha to broth and turn temperature to low. Add veggies and pasta. Cover and keep on low heat until ready to serve

    Blintz Souffle

Preheat oven to 350
1. Arrange blintzes in 9×13 baking dish
2. In large bowl, combine yogurt, vanilla and sugar until smooth
3. Add orange juice and whisk together. Add eggs and whisk until completely combined
4. Pour yogurt mixture over blintzes. Cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until golden brown on top

apple cake with burnt golden raisins on top

apple cake with burnt golden raisins on top

    Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bundt pan
1. After chopping apples, place in medium sized bowl. Pour lemon juice, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 T. sugar. Coat evenly and set aside.
2. In separate large bowl mix 4 T. sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon and raisins.
3. Beat eggs and add to raisin mixture. Add 2 cups sugar and beat well, then add oil.
4. In medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture. Using whisk or handheld electric mixer combine until all the flour is completely absorbed.
5. Add orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.
6. Pour one-quarter of the batter into bundt pan. Add one-third apples. Repeat ending with batter on top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until done. Sprinkle raisins on 10 minutes before done (as you can see, my raisins got burned.)

**
Food for thought: Here’s a suggestion to help organize when to make everything so it comes out at the right time and ready to serve:
- Make the apple cake first
- Prepare the blintzes. Prepare bowls for chicken.
- After you put the blintzes in the oven, start dunking and dredging the chicken. Since the blintzes take an hour and the chicken takes about 40 minutes, by the time you’re done preparing the chicken and put it in the oven, both dishes will be ready at the same time.
- While all that’s cooking put together the kasha.

This may sound more complicated than it really is. It all came together easily. So Voila! you’ve got yourself a break the fast feast!

Orange Chicken

Posted by Emily in chicken, dinner, soul food and tagged with ,

My mom’s recipe. This also gives me a chance to write about mama’s cookin’

Ingredients

1/2 cup orange juice

2 T. dijon mustard

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

pepper and garlic powder to taste

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs*

1 tsp. paprika

3 chicken breasts

dash of rosemary or thyme

* simple bread crumbs: put slices of bread in a blender and mix away.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In small/medium sized bowl, mix orange juice, mustard, worcestershire sauce and pepper/garlic powder.

3. In another separate small/medium size bowl, mix parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and paprika.

4. remove, rinse and pat dry chicken breasts.

5. One by one, place chicken in bowl with all the liquids. Cover chicken completely turning it over a couple times to make sure it’s completely covered.

6. Then dunk in bowl of dr ingredients. Cover chicken completely. Place in baking dish. Repeat with other pieces of chicken.

7. If there is some remaining dry ingredient mix, sprinkle over the top of chicken breasts. Garnish with rosemary or thyme.

8. Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes.

Can be served with long grain rice or green salad.