Gastronome Tart

Clementine Cake with Citrus Glaze

The bright spot in the produce aisle during the dreary days of winter (Okay, let's admit, it hasn't been that dreary this winter. But, it's still winter right?) has been the arrival of clementines. Clementines are seriously one of my favorite citrus fruits and for good reason. They are not only delicious, but easy to peel and seedless! Holla! 

This type of tangerine is also prevalent in the celebration of the lunar new year as the chinese word for luck and wealth sounds similar to tangerine and orange. Since the celebration is still in full swing (the lunar new year is celebrated for 15 days) why not bring a bit of that luck into baking? 

This cake would be perfect for a dessert or paired with a nice cup of java for a morning piece of cake (Yes, I like to start my day with cake at times. Hello! Doughnut?) Enjoy!

 

Clementine Cake with Citrus Glaze

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons finely grated clementine zest, plus 1/2 cup clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)

2 tablespoons cointreau orange liqueur

3/4 cup low-fat greek yogurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons clementine juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Make the cake: Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, scraping down as needed about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the zest, juice and liqueur.

4. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions yogurt and beat to combine; beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to pan, smooth top and firmly tap pan on a flat surface to remove air bubbles.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

6. Invert cake onto rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely (With a serrated knife,  trim cake to sit flat if necessary)

7. Make glaze: Whisk together confectioner's sugar and clementine juice until smooth. Spoon glaze evenly over cake and let sit for an hour.

Source: Sara Carey 

Gastronome Musings- My Favorite Web Finds for 01.28.2012

Okay, so I fell off the detox wagon a couple of times this week. But, come on! How could I have resisted going out for Ethiopian or resist that chocolate chip cookie craving or the hot chocolate craving (Okay, the last one wasn't that bad. I did make it with almond milk!) No matter how many times I fell off this week, I must admit that I am very proud for having lasted this long and for not giving into every single craving that I did have. While my yearly detox is almost over (Tuesday to be exact), I still anticipate on keeping up with my healthy lifestyle majority of the time, because let's get real, I love to bake!

In case you missed it, here is what was featured this week on Gastronome Tart:

 

Guest Post at Ryan Bakes: A Chinese New Years Celebration

 

 

Quinoa-Oat Clusters

 

Most Popular Post This Week:

Bacon-Lobster Mac and Cheese

 

Better Than Milky Way Bars- That Skinny Chick Can Bake. I noticed this recipe on Cravings of a Lunatic's blog as a guest post and was immediately hooked. The layers look so scrumptious and since I absolutely LOVE Milky Way bars (only time I eat them would be around Halloween of course) I was hooked on this dessert!

Chickpeas with Delicata Squash, Kale and Coconut Milk- Healthy Green Kitchen. Winnie always seems to make the most delicious and healthy dishes for her family and since I absolutely am addicted to chickpeas and love coconut milk and kale, I thought this would be the Holy Grail of healthy food bowls. I am looking forward to cooking this and sometime soon.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies- Katherine Martinelli Blog. I apparently must be behind the times as well. You see this recipe was blowing up the foodie blogosphere back in 2010 with the release of Kimy Boyce's Good to the Grain cookbook. I am hooked on the fact that these are made from 100% whole wheat! Yum!

 

As the hubby and I were watching the television one night a few weeks ago, we were taken aback by the McDonald's commericial that was featuring Mickey D's "farmers" stating how proud they were to be part of McDonald's. It was practically SCREAMING Olive Garden all over it (anyone remember their commercial stating how their "chef's" were trained in Italy? Puh-leese!) So, it came as no surprise to me when McDonald's planned Twitter party was apparently ruined by stories of bad experiences with the brand rather than positive. Is anyone surprised? Sometimes those hash tags companies try to get us to use can be a bad thing. Although, I must admit, I do love their fries. Come on now. You know you do too.

 

Have a Great Weekend!

 

Quinoa-Oat Clusters

 

I must admit, that while I am not one to be a 100% health food nut, there has always been something about quinoa baked goods that has piqued my interest. Seeing that I am in the final stretch of my Whole Living Action Plan detox, it would come as no surprise that these healthy goodies have arrived on my plan this week.

 

        



    

 

I personally love these clusters, however my husband wasn't too fond of the texture of them. I think he was looking for something a little more "cookie" like. To that, I explain that we will be able to eat cookies (in moderation of course!) again someday, but that in the meantime, I find these absolutely a delightful and healthy snack that I will be sure to snack on long past the end of my yearly detox. Besides, as a beekeeper, anything with honey is a good thing! Enjoy!

 

 

Quinoa-Oat Clusters

Makes 18

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup honey

2 large egg whites

Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Combine oats, quinoa, macadamia nuts, dried fruit and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon salt until foamy. Pour over dried fruit and stir to combine.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop 3 tablespoons mixture (using an ice cream scoop) and pat into a 3-inch round on baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until clusters are golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

{Source: www.wholeliving.com}

Guest Post at Ryan Bakes: A Chinese New Years Celebration

 

 

I'm guest posting over at the lovely Ryan Bakes blog today! Ryan is a dear blogging friend of mine whom many of you may have heard about our foodie meetups with Courtney from Cook Like a Champion. Ryan is celebrating her 5th wedding anniversary in one my favorite towns this week: New York City! So, stop on by and say hello.

In celebration of the New Lunar Year, I have made New Year's Dumplings and Wok Fried Noodles. Surprisngly easy to make and absolutely delicious. I made each dish to symbolize something within the New Year, so stop on by, say hello and hopefully make some of these scrumptious dishes in celebration of the New Year with your  family. Enjoy!

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year's! Having visted Beijing back in 2010 and due to being a self-professed gastronome, this holiday is one of my favorites for food (Check out my slideshow of everything I ate in China on our Facebook Page) and also because of my love for the Chinese people. I wanted to give all us foodies out there a warm welcome to 2012: The Year of the Dragon!

 

The year of the dragon symbolizes success and happiness, and with what our country (and the world) has been through economically these past few years, we could all use some! The Chinese mark the Lunar New Year with 15 days of amazing food and fun throughout not only China but around the world as well. Due to this 15 day stretch, we will be celebrating throughout this week not only on Gastronome Tart, but with a guest post on one of my favorite blogger's site. Stay tuned for some yummy Chinese food and Happy New Year!

 

Gastronome Musings- My Favorite Web Finds for 01.22.2012

Week two people! Week two! I'm down two weeks of the detox with one more to go (okay two if you count the "bonus" week) and although I do plan to stick to a more clean diet throughout the majority of the week, the Milkbar cookbook I received for Christmas has been calling my name. I am so excited to try the like's of cornflake-marshmallow-chocolate-chip-cookies. Cornflake marshmallow, say what?! Yes, that's right in a cookie! Okay, so I must admit that the majority of what is in that book sound just as amazing and I can't wait to get in and start baking! 

However, until that time arrives, here is what was featured this week on Gastronome Tart:

 

Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Toasted Walnuts

 

Most Popular Post This Week:

Walnut-Crusted Chicken Breasts

 

Bubble Gum Ice Cream- A Spicy Perspective. I just love Sommer's creations and dishes that she put's up on her blog, so when I came across this recipe for my childhood favorite for Bubble Gum Ice Cream, I swear nostalgia hit me. I remember when I was a kid this was my favorite ice cream and I would always get an extra cup to put my bubble gum in. Ahhh... the beauties of parenthood and what my parent's were thinking when I would bring that cup home!

Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake- Buttercream Blondie. Megan over at Buttercream Blondie is another one of my favorites in this blogging world of ours. She makes the absolute most beautiful and delicous desserts (Remember the goat cheese ice cream I made? Yes, her recipe!). I myself have been dreaming up meyer lemon desserts and when I saw what Megan had cooked up using them, I was excited. Besides lemon curd, fruit and cake is my idea of a good time!

Multi-Grain Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins- Food Doodles. This is the perfect recipe for after my detox when I feel like baking yet still would like to incorporate healthy ingredients. The pumpkin, quinoa flour and kamut flour make a muffin a bit more nutritious.

Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Toasted Walnuts

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I absolutely LOVE kale. However, I have not always embraced raw kale. There was just something about it that I did not like. But, I kept trying new  recipes that involved this leafy vegetable until I must admit, I like kale in all it's forms.

While this salad is extremely easy to make, the flavor combination is absolutely delicious. The tartness from the pomegranate seeds mixed in with the crunch of the kale and walnuts makes this a superb meal. I have to say that at first I didn't know if I would like this salad that much, however, it is now in my recipe arsenal for healthy, easy and delicious salads that would be perfect for a first course dinner during the winter month's or for lunch anytime of the week. Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Toasted Walnuts

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, torn

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1/2 fruit)

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Coarse salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine the olive oil, lime juice, ginger and whisk until combined.

2. Add pomegranate seeds, red onion, walnuts and dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Gastronome Musings- My Favorite Web Finds for 01.15.2012

 
Almost there. Almost done with week one of my yearly detox. Sure, I have a couple more weeks to go, but let's be honest here. I run a food blog. A blog that is filled to the brim with all things sweet and savory. Hardly one that people would frequent for healthy recipes (okay well, sometimes). Besides, the web is full of "food porn" and I like to think that while not everything I post on here intices everyone's taste buds, a large variety of it does in my opinion :) So, thanks for sticking it out with me in the New Year in my yearly quest to be more healthy. I do promise that there will be lot's of savory and sweet concoctions coming and soon. Come on people! We have Chinese New Year's, my blog's first anniversary and parties coming up!

 

In case you missed it, here is what was featured this past week on Gastronome Tart:

 

 Dried Fruit and Nut Bites

 

 

Detox Green Smoothie

 

 

Most Popular Post This Week:

Walnut-Crusted Chicken Breasts

 

 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon- A Spicey Perspective. While bacon and brussels sprouts have been a culinary pairing for a very long time, I loved the addition of beer to the recipe! Besides, a nice IPA would taste fantastic with brussels sprouts, so why not together?

Snowball Fight Cupcakes- Hungry Happenings. I absolutely loved these cupcakes that come with a downloadable template for a cute cupcake liner. Perfect for a children's winter party. I loved not only the recipe but the cuteness behind it as well!

Roasted Carrot and Pistachio Soup- Buried Carrots. Now this is a recipe that I can actually enjoy during my detox and as a healthy meal anytime. I love the pairing of carrots and pistachios. Yum!

 

Eveytime I make meatloaf or even think about meatloaf, I think about Will Ferrell in the movie Old School, yelling in his bathrobe wearing, nunchuck bearing self: Ma! Ma! Meatloaf! Meatloaf ma!  

This is thanks in part not only because one of my closest friends Britany pointed it out to me, but because of the fact that let's face it. We all love meatloaf. So, why not make a special pan for it? You know, one that you could actually pull the meatloaf out in one unit in all it's meatloaf glory and heck, throw in a pan that the extra drippings can drip into, because come on, we don't need that extra grease do we?

While this meatloaf pan has been out for a while, I just recently read some reviews on it and everyone seems to love it. So, if greasy, messy, meatloaf has you down, this would be your solution.

 

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Rumours have been flying rampant in the past few weeks that TV cooking personality Paula Deen is to address rumours that she has had type 2 diabetes and for years! 

If this is true, while I do feel sorry that she will have to live with this disease. Let's be honest, anyone who makes a cake that has 17 sticks of butter in it and tell's new cooks who are looking to remodel their kitchen that a commercial deep fat fryer should be put into the kitchen, should think twice about such dangerous repercussions in telling the public that butter and oil is the epitome of a southern diet. Because, as we all know, this could be the outcome.

 

Detox Green Smoothie

I remember years ago when the hubby and I first signed up for our CSA, we were bombarded with kale. Week after week it seemed to be chock full of the same thing: Kale! 

What is this? The kale CSA?

However, all in all we grew to absolutely love it. I made everything from kale soup, to sauteéd kale, to kale chips as snacks. You name it and we made it. But, the one thing I never made was a kale smoothie.

Sure, we have all seen and drank those Green Machine Smoothies from Naked Juice. You know, the ones that incorporate spinach and make it taste like a banana smoothie? Genius!

Which is why I was all game to try this detoxing smoothie for my yearly detox that I am partaking on at the moment (Headache? What headache? Oh yeah... caffeine free too. Yikes!). Kale is considered a major super food. I could go on and on about it's benefits, but I will let WebMD do all the talking for me.

Although this is jam packed with leafy greens, the mango and pineapple gives it a sweet kick. I added a bit more of the pineapple than was called for as I felt that it tasted just a tad bit too leafy. Whichever way you choose to make it, it is a simple and delicious way to start your morning and to jump start 2012! Enjoy!

Detox Green Smoothie

Adapted from wholeliving.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 chopped romaine leaves

4 chopped kale leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs

1 cup cut pineapple

1/2 cup mango

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1.5 cups water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender. Blend and then enjoy! Mixture may be a little thick, so keep on blending until you reach your desired thickness. 

Dried Fruit and Nut Bites

 

I may be a week or two late, however I am just now  getting around to my resolutions and every single year it starts with the same thing: Eat more healthy. And every single year it starts with WholeLivings Detox Action Plan. I have literally been doing this detox plan every single year since it came out. Every single year is different and this year, seems to be chock full of whole foods and smoothies. 

So, with out further a do, here is one of my snacks that I will be imbibing on this upcoming month. They are absolutely delicious and very simple to make. I am always on the lookout for homemade snacks that are easy to take on the go and these definitely fit that criteria. 

This recipe calls for mixted dried fruit. I ended up using a blend of cranberries, blueberries, cherries and mangoes. They were and are absolutely delicious. Enjoy!

Dried Fruit and Nut Bites

Serves 5 (Makes 20)

Recipe from Wholeliving.com

 Ingredients

2 cups dried fruit

2 cups raw mixed nuts, toasted

Dash of Cinnamon

Dash of Kosher Salt

1/3 cup raw sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse the fruit and transfer to a bowl.

2. Pulse 2 cups mixed nuts until finely chopped.

3. Add to dried fruit with the cinnamon and salt.

4. Knead together and form 1-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop)

5. Roll each ball in the sesame seeds.