Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake

I am happy to announce that I have a new blog, In Good Flavor.  It will contain recipes that I love, ones that I have always wanted to try, and newly discovered finds.  Unlike Food for the Finicky, the new blog will be more indulgent and adventurous with flavors. 

It has been a fun year and if anyone has added any of the recipes from my blog to their own catalog of recipes, I am honored.  But due to time constraints, I will not continue to post on this blog.  I will focus my attention on the new blog and hope that you will find it pleasing to the palate as well as the eyes.

Thank you all so much for joining me this past year.  I leave you with this Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake which is also located at In Good Flavor.

Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake

Cranberry Cake Layer

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tblsp. butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup whole cranberries

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup whole pecan (divided)

red and blue gel food coloring

Generously coat a 12 cup capacity bundt cake pan with cooking spray.  Dust with a thin layer of flour.  Tap pan to remove excess flour.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

Place all of the pecan in food processor and puree until finely ground.  Divide in half and set aside.  

Place cranberries in the empty food processor and puree.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together  butter  and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat until smooth and consistency slightly thickens, about one minute.  Blend in vanilla and almond extract. 

Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, starting with a third of the flour, then half of the sour cream, another third of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and ending with flour.  Blend in cranberries and half of the ground pecan. 

Fill a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon with 5 parts of red to 1 part of blue food coloring. Blend into batter.  Adjust color as needed to obtain your desired shade.

Pour into the prepared bundt cake pan.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degress F.

Orange Cake Layer

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp. butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 of ground pecan from above

grated orange rind from 2 medium oranges ( 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon grated)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

red and yellow food coloring

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together  butter  and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and beat until smooth and consistency slightly thickens, about 1 minute.  Blend in vanilla extract, almond extract, and grated orange peel. 

Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, starting with a third of the flour, then half of the sour cream, another third of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and ending with flour.  Blend in orange juice and pecans.

Fill a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon with 2 parts yellow to 1 part of red food coloring.  Blend into cake batter.  Adjust color as needed to obtain your desired shade.

Pour into the bundt cake pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into cake.  Allow to cool. 

Frost with Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting.  Sprinkle cake with chopped pecan.  Store refrigerated.

Serving suggestions:  microwave slices of cake for 8-10 seconds before serving.  I find that the consistency of refrigerated cakes tend to be rigid and microwaving brings them back to their original consistency.

Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (reduced fat is fine)

4 oz. butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Whisk cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Add vanilla and almond extract.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth and creamy.

American Chop Suey

Who doesn’t remember the lunch room staple of yesteryear, American Chop Suey?  At least, that is what we call it here in New England.  Made of pasta, tomato sauce, and beef, what is not to like?  To me, it is a little taste of nostalgia.

The American Chop Suey of my past always had green pepper.  I don’t mind green pepper, but it doesn’t like me.  I usually omit it in my cooking, but American Chop Suey just isn’t the same without it.  I use only a small quantity to provide a subtle hint of pepper, but not so much that it overpowers the dish.  My healthy twist on this dish is hidden veggies and a low glycemic, high fiber macaroni.  

American Chop Suey

16 oz. elbow macaroni (I use Dreamfield brand with high fiber and low glycemic index)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1/3 of a green pepper, diced

4 oz. mushroom, finely chopped

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomato

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

2 tsp. sugar

1.5 to 2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat large saucepan on medium high heat.  Add olive oil.  Add ground beef and brown using a wooden spatula to break apart into small crumbles.  When beef is almost entirely brown, add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in the onion, mushroom, green pepper, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes.  Add crushed tomato, tomato sauce, and sugar.  Cover and allow to simmer for 15 -20 minutes.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

Boil pasta according to package direction, but drain when it is al dente (has a slight chew).  Do not cook all the way as it will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Add pasta to sauce.  Transfer to a large oven safe casserole dish or proportion into smaller dishes.  Top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese.  Broil until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

Pork Meatballs and Rice Soup

I can usually get children to eat things that they would not typically eat if I incorporate it into rice.  Cabbage is hidden in the meatballs and in the broth base of this soup.  Although it was not done in this batch, I would sometimes add finely chopped mushroom to the meatballs as well to provide an extra boost of nutrition.  To make it easier to eat, I cut up the pork meatballs before serving to young children.

Personally, I like the rice slightly overcooked, to the point where it splits open.  It absorbs more liquid and thickens the soup even more.  If you don't want to take the rice to this point, feel free to use a full cup of rice in the recipe.  This soup makes warm comforting lunch on a crisp fall day.

Pork Meatballs and Rice Soup

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped onion  

1 large carrot finely chopped

2 tsp. soy sauce

5 (14.5 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

a couple one quarter inch slices of fresh ginger

1 tbsp. olive oil

For Meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork

1/3 cup finely chopped scallion

3/4 tsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1/2 scant tsp. salt

1/2 scant tsp. pepper

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 egg

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.  Roll into 1” to 1.25” meatballs.  Set aside.

Add oil to a large pan on medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, and cabbage.  Sauté for two minutes.  Stir in rice and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and ginger slices.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil on high heat, stir, and reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add meatballs, stirring gently.  Bring to a second boil on high.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 or so minutes.  Remove ginger slices before serving.

Candied Apple Skewers

Here’s the thing.  Candied apples are beautiful to look at.  They come in a variety of base coatings (semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, etc.) and a plethora of decorative toppings.  Some candied apples are just too beautiful to eat.  My problem is that they are not the easiest thing to bite into.  I always have to cut mine into slices and half of the candied coating usually falls off during the process.

My Candied Apple Skewers have all of the components of whole candied apple only so much easier to eat.  It is smaller than the conventional candied apple therefore you don’t have to feel committed to finishing an oversized snack.

The ones pictured on this post are drizzled with semisweet or white chocolate and covered with sprinkles—ingredients I just happen to have today.  But, next time, chocolate with chopped almonds and coconut flakes!

Candied Apple Skewers

1 large unpeeled apple (cored, quartered and cut into 24 chunks)

4 oz. chocolate of choice

half of a lemon

1 cup water

Candied sprinkles or any topping of choice

8 lollipop sticks

1 wooden skewer

Something to stand the apple skewers on (Styrofoam block, or any base  that you can poke holes into) 

Note: 

To make a larger quantity, adjust the chocolate amount according to the number of apples used, 8 oz. chocolate for 2 apples, 12 oz. chocolate for three apples, and so on.

Place water in a small bowl.  Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.  Place cut apples into a bowl of lemon water and allow to sit for a minute.  Remove apples and dry with a paper towels. 

Poke holes through the center of each apple chunk using the wooden skewer (this will allow the lollipop sticks to be inserted easily without splitting the chunks).  Insert three apple chunks on each lollipop stick.  Set aside. 

Place chocolate in a small  microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Stir smooth.  If still lumpy after stirring, microwave at 15 seconds intervals until completely melted.

I didn't have a handy base ready, this half a lemon does the job perfectly!

Use a fork or knife to drizzle chocolate onto apples.  Shake on candied sprinkles.  Stand apple skewers on a base and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, apples can be transferred onto a parchment lined plate.   Keep refrigerated.  Makes about 8 apple skewers.

Cinnamon Sugar Lavash Chips and Cream Cheese Apple Dip

It’s been several weeks since my last post.  August has been a busy month and I’m sorry to say that I haven’t had the motivation to spend the extra hours in the hot kitchen to tweak recipes and take pictures of food.   Luckily, for this blog the end of summer is upon us with fall soon to take its place.  When it does, my nesting instinct should also return and with it more motivation to stay in the kitchen.

To get things moving, here is an easy, light snack using lavash and reduced fat cream cheese.  Lavash is a soft flatbread.  The brand I use, Joseph’s, contains flax and comes in a package of four 9” x 11” inch sheets, each containing 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein, and has only 100 calories.  It is not only good for wraps, but also for making chips and pizza. 

Cinnamon Sugar Lavash Chips and Cream Cheese Apple Dip

2 sheets of lavash                                                                              

4 tsp. sugar in the raw
3 rounded tbsp. apple jelly
1/4 scant tsp. ground cinnamon for dip, plus extra to sprinkle on lavash  
6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
2  rounded tbsp. powdered sugar or 3/4 tsp. White Stevia Powder
3 rounded tbsp. peeled and minced apple
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For dip, place cream cheese, powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.  Place apple jelly in a small ramekin size bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, stir until smooth.  Add to cream cheese mixture.  Whisk until smooth and creamy.  Add minced apple and combine.  Place in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes.

Cut each lavash into 24 triangles using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.  Spray top of lavash with cooking spray.  Transfer to cookie sheets in a single layer, greased side down.  Spray second side of lavash with cooking spray.  Top with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar in the raw.  Bake until light brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Allow to cool on a rack or on top of paper towels.  Serve with dip.

Cheesy Ham Toast

The inspiration for this recipe came from Shrimp Toast.  But, as you can see from the name of this post, it metamorphosed immensely from conception to end product. 

Allow me to explain my thought process.  Since shellfish should be avoided by very young children and since most of the older ones that I know don’t like shrimp, it needed to be replaced.  Then of course, there is the need to add a healthy element (the broccoli).  So, after several recipe revisions in my head and several actual trial runs, I ended up with Cheesy Ham Toast.  The shrimp has been replaced by ham and the cheese was added along with egg substitute as the binding agent.  The final result has very little resemblance to Shrimp Toast, but tasty nonetheless. 

                   

Cheesy Ham Toast

6 slices of Country White bread or any other firm sandwich bread

1 cup coarsely chopped deli honey ham

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cooked broccoli

1/4 cup egg substitute

1.5 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used four cheese pizza blend)

a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper

1 -2 tbsp. olive oil

Place ham, egg substitute, broccoli, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1/4 cup of cheese in a food processor and pulse (for less than a minute) until mixture is minced, but not pureed.  

Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil.  Broil on HIGH until bread turns golden brown, about 1 minute.  Remove from oven, turn slices over and brush the tops with olive oil.  Broil the second side until golden brown.  Remove from oven.

Spread ham mixture on each slice of bread.  Top off with the remaining cheese.  Broil on LOW for about 7-8 minutes or until cheese bubbles and develop light brown spots.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Banana "Ice Cream" Fakeout

So, the only problem I have with this recipe is that I didn’t come up with it myself!  I saw Rachael Ray make this quick and simple “ice cream” using only bananas and milk, and I had to try it.  The consistency is that of soft serve ice cream.   It’s ingenious AND healthy to boot!

In my haste to share this recipe, I didn’t invest too much time playing around with it.  When I’ve found the opportunity to experiment and come up with additional variations, I will share them with you. 

Until then, here’s how to make it.

To get the ice cream into scooping and stacking 

consistency, I froze it  for about 1 hour.

Banana “Ice Cream” Fakeout

Slightly adapted version of Rachael Ray's

3 bananas, frozen and cut into small chunks

1/4 to1/2 cup milk (I used 1% milk)

1 tbsp. agave nectar (optional, for added sweetness)

1 tsp. vanilla extract  

Start by pulsing banana in a food processor to break up the chunks. 

Puree bananas, adding milk, a little bit at a time, until mixture begins to smooth out.   Add vanilla and agave nectar.  Continue pureeing, adding more milk if needed, until mixture becomes thick, smooth, and creamy. 

Rachael says it should take about 2 minutes to whip.  It took me about 5 minutes.  I had to use a spoon to break up and redistribute the semi frozen mixture a couple of times when it seized up in the food processor.

The original recipe says to serve immediately, but if the consistency is too soft, I recommend freezing the ice cream for at least one hour to firm it up. 

Makes about 3 ½ cups.

Chicken and Mozzarella Bite Kabobs

Eating things off a skewer is always fun.  So, mozzarella sticks and chicken on a skewer is double the fun and double the deliciousness.  These baked tasty bites make great treats for the family or for a crowd (this recipe can be easily multiplied).

I recommend taking the time to pre-toast the Panko crumbs to obtain a golden brown finish as the cheese and chicken require a short baking period.  If you don’t have the time, skip the skewering and serve with skewers on the side and dig in!

Chicken and Mozzarella Stick Bite Kabobs

4 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into fifths

1/4 pound boneless chicken breast (slightly more is okay)

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp. milk

1/8 tsp. salt

a pinch of pepper

20 skewers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat egg and milk to make an egg wash.  Set aside.  Place flour in a small bowl.  Set aside. 

Spread Panko crumbs evenly on a cookie sheet.  Bake until crumbs are golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Stir halfway if Panko begins to brown unevenly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Place in a small bowl and stir in Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Working in batches of 4 or 5 pieces at a time, roll mozzarella in flour, shake off excess, dip into egg wash, and roll in Panko mixture.  Place on a plate.  Continue to coat all of the cheese.   Freeze for 1 hour to prevent oozing during baking.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into 20 small bite size pieces (about 1 inch thick each).  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Use the same dredging process as for the mozzarella, dipping in flour, then egg, then Panko.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Can be chilled while waiting for the cheese.  Do not freeze.

Remove mozzarella from freezer after one hour.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Spray top of cheese with cooking spray.  Spray top of chicken with cooking spray.  Bake both in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 8 minutes.  The chicken is done when it becomes white inside; do not over bake.

To serve, work quickly to place one chicken and one mozzarella bite on each skewer.  Serve with marinara sauce.  Makes 20 skewers.

To double the recipe, use these measurements:

8 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into fifths

1/2 pound boneless chicken breast (slightly more is okay)

1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

40 skewers

Instant Oatmeal Cereal Cookies

I wanted to come up with an oatmeal cookie recipe that is unlike any I have ever seen and offers more nutrition than a traditional recipe.  It occurred to me that the perfect solution would be to use a high fiber instant oatmeal cereal as the base.  The one I use is cinnamon flavored with a whopping 10 grams of fiber per packet!  And, because it is a breakfast cereal, it is also enhanced with minerals and vitamins including folic acid.

When you do the math, this recipe uses 8 packets of oatmeal cereal and produces 36 cookies, resulting in cookies that have over 2 grams of fiber each!

It’s a treat I can feel good about eating and serving to the kids.

Instant Oatmeal Cereal Cookies

8 (1.58 oz.) packets of high fiber cinnamon instant oatmeal cereal

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

8 oz. butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup egg substitute

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Combine oatmeal cereal, baking powder and flour.  Set aside. 

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.   Add egg substitute, beating for about 1 minute. It will look lumpy.   Add the dry ingredients and blend well using a wooden spoon.  Dough will be sticky. 

Using a small ice cream scoop (equivalent to one tablespoon), drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Spray hands with cooking spray and press dough into 2” to 2.25” wide discs.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Don’t over bake.  Allow to cool on cooling rack.  Tends to soften when stored at room temp.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Variation:

The guys in my house prefer the drier version slightly more.  For this version, reduce egg substitute to  1/4 cup.  Batter will be thick, using hands to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet is recommended.  No need to spray hands to press cookies flat.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Don’t over bake.

Peanut Buttery Brownie Torte

This is by no means a healthy dessert, but I’m taking the opportunity to add a little bit of goodness to it anyway (with the addition of banana and ground flaxseed).  The banana enables less oil to be used, keeps the brownie moist, and provides just a hint of banana.

You may notice from the recipe that I don’t use a lot of sugar in the frosting as I’m not a fan of super sweet frosting.  Add more sugar to suit your own taste. 

Peanut Buttery Brownie Torte

1 (18.3 oz) package brownie mix

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 medium banana, thoroughly mashed (about 1/3 cup)

2 tbsp. ground flaxseed

4 oz. cream cheese (low fat or regular), room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

8 peanut butter cup candies (miniature size), chopped

Additional oil for prepping cake pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Oil bottom and sides of three 6-inch cake pans.  Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.  Brush top of parchment with additional oil.

Combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, banana, and flaxseed.  Whisk until well blended, about 50 strokes.  Divide batter equally into the three cake pans.  Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  Allow to cool.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter until smooth and creamy.  Remove brownies from pans and peel off parchment paper.  Stack cake layers, spreading frosting and sprinkling peanut butter cups on top of each layer.

Mini Pork Aracini, Asian Style

Aracini is an Italian fried rice ball often stuffed with cheese, with or without meat.  I have put my own little twist and created an Asian version, filled with pork meatballs and no cheese.   To keep it on the lighter side, they are baked, not fried.  

Aborio rice is commonly used to make aracini, but I find that regular white grain rice works well.  All it needs is a little bit of manipulation to bring out the starch to help with binding.  My technique is revealed in below.

I decided to make mini aracini mainly because it is easier for little children to handle and eat.  I have made 2" - 2.5" inch wide ones in the past that turned out really nice.  Just a word of caution, since there is no cheese to bind the rice layer, it might have a tendency to break apart when bitten into if the layer is too thick.  Don't go too thick on the rice.

We enjoy the aracinis as is, but if you must have sauce, a tasty ginger dipping sauce recipe is included below.   Since the ginger sauce might be a little on the exotic side for a lot of children, the sweeter duck sauce is a good alternative.  The little ones I feed prefer the aracini without  sauce.

Mini Pork Aracini, Asian Style

8 oz. ground pork

1/3 cup minced button mushrooms

1 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt 

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 cup uncooked rice

2 cups water

2 eggs

1cup panko crumbs

Boil water in a heavy bottom small saucepan.  Add rice and lower heat to medium low.  Give rice a stir for about 10 seconds.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow rice to sit for 5 minutes.  To bring out the starchiness, use a rubber spatula to stir rice and gently press  as you stir until it becomes sticky, should take about 1 minute.  Spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Add panko crumbs and bake for 3-4 minutes until panko turns light brown.   Remove from oven and stir crumbs around using a spatula.  Set aside.

For the pork filling, place first nine ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add one egg, slightly beaten.  Thoroughly combine all ingredients. 

Slightly beat the second egg and add to cooled rice.  Thoroughly blend.  Scoop about a rounded tablespoon of rice into your palm and form a ball.  Hollow out the ball using a finger to create a well.  To prevent sticking, wet hands with water before handling rice.  Fill well with about 1 teaspoon of the pork filling.  Pack the rice around the pork filling.  Set aside.  Repeat steps for the remainder rice balls.

Roll each aracini in panko crumbs.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Coat aracinis with a generous layer of cooking spray.  Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 25 minutes or until pork is  no longer pink when cut into. Makes about 24, approx. 1.5” to 1.75” arancinis.

Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. finely chopped scallion, greens only

1 tbsp. super fine sugar

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well until sugar is well incorporated.  Allow to rest 15 – 20 minutes before serving.