Hummingbird Cake

I apologize for the lack of posts recently.  I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed.  You see, both my sister and my cousin are getting married within a month of each other.  This leads to lots of showers, parties, and more!  Luckily the only event I actually had to PLAN was the bachelorette party because it was in my town (and I had a some help).  But I’ve still been traveling to Kentucky frequently on the weekends for other showers.  My aunt offered to throw showers for my sister & cousin.  She did a great job planning, decorating, and preparing the food.  She did ask for my help for the cakes.  For my sister’s shower, she wanted a tropical/luau theme.  I quickly suggested a Hummingbird cake.  I’m not sure I’ve ever had it, but I had definitely heard of it.  I knew it was similar to a carrot cake (which I love), but with pineapple & banana instead, so that seemed like the perfect tropical flavor for the shower.  My aunt also asked me if I knew how to work with fondant, and if I could make flowers.  I quickly shot that down!  My “style” is more natural.  I immediately knew I wanted to try to make the dried pineapple flowers I’d seen quite a while ago on TheKitchn.

Left: The towel cake my aunt made.  Doesn’t it look like a wedding cake?

Right: A bit of the spread, before ALL the rest of the food was added!

This cake required 3 different steps of preparation: the cake, the frosting, the dried pineapples.  Due to my work schedule I am unable to do any of this on Wednesday or Thursday.  The shower was Saturday, and I wouldn’t have time to do anything that day, as I’d be driving out of town.  I’m pretty slow when it comes to making something like this.  So, to take some of the pressure off I decided to bake the cake on Monday, when I had more time.  Here’s a little hint, bake it, let it cool, wrap it in wax paper, then double wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer.  I promise you it will retain it’s original texture & flavor, and no one will know the difference!  The cake thawed just fine, and was still very moist.

Now, here is a very important second tip.  DON’T WAIT UNTIL 9PM TO BEGIN THE DRYING OF THE PINEAPPLE FLOWERS.  Ok?  Unless you ENJOY waking up at 1am to check on them.  (Especially because it’s a near miracle for me to actually be able to fall asleep before that time.)  The flowers take a couple hours to dry in the oven, and then they need to cool and dry more in the open air.  My suggestion is to begin this in the morning or afternoon!

Everyone really enjoyed this cake.  Of course there were many compliments on the pineapple flowers, but also on the flavor & moistness of the cake.  I’ll admit, when taking the cakes out of the pans, I was worried it would be dry and stiff, perhaps more like banana bread texture.  I was definitely pleased upon my first bite to find it moist and delicious.  The tang of the cream cheese was the perfect frosting to counter the sweet cake.  And as someone who is a reformed nut-hater, I really enjoyed the walnuts in this cake, but of course you can always leave them out (especially if concerned for a nut allergy).  This is a cake I would definitely look forward to making again.  I think of it in romantic Southern terms, like as the centerpiece of a lovely summer garden party.

Finally, if you’re wondering how to decorate the edges with walnuts, all I can say is “palm & press”.  Haha… I just grab a handful, and with a swift flip of the wrist press them into the cake.  I just hope you don’t mind a bit of a mess!  They don’t all make it on there on the first attempt.  I like to lay down a sheet of wax paper, that way the nuts that don’t make it onto the cake are easy to collect.

Hummingbird Cake

from Southern Living

dried pineapples adapted from Martha Stewart, as seen on TheKitchn.

Ingredients:

For cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped bananas

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Flowers:
1 pineapple

Directions:

Cake:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

Flowers:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats) or parchment paper.

Peel pineapple. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard "eyes." Slice pineapple very thinly; place slices on baking sheets. Cook until tops look dried, about 30 minutes (mine took nearly an hour). Flip slices; cook until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more (again, mine took longer, so be prepared). Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

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Pressed Chicken with Yellow Squash & Tomatoes

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with summer produce if you are doing a CSA or growing vegetables in your garden.  ”Squash, again?”  ”More tomatoes?!”  As I’ve mentioned in the past, roasting vegetables tends to be my go-to for a fair amount of my produce.  But sometimes I remind myself that one of the reasons I really enjoy doing a CSA is that it really makes me branch out and try new things.  In this instance, it’s not a matter of trying new vegetables, but of trying a new recipe.  Again, using the Epicurious app, my favorite recipe app for the iPhone, I found this recipe, originally printed in Gourmet magazine.  While I happened to overlook the “chicken breasts with skin and bone” the original recipe calls for, and used boneless skinless breasts; I don’t regret it for a minute.  I’m not a fan of the skin on chicken, and when prepared this way, there’s less fat as well.

This recipe definitely solved the “what to do with squash & tomato” dilemma of the week.  The Boy & I found it to be flavorful, and juicy, despite the lack of fat from the skin.  It was a simple & easy dish to prepare.  With just salt, pepper, garlic, and marjoram, it was perfectly & simply seasoned.  I know for sure we’ll be enjoying it again next summer, if not once more this summer!

Pressed Chicken with Yellow Squash & Tomatoes

adapted from Gourmet, via Epicurious

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 teaspoons chopped marjoram, divided

Directions:

Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

Add chicken. Cover with a round of parchment paper, then a heavy pot or skillet, followed by a 3- to 5-pound weight (such as two 32-ounce cans or a brick wrapped in foil). Cook 8 minutes, then remove weight, pot, and parchment.

Turn chicken over and re-cover with a clean round of parchment, pot, and weight, then cook until just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm, covered.

Add squash, tomatoes, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to juices in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until squash is just tender and tomatoes have become saucy, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in any juices from plate and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with remaining teaspoon marjoram.

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Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Let me share a true conversation between The Boy & The Nephew (soon to be 8 years old).

“Did it hurt when you got that tattoo?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because they use a needle to put the ink in your arm.”

“Oh.  Why would you do that when you can just go to the store & buy one from the machine, and peel it off, and take a rag and get it wet, and put it on your arm?  And then just not take a bath.”

Hahahaha… Oh the mind of a 7-almost-8 year old.  You know I guess a stick-on tattoo might sound less painful than a real tattoo.  But it won’t be personal & meaningful, the way The Boy has his late mother’s name tattooed on him.  And it won’t make a lasting impression if it only lasts until the next bath.

I guess just going to the grocery and purchasing some ice cream would be easier & less time-intensive than making your own.  After all, first you make the caramel, then you let it cool to room temperature.  Then you make the custard, and let it cool more than a few hours in the refrigerator, usually overnight.  Then you churn the ice cream.  And then, you let it firm up in the freezer for at least a few hours before you can eat it.  But if all you did was pick some up from the grocery, I guarantee it won’t have the same incredibly rich, smooth, sweet, and salty flavor that this one has.  Plus, when you make your own, you can adapt it to your very own tastes.  If you want more salt (yes please!) do it; if you wanted to add bits of candy in the churning process, do it; a ripple of fudge, do it.  No matter how you design your ice cream, it will definitely make you glad you made it yourself.  In the same way one might prefer the customization & permance of a real tattoo vs a stick-on!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

from Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

Directions:

Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.

Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

Ice cream keeps 1 week.

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Raw Summer Vegetable “Pasta”

Let’s get one thing out in the open.  Go ahead, hate me if you want, but I am not a fan of summer.  I grew up in Kentucky, and now live Tennesse, so the heat & humidity are really something I should be used to.  I just hate the heat, and I hate sweating.  Bleh.  Before it was even June, or even technically summer, I had already pronounced that I was ready for fall.  But… Summer does have a couple redeeming qualities.  One is, I LOVE it when most of the students are gone for summer.  I live on the edge of Vanderbilt University, and I love love love my emptier streets & restaurants!  Second, I do enjoy cruising around the lake on my dad’s pontoon boat, and swimming in the lake.  And third, I really enjoy all the seasonal produce.  Watermelon, fresh corn on the cob, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant….  YUM!

If you’re looking for a way to take advantage of summer’s bounty, look no further.  This recipe was so incredibly simple, I must admit, I was a little dubious of it’s outcome upon reading.  The reason I decided to go ahead and make it, was I already had every single ingredient on hand, thanks to my CSA and a few other staples.  I’ll admit, I was wary of the raw vegetables.  I just wasn’t sure if the texture and flavor would be as appetizing as say, roasting.  Roasting vegetables is pretty much my go-to for a lot of my CSA veggies, but a recipe that doesn’t require an oven is a great change of pace.  So, when I saw this in a Whole Foods email newsletter, I bookmarked it.

Slicing the squash & zucchini into ribbons makes for a beautiful presentation, and is what gives this dish it’s faux “pasta” name.  I love a colorful dish, so it’s no surprise I was drawn to this.  I believe we eat with our eyes first, and with all our senses.  The aroma of fresh basil is so refreshing.  We ate dinner downstairs with our neighbors, and everyone (EVEN THE BOY!) raved over this dish.  With the simplicity of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh basil, oregano, it all combines to create an incredibly flavorful dish.  Honestly, the summer’s heat is worth it with a dish like this!

Raw Summer Vegetable "Pasta"

from Whole Foods
serves 6

Ingredients:

2 zucchini squash, shaved thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler
2 yellow summer squash, shaved thinly lengthwise with a vegetable peeler
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
5 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano

Directions:

In a large bowl, gently toss together all ingredients. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Per serving (about 6oz/169g-wt.): 60 calories (25 from fat), 3g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 7g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 2g protein

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Quinoa, Garbanzo, & Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing

For some reason, I always feel the need to preface a quinoa post by telling you how much I love quinoa.  And how much I love these types of salads.  So let’s get that out of the way, shall we?  I LOVE QUINOA!!!!  I LOVE THESE WHOLE GRAIN SALADS!

I was browsing through my Epicurious app on my new iPhone 4, and I quickly came across this recipe.  Instantly I added it to my favorites.  I knew I would be making this, because it combined so many fresh & seasonal vegetables.

Let me first begin by mentioning, this recipe tells you to use an extra-large bowl.  I quickly realized my extra-large bowl was NO WHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH.  I ended up mixing & storing it in my large round cake carrier, using the domed lid as the bowl, and the flat bottom as the lid!  I kid you not.  (Don’t worry, I didn’t serve it in that!  I portioned some of it out into a smaller, more presentable bowl.)  You could easily halve this recipe for a smaller amount.

Once I got the salad mixed together, I didn’t have room in my fridge for the huge cake carrier, so I brought it to my downstairs neighbor’s fridge for storing.  I made her taste-teste it, and asked her opinion, because she loves quinoa salads as much as I do.  We both determined it definitely needed something to brighten it up.  It was good, and had potential, but it wasn’t quite there yet.  After some pondering, I determined it needed orange zest & orange juice.  So I made a touch more of the vinaigrette, and added in the zest of 1 large orange, and the juice of 1/2 a large orange.  After adding that to the salad, it really perked it up.  The extra flavoring from the orange, combined with letting the salad rest in the refrigerator overnight, really took a salad that upon first taste I thought “ehhhhh…”, to “mmmMMMMmmmmm!”  Everyone who ate some agreed it was definitely delicious.  So delicious in fact, it was devoured!  I was then “forced” to make it again in order to photograph it.  That was perfectly fine with me, because I could take it to a friends’ for dinner, as well as eat it for lunch many days in a row. 

I can assure you, whether you make the whole recipe or halve it, you will not be disappointed.  This salad can easily serve as a vegetarian entree, as I ate it that way many days in a row.  There’s so much nutrition and color with the tomatoes, spinach, quinoa (I used red quinoa), cucumber, and feta.  Once I adapted the recipe by adding the orange juice and zest, it became a delicious salad with a touch of sweetness, a tang of vinaigrette, a refreshing hint of mint, savory saltiness from the feta, along with the crunch and substance of all the vegetables.  This is a salad I will turn to again and again.

Quinoa, Garbanzo, & Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing

from Bon Appetit July 2010 (found using the Epicurious iPhone app)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained (I used red quinoa, because it's what I happened to have on hand.)
4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves
2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
1 3/4 cups 1/3-inch cubes unpeeled English hothouse cucumber
1 1-pint container multicolored baby heirloom tomatoes, halved (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces), divided
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a large orange (or if using a small orange, go ahead and use all the juice)
zest of 1 orange

Directions:

Place quinoa in large saucepan; add enough salted water to cover quinoa by 1 inch. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 16 minutes. Drain. Chill until cool.

Chop spinach leaves, & mint. Halve tomatoes & cube the cucumber. Combine spinach leaves, garbanzos, cubed cucumber, halved tomatoes, mint leaves, and half of feta cheese in extra-large bowl. Add cooled quinoa and toss gently to blend.

Whisk vinegar, smoked paprika, orange zest & orange juice in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining feta over.

Let chill in refrigerator a minimum of 4 hours, or up to overnight, for flavors to combine, and spinach leaves to slightly soften.

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