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Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:06 -0800

Kick-start your Thanksgiving meal with a refreshing sangria-style glass of white wine. Made a day in advance, this wine is infused with oranges, Grand Marnier, and Pernod. Bay leaves and whole cloves give it an herbaceous, aromatic appeal that's sure to pair perfectly with baked brie and walnuts.

For the main course, select a versatile wine varietal that can support a lot of flavors. An affordable Chardonnay or light red are great options. Chat with your local wine shop owner for more suggestions. Tell him what you plan on serving and your budget, and he's sure to provide you with lots of ideas. For the orange wine recipe - this would also make a great Thanksgiving hostess gift! - read more.

Spiced Orange Wine
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 (750-ml) bottles dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
1/4 cup Pernod
2 whole cloves
4 Turkish or 2 California bay leaves
2 navel oranges

Directions

Bring all ingredients except oranges to a boil (reserve wine bottles and corks), stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Remove zest from oranges in a continuous spiral using a vegetable peeler and cut off any white pith with a paring knife. Reserve oranges for another use and divide zest between empty wine bottles.
Fill bottles with orange wine and cool, uncorked, 1 hour.
Cork bottles, then chill at least 4 hours.

Makes 2 (750-ml) bottles.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Steak Salad With Balsamic Red Onions

partysugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:30:26 -0800

Instead of serving seared steak over the classic mashed potatoes, opt for a healthier variation in this simple salad.

The steak is placed atop a bed of peppery watercress, fresh oranges, and red onions sauteed until soft in balsamic vinegar. The final dish is balanced in both texture and flavor. Check out the recipe and read more.

Steak Salad with Balsamic Red Onions
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, about 1 ½ inches thick, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into ½-inch slices
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bunch watercress, cleaned
2 oranges-peeled, cut into rounds, and seeded

Directions

Place the steak on a large plate and sprinkle with the salt and pepper on all sides.
In a large nonstick skillet, over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the steak pieces and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from the pan and cover to keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium-high and add the onion, tossing occasionally until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar and cook 2 minutes more.
In a large bowl, mix the watercress with the orange sections and the remaining olive oil.
Divide the steak evenly among 4 shallow bowls and top with the glazed onions. Serve with the watercress and orange sections.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 395(45% from fat); FAT 20g (sat 5g); CHOLESTEROL 73mg; CALCIUM 104mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15g; SODIUM 653mg; PROTEIN 38mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 3mg

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Candied Citrus Peel

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:00:50 -0800

This holiday, I wanted to make homemade candy as one of my edible gifts for friends, and I concluded that candied citrus fruit would be the perfect choice. The recipe only calls for fruit, which I always have on hand, and sugar. Candy making doesn't get more basic than that!

I used oranges, but any combination of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit would be wonderful. I can't wait to give this handmade, preservative-free candy to my friends and family - to do the same, check out the recipe and read more.

Candied Citrus Peel
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

8 oranges, 10 lemons, or 6 grapefruits*
6 cups sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

Cut ends off fruit, and halve fruit lengthwise.
Insert the tip of a small paring knife carefully between fruit and pith about 1/2 inch deep and cut, following the shape of the fruit and keeping skin in one piece. Turn fruit on other end and repeat.
Using fingers, gently pull the peel away. Reserve fruit for another use.
Place citrus peel in a 6-quart pot; fill with enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts). Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Drain. Soak peel in cold water until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Using a melon baller, scrape the soft white pith from the peel, being careful not to tear or cut the skin.
Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into thin strips 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
Stir together sugar and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes.
Add strips and reduce heat to medium-low. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. Simmer until strips are translucent and syrup thickens, about 40 minutes. Let the strips cool completely in syrup for 3 hours (or overnight). Strips can be refrigerated in syrup in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.
For sugared peel, remove strips with a slotted spoon. Using fingers, wipe off as much excess syrup as possible, and roll strips in sugar. Let dry.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

*If using grapefruit, adapt the recipe since the fruit has more pith, which is bitter and must be completely removed. If making candied grapefruit, after scraping the pith from the peel (in Step 4), simmer peel for 20 minutes more, and repeat to remove remaining pith.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Seared Salmon With Oranges and Fennel

partysugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:45:32 -0700

Have dinner on the table in minutes with this flavorful salmon dish. Select thin, six-ounce salmon fillets that are firm, but delicate. Once seared, the salmon takes on a buttery, melt-in-your mouth texture.

The fragrant sauce combines citrus juice with crisp fennel and salty olives. For a hearty meal, serve the salmon and vegetables atop couscous.

To look at the delicious recipe, read more.

Seared Salmon With Oranges and Fennel
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented, plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 small fennel bulb (stalks removed), halved lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise, fronds reserved for garnish (optional)
1/4 cup pitted green olives, halved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine orange segments and juice, fennel, olives, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining teaspoon oil over medium. Add salmon, flat side down; cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Turn salmon; cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 3 minutes more. Serve salmon topped with orange mixture; garnish with fennel fronds, if desired.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Tortilla-Crusted Cod Cakes

partysugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:30:13 -0700

Make cooking more exciting with recipes that feature everyday ingredients in creative, new ways. In this recipe crushed tortilla chips replace boring breadcrumbs as a coating for fish cakes. The cakes are seared and finished off in the oven, resulting in a crisp, crunchy exterior and flaky, soft filling. A cilantro-orange-onion salsa adds a unique freshness to the cakes. This recipe is highly adaptable: salmon or crab can replace the cod, and parsley or mint are delicious substitutes for the cilantro.

To look at the recipe, read more.

Tortilla-Crusted Cod Cakes
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

1 medium red onion
1 bunch fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds cod fillet
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips (from 3 cups chips)
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced into circles

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.
Finely chop enough onion to measure 3/4 cup and enough cilantro stems to measure 1 tablespoon (reserving the leaves).
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cilantro stems, and jalapeño and cook until softened, 4 minutes.
Pulse the cod, egg, salt, pepper, and the onion mixture in a food processor until combined but not pureed.
Form 8 cod cakes. Coat each cake with the chips.
Wipe out skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat.
Add 4 cakes and cook until golden brown, 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Wipe out skillet and repeat with 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil and the last 4 cakes. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Thinly slice the remaining onion. Toss with the oranges, 1/2 cup of the cilantro leaves, and the remaining oil. Serve with the cakes.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 380(26% from fat); FAT 15g (sat 2.5g); CHOLESTEROL 120mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27g; SODIUM 1,090mg; PROTEIN 34g; FIBER 4g; SUGAR 9g

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Come Party With Me: Pool Party - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:00:57 -0700

Although I love a decadent chocolate cake, there is no place for rich desserts at a pool party. Guests will be in swimsuits, so serve something that's refreshing, cold, and not too sweet.

These sangria popsicles are a delicious grownup treat. Made with white wine, rum, pineapple chunks, and fresh orange juice, they're the perfect pool party crowd pleaser.

For the recipe, read more.

Sangria Popsicles
From Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Zest of 1/2 lime
3 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 1 pound)
2 dried star anise pods
1½ tablespoons white rum
Juice of 2 to 3 oranges (2/3 cup)
2½ cups dry white wine

Directions

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, ginger and lime zest. Add the pineapple and toss.
Scrape the pineapple into the skillet, add the star anise and cook, without stirring, until the pineapple caramelizes, 5 minutes.
Stir in the rum and let the alcohol burn off, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice, scraping the bottom of the pan; let cool.
Discard the anise. Puree the fruit mixture in a blender.
Stir in the white wine and pour the mixture into icepop molds. Freeze until solid, about 4 hours.

Makes 12 popsicles.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Orange Chicken Salad With Feta

partysugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:45:49 -0700

I always keep a couple of frozen juice concentrates in my freezer. Besides coming in handy for last-minute cocktails, they also make a wonderful addition to vinaigrettes. A couple tablespoons of orange juice concentrate flavors this scrumptious dinner salad. Packed with colorful veggies - cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers - and sweet mandarin oranges, this salad is balanced in texture and taste. A heavy sprinkling of salty feta and toasted almonds finishes off the dish.

To look at the recipe, which is from our buddies at MyRecipes.com, read more.

Orange Chicken Salad with Feta
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
Cooking spray
8 cups torn leaf lettuce
1 cup orange bell pepper strips
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/2 cup (2 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Prepare grill.
Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Set aside.
Combine lettuce and next 5 ingredients (through onions) in a large bowl.
Combine orange juice concentrate, vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper; stir with a whisk.
Pour juice mixture over lettuce mixture, tossing to coat. Divide lettuce mixture evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with chicken, oranges, and almonds.

Serves 4 (serving size: about 2 cups salad, 3 ounces chicken, about 10 mandarin orange segments, and 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds).

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 299(28% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 25.1g; CHOLESTEROL 62mg; CALCIUM 161mg; SODIUM 351mg; FIBER 4.8g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.2g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 10 Chicken Dinners for the Busy Cook
- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Get More Salad Recipes

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Happy Hour: Orange Mojo-ito

YumSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:15:20 -0700

This Cinco de Mayo, you could serve your guests a pitcher of classic margaritas, the more adventurous michelada, or something a little bit different.

The Orange Mojo-ito is a nice twist on an old favorite, and while mojitos aren't Mexican, the new variation makes it worthy of your fiesta! To find out how to create this sublime mix of mandarin vodka, rum, and mint, please read more.

Orange Mojo-ito
From Absolut

Ingredients

3 parts orange-flavored vodka (recommended: Absolut Mandrin)
1 part light rum (recommended: Cruzan Estate Light Rum 2 Years)
2 parts lime juice
1 part orange liquor (recommended: Mandarines Liqueur)
1 part simple syrup
Soda water
Mint leaf

Directions

Fill a highball glass to the rim with crushed ice.
Pour vodka, rum, lime juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup over the ice.
Top up with soda water.
Garnish with a mint leaf.

Depending on the quantities you use, this drink could serve 1-20 people.

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Monday's Leftovers: Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

partysugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:13:31 -0700

Use leftover Jamaican spiced pork to make a scrumptious island-inspired salad. A simple vinaigrette is made with fresh lime and orange juice, dijon, and curry powder. For the salad, spinach and cabbage are tossed with red peppers, golden raisins, oranges, and avocados. Topped with the spicy pork, this salad is provocative and delicious.

To see how it's made, read more.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad
Modified from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

For vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder, toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
For salad
2 cooked pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lb total)
3 navel oranges
5 oz baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)
4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (from 1 medium head)
1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 firm-ripe California avocados

Directions

Make vinaigrette: whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
Prepare salad ingredients: cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette.
Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges.

Serves 6-8.

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Do You Know Lemons From Oranges?

partysugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:03:51 -0700

Besides being my sister's birthday - Happy Birthday Trish! - today, March 31st, happens to be oranges and lemons' day. To celebrate these citrus fruits, I have put together a quiz. I'll list a type of citrus and you tell me if it's an orange or lemon. Ready, set, go!

Source

Take the quiz