Citrus Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower with Queso Cotija Dressing

As soon as I saw Mexican chef Pati Jinich prepare this dish on her PBS show, I had to make it. 🙂 I bought beautiful purple cauliflower and purple broccoli at the farm stand to make it extra special. We ate it with Mexican-Style Chipotle-Lime Pork Cutlets.

The salty, cheesy sauce was absolutely incredible. I loved how the vegetables were sliced into steaks instead of florets as well. I trimmed the tough outer portion of each stem but would remove even more next time to make that portion more tender.

This recipe was adapted from Pati’s Mexican Table and patijinich.com, via kcet.org. It was on an episode featuring dishes inspired by Isla Mujeres. I substituted creme fraiche for the Mexican crema. I also modified the method and proportions. Amazing!

Yield: Serves 6

For the Vegetables:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (I used 2 limes)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I used 1 large naval orange)
• 3 chopped chiles de arbol or 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing/drizzling
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds broccoli, cut into 1/4″ vertical slices, including thick part of stem (I used 2 large heads)
• 2 pounds cauliflower, cut into 1/4″ vertical slices, including thick part of stem (I used 1 large head)

For the Queso Cojita Dressing:

• 1/2 cup crumbled queso cotija
• 2/3 cup Mexican crema or creme fraîche
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola oil)
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 2 T water
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

To Prepare the Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. ( I set my oven to convection roast.)
2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a glass measuring cup with a spout, mix the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes (or chile de arbol), 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place the cauliflower and broccoli steaks on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer, making sure that they are not crowded.
5. Evenly pour the orange juice mixture all over the vegetables.
6. Place in the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until well roasted and considerably charred. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To Make the Dressing & To Serve:

1. While the vegetables are roasting, combine the queso cotija, Mexican crema (or creme fraîche), vegetable oil, sherry vinegar, water, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the jar of a blender or mixer. Puree until smooth. (I used a Vitamix.)
2. Serve the broccoli and cauliflower on a large platter and ladle the queso cotija right on top, or let your guests spoon sauce onto their plates and dip their vegetables in the sauce to their liking. (I served the sauce in a bowl on the side.)

Orange-Guajillo Pulled Chicken Tacos

Tacos are always a welcome dinner in my house. New varieties are even more welcome. 🙂

These chicken tacos were a mildly sweet from the fresh orange juice. Because the seeds are removed from the chilies, the finished dish was not spicy at all. They were really delicious with all of the assorted toppings.

This recipe was adapted from 177milkstreet.com. We ate the tacos with refried beans, brown Basmati rice, and street corn on the side. Fresh and fabulous.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 ounce guajillo chilies (5 medium), stemmed, seeded and torn or cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (I used 4 large oranges)
• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 T white vinegar
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Mexican oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed (I used 9 thighs, about 2 1/2 pounds)
• warm tortillas, for serving (I used Trader Joe’s corn-wheat tortillas)
• diced white onion, for serving
• sliced radishes, for serving
• cilantro leaves, for serving
• crumbled queso fresco, feta, or shredded Mexican cheese blend, for serving
• sour cream, for serving
• rice and refried beans, for serving, optional

1. Squeeze the orange juice into a liquid measuring cup.
2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, toast the chile pieces, pressing with a wide metal spatula and flipping halfway through, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes total. (I used a 12-inch stainless steel all-in-one pan.)
3. Transfer to a small bowl and pour in the juice; press on the chilies to submerge. Let stand until the chilies have softened, about 10 minutes. Set the skillet aside. (I placed the chilies in the liquid measuring cup with the freshly squeezed orange juice.)
4. In a blender, combine the chilies and juice, garlic, vinegar, coriander, honey, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. (I used a Vitamix.)
5. Pour the puree into the reserved skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high.
6. Trim the chicken thighs of any excess fat to prevent the finished dish from becoming greasy.
7. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, cover and cook over medium-low, stirring and flipping the chicken halfway through, until tender and opaque when cut into with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. 
8. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate and set aside until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred into bite-size pieces.
9. While the chicken cools, bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring, until thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
10. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
11. Warm the tortillas. (I microwave them in a tortilla warmer with a damp towel for about 1 minute.)
12. Serve the shredded chicken with warm tortillas and assorted toppings, as desired.

Meyer Lemon & Orange Twist Bread

Happy Belated Easter! I made this elegant citrus twist bread for breakfast over Easter weekend. My daughter described it as similar to panettone but without the dried fruit. My son agreed but stated that this was much better. 🙂 It was very moist and tender.

This recipe was adapted from Food 52.com, contributed by Samantha Seneviratne. I used Meyer lemon zest and omitted the grapefruit zest. I also modified the method.

Because of the rise times, I prepared the dough through the first rise two days in advance and completed the second rise and baked it one day prior to serving. We ate it reheated- which was essential. The original recipe suggests sprinkling the top with confectioners’ sugar or drizzling it with glaze. I opted for the simple sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar but know it would also be delicious with the glaze. Lovely.

Yield: 8 servings

For the Dough:

• 1/3 cup warm whole milk (110°F) (I used whole milk)
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

For the Filling and to Finish the Bread: 

• freshly grated orange zest from 3 to 4 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
• freshly grated zest from 3 Meyer lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, optional

To Make the Dough:

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, or a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour, and salt.
3. With the mixer on low, add the yeast mixture, the egg, and the egg yolk, and mix until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, knead this mixture by hand on a clean work surface.) 
4. Add the butter, a bit at a time, and continue to mix or knead the dough until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky. If you’re doing this by hand, you can use a bench scraper to help scoop the dough up as you knead it. It may look like it’s never going to incorporate, but keep kneading and it will.
5. Once the dough is fully incorporated, gather it into a neat ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 2 hours. (I used a proofing oven.) After the dough has doubled, you can punch it down, wrap it well and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days. (I refrigerated it overnight.)

To Make the Filling and to Finish the Bread:

1. In a small bowl, combine the citrus zest, sugar, and salt together using your fingers to release some of the citrus oils. Add the butter and mix until well combined. (I reserved the soft room-temperature butter and spread it over the rolled out dough instead.)
2. Tip the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead it once or twice to expel the air. Roll it out into an 8-inch by 17-inch rectangle.
3. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the bread.
4. Starting from one of the long ends, roll the dough up into a tight coil. Pinch the ends to seal the roll.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise.
6. Transfer the two pieces of dough to a piece of parchment paper, cut sides up. Pinch the two pieces together at one end and then carefully twist the two pieces of dough together. Take care not to stretch the dough and to keep the cut sides up.
7. Coil the twist around to make a wreath and connect the ends, making sure to continue the twisting pattern.
8. Transfer the wreath, on the parchment, to a rimmed baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise. (I used a proofing oven.) It could take up to 2 hours for the wreath to puff so it’s better to keep an eye on the dough rather than the clock. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks puffed and and it rises back slowly when you gently press it with your finger.
9. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
10. Carefully brush the wreath with the egg wash.
11. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 18 minutes, on convection, or up to 30 minutes in a standard oven. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bread should register between 190°F and 200°F.
12. Transfer the wreath to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Notes:

The twist bread can also be drizzled with a simple glaze of room temperature cream cheese mixed with some warm milk and confectioners’ sugar.

The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Vanilla Bean Spritz Cookies

Classic butter cookies are my husband’s absolute favorite, so I had to try this vanilla bean version. He loved them! They are dangerously easy to make too.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used the ground cinnamon option, varied the shapes, and topped the cookies with festive colored sugars prior to baking.

Because the cookies are quite fragile, the original recipe suggests making them into sandwich cookies, filled with chocolate, Nutella, or thick jam, to increase their stability for shipping. We ate them as is!

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

• 1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), preferably cultured, softened
• 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup/55 grams light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or use 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom, OR 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• 2 1/4 cups/290 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• decorative sugar, for sprinkling, optional

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and the zest, spices or almond extract (if using), and mix until well combined and smooth.
4. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour and salt until just incorporated.
5. Load dough into a cookie press. Following the directions that came with your cookie press (models can vary), push the dough onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 to 1 inch between cookies.
6. Sprinkle cookies with decorative sugar.
7. Bake until firm to touch and golden brown at edges, about 8 to 9 minutes, or longer (up to 17 minutes) depending upon the size of your cookie press.
8. Transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Our festive 2020 “Gingerbread Mansion” (photo above). 🙂

Italian Easter Bread Wreath

Happy Easter! I made this sweet and tender orange-scented bread to serve for breakfast with our hard-boiled Easter eggs. The texture was similar to panettone without the dried fruit.

As an aside, I have to share a photo of my Easter cat with his catnip carrot. ❤ We are all very festive in my house!

Because I live in fear of overbaking my sweets, I was disappointed that this loaf was slightly overdone after I had already significantly reduced the baking time in the original recipe. Don’t worry! We still gobbled it up, but, I modified the recipe below. The sweet orange glaze made it a crowd-pleaser.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I weighed all of the dry ingredients and used vanilla and orange extract instead of Fiori di Sicilia. I also reduced the baking time and tented the loaf during baking. Pretty.

Yield: One 10-inch round loaf

For the Starter:

• 120 g (1 cup) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cool water
• 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

For the Dough:

• 269 g (2 1/4 cups) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 67 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract + 1/4 teaspoon orange extract or orange oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed, optional (I omitted it)
• grated peel of 1 large orange

For the Glaze:

• 113 g (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• sprinkles or nonpareils, for decorating

1. To make the bread: Mix together the starter ingredients, cover the bowl, and let rest at room temperature overnight, or for up to 15 hours.
2. Next day, combine the bubbly starter with all the remaining dough ingredients. Mix and knead, using a mixer or bread machine, until the dough is elastic and satiny. We don’t recommend preparing this dough by hand, as it’s quite sticky and challenging to bring together. (I used the beater until the dough came together and the dough hook for about 7 minutes on medium speed to knead the dough.)
3. Grease a large bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it’s noticeably puffy. (I used a proofing oven.)
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, divide it into three pieces, and shape each piece into an 18″-long rope. Braid the ropes together, and connect the two ends to form a wreath.
5. Cover the wreath and allow it to rise until puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
6. Bake the wreath for 10-15 minutes, then tent the loaf with aluminum foil and reduce the oven heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 8-15 minutes. The finished loaf will be golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register at least 190°F. (I baked it at 375°F for 15 minutes, and 350°F for 10 minutes and the internal temperature of the loaf was 205°F.)
7. Remove the wreath from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool.
8. To make the glaze: Stir together the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk or orange juice. Add more liquid 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thin and pourable.
9. Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled braid, then decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Meyer Lemon Pizzelle

I love a crispy pizzelle! I was first introduced to these traditional Italian cookies by a friend who made them every year for our kids’ preschool Christmas celebration. They were so pretty and delicious that I put a pizzelle iron on my holiday wishlist. 🙂 Eating them with ice cream made me understand why my husband loves waffle cones too. This is a wonderful version with subtle lemon flavor.

This special dessert recipe was adapted from a Food 52 community pick, contributed by Hilarybee. I used lemon extract but may try orange next time. I also increased the amount of Meyer lemon zest and added salt.

The original recipe also recommends serving them filled with pastry cream or mousse or sandwiched with a little bit of lemon curd. Yum!

• 3/4 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
  
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (I place them in a bowl of warm water)
  
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pure orange or pure lemon extract
  
• zest of 2 Meyer lemons
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/8 tsp coarse salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  

1. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well incorporated. Note: The eggs must be at least room temperature; cold eggs will result in an unworkable batter.
3. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the mixture, while mixing on medium speed.
4. Add the extracts followed by the zest.
5. On low-speed, add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate between medium and low-speed while beating in the flour. (I turn it to low while pouring in the flour; medium to incorporate the flour before adding more).
6. The batter should have a satin sheen to it, but should be light and stiff. If your batter is too liquid, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time until the batter is stiff.
7. Using a tablespoon scoop, place dollops of batter into the iron. The cookies take about 25-30 seconds in the iron.

Note: Fresh, hot cookies can be rolled or shaped into cups. I shaped them into cups by placing a hot cookie on the base of a juice glass and then topped it with an inverted glass prep bowl. The cookies cool very quickly and maintain the shape.

Irish Soda Scones with Orange Glaze

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I like to try a new version of soda bread as part of our celebration. 🙂 This version was great- light and fluffy with sweetness from the glaze. Everyone really enjoyed them.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used raisins instead of currants, reduced the size and baking time, and made half of the batch with caraway seeds (for me) and half of the batch without seeds (kids!). We ate them for breakfast but they would be wonderful with a cup of afternoon tea as well.

Yield: 18 to 20 scones

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Cut butter into small pieces; work into flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal.
4. Add currants/raisins, caraway seeds, and buttermilk; stir until just combined.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart.
6. Bake until bottoms are golden, about 12 minutes.
7. Let cool completely on baking sheet.
8. Meanwhile, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, and orange zest. Drizzle over scones; serve.

One Year Ago: Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Two Years Ago: Irish Soda Bread Buns

Three Years Ago: Skillet Irish Soda Bread

Four Years Ago:

• Pull-Apart Irish Soda Bread
• Bouchon Bakery Shortbread

Five Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
• St. Patrick’s Day Oatmeal Shortbread