Orange and Cucumber Salad with Maple Dressing

Hello world! I apologize, I’ve been remiss in posting recently. I’ve been caught up in test driving a few different recipes for a dinner party I cooked for this past weekend! I had a blast! My best friend Colleen and her husband hosted the party, and she set such a beautiful tablescape! Unfortunately, you will all just have to imagine its awesomeness as yours truly didn’t take any pictures. The above picture was taken at the party, and with such beautiful china, you can only imagine it’s glory! She finished the party with treats from our childhood–Garbage Pail kids, army men, slap bracelets, pixie sticks, and candy jewelry!

In poking around the internet for ideas to cook for the dinner party, I came across an Italian salad featuring blood oranges, cucumbers, radishes and mint. I was so excited to try it, and did…and then found myself going back to the drawing board, as…the flavor was not what I was hoping for. Off to the store with me! I really loved the idea of using oranges, and cucumbers…but everything else wasn’t hitting me the right way.

After pulling Chef Joann out and away from her football game on a Sunday afternoon, and taste-testing various balsamic vinegars, and oils, taking it home, taste-testing again…. I was satisfied….almost. A week out from the party, I was toying around in the kitchen again. I’ve made a raspberry vinaigrette using raspberry syrup–why can’t I do the same thing with maple syrup? Thus maple vinaigrette was born to my kitchen. (It may have been born to other people’s kitchens, but this was the first to mine!)

Now, you’re thinking (at least, I was) cucumbers and oranges… Sounds good..but a little boring. Need something crunchy…Celery? Naw, too bitter. Nuts? Possibly, but not where I was going. pomegranates? YES! DING DING DING!! Then I felt, maybe the fancy-shmancy tangerine balsamic vinegar I bought the other day might work…so…TASTE TEST!!

Yep, that was fun. However, the maple vinaigrette still won the taste test. Sorry, tangerine balsamic vinegar–you shall be used for science another day!

Orange and Cucumber Salad with Maple Dressing

Inspired by Marcella Hazan‘s Cucumber Orange Salad

Ingredients

Salad

5-6 oranges and tangerines, I recommend trying 1 of each kind from the supermarket*
1 English cucumber (the kind in the saran-wrap), peeled and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1/2-1 cup pomegranate arils

Maple Dressing

1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup (feel free to add more for a stronger maple flavor)
1/2 cup walnut oil (vegetable oil will also work)

Directions

For the salad, chop up orange and tangerine pieces into thirds or halves, depending on size. Make sure the oranges are seeded. Toss in the peeled and chopped cucumber, pretty much looking for a 2:1 ratio of oranges and cucumber. Maybe even 4:1. The cucumbers are delicious, but really only there as a crunchy enhancement. Add in the pomegranate–add as much or as little as you want. They’re delicious, good for you, and so pretty with the oranges!

orange2 (See what I mean? These are all oranges!!)

For the dressing, in a bowl, stir together mustard and honey. Constantly stirring, add in the apple cider vinegar. Once combined, slowly pour in the syrup–again, more stirring. Now, STOP! Taste it. Is it maple-y enough (yes, it’s a word, I said so!), if not, add more! Slowly drizzle the oil in, constantly stirring, until the dressing is combined.

Pour over the salad and enjoy!

*Note: I used blood oranges, Cara oranges, honey tangerines, and Valencia oranges. Feel free to play around with it!! Just pick up one of every kind, take ’em home and say YUM!

Cinnamon Rolls

Happy New Year!! Well, it is almost the new year!! And just something wonderful and warm and delicious to ring in the New Year–Cinnamon Rolls! I had a craving last weekend for cinnamon rolls after my sister went to Cinnabon and picked up some for herself and her husband. After seeing her quickly texted picture to entice me, I HAD to find something to make myself! Can I just say Oh.My.God. These little bits of decadence were worth the work!

After having one…ok, maybe two for Christmas breakfast, I realized…I have TEN more of these little gems… What better way to celebrate Christmas than to share? So, I packed away six of them for my parents and brought them on over..(duh, I had to save some more for myself)! Even after putting them in the fridge and re-heating them they were wonderful! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from AllRecipes.com and Cinnabon

Ingredients:

Rolls

1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature, beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Cinnamon center

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

Frosting

4-5oz cream cheese, softened (if using whipped, use closer to 6-8oz)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk for 1-2 minutes, or until warm to the touch. You *don’t* want your milk too hot, or it will kill the yeast. Once warmed, pour the yeast in, and stir to combine. Let sit for a minute or two.

In a large bowl, combine milk/yeast mixture, butter, and eggs, combine with either whisk or dough hook. Add in salt and sugar, mix until dissolved. Slowly add in the flour until a dough forms.

On a floured surface, turn out dough and kneed for five minutes or so. Let dough rise in a warm area for an hour, or until doubled.*

While waiting, combine brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside.

When dough has doubled, on a floured surface, roll out dough to approximate 16″ x 20″ rectangle. Spread softened butter out on the dough evenly. (This was the fun part, how often do you get to smear softened butter on ANYTHING?!) Evenly coat the buttered dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Using a pizza cutter, cut 12 even strips. Roll each strip until you have 12 round rolls. I found it easiest to cut one, roll, then cut another.

In a well-greased, 13″ x 9″ pan, space each roll giving about an inch or two between each roll. I ended up putting in 3 per row in the pan. Let rise another 30 minutes in a warm area.

While the rolls are rising, make the frosting. Combine butter and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla. Slowly add in the sugar, beat until thoroughly combined, and no sugar or butter lumps remain.

Once done rising, bake the rolls at 400º for approximately 15 minutes or until golden.**

Don’t they look delicious!! I almost had to stop myself from scooping them out of the pan right away and just eating them plain….then I remembered…there’s heavenly frosting for these guys…

Notes:

*When letting dough rise, I turn the oven on to 300º and let the dough rise near (not in) the oven. In this case, you’ll want to put the dough in a well-greased bowl with a towel
over to rise.

**In stead of baking right away, once the rolls are done rising for the second time (you may not notice much difference), refrigerate the rolls and bake the next morning.

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