Red Curry Chicken

This is going to be a super quick post. I wanted to get to this sooner, but had a really lazy morning, so here it is.
I saw this recipe on Prudence Pennywise a couple of weeks ago and since I absolutely LOVE red curry paste and this recipe looked super easy, I made it on a random weeknight.
I have made tons of Prudy's recipes and they always turn out fabulously. Always. I had absolutely no doubt that this one would be any different.
I used apricot preserves at the end and they really tone down the red curry paste, so that it isn't too spicy at all.
Prudy suggested that you could sub garbanzo beans for the chicken to make it vegetarian, but I thought it was a great addition, so just threw a can of them in with the mix.
Very good.
Very easy.
Make sure you come back tomorrow for National Bundt Day!

Recipe for Red Curry Chicken on Prudence Pennywise

Crawfish Etouffee and a Birthday Girl

This is my little Ry-Bear. Today she turns 5 years old.
She is the one who has been begging me to buy crawfish everytime we go to the grocery store.
So, I finally did.
She was so happy. A few of them still had claws and everything!
Now, being the non-Southerner that I am, I had absolutely no idea what to do with these little guys- heads and all.
That is where Margaret stepped in to help. I left a comment on her blog, Tea and Scones, when she posted a shrimp recipe and she got back to me about some different ways that I could cook these guys.
Luckily, my kids are pretty fearless. They did all the head removing for me. I was going to post a picture of them in action, but it made me sick to my stomach. I am a weakling!
Anyway, I decided to make the Crawfish Etouffee. It is really quite simple. You melt some butter- I used 2 Tbls, add chopped onion and red bell pepper, season it up (I used Creole seasoning), add the crawfish and let it cook for a few minutes. Then you serve it over rice.
I can't even tell you how much my kids loved this. They had heaping plates full and then, had 2nds. They told me they want to try scallops and clams next.

Now if the birthday girl could just figure out what kind of b-day cake she wants. First it was princesses, but now she wants green frosting that tastes like pink, so she can cover it with dinosaurs and jungle animals. (She is a good combo of girly-girl and tomboy.) Should turn out interesting. Life always is with our little Bear!

Recipe for Crawfish Creole

Recipe for Crawfish Etouffee

One Year Ago-Minestrone and Easy Breadsticks

Summer Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Mushrooms in Light Green Curry

Time to announce the winners of the giveaway. I used my own personal random number generator- my 7-yr old son. I told him to pick 2 numbers between 1 and 77 and he chose-56 and 39.
So the winners are: # 39-Cat who said "What fabulous books! I would love to win the LunchBoxes and Snacks one, but mmmm.... cupcakes! :)"
and #56-Would love to win!!!
stutzman.cara@yahoo.com
Update: Cat- if you see this please email me, so I can send you your cookbook! my email address is on the right hand corner of my blog. Thanks!

I will be emailing both of you asap and getting your cookbooks out in the mail.
Thanks to everyone that entered!

Now, onto today's delicious food.
This is another recipe from a great cookbook called- The Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen.
I have posted about the Artichoke Heart and Spinach Gratin , the Eggplant, Green Bean, Pumpkin&Basil in Tomato- Coconut Curry and the Spaghetti Squash Pancakes with Tomato Basil Jam.

I have been wanting to try this recipe- Summer Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli and Mushrooms in Light Green Curry- for a long time. I served this with the Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce we had a couple of weeks ago because I thought the 2 dishes together would make a great meal.

This one sounds long and complicated, but it isn't. It just has lots of veggies and it really delicious.
I think that green curry is pretty mild and my kids handle it well. I served this over rice. My kids and hubby weren't crazy about this one, but I was. They ate it without complaining, but I didn't really get any great compliments. But, it is full of veggies, so I wouldn't really expect someone who craves McDonalds (hubs) to get too excited. The fun thing is that I am in charge of the cooking, so I make it and everyone eats it.

If you like green curry or curries made with coconut milk, I think you will find that this is a delicious one. Enjoy!


Summer Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Mushrooms in Light Green Curry
by Mollie Katzen adapted from The Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without

2 tsp green curry paste
1 14-oz can light coconut milk- abt 1 3/4 cups
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth too)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2-3 Tbls Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick half-rounds
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick half-rounds
2 cups small cauliflower florets
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 medium carrot, in 1/4-inch diagonal slices (I used baby carrots)
1/2 pd small mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup toasted cashews

1- Combine the curry paste, coconut milk and broth in a medium-large saucepan and whisk until smooth.
2- Add the lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
3- Stir in the fish sauce or soy sauce. Add the squash, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, and mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Add the cilantro at the very last minute, then serve hot- plain in a bowl, or over rice, topped with cashews if desired.

One Year Ago-Chocolate Chip Cookies 2 ways- Oatmeal Date and Dorie's fave

Hidden Rainbow Albondigas

I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light. This was one of the category finalists for the family dinners section of their recipe contest. I have seen other recipes for Albondigas and thought that they sounded really interesting, but I really loved the amount of vegetables that were in this particular recipe. I changed a couple of things like using fresh bell peppers instead of frozen and using only chicken broth, instead of some chicken and some beef. I also just used a regular onion instead of a sweet onion becauce that is what I had on hand.
This dinner did take awhile to put together, but it got alot of raves and made such a large amount that we had 2 meals worth of leftovers. My kids loved the meatballs and even the other adults thought the soup had great flavor and wanted to eat it warmed up later.
We really liked this and I can see why it was one of the finalists in the contest.

Hidden Rainbow Albondigas adapted from Cooking Light
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bell peppers, diced (I used red and orange)
3/4 cup diced carrot
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
3 (32-ounce) cartons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded yellow squash
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper stir-fry to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chiles, and broths; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until carrot is tender.
2. Place one-third of broth mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining broth mixture. Return to pan.
3. Combine chicken, pork, squash, cilantro, 1/4 cup rice, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and egg in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until blended. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Drop meat mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls (about 45 meatballs) into broth mixture. Add remaining 1/2 cup rice to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until meatballs are done. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir in juice.

Up Next- Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Three-Grain Risotto with Asparagus Spears

Okay- I confess. I am obsessed with risotto. You probably already know this if you ever look at my blog. I have tried it with all types of grains, vegetables, seasonings, spices and everytime I love it.
This Cooking Light recipe uses arborio rice, quinoa, and instant barley. A nice combination of grains. I love all of those grains and I was excited to see how a combination of the three would turn out.
I also really like asparagus, as do my kids and it was perfect with this risotto.
This recipe was a little bit creamier than some of the others that I have tried-I think because of the milk and cheese that is added near the end, but the extra creaminess was very delicious.
I ordered risotto at a restaurant recently and was very disappointed by the taste. It was practically soup. Does anyone have any recommendations of a good place to order risotto? Even if you do, I will probably just keep making it at home. I tend to think you can make almost anything at home that will be just as good or better than eating out. But that is just me.

Three-Grain Risotto with Asparagus Spears from Cooking Light

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed (I omitted this)

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)

1/2 cup uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice

1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley

1/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup dry white wine ( I used chicken broth)

1 cup water

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 asparagus spears, steamed

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Bring saffron and broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil).

Keep warm over low heat.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add rice, barley, and quinoa; sauté 2 minutes.

Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1 cup water; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total).
Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients (cheese through pepper). Top with asparagus spears, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Up Next- Craving Ellie- Salmon and Lentils and Barefoot Bloggers- Chinese Chicken Salad

Rice Pudding Cake with Blueberry-Peach Compote

My younger brother had a birthday this past week. I told him a couple of weeks ago to find a cake he wanted me to make for his birthday celebration. We looked at a couple of things together and then he told me he wanted a cake made out of oats with rice pudding in between the layers. Gross? Yeah. I told him I didn't think that was going to work.
So, then I thought that maybe I could find a rice pudding cake. Sure enough, I searched on epicurious.com, and found this Rice Pudding Cake that appeared in Bon Appetit Magazine about 12 years ago.
I decided this was the cake for Andrew.
I know it might sound a little strange, but it was a huge success.
You just make rice pudding as you normally would on the stovetop, let it cool a bit and add a egg yolk/sugar mixture. You let that cool a little and then add in the egg whites that have been beaten to stiff peaks. Then you bake the "cake" in the oven for an hour and it becomes firm enough that you can slice it into cake slices.
The compote originally called for cherries and apricots, but I had blueberries and peaches in the freezer, so I just used those. It was delicious.
For any of you rice pudding lovers, you should really try this take on rice pudding!

Rice Pudding Cake with Cherry-Apricot Compote Bon Appétit May 1997
(TORTA DI RISO CON COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE)
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
4 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain rice

Pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

1/2 cup chopped blanched slivered almonds (about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel (I used crystallized ginger)

2 teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

4 large eggs, separated

Powdered sugar

*Cherry-Apricot Compote

Bring milk to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until most of milk is absorbed and mixture is thick but still creamy, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes (mixture will resemble thick rice pudding). Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust pan with breadcrumbs. Mix almonds, candied orange peel, lemon peel and almond extract into rice mixture. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Stir into rice mixture.

Cool completely.

Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into rice mixture in 2 additions. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Run small sharp knife around cake to loosen. Release pan sides from cake. Place cake on platter. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Cut into wedges and serve with Cherry-Apricot Compote.

*Cherry-Apricot Compote Bon Appétit May 1997
(COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE)
Delicious with the Rice Pudding Cake or with biscotti or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine (I used white grape juice)

2 teaspoons grated orange peel (I used lime peel)

1 1/2 pounds apricots, halved, pitted, sliced, or one 1-pound package frozen sliced peaches (no sugar added) (I used frozen peaches)

1 1/4 pounds fresh Bing cherries, pitted, or one 1-pound package frozen pitted dark sweet cherries (no sugar added) (I used frozen blueberries)

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Bring to boil. Add apricots and cherries; simmer until fruit is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Coming Tomorrow- Whole Wheat Pitas

Orange Rice Pudding

I have this thing for rice pudding. Thanks to Tuesday's with Dorie, now whenever I see a recipe for rice pudding, I have an urge to try it and compare it to Dorie's recipe. I think that rice pudding is pretty much always on the light side as far as desserts go, even if it is made with whole milk, but this was a lighter version I saw in Woman's Day Magazine. I love the combination of orange and cardamom, so I put this little dessert on the menu.
We liked it. I still think that Dorie's recipe is the best one I have tried, but this one was good. If you don't like cardamom or aren't familiar with it, I would reduce the amount or go with cinnamon. I really love cardamom and can't get enough of it, so I thought is was a great combination.
I recently stocked up on Arborio rice since I have fallen in love with risotto and rice pudding. Great stuff, that arborio. I can't wait to try more rice pudding.

Orange Rice Pudding from Woman's Day
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
INGREDIENTS
2⁄3 cup Arborio rice

8 cups water

Pinch of salt

4 cups protein-fortified fat-free milk

3 Tbsp each packed light brown sugar and granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄2 tsp grated orange zest

1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
PREPARATION
1. Place rice in sieve. Rinse under cold water, stirring with fingers to remove excess surface starch. Place in a 5-qt saucepan with water and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain rice; return to pot.

2. Stir milk and sugars into rice, stirring to dissolve sugars. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a slow simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently at first and constantly toward the end, for about 25 minutes, or until rice doubles in size, is very soft and tender, and milk has the consistency of heavy cream (mixture will be very liquidy).

3. Pour into a bowl; stir in vanilla, orange zest and cardamom. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours, before serving.

Orange Rice Pudding Parfaits: For each parfait, spoon 1⁄4 cup orange rice pudding into a glass, then top with 3 orange sections, 1 Tbsp thawed reduced-calorie whipped topping and 1 tsp fat-free butterscotch caramel topping. Repeat layers

Up Next- Roll-ups with Peas, Turkey Bacon and New Potatoes

Parmesan-Carrot Risotto

I love risotto. It sounds so fancy. But, it really isn't hard to make. I make it all the time, because it is so delicious and simple, really.
I saw this risotto recipe and thought it would make a great lunch, accompanied with a light salad. I used mostly arborio rice because I had it in the pantry, but it calls for plain, old, normal white rice.
The thing I love about risotto is how smooth and creamy it is. It is warm and inviting. Yummy!

Parmesan-Carrot Risotto adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food
Prep: 40 minutes Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4.
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
6 medium carrots, grated
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice (I used 1 cup of arborio and 1/4 cup long grain)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a saucepan, bring broth and 2 cups water to a bare simmer over medium.
In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in rice. Add 1/2 cup broth; cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups hot broth; simmer over medium-low, stirring frequently, until mostly absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is creamy and just tender, about 20 minutes (you may not need all the broth).
Remove risotto from heat. Stir in Parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Coming Tomorrow- Tuesday's with Dorie

Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Syrup

I recently discovered that I really like rice pudding. I had never really had it before, but we made it for Tuesdays with Dorie and I made it twice, just to get it right. Well, this variation looked really yummy and so, I made it just to see which recipe I liked better. The pomegranate syrup and seeds added a perfect splash of flavor and color to this dessert. I doubled the recipe, because I knew it wouldn't last long.
Be careful with the syrup on this one. I cooked mine a little too long and after I served up the first few dishes, it was close to being soft candy. Delicious, but a little hard to pour, if you know what I mean.
I personally like Dorie's recipe better, but this rice pudding is still very good.

Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Syrup from Cooking Light
Pudding:
3 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Syrup:
2 large pomegranates, halved crosswise
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

To prepare pudding, combine 3 cups milk, rice, 1/3 cup sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Combine 1/2 cup milk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Gradually stir about one-fourth of warm rice mixture into egg mixture; add to pan, stirring constantly. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Refrigerate, if desired. Pudding can be served warm or cold.
To prepare syrup, squeeze juice from the pomegranate halves using a citrus reamer or juicer to measure 1 cup. Combine juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently.
Drizzle the syrup evenly over pudding, and sprinkle with seeds.

Coming Tomorrow-Indian Cauliflower Curry Stew

Chicken Fried Rice

This is the busiest time of the year. There is so much to do and so little time to do it! That is why it is nice to have easy recipes that use leftovers and items that you already have in your fridge.
This is a really quick recipe that is perfect for a busy weeknight. It comes together in a matter of moments. I took the picture the morning after we ate this and thought it was funny because the rice kept the shape of the container. You can use whatever veggies are in your fridge and add cooked shrimp, ham, pork, or leave out the meat all-together. Easy peasy and fast too!

Chicken Fried Rice by Mary Ann

1 Tbls canola oil

6 green onions, sliced

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

2 cups day-old cooked rice, brown or white

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbls soy sauce

1 Tbls grated fresh ginger

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, green pepper, celery, and mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add rice, chicken, salt, and pepper. Toss and cook until hot and golden. Stir in soy sauce and ginger. Move this mixture to the side and add the eggs; cook and scramble, mixing them into the rice. Serve.

Note- Other cooked meat can be substituted for the chicken and other veggies can be substituted or added.

Coming Up Next- The Lunchbox returns!

Barefoot Bloggers Bonus-Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake and Chive Risotto Cakes + TWD Rice Pudding Redo

There are alot of pictures going on here today. But both of these cakes were so delicious that the pictures are necessary. The mere mention of the word cake in both these Barefoot Blogger Bonus recipes, is what made up my mind when I was deciding if I was going to make them. I love making cake, so there you go.

Deb, who you can find at Kahakai Kitchen picked the Chive Risotto Cakes and Lisa of Lime In The Coconut, chose the Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake. The risotto cakes were divine. I mixed the ingredients together the night before and had no trouble with them staying together. I used non-fat Greek yogurt since it is always in my fridge and didn't want the rest of the rice in the bag to just sit there, so I made TWD rice pudding again, to try and get the right consistency.

I loved these risotto cakes- they were just perfect. The cheese melted (I used mozzarella, since there was no fontina to be found) and the chives and seasonings were delicious. This might be my favorite BB recipe ever.

The orange cakes I made in my mini-mini bundt cake pan. It has 12 little mini bundts per pan and I got 16 with this recipe. I used mini chocolate chips instead of chunks, omitted the coffee in the ganache, and these smelled so good. The combination of the orange syrup and ganache just really put these over the top! Plus, the servings were smaller, so we enjoyed one, without feeling too much guilt. Go see who else made these fab Bonus recipes by checking the BB Blogroll.

Now the wierd thing- after making rice pudding for the first time the other day and it turning out a little soupy- I woke up craving it the next day. And I wanted to see if I could get the consistency right. I was using Arborio rice for the chive cakes anyway, so I used the rest of the bag on the rice pudding. I changed a few things and it turned out perfectly! It was so good. I kept the pudding bubbling at close to medium, and it thickened up nicely overnight in the fridge. I made half chocolate (so good), but melted the chocolate before stirring it in, and half vanilla. I am going to write up my recipe below. I wasn't the only one who was thankful for the redo- my family was happy too!

Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake from the Barefoot Contessa

For the cakes:

1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1/8 cup grated orange zest (2 large oranges)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 ounces buttermilk, at room temperature (I used reduced fat)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup good semisweet chocolate chunks (I used mini chips)

For the syrup:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

For the ganache:

4 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules (I omitted this)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 6 individual serving baking molds, such as the flexible non stick 100 percent silicone molds. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the orange zest.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 1 tablespoon flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the molds on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pans, put them on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cakes.

Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Drizzle over the top of the cakes.

Chive Risotto Cakes from The Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

½ cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)

2 extra-large eggs

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 ½ cup cups grated Italian Fontina cheese (5 ounces) ( I used mozzarella)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)

Good olive oil

Bring a large (4 quart) pot of water to a boil and add ½ tablespoon salt and the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft.

Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, chives, Fontina, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl.

Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4 –inch) ice cream scoop or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Place 4-6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned.

Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

Revamped Rice Pudding adapted from Dorie Greenspan

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup Arborio rice

6 cups whole milk

1/3 + 1/6 cup sugar
1 Tbls pure vanilla extract

3 Tbls bittersweet chocolate

Bring rice and 3 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain rice, but do not rinse.

Bring milk and sugar to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium or medium high heat, and stir to dissolve sugar. Add rice and cook for 55 minutes over medium or medium-low heat. Make sure that the pudding keeps bubbling a little while cooking. Stir frequently. The rice should thicken a bit. Divide the pudding in half. Melt chocolate in the microwave and stir into half the rice, until smooth. Stir the vanilla extract into the other half of pudding.

Place in bowls or small dishes and cover with plastic wrap, pressing down onto the pudding, so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate overnight.

Come back tomorrow for The Cake Slice- Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Cream Frosting and Orange Cream Filling

TWD- Arborio Rice Pudding- White, Black, and Pumpkin Pie

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Arborio Rice Pudding, White, Black (or both), was chosen by Isabelle of Les Gourmandises d'Isa. If you are interested in the recipe, which you should be, go visit her blog. In the recipe, Dorie suggests that you can make vanilla, chocolate, or both flavors of this rice pudding. Since I haven't ever made rice pudding and I don't really remember ever eating it, I decided to try both and why not throw another flavor combo in there as well. A couple of weeks ago over at Picky Palate, Jenny made Spiced Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding. Since I love pumpkin anything, I decided to use her idea for 1/3 of this rice pudding. I followed Dorie's directions and luckily read after she commented on the TWD P&Q page, so I knew the book had a typo. You have to keep this bubbling on the stove for 55 minutes, not the 30 mentioned in the book. After it had done it's time, I divided it into 3 as equal as possible portions and stirred 1 oz. finely chopped bittersweet chocoate in 1 bowl, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract into another bowl, and 2-3 Tbls. pumpkin puree, a large dash of cinnamon, a small dash of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice, into the third bowl. I divided the contents of each bowl in half and put the pudding into little dessert dishes, covered them carefully with plastic wrap, and put them in the fridge to wait the 6 hours.

The pudding thickened a bit, I don't know if it was enough? Maybe it was a little soupy- I think it appears soupier than it was?, but it still tasted good. All of the flavors were wonderful, although I think the pumpkin flavor was my favorite. I don't know if it ended up being as thick as it is supposed to be, but my mom approved and she used to have rice pudding alot growing up. She said her mom always baked it in the oven- hmm? Anyway, she preferred the vanilla flavor. My daughter loved all the flavors, so basically you can't lose with whatever combination you decide to go with!

Go to the TWD Blogroll to see what other flavor combinations the rest of the TWD crew came up with!

Up Next- Mini Calzones and Italian Seasoned Roasted Veggies!