Blood Orange Gin and Tonic

We swear it wasn’t intentional to be missing from the blog for five weeks and return with booze. In fact, we had this recipe ready to share about seven weeks ago but a few things got in the way and blog life kinda came to a screeching halt. And secondly, we missed you all and want to let you know it feels good to be back. So this blood orange gin and tonic is indeed, a celebration to what lies ahead.

Here’s the latest news and biggest reason that distracted us from blogging recently, we’ve been working on some big changes in our studio. To be exact, there’s an additional 1,400 sq foot of change. We’re taking over the space next door to our current studio and are doubling our space! This is exciting for a number of reasons: we finally have more space for all our props, or expensive junk. What ever you want to call it, we’re just overloaded with dishes, textures, tables and chairs.

Secondly, we’re finally building our gallery to showcase our special photo prints. We have a special collection of prints that have never had their fair share of hanging time in the studio because quite frankly, they’d all be lost in the sea of props and photography equipment. Now, we can finally have a ton of extra space to build out or dream gallery that we’ve been wanting for so long.

So that’s where we’ve been hiding. Between juggling conversations on new construction, to design ideas, sourcing new furniture and everything involved with doubling our space, we’ve been behind on blogging.

But we’re back to full swing on blogging and if any of you by chance have any idea inspirations on how to design a white studio with lots of wood and black furniture, we’d love to hear about it!

In the meantime, have a few of these blood orange gin and tonics on us while there’s still blood oranges around. Gin and tonics are one of our go-to drinks and adding that seasonal-splash of blood orange juice really hits the spot. And best of all, it screams out to celebrate beautiful citrus while it lasts.

hugs to you all,

diane and todd

Yield: 1 Cocktail

Total Time: 10 min

1 1/2 ounces gin2 ounces fresh blood orange juicecouple dashes orange bittersabout 4 ounces tonic waterFill a highball glass with ice. Add gin, blood orange juice, and orange bitters.Top with tonic water and gently stir. Garnish with a blood orange slice and serve.

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Orange Beef

Lunar New Year is two days away and starting tomorrow, which is Lunar New Year’s eve, every family—be it Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese, etc. will be busy cooking up a storm for the much anticipated reunion dinner. I have invited my friends at Season with Spice back for a special post featuring the amazing and scrumptious Sichuan Orange Beef recipe. Season with Spice is now a full-blown online spice shop that specializes in the finest, highest quality, and exotic spices from all over the world. Remember to check out their store, and you can also win their spice kit on Rasa Malaysia. For those who celebrate Lunar New Year, I wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous year of horse. Gong Xi Fa Cai, ????!

A small, open shell with the seed mysteriously missing. Tiny sitting in the palm of your hand, but startling with its russet red, reptilian-like surface, with a resemblance to a Pac-Man ready to bite down. Pop one in your mouth and it challenges you to describe it in words as it transitions from one flavor to the next, and from one outrageous sensation to another.

It’s the indispensable spice of Sichuan cuisine. It’s the numbing, tingly spice that balances that extreme heat of all those chili peppers.

It’s the Sichuan Peppercorn.

While most often paired with dried red chili peppers in Sichuan cuisine, the multifaceted Sichuan pepper isn’t limited to spicy dishes. The pepper complements and enhances a variety of flavors, especially when matched with a citrus fruit.

With its ‘party-in-your-mouth’ sensation, Sichuan pepper has found its way into many creative citrusy combinations in marinades, salads, ice creams, and cocktails. And in stir-fry dishes like Sichuan Orange Beef.

Since many of us come to Rasa Malaysia for delicious yet approachable Asian recipes, I’m sharing my simple version of Orange Beef recipe here for you to cook up for a weeknight dinner after work.

For this Orange Beef recipe, slice beef thinly and coat well with a fresh, sweet & savory marinade consisting of orange juice & zest, ginger, honey, and soy sauce. Place in a hot wok, and toss with crushed Sichuan peppercorns to perfume and intensify the flavor.

With a fruity, exhilarating flavor from the bursts of citrus and Sichuan pepper that hit your taste buds with each bite, this Sichuan Orange Beef is best served with a bowl of white rice and a subtle veggie dish like steamed bok choy.

(Click Page 2 for the Orange Beef Recipe)

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Blood Orange Buttermilk Pound Cake

It’s always around this time of year that we begin swimming in citrus and every meal (and drink!) has some splash of fragrant juice. You can call it a garden obsession, but we’re not far from being finished. Last week we planted another (our third) blood orange tree and it wasn’t in-celebration to grow more, but rather, to replace one blood orange tree that had completely died on us.

So this blog post has mixed emotions, both sadness for losing a beloved tree and joy of giving another tree life in our garden. We’re ready to move on and celebrate blood oranges.

Call it over-zealous gardening or perhaps too much attention to care which resulted in overwatering. After ten years, our beloved first blood orange tree completely died. We were in shock and speechless when it started to deteriorate after only 4 weeks of peaking out with hundreds of blood oranges. With still about one hundred pounds of blood oranges to pick, the tree quickly started to yellow and lose it’s leaves.

After many phone calls to nurseries, conversations with Master gardeners and hours researching online, the conclusion was that our tree was being over watered.

We killed our own tree? Did we really hurt it? After a phase of feeling guilt for nurturing the tree too much, we realized we shouldn’t be punishing ourselves for loving something too much. In fact, we saw it as a learning experience on how to care for older established trees and not baby-ing it like a toddler-tree.

As we said good-bye to our first blood orange tree for all the years of beautiful juice, zest, cocktails and love, we celebrated its contribution to our garden with this blood orange buttermilk pound cake. It’s delicious and beautiful, just like the tree that we loved so much.

We’re grateful for all the wonderful blood oranges that have graced our kitchen and hope you’ll enjoy this Seasons bounty of blood oranges too.

-diane and todd

Here’s some of our previous blood orange recipes you might enjoy:

Blood Orange Bars with Brown Butter Crust Recipe 

Blood Orange Margarita Recipe 

Blood Orange Pops Recipe

Blood Orange Ricotta Cookies Recipe 

Blood Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe

Yield: 1 Loaf

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Adapted from Fine Cooking's Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake. Our pound cake is made with blood orange juice and zest but to really highlight the flavor of blood oranges we will serve this loaf with a quick and easy blood orange sauce either drizzled over top or alongside to dunk in.

1 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt1/2 cup (113g or one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature1 cup (200g) sugarfinely grated zest of 2 blood oranges2 large eggs, at room temperature1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk1/4 cup (60ml) fresh blood orange juice3 tablespoons (45ml) fresh blood orange juice1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugarPreheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 8.5 inch x 4.5 inch loaf pan.Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt for 20 seconds or until well combined. Set aside.Beat together the butter, sugar and blood orange zest until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time until blended.Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined. Mix in the buttermilk and blood orange juice until just combined. Mix in the remaining flour until just combined, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes. Gently remove the pound cake from the pan. Allow to cool completely.After the cake is completely cool, make the sauce. Whisk together the blood orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spoon the sauce over the pound cake or serve alongside to dunk in.

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Orange Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cake—much like angel cake in the US (but tastes better)—is one of the most popular cakes in Malaysia and Singapore. Walk into any cake shops or supermarkets, you can always find various flavors of chiffon cake for sale. Chiffon cake is prized for its very light, soft, and cottony texture. Everyone loves it.

Believe it or not, I was quite a Orange chiffon cake baker when I was in high school. During one of my high school years, I remember my eldest sister-in-law started baking chiffon cake at home. She had learned how to bake chiffon cake from her co-worker and started testing out the recipe. I loved pottering in the kitchen, watching the preparation and baking process. She started teaching me her recipe. I remember vividly she had to beat the egg whites until soft peaks formed, during which she would turn the container with the egg whites upside down to test the readiness. She cautioned me that if the egg whites were runny, the cake would fail. The foamy texture of the egg whites mesmerized me…I thought it was amazing that the egg whites defy gravity!

Soon after that, I started testing out her chiffon cake recipe, with great success. While the most popular is pandan chiffon cake, I loved making orange chiffon cake. My late aunt would always buy me oranges. Once in a while, I would bake coffee chiffon cake and she would ask her friend from the coffee shop for some Nescafe coffee mix. For a month or two, my favorite pass time was baking orange chiffon cake. I loved the citrusy fragrance and the mild tangy flavor of orange chiffon cake.

As with many teenage obsessions, soon I found another hobby and I stopped baking. Fast forward to many years later, the last chiffon cake I made was this lemon chiffon cake I posted many years ago. If you asked me if I still remember my sister-in-law’s recipe, the answer is a clear no. However, I am happy that my contributor CP Choong is sharing her Orange Chiffon Cake recipe with us, which brings back many memories of my high school days.

(Click Page 2 for the Orange Chiffon Cake Recipe)

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Tagged as: Eggs • Flour • Orange

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Orange Chiffon Cake

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Spicy Orange Chicken

Many people associate orange chicken with weeknight takeout. Strangely, I associate it with weekend brunch.

This might be a holdover from my 20s. After late nights out at friends' birthday parties and other such events, I would sometimes wake up very groggy and craving orange chicken from the corner takeout place. Sure, it was fried, sugary, and a bit greasy, but it was also perfect for eating in front of the TV with a large *strong* iced coffee. To some people this might sound very, um, odd. To me this combo was heaven on a Sunday morning after a few extra glasses of wine the night before.

These days, my preference for orange chicken veers towards the healthier homemade variety. The orange chicken that appears in my cookbook is a crunchy, shallow-fried dish that I tested again and again to get the coating crispy without being too greasy. And yesterday, when it was in the mid-80s and stuffy in my apartment, I tried a stir-fried spicy orange chicken recipe from Grace Young's Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge.

Grace's spicy orange chicken stir-fry is perfect for the summer. First, it's quick, so you don't have to spend much time in front of the stove. Second, you can use those incredibly flavorful summer tomatoes that are in the markets right now. The sauce isn't heavy at all. Even the spiciness is on the lighter side, with Sichuan pepper adding a floral, citrusy note. (You can always leave it out or substitute 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.)

For a very summery meal, you can make lemongrass iced tea or black cherry iced tea to go with the chicken. But maybe skip the iced coffee, unless you really need it.

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Spicy Orange Chicken

Many people associate orange chicken with weeknight takeout. Strangely, I associate it with weekend brunch.

This might be a holdover from my 20s. After late nights out at friends’ birthday parties and other such events, I would sometimes wake up very groggy and craving orange chicken from the corner takeout place. Sure, it was fried, sugary, and a bit greasy, but it was also perfect for eating in front of the TV with a large *strong* iced coffee. To some people this might sound very, um, odd. To me this combo was heaven on a Sunday morning after a few extra glasses of wine the night before.

These days, my preference for orange chicken veers towards the healthier homemade variety. The orange chicken that appears in my cookbook is a crunchy, shallow-fried dish that I tested again and again to get the coating crispy without being too greasy. And yesterday, when it was in the mid-80s and stuffy in my apartment, I tried a stir-fried spicy orange chicken recipe from Grace Young’s Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge.

Grace’s spicy orange chicken stir-fry is perfect for the summer. First, it’s quick, so you don’t have to spend much time in front of the stove. Second, you can use those incredibly flavorful summer tomatoes that are in the markets right now. The sauce isn’t heavy at all. Even the spiciness is on the lighter side, with Sichuan pepper adding a floral, citrusy note. (You can always leave it out or substitute 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.)

For a very summery meal, you can make lemongrass iced tea or black cherry iced tea to go with the chicken. But maybe skip the iced coffee, unless you really need it.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ¼-inch-thick bite-sized slices2 tablespoons minced ginger1 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry2 teaspoons soy sauce1½ teaspoons cornstarch¾ teaspoon sugar¼ teaspoon ground white pepper¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper2 teaspoons rice vinegar2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly slicedPeel of 1 orange, cut into skinny strips1 teaspoon chili bean sauce1 medium ripe tomato, cut into thin wedges¾ teaspoon saltMarinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the ginger, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, and ground Sichuan pepper. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.In a small bowl, combine the rice vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon rice wine, and remaining ½ teaspoon cornstarch.Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds, just until the ginger is fragrant.Push the ginger to the sides of the wok. Carefully add the chicken, spread it evenly in one layer in the wok, and allow it to sear undisturbed for 1 minute. Add the orange strips, scallion whites, and chili bean sauce. Stir-fry for 1 minute, until the chicken is lightly brown but not yet cooked through.Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Re-stir the rice vinegar mixture and add it to the wok. Add the salt. Stir-fry for another 1 minute, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and serve.Adapted from Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge by Grace Young.

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Blood Orange Margarita with Bitters

Just as Diane has her prop collecting obsession, I have my own vice. Well, more like a double vice since most toss drinking into that classification. I am mildly bedeviled by making cocktails.

There is something exquisitely alluring in what has become a combination of ritual and swagger. A little James Bond, a dash of Esquire, and a jigger of Hemingway done up over ice. It may be a vice, but it is a savvy one for a man to have.

As far as my own style and ritual to cocktails, I aim to take care of the details without getting crazy about it. I care not about the newest and funkiest cocktail creations. Give me the classics added with a few sensible modern twists. I’m not going to infuse a batch of simple syrup with lavender or smoke for a cocktail I may make when the full moon happens to land on a Tuesday. But I do want someone to have one of our margaritas, sours or Sidecars, take a sip without any sense of great expectations, and then stop and stare in appreciation.

I want you to have one of my cocktails and be ruined for life knowing that unless you are somewhere that truly cares about its cocktails, you’ll never have another cocktail of that kind quite as good. Sometimes, nowhere near as good.

There is nothing secret or special about how I make cocktails. Like I said, I just take care of the details. Never being fully satisfied or full of my own knowledge, I am always learning or trying to be better at the things I love. Two years ago, I thought I made a mean blood orange margarita, as any guest to the house would concur, but compared to what I make today, they are not even in the same league. How is it better? The little details.

My biggest leap in cocktail making came after reading the book, Bitters. Once I started using bitters regularly in cocktails, any cocktail made without them seemed to lack depth. Combine that with using garden fresh citrus, now we’ve got a cocktail to light up the eyes.

The garden fresh citrus isn’t just for the romantic notion that homegrown it better. ‘Cause face it, sometimes homegrown is better, and other times “not so much”. Oh no, homegrown citrus is all about the oils in the rind. There are amazing flavor in those oils, however it unfortunately doesn’t take long after picking for those oils in the zest to be lost forever. But if you can get the fruit shortly after being plucked from the tree… Baby!  After squeezing them, the oils release to the surface and completely saturate the outside of the rind. It is just one of those little details.

Other little details I do?  Freezing my glasses. There is a shelf in our freezer solely dedicated to chilling a variety of cocktail glasses. A great cocktail should be very well chilled, and a frosty glass is ever so helpful. And I’m a little nutty about my ice. Between the three different sized round ice cube molds, two different square silicone ice cube molds, and the f*^&-ing swankest thing ever, a tray that makes clear ice blocks, I am obsessive with my ice. Its sexy and is has a star role in a good cocktail. Forget the swirly garnish to be tossed out of the way, give me a crackin’ piece of ice.

Finally, finish the cocktail in a glass that has some character. Whether that is from an old-fashioned glass made from recycled glass  to a throwback champagne bowl, serve up that proper cocktail in a glass worthy. While Diane is scrounging the thrift shops and antique stores for bowls and boards, I’m hunting for cool cocktail glasses. Don’t tell Diane but I’m hunting for the boards too, they’re swank.

That’s it. A little obsessive, but hopefully haven’t crossed the line to crazy. Bitters, good fruit, ice, and glass. The details to a great cocktail without pushing the line into becoming a “mixologist”.

Here’s my re-make on our previous blood orange margarita after discovering the magic of bitters. We use a homemade tangerine bitter, but just about any orange bitters on the market are a great addition the the cocktail shaker’s concoctions.

-Todd

More Blood Orange Recipes: Luscious Blood Orange Bars ,  Lime Margarita with Bitters and classic Blood Orange Margarita
Yield: 2 cocktails

Total Time: 5 min

See the post for more cocktail details. Make sure to get the freshest blood oranges you can, and toss a rind or two into the shaker when mixing. To make simple syrup heat an equal amount of sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves completely. Store in the fridge for up to a month. Depending on the sweetness of the blood orange juice, you may need to slightly adjust the amount of simple syrup in the margarita recipe.

4 oz. (120ml) fresh Blood Orange Juice2 oz. (60ml) Resposada or Anejo Tequila3/4 oz. (22ml) Simple Syrup1/2 oz. (15ml) fresh Lime Juicefew dashes Orange BittersKosher or Sea Salt for rimming the glassRub the rim of two old fashioned glasses (or whatever glass you prefer) with an edge of a blood orange wedge or leftover rind. Swirl the rims through a small pile of kosher or sea salt to salt them. Add one or two large cubes into the glasses.Combine blood orange juice, tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, and bitters in an ice filled shaker. Add a left over rind or two from the blood oranges.Shake vigorously for 15 seconds, then strain into the salted glasses. Serve or drink immediately and with leisure.

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Luscious Blood Orange Bars with a Brown Butter Crust

It’s this time of year that we start enjoying margaritas, particularly blood orange margaritas and meyer lemon margaritas. Aside from the fact that the holidays are over and our New Years celebrations have officially ended, we’re just beginning to relish in these wonderful cocktails. Why? Whats the occasion? Well, it’s peak citrus season in our neck of the garden-woods, of course.

Though it’s freezing outside and we often wake up to frost on our roofs, all our citrus are still hanging on firm to their branches. When the sun peaks through the clouds in the middle of the day, the citrus get their daily sun bathing sessions to sweeten up their juices and develop their flavors. And what we have before us are bucket loads of blood oranges, mandarins, juicing tangerines, limes and lemons that need to be juiced. Yup, we’re super spoiled. That’s what geeky-gardeners like to do: grow almost 20 citrus trees to feast on during January.

Now that we’ve gloated about our crazy citrus trees, really, what do with a ton of blood oranges? The flavors of these blood red oranges are so perfectly tangy/sweet. The drippy juices are sexy and luscious, so the first thing that comes to mind is making a variation off our meyer lemon bars using they blood oranges. We’ll… to be honest, it was the second or third thought. There were a couple cocktails which came to mind first. But back to the bars… The thought of making these bars with fresh blood orange juice sounded so wonderful and we were hoping that the results would go beyond our theory.

Fingers crossed, we were hoping this first batch would be the on the money because there’s nothing more sacrilegious than to waste 2 cups of fresh blood orange juice. This nectar is what the Greek Gods fought for! ( or at least something close to that mythology).

The results were incredible. What you see before you are some truly luscious, silky, delicious and amazing blood orange bars.

Make them.

Right Away.

If you can get your hand on a generous amount of blood oranges for juicing, this should be one of the first recipes you bake.

Valentines day is coming near and if you’re in a bind as to what to make for your sweetheart, these blood orange bars are perfect to show your love. Really, who needs chocolate? Well, ok, chocolate is a great offering. But mix it up a bit. Be daring, different and break some sweetheart rules and offer a platter of these lovely bars. Your love won’t be disappointed.

Next on the agenda is another variation on this curd for Valentines Day. Again, fingers crossed our next experiment will turn out equally wonderful. If not, we have some back up chocolate sauce to drizzle over what ever were making!

Happy January to you all.

Yield: 12 3"x4" Bars

Total Time: 1 hour

The recipe is enough to make the bars in a 1/4 sheet pan (9"x13") , however we know for most, blood oranges can be a bit expensive so a reduced recipe may be a better option. The recipe works perfect to halve it and make the bars in a 4"x14" tart pan (that is what was used in the photos) or made into individual tarts in 3" or 4" pans. Or you can always substitute in some tangerine juice for the blood orange juice. The color will pale more towards the orange side, but it will still be delicious. Promise. Also, make sure to taste the sweetness of the curd as you are making it. Blood oranges can vary quite a bit on their sweetness, so adjust the sugar quantities to your desired taste.

1/2 pound (225g) unsalted Butter1/2 cup (100g) Sugar3 cups (375g) Flour1/2 t (3g) Sea Salt or Kosher Salt1/4 cup (40g) Cornstarch1 1/2 cup (300g) Sugar1 t (5g) Sea Salt or Kosher Salt12 Eggs, beaten4 Egg Yolks, beatenzest of 6 Blood Oranges2 1/2 cups (600ml) Blood Orange Juice1/2 pound (225g) cold, unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside a 9"x13" 1/4 sheet pan.

Make the crust. Put butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter until it develops an amber color and begins to smell a bit "toasted nut-like". Remove from heat and stir sugar into butter until mostly dissolved.Put flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in butter and sugar and mix until completely incorporated (it will be a crumbly texture). Press mixture into the 1/4 sheet pan, working the dough up the sides of the pan and evenly across the bottom.Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden.While the crust bakes, make the curd. Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and the salt in a bowl. Mix in the eggs, zest, and juice. Place bowl over a pot with gently boiling water (cook over a bain marie).Cook over the bain marie, stirring frequently until the curd has thickened. Remove from heat and then, a few pieces at a time, stir in the butter until it is completely incorporated. Strain curd through a fine mesh strainer.Pour the curd into the cooked crust as soon as you take it out of the oven. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the filling has thickened. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.Cut into desired pieces and serve chilled.

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Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

It’s tempting to make only salads for lunch and dinner during the summer. When the temperatures are so high that the mere thought of turning on the stove makes you break out into a sweat, salads just sound so darn easy. Wash some salad greens, toss in some nuts and olives and cheese, whisk together some vinaigrette, and you’re good to go. Add some bread and cold cuts to the side and you’ve got a complete meal.

Of course, there’s that monotony thing. As much as I like routine, it’s hard to go months or even weeks eating the same things at home. So that’s why I also have a list of quick stir-fry dishes in my summer cooking arsenal too. All these main dishes require minimal prep time and less than 10 minutes in front of the stove. 

And what are some of these dishes? Shellfish, which takes mere minutes to cook, is always a winner. One of the easiest and fastest dishes I like to make is Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce, which takes about 5 minutes. If you’re not into spicy dishes, there’s also Sake-Steamed Clams and Shrimp Lo Mein. In the chicken category there’s Kung Pao Chicken, Almond Chicken, and Vinegar-Glazed Chicken.

And I can add this Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry to the list too, which clocks in at about 6 or 7 minutes of cooking time. It’s flavorful but light, and the citrus makes it perfect for this kind of weather. It’s also rich in iron, something I could always use more of.

You can use flank, skirt, hangar, or flatiron steak, which all have a good amount of marbling and are very tender when cooked quickly. Just slice the beef thinly against the grain; if you have some extra prep time,  tossing the meat in the freezer for 20 minutes beforehand makes the meat a lot easier to slice.

Do you have a quick stir-fry dish in your repertoire for hot summer days?

________________________________

Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

Serves 4

1 pound flank, skirt, hangar, or flatiron steak, cut against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry1 teaspoon cornstarch1 1/2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil1 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger1 shallot, finely chopped2 cups broccoli floretsFreshly ground black pepper2 teaspoons grated orange zest1/4 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon soy sauce1 teaspoon sesame oil¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for more of a kick!)1 teaspoon cornstarchMarinate the beef: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the beef and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, optional cayenne pepper, and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the beef and spread it around the wok in a single layer. Allow the beef to sear undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes so it gets a nice browning on the surface. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until the beef is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.Swirl the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil into the wok. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallot to the wok and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for another 1 minute. Pour in the sauce mixture. Continue to cook while stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the broccoli is tender-crisp.Return the beef to the wok. Stir to coat the beef with the sauce. Season to taste with black pepper. Transfer everything to a large plate and serve.________________________________Tagged as: Beef, Chinese, Recipes

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Blood Orange Pops from Bi-Rite Creamery Sweet Cream & Sugar Cones

Certain foods bring back fond memories of childhood and often times it’s simple sweet treats that trigger big smiles. These blood orange Popsicles bring back moments of summer days when we’d reach in the freezer for a cool treat. As adults these blood orange pops made us so excited to indulge in Popsicles again because they are so good!!

Seriously, this blood orange pop recipe is so simple with just 3-4 ingredients but it’s packed with bright flavor from the fresh squeezed juice.  The challenge with these pops is limiting yourself to just eating one pop.

This recipe is shared with permission from the newest Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones book that is released today! We’re excited to share this wonderful recipe with you from authors and owners of Bi-Rite Creamery, Anne Walker and Kris Hoogerhyde.

It was such an special treat to  work with the amazing Bi-Rite Creamery team and Ten Speed Press folks. Chef’s Anne and Kris make the best ice cream and  they’re sharing many of their terrific and special recipes in their latest book.

All these terrific recipes are made with love, great ingredients and local pride. The instructions and recipes in the book are so approachable, seasonally inspiring and great to share with your your friends.

We mentioned in a previous post about producing their promo video for their new cookbook.  If you missed it, we’re sharing it with you again. Enjoy the video and please make these blood orange pops. They are amazing!

Yield: nine 3-ounce ice pops

Total Time: 4 hours

Recipe from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones. Re-printed with permission from authors.

1/2 cup 2:1 Simple Syrup2 1/4 c fresh Blood Orange Juice (@6-8 blood oranges), filtered through a fine mesh strainer1/8 teaspoon kosher salt@ 30 segments of blood orangesIf using wooden ice pop sticks, soak sticks for an hour in warm water before making pops (helps keep them from floating up when inserted into molds.)In a medium bowl (or large measuring cup) combine 6 tablespoons of simple syrup, blood orange juice and salt. Stir until well combined.Taste for sweetness and add more simple syrup if necessary (it should be a touch too sweet as it will lose sweetness after freezing.)Add 2 or 3 orange segments to the ice pop molds (don't add too many or it will be hard and icy - you should have room for more juice than orange segments.)Pour ice pop base into molds and insert sticks. Freeze for about 4 hours or until completely solid.Unmold before serving (run warm water around mold if necessary to help it release.)Slice the top and bottom off of the blood oranges. Set the fruit with one of the cut sides down.Using a paring knife, working from top to bottom slice off  a thin strip of peel, removing as much of the with pith as possible. Repeat all the way around until no pith remains.Set the fruit on its side or carefully nest in your non-cutting hand. Make cuts just inside the membrane for the first segment, freeing the blood orange segment. Repeat all the way around until all the segments are cut free.

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A must-try for fans of <b>Asian food</b> - Food Frenzy - The Orange <b>...</b>

The first time I tried Lao food was when we first moved to Southern California a little over four years ago, and I’ve continued to returning to Vientiane Thai Laos in Garden Grove ever since, astonished both by the food and the ability of this undiscovered gem to stay in business.

On a recent visit, I was surprised to find that the restaurant has had a major makeover.

The little space is now three times as spacious, and it is amazing what a new coat of paint and some new furniture can do.

The menu has been reprinted, and everything about this place now shouts, “I’m ready for hesitant eaters to come inside.”

I’m here with my friend Priscilla, and we opt for some authentic dishes. Lao and Thai food are similar, but with notable differences, such as Lao food being neither as sweet nor as spicy.

Fortunately, there are condiments on the table, and because I love spicy foods, I am attacking a jar of fresh-ground chili peppers in a salty, tart sauce.

I am always craving crispy rice, so we ordered Lao Nam Kao Tod ($6.50, shown at top). The texture of the roasted rice is absolutely stunning – very crispy and easily outshining what most Thai places offer.

There are bits of sour pork, green onions, cilantro and peanuts dotted among the grains, and everything is served with fresh sprigs of mint and lettuce.

Lao sausage ($5.50) is house-made and deep fried. A slightly sweet sauce is served alongside and enhances the flavor of the pork and herbs.

I also suggest ordering sticky rice, a staple of Lao cuisine that is generally served in lieu of steamed rice and works splendidly with the Lao sausage.

Larb goong ($7.50) is minced shrimp with chili, red and green onions, cilantro and toasted rice.

The salty dressing it is tossed in is pleasantly tart and whets the appetite.

Don’t let Ventiane’s lack of patrons fool you. The food they make is cheap, filling and absolutely fantastic, and hopefully the new look will help this restaurant draw the crowds it deserves.

Vientiane Thai Laos
10262 Westminster Ave.
Garden Grove
714-530-7523

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Orange & Fennel Salad with Toasted Fennel Vinaigrette – Welcoming Citrus Season

Citrus season has finally arrived in our garden and hopefully in about 4 more weeks, we’ll be able to share a few rounds with friends. Last year we doubled up on an extra blood orange tree (for Katie!) and an extra Eureka lemon tree. Plans for this year are to add 3 more citrus trees because, yes, we’re addicted.

No, you really can’t have too much citrus, that’s our life motto. All the better to make cocktail with!

We can’t tell you how excited we get when it comes to citrus gardening and there’s some fun news coming in February! Unfortunately we can’t spill any beans now, but know that it’s going to be about our crazy citrus tree collection!

Since last week’s Thanksgiving eating bonanza, followed up a ridiculous craving of belly burning chili cheese fries, we’re ready for something fresh. We’ve been gnawing on arugula leaves, celery and anything green that the garden is throwing out.  The few days of holiday indulgence really did us in and it takes days of fresh raw veggies and citrus cleansing to get us ready for Christmas cookies and baked goods.

Tender baby fennel are perfect for picking, they’re sweet, crispy and perfectly fragrant. The aroma of the fennel coupled with the sweet acidity of the seasons first oranges make the perfect re-freshing follow-up to all the turkey, stuffing and fries we indulged in.

Citrus and fennel are such a wonderful pairing. Something magical happens on the palate when fennel and citrus come together. With some added baby arugula, this terrific winter salad is bursting with flavor. Each bite is juicy, sweet, floral and tenderly spicy from the delicate arugula. The vinaigrette in this salad is laced with the warm flavors of toasted fennel seeds. It’s hard to not want to have two plates of this, even for breakfast. Why not have a orange and fennel breakfast salad?

This recipe is wonderful with oranges, but we’ve seen other fabulous variations with tangerines and grapefruits. Every variation seems like a perfect accompaniment to delicate, crunchy fennel bulbs. You can create any ratio you want with the citrus and sliced fennel. Maybe when our fennel bulbs become more robust, we’ll adapt the recipe to be a fennel and orange salad.

Either way, hope you enjoy this wonderful salad to celebrate the arrival of wonderful citrus. Hope your home fills up with plenty of bright, fragrant zest!

-Todd and Diane

the aroma of fresh tender fennel bulbs & orange peel is amazing!

 Print This Recipe

Orange Fennel Salad with toasted Fennel Vinaigrette Recipe
adapted from Lucini Orange Fennel Salad

about 4 Oranges1 T Fennel Seeds3 T Olive Oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar 1/2 t Sea Salt, or to taste1 medium Fennel Bulb, thinly slicedhandful of Baby Arugula Leaves (optional)

1. Slice the rind and pith completely off of the oranges. Next slice the oranges 1/4? thick.

2. In a dry saute pan over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds for a few minutes until the aroma is nicely released and they change color slightly.  Crush well in a mortar & pestle or grind in a small spice grinder or coffee grinder.

3. Combine ground fennel seeds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt in a small bowl and whisk to mix.

4. Layer orange slices and sliced fennel bulb on serving plates.  Quickly re-mix vinaigrette then dress oranges and fennel. Garnish with arugula.*Another option for salad – Layer in a lot more arugula to have a more greens-heavy salad. The pepperiness of the arugula goes quite well with freshness of the oranges and fennel.

More Orange & other Citrus Fennel Salads:

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