Glazed Poppyseed Bread

This delectable poppy seed bread is seriously drool-worthy.  My mouth is literally watering just looking at the picture.  The bread itself is pretty tasty, but once you add the slightly tangy, mildly crunchy glaze on top, it becomes practically irresistible.  And honestly, I kind of love that my loaf pans make the edges cook up a little too fast so that I get those corners where the glaze pools.  "Oh, children, you don't want the end piece?  Don't worry, I will sacrifice and eat it for you."  I'm such a selfless mother. 

Glazed Poppyseed Bread

Time to Prepare: 1 hour 20 minutes
Number of Servings: 2 loaves

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring (or 1 Tbsp melted butter)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup sugar (yes, granulated)
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 3/4 tsp butter flavoring (or 1/2 Tbsp melted butter)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/4 cups sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.   Add about 1/2 the milk and stir.  Whisk in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by the last half of the milk.  Add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in the 1 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, and poppy seeds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans (should be about 2/3 to 3/4 full).   Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes.  Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs.

While the bread is baking, whisk together the orange juice, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp almond extract, 3/4 tsp butter flavoring, and 3/4 tsp vanilla in a small bowl. 

Once the bread is done, let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully remove to a wire rack set over paper towels.  While bread is still warm, brush it liberally with the glaze, making sure to use all of the glaze.

Produce Used: Orange
Source: very slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

Anybody that knows me can tell you I am absolutely NOT a morning person.  This of course means that I rarely make breakfast.  We do a lot of yogurt, instant oatmeal, etc.  You know, things that don't require brain power or energy.  I always have great intentions of getting up and making a nice breakfast, but intentions at night are not the same as reality in the morning!  Of course, I love breakfast foods so we just have breakfast for dinner instead.  Cuz why not, right?  These sauteed apples are a great side to go along with breakfast foods and are a nice way to change things up.  They'd also go well as a side for pork chops or chicken.  They are soft but slightly crisp, and sweet with a little bit of citrus-y zing.  And of course my two year old had four servings--he could not get enough.

Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

Time to Prepare: 15 minutes
Number of Servings: 4-6

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 large apples, peeled and cut into 1/4" thick slices
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg or allspice

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in lime juice and orange juice.  Add apples and stir to coat.  Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender.

Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and slowly stir in to apple mixture.  Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.  Serve warm.

Produce Used: Apples, lime, orange
Source: slightly adapted from Chef in Training

Warm Russian Tea

I have bored you before with my love for specialty drinks, so I won't go into that again, but let's just say this drink is right up my alley.  Let's be clear, first of all, that this is not real tea.  It is more in the cider/wassail category of beverages.  It is a warm, citrus-y drink with a great underlying depth of flavor that surprisingly comes from vanilla and almond extracts.  It is really a breeze to throw together and can serve a crowd (plus you can make it in advance, keep it refrigerated, then just heat it up when you want it).  It is just the ticket for these warm, wintery days.  I've got a pitcher-full in my fridge and I just warm myself up a cup in the microwave every day with breakfast.  Absolutely lovely, let me tell you.

Warm Russian Tea

Number of Servings: about 16
Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 3 quarts (12 cups) water
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbsp almond extract

In a large pot, heat the sugar and 3 cups water over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat until warm.  Turn heat down to low and keep warm on stove until ready to serve (or transfer to a slow cooker set to low to keep it warm).  

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Orange, lemon

Orange Cashew Rice with Lime Tilapia

So the other day, my oven randomly wouldn't heat up.  That was fun.  Especially because it was just a few days before Thanksgiving, which had me freaking out a little on the inside.  Luckily the dinner I had planned that night didn't require use of the oven.  Enter this great fish and rice meal.  I love this fresh take on rice--it is full of so many goodies that give it crunch, juiciness, and texture, it is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.  The flavors combine really beautifully, especially when it is served with the tender, pan-fried tilapia.  Of course if tilapia isn't your thing, feel free to substitute other delicate white fish fillets (such as flounder, sole, or rainbow trout).  Or you can just forget the fish altogether and serve the rice with whatever you want!  (And in case you were wondering, my oven was fixed the next day and Thanksgiving went off without a hitch.  Phew!)

Orange Cashew Rice with Lime Tilapia

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 50 minutes

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces (toast for a few minutes on the stovetop if they aren't roasted)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper (or orange or red)
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 (8 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 4 (6-8 oz) tilapia fillets
• salt
• pepper
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp butter

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the water, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, and salt to a boil.  Stir in the rice.  Cover the saucepan and lower the heat to a gentle simmer, simmering the rice for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes.  Scrape the rice into a large bowl.  Add the cashew pieces,  peppers, and green onions.  Season with salt and pepper if needed and add the drained orange segments to the rice, folding them in gently to prevent the oranges from breaking.

While the rice simmers, rinse the tilapia and pat dry.  Season both sides with salt and pepper and place in a medium skillet.  Sprinkle lime zest over the fish and drizzle with lime juice.  Place a pat of butter on each fillet.  Cover and cook over medium heat until fish flakes easily with a fork (around 8 minutes).  Serve rice and fish immediately, spooning pan juices over the fish.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Orange, bell pepper, green onion, lime

Citrus Brined Chicken Thighs

We never ate chicken thighs growing up.  Or drumsticks.  Or basically anything but chicken breast.   Which I love, but I had no idea what I was missing out on with the thighs.  I still cook with chicken breast a lot more than thighs (you know, better for you, blah blah blah) but I definitely love to throw some great thigh recipes in the mix here or there.  And this chicken...oh, this chicken.  So tender, so flavorful.  You brine it in a citrus-y concoction for several hours, then pop it on the grill to cook and oh boy does that create some beautiful flavor.  And the smell!  The bright, fresh citrus smell that you get while these are cooking is positively mouth-watering.  And when you grill the fruit and squeeze the juice over top at the last minute, it is practically nirvana.  But don't take my word for it--try it yourself!

Citrus Brined Chicken Thighs

Number of Servings: 3-4 (or 2....you're not going to want to stop eating this)
Time to Prepare: 6 hours 20 minutes

• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemonade
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• zest from 1 orange
• zest from 2 lemons
• zest from 2 limes
• 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 orange, 2 lemons, 2 limes (the ones you used for the zest) halved

Combine hot water, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup salt in a 1-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil and stir until the salt is dissolved, then remove from heat.

Stir cold water, orange juice, lemonade, lime juice, zests, and peppercorns into the salt water mixture.  Let cool for a few minutes.

Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, then pour the brine mixture over the chicken. Seal and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high.  Remove the chicken thighs from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel.  Brush with olive oil and season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.   Grill until it reaches 165 degrees in the center (about 10 minutes), flipping halfway through.

Near the end of the cooking time for the chicken, place the halved citrus, cut-side down, on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, then squeeze the juice of the fruit over the chicken and serve immediately.

Source:  adapted from Our Best Bites
Produce Used: Orange, lemon, lime

Brandy and Orange Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I know some people are going to think this is just a winter holiday thing, but I love making these sweet potatoes year round.  The orange lends a freshness and brightness that really makes it work any time of year.  Bring on the 4th of July sweet potatoes!  If the brandy freaks you out a little (or you just don't have any), you can make it without.  Obviously it's not quite the same, but it is still really good.  Also, I note below that this serves 6-8.  I only have six 8 oz ramekins so I just go with that, but they are pretty good sized servings (you can see how full they are in the picture), so you can definitely go with eight and be just fine.  Also also, don't let the time commitment scare you away.  An hour of that is just baking the sweet potatoes--easy peasy, no hands-on stuff needed there.

Brandy and Orange Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Number of Servings: 6-8
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 40 minutes

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup cream
• 3 Tbsp brandy (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Pierce potatoes a few times with the tip of  knife, wrap potatoes in foil and bake until tender, about 1 hour (a little longer if they are especially large).  Remove from the oven and let rest until just cool enough to handle.

Lower the oven to 350 degrees.

While still somewhat hot, peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins and tough, stringy fibers. Add the butter, and with an electric mixer, beat until the butter is melted and thoroughly mixed in. Add the sugar, eggs, orange juice, heavy cream, and brandy, and mix until smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix well.

Grease six or eight (8 oz) ramekins and spoon the sweet potato mixture into the ramekins. Bake until puffed and slightly golden, about 20 minutes (up to about 25 minutes if only using six ramekins).

Source: slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com
Produce Used: Sweet potato, orange

Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes

We don't buy ricotta super often, but when we do we buy an obscenely large container at Costco.  Then I use about 1/8 of it on the recipe I wanted it for and I spend the next two weeks trying to find ways to make sure it doesn't go to waste.  Hence discovering this recipe.  I wasn't sure if I would love it, but I figured it was worth trying and it would use up some of that pesky ricotta.  After making it, I definitely foresee us buying ricotta a lot more in the future.  Honestly, I don't know exactly what the ricotta does in the pancake, but the combination of flavors here is just fun.  Unique yet somehow classic.  And these were definitely a hit with the toddler.  He scarfed them down like nobody's business.

Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Number of Servings: 4 to 6 (about 15 to 20 small pancakes)
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange zest.  Stir to combine and set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, egg whites, orange juice, canola oil, and vanilla.  Gently fold this mixture into the dry ingredients until the flour is all moistened.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips, but do not over mix.  The batter will be thick.

Heat a griddle to medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Drop about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle.  Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Continue until all batter is gone.  Serve with butter and syrup, if desired.  (I tend to be a little sugar crazy, but honestly I found these to be just great without syrup.)

Source: slightly modified from two peas & their pod
Produce Used: Orange

8/4/2012 Basket - Spicy Honey Chicken Salad

Spicy Honey Chicken Salad
Uses from this basket: Mango, lettuce, avocado
Other produce: Red onion, orange, lime, garlic, onion

Dressing:

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 3 T lime juice
• 2 T honey
• 3/4 t cumin
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t ground pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a tightly sealed jar and shake vigorously to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to serve (shake again before serving).

Chicken:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 t olive oil
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t coriander
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/8-1/2 t ground red pepper
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 T cider vinegar

 Combine garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, cumin, and red pepper in a bowl and mix well.  Cut chicken breasts in half and drizzle with oil.  Rub in with you hands to lightly coat all pieces.  Toss chicken in spice mixture to coat all sides well.

Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in microwave so it is more liquid.  Stir in the cider vinegar.  Set aside 1-2 T of the honey glaze.  Use the remaining glaze to brush the chicken on both sides towards the end of cooking.  Remove chicken from grill and brush with the glaze that you set aside.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then slice chicken into thin strips.

Salad:

• 1 head Romaine or butter lettuce
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 3 small avocados, sliced
• 1-2 mangoes, sliced
• prepared spicy honey chicken
• honey citrus dressing

Wash lettuce and divide among serving plates.  Top with red onion, avocado, mango, and chicken slices.  Serve with honey citrus dressing.


Recipe modified from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/spicy-honey-chicken-salad/

5/26/2012 Basket - Tropical Shrimp Spinach Salad

Tropical Shrimp Spinach Salad
Uses from this basket: Mango, pineapple, orange, banana, coconut
Other produce: Spinach

Whisk together 6 T. orange juice, 3 T. pineapple juice, 1/4 cup. extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to make your salad dressing.

Line a salad bowl with spinach leaves and top with one diced mango, 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts, and 1/2 cup dried banana chips (recipe here).

Cook (or warm) 1 lb. of large peeled and deveined shrimp in a frying pan with oil. Add the shrimp to the spinach bowl. Top with four ounces of crumbled goat cheese and 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut.

Dress and serve.

Adapted  from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tropical-shrimp-spinach-salad/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=tropical%20shrimp%20salad&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

5/26/2012 Basket - Orange Pineapple Marmalade

Orange Pineapple Marmalade
Uses from this basket: Orange, pineapple
Other produce: Lemon

- 1 medium orange
- 8 oz. pineapple
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 T. lemon juice

Zest or peel the orange so that only the rind (not the white pith) is removed. Then use a sharp knife to remove the pith from the orange. Cut the orange in half and remove any seeds or white membranes. Place the remaining orange halves (just the good stuff, no pith, no membranes, no seeds) in a blender with the rind. Add approximately 8 ounces of chopped, sliced, crushed, diced, or tidbitted pineapple to the blender. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 T. lemon juice. Blend until completely smooth (we used the "Whole Juice" setting on our BlendTec).

Pour fruit into sauce pan and heat until the middle bubbles. Reduce to your desired thickness, remembering that it will continue to thicken when removed from the heat and placed in the fridge. Marmalade will be good refrigerated for a week or frozen up to a year.

Recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/orange-pineapple-marmalade/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=orange%20pineapple%20marmalade&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

5/26/2012 Basket - Orange Lychee Salad

Orange Lychee Salad
Uses from this basket: Orange, lychee, lettuce
Other produce: Red onion

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 4 Tbsp chicken broth
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 head Romaine, butter or leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 oranges, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 8-10 lychees, peeled, pitted and chopped

Mix orange juice, vinegar, oil, chicken broth, and sugar.  Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the salad.  Mix lettuce with oranges, red onion, and lychees.   Toss with dressing to coat.

4/7/2012 Basket - Citrus Tilapia and Provencal "Stuffed" Tomatoes

Citrus Tilapia
Uses from this basket: Grapefruit, orange

• 8 tilapia filets
• salt
• pepper
• ground ginger
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 grapefruit, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you can also cook these on the grill if you want). Get four large squares of foil and place two filets in the middle of each square. Sprinkle the filets with salt, pepper, and ginger. Place two thin slices of orange and two thin slices of grapefruit on the filets in each foil square. Wrap the fish inside the foil to create a packet. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until fish is white and flakes easily.
*Note that the grapefruit can give a pretty sour kick to the fish so if you're not a grapefruit lover, try lemon slices instead.

Provencal "Stuffed" Tomatoes
Uses from this basket: Tomato
Other produce: Garlic

• 3 medium tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4-1/2 tsp basil
• Parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half width-wise. Place in a baking dish, cut side up. Generously season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil.
Combine 1/4 cup oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process until well blended--the mixture should be wet but crumbly. Press crumb mixture onto tomato halves and bake for 15 minutes or until tops are browned and tomatoes are warmed through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

3/10/2012 Basket - Mexican Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch and Pineapple Orange Sherbet

Mexican Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch
Uses from this basket: Lettuce, Anaheim peppers, small sweet peppers, green onion
Other produce: Tomato, red onion, lime, cilantro


To make dressing, blend 1 packet ranch dressing mix, 1 cup mayo, 1 T lime juice, 3/4 cup milk, 2 T cilantro, 3 T salsa verde, and ground red pepper to taste. Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Top lettuce with chopped tomato, diced red onion, shredded cheese, shredded chicken (we used this mango chicken from the other day), black beans, chopped green onion, and sliced roasted red peppers (see instructions here). Place tortilla chips around the edge of the salad. Serve with spicy ranch dressing.


Pineapple Orange Sherbet
Uses from this basket: Oranges, pineapple
Other produce: Lemon

• 2 cups pineapple chunks
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• zest of 2 oranges
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar (more or less depending on tartness of pineapple and orange juice)
• 1 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturers directions. If you don't have an ice cream maker, place in a metal bowl in the freezer, covered with plastic wrap. Whisk every 20 minutes to incorporate frozen crystals. It should begin to thicken and firm up after 2-3 hours.

2/11/2012 Basket - Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings
Uses: Apples, oranges

• 1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuit dough
• 2 apples - peeled, cored, and quartered
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2-3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Place prepared apples in bowl and add cinnamon sugar mixtures. Mix well.

Grease a 7x11 or 9x13 baking pan. Separate biscuit dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough into a circle about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Wrap one biscuit around each apple quarter and place, seam side down, in pan.

Cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, orange juice, melted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. When dumplings have cooked for ten minutes, pour orange juice mixture over them. Bake 30 more minutes until golden. Serve hot.

1/21/2012 Basket - Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad

Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad
Uses: Lettuce, oranges

I created this recipe based on a salad they serve at the Hard Rock Cafe and I am SUPER pleased with how it turned out. My husband was skeptical about it, but ended up loving it. This is definitely going in the permanent rotation! So here it is:

• Lettuce
• Cajun grilled chicken (see below)
  
• Orange slices
• Cajun spiced pecans (see below)
  
• Craisins
• Blue Cheese
• Honey citrus dressing (see below)
  

Cajun Grilled Chicken:

Marinate 2 large chicken breasts overnight in 1/3 cup oil, 2 T lime juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 T apple cider vinegar, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Remove from fridge about 10 minutes before grilling. Grill until center reaches 165 degrees. Remove from grill and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Cajun Spiced Pecans:

See recipe here. I did about 1/3 the recipe since it makes 3 cups of pecans, but they are so tasty you could just make the whole thing and have the rest to snack on!

Honey Citrus Dressing:

Blend together 1/2 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, 2 T apple cider vinegar, 1 T lime juice, 1/3 to 1/2 cup orange juice (I just juiced one orange), 1 T Dijon mustard, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 t ginger, 1/4 t cumin. You may want to heat the honey briefly in the microwave so it will mix in more easily. Then chill the dressing until you're ready to serve.

1/21/2012 Basket - Southwestern Turkey Salad and Fruit Pizza

Southwestern Turkey Salad
Uses: Lettuce, Tomato

Can you tell we're on a turkey kick? :)

Coat cooked turkey (or chicken) with barbecue sauce. Toss lettuce with tomato, red onion, black beans, and cheese. You can also put in avocado and corn. Top with barbecue turkey and serve with barbecue ranch dressing (just mix your favorite barbecue sauce with some ranch).


Fruit Pizza
Uses: Kiwi, banana, orange, pear, pomegranate


1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

sliced fruit - strawberries, kiwis, oranges, bananas, pears, etc.

1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 T lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp orange zest

Mix sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract; mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together, then blend in to butter mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.

Press cookie dough onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan (I only used about 2/3 to 3/4 of the amount of dough made in the recipe above). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, then cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spread over crust.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, salt, cornstarch. Stir in orange juice (I used fresh squeezed from the oranges in the basket), lemon juice, and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and add orange zest. Allow to cool but not set up.

Arrange sliced fruit over cream cheese mixture (coat bananas in lemon or lime juice to keep from browning).

Spoon orange sauce over fruit and chill for 1-2 hours.

9/3/2011 Basket - Pina Colada Salad

Pina Colada Salad

Uses: Green leaf lettuce

Toast coconut and almonds in a saute pan on the stove. Toss with green leaf lettuce, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, coconut, almonds, and pina colada dressing (see recipe below).

Pina Colada Dressing

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pina colada drink mix

1 1/2 cups sour cream

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

The dressing for this salad is SO delicious, I could just eat it with a spoon (I may or may not have done that). Also, toasting the coconut is key--you want it to just start getting a nice light brown color. It will smell amazing and taste even better!