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 :-)