Easy Cranberry Cake

I have a similar cake to this already on the blog, cranberry upside-down cake. I’ve made that cake a number of times, and it is delicious, but when I saw this other recipe for something similar but easier to make (including melted butter rather than creamed), I thought I’d give it a try. I served it for guests the other night and it was a big hit! The taste/texture of the two cakes is very similar, so I think I’ll be making this version from now on :-)  See note at bottom for an explanation of a couple of changes I made to the recipe. 

EASY CRANBERRY CAKE

adapted from the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/easy-cranberry-apple-cake (includes a photo)

serves 8

 

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (1-2 oranges)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1-1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used 2 large eggs and some white from a 3rd egg)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

NB: There is no baking powder or baking soda in the recipe, but don't worry, it comes out fine!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9” square glass baking dish with Pam or other oil.

Combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the cranberry mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Pour/spoon the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. 

Bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. (I haven’t checked bake time yet using a 9” square pan.)

Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: When I opened the oven, I thought I had come close to burning the cake, because the top was quite dark. But it turns out that color was from the cinnamon/sugar topping, which gets baked into a thin layer of batter that remains at the top. The rest of the batter sinks to the bottom during baking, while the cranberries float up. I was surprised! You can see a photo of the finished cake at the link to the original recipe, above.

Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired, but also delicious without. I thought it was even better the next day.

Changes I made to the recipe:

The original includes a chopped apple along with the cranberries. I forgot to put in the apple, but the cake was delicious anyway, and I actually think it’s better not to dilute the focus on cranberries. So I’ve written up the recipe without apple; if you’d like to try it with, see the original recipe for details.

 

The original specified a 10” glass pie plate, which I had on hand. Even without the apples, the plate was filled to the top, and juice from the cranberries bubbled out onto the floor of my oven. To avoid any danger of overflow, I’ve changed the vessel to a 9” square glass baking dish, which I think will do a better job of containing everything; baking time might need to be adjusted a bit. If you have a 10” deep-dish pie plate, I think that would also do well.

 

Salmon with Brothy Beans

This recipe is from Sitka Seafood Market, a company I've been buying salmon from for a number of years. I used to have a subscription, getting several 5-lb boxes a year, but that was too much for me. Now they have an option of buying one box at a time, with a large variety of fish available, an option that is better for me.

I usually cook salmon as part of a sheet pan recipe; my favorite is one with bok choy. This recipe uses a difference process, but is also quite simple, with vegetables sautéed and then cooked in a broth with the beans, the salmon pan-fried separately and then put on top at the end. Very delicious comfort food, and guest appropriate as well.

SEARED SALMON WITH BROTHY BEANS

adapted from https://www.sitkasalmonshares.com/blogs/culinary/recipes/seared-salmon-with-brothy-beans

4 servings

 

20 ounces of salmon, cut into serving-size pieces

3 T. olive oil, divided 

2 carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-cubes

3 c. thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 t. chopped fresh rosemary leaves

½ t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 15-oz can white beans (eg cannellini, navy, or great northern), drained and rinsed

3 c. chicken or vegetable broth (I used two 14.5 oz cans of broth, which was fine)

3 cups (or more) baby spinach

Serve with crusty bread (optional)

 

Remove pin bones from the salmon if it has any. Season the fish with salt and pepper and set aside.

 

In a wide Dutch oven or shallow saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrot and leek, then season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.

 

Add the beans and broth, then season lightly with pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and add it to the skillet, skin side down. Press the salmon gently with a spatula for 30 seconds so it lays flat. Lift the spatula and cook until the salmon is nearly done, 5 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Then turn the salmon and cook for about 30 seconds to lightly cook the surface.

 

Just before serving, coarsely mash a quarter of the beans. Stir the spinach into the bean mixture and cook just until wilted.

 

Divide the brothy beans between shallow bowls and top with the salmon. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Lemony Greek Chicken, Potato, and Spinach Stew (using ground chicken)

I was looking for a relatively simple one-pot dish that would serve for dinner for a couple of nights before Thanksgiving, and I found this recipe in my files. It way surpassed my expectations! The lemon flavor to this dish really lifted it beyond the ordinary. It is definitely guest-worthy!  

I made a couple of changes to the recipe: The recipe called for 6 cups of broth, but commenters mentioned using less for a stew consistency rather than soup, so that's what I did. The recipe still made a hefty 5 servings. Also, the recipe called for dill, with parsley or mint as possible substitute; I went with a combination of parsley and mint. 

LEMONY GREEK CHICKEN SPINACH AND POTATO STEW (using ground chicken)

adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024015-lemony-greek-chicken-spinach-and-potato-stew

4-5 servings

 

8 large garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped

1 red or yellow onion, finely chopped (yellow is fine)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste (I left out)

1 pound ground chicken [or turkey if can’t find chicken]

1 heaping tablespoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary or 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes or 1 t. Aleppo pepper

Black pepper

1½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (ca. 3 medium), scrubbed and chopped into ½-inch chunks (I used only about 1 lb., and I liked the balance with fewer potatoes)

4 cups chicken broth (two 14.5 oz cans worked well)

Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup juice) [fresh lemon juice is important for the flavor]

8-ounces spinach, stems included, roughly chopped, or 1½ cups frozen leaf spinach 

¼ to ⅓ cup lightly packed roughly chopped parsley, mint, or a combination of the two (I used a combination)

Crumbled feta and crushed pita chips, for topping (optional—I skipped)

 

Mince the garlic and finely chop the onion (in a food processor). In a large skillet, pot or Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the onion and garlic are softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes or a little more.

 

Add the chicken, rosemary, oregano, red-pepper flakes and several generous grinds of black pepper. Cook, breaking up the chicken into crumbles, until the meat starts to lose its translucent pinkness and is turning white, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir well to combine. Add the chicken broth and half the lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the heat to maintain a very brisk simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender, 15 minutes.

 

Add the spinach and parsley/mint. Continue to simmer briskly until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Add the remaining lemon juice, as well as salt and pepper, if needed. 

 

If desired, top with with feta and crushed pita chips when serving. But this is also delicious without any toppings!

Great price on an inexpensive espresso machine

For those of you who enjoy espresso drinks, but don't have your own machine, I just noticed that Amazon has a great price right now on the inexpensive espresso machine that I've been using for decades. When I bought another one as a gift back in February, it was $150, but right now it's priced at $84.99.  Enjoy!

And soon, I'll be posting a couple of tasty recipes for you :-)

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

I recently brought this cake to a dinner for ten, and it was much enjoyed by all. I don't make it very often, and then each time I do, I resolve to not wait so long!

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

8-10 servings

adapted from Cooking Light, November 2009

 

Topping:

butter for preparing the cake pan

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 T. butter

6 oz fresh or frozen, thawed, cranberries

 

Cake

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs, separating out whites/yolks (both used in recipe)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. skim milk (other milk also fine)

optional: serve with vanilla ice cream

 

Preheat oven to 350. 

 

To prepare topping, generously butter a 9" round cake pan.  (If you have a “quick-release” pan with a slider, that will help get the cake out; see NOTE at bottom.)  Heat brown sugar and 2 T. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook 2 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.  Pour sugar mixture into prepared cake pan, tilting pan to coat bottom evenly.  Arrange cranberries evenly over sugar mixture.

 

To prepare cake: set out a small, medium, and large bowls.

In the small bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside; this will be stirred into the batter.

 

In the medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a whisk.  

 

In the larger bowl, beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed until well blended and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add egg yolks and beat well.  Beat in vanilla.  Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Then gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  

 

Spoon the batter over the cranberries, spreading evenly.  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  

 

Cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack.  Place a serving plate upside down on top of cake, and invert the cake pan onto the plate.  Let stand 5 minutes and remove the pan.  Serve warm (or see below for making further ahead).  

 

NOTE: I have also made the cake as much as a day before serving. I left it in the pan until ready to serve.  When I used a pan with a "slider" to loosen it, it came out easily.  When I used a pan without a slider, I had to work to loosen some of the bottom as well as the sides, and lost some around the edges.  

Fresh Tomato Tart

I am starting to get some tomatoes from my garden, but not enough yet to make a batch of spaghetti sauce, so my eye was caught by this recipe for a fresh tomato tart in David Lebovitz's blog. I had one large Purple Cherokee tomato on hand and a few tomatoes like Roma but a larger (I forget the name of the variety), and that was plenty for the tart. It was delicious! The crust is unusual in its inclusion of cornmeal, a very nice addition.  Because the tart bakes for about 40 minutes, I think this would likely be fine with grocery store Roma tomatoes if you don't have any home-grown or farmer's market tomatoes. I served it as a side dish with eggplant parmigiana. It would also be nice with some soup or a hearty salad.

FRESH TOMATO TART

adapted from https://davidlebovitz.substack.com/p/fresh-tomato-tart

serves 6 as a side dish

 

For the dough

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup polenta or cornmeal

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

5 tablespoons ice water, plus more if necessary

 

For the tart

about 3 T. Dijon or whole-grain mustard

3 medium tomatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 ounces ricotta (whole milk or part skim)

1-1/2 tablespoons melted butter (I used a little less)

Parmesan cheese, grated

To make the dough, mix together the flour, polenta, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. or (and use a pastry blender or your fingers to mix the dough). Add the cubed, cold butter and cut into the flour with a pastry blender (or blend in with your fingers) until the pieces of butter are the size of large corn kernels. Add the water mix with a spoon and/or your hands until the dough starts to come together. If the dough feels too dry to do that, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. (I used about another 1-1/2 T.) Use your hands to gather the dough and shape the dough into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative and chill for at least an hour. (The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

To make the tart, preheat the oven to 400. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and, holding the disk of dough perpendicular to the counter, rap the sides of the dough on the counter, turning it as you go, to soften the edges, which helps them stay together and not get too ragged when you’re rolling out the dough.

On a lightly floured countertop or large silicone mat, roll the dough out to a 14-inch circle, turning the dough and sprinkling more flour on the counter and the dough to keep it from sticking as you’re rolling.

Place the dough on a flat (not rimmed) baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread a layer of mustard on the dough, leaving a couple of inches empty around the perimeter, which you’ll fold over the filling later. 

Slice the tomatoes about 1/3-inch thick and layer them in concentric circles, overlapping them a little, over the mustard. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. 

Place chunks of ricotta cheese over and, in some places, partially tucked under the tomatoes.

Fold the edges of the dough over the tomatoes to make an outer crust. Brush the edges of the dough with melted butter and grate Parmesan cheese over the entire tart, including the crust. 

Bake until the tomatoes are soft and cooked through and the crust is dark golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Slide the tart off the pan onto a wire rack and let cool for about ten minutes before putting on a large round plate to serve.

Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler

This recipe was quite easy to make and really good. The only time-consuming part was hulling and slicing the berries. I think it would be nice with other fruit as well--I think I'll try peaches next.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE SKILLET COBBLER

https://www.driscolls.com/recipes/strawberry-shortcake-skillet-cobbler

8 servings

 

To serve 9-10 people instead of 8, up the strawberries to 40 ounces and add just a tad more sugar and cornstarch. Everything else can stay the same.

32 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 T. cornstarch

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 T. baking powder

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup milk

pinch salt

1 large egg

 

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.

 

GREASE a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter. (I used a 10.5” stainless steel straight-sided skillet, which worked well.) I think the 8-serving version would probably also work in a 9” square bake pan, but I’d put it on a sheet pan in case it might bubble over.

 

In a large bowl, COMBINE strawberries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

 

In another large bowl, WHISK together the flour, cornmeal, remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and baking powder. Add butter and salt and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is incorporated. (I started with a pastry cutter and then continued with my fingers.)

 

WHISK egg and milk in a small bowl and then stir into the flour mixture. Set aside the batter.

 

SCRAPE strawberries and juices into the skillet.

 

DROP batter by the spoonful onto strawberries. (The “islands” will merge together as the cobbler bakes.)

 

BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until the top of the cobbler is golden brown.

 

REMOVE from the oven, and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

TOP cobbler with whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1 T. confectioners sugar), vanilla ice cream, or low-fat vanilla cream (recipe here).