Beef & Orange Stir Fry

Out of the Epicure catalog. Next time I would add some red pepper strips as well. I'd also cut the beef myself because this was pre-cut "stir fry beef" and the pieces were enormous! Also, not all of them were cut properly with respect to the grain of the meat.

3 oranges (zest and juice removed from one)
2 T soya sauce
1 T VE Oriental Stir Fry Seasoning
1 lb bonelss sirloin steak, cut into 1/2" strips
1 T cornstarch
2 T vegetable oil
4 green onions, sliced

Stir together orange zest, juice of 1 orange with soya sauce and VE seasoning. Peel remaining oranges, cut in half and then slice into half-moon shapes. (I got to do that really cool thing that I've seen on all of the cooking shows where I slice off the skin and cut out each little section so I had these perfectly peeled little pieces of orange. It was wicked easy and it was on my 100 list.)

Toss beef with cornstarch and brown in vegetable oil over medium-high heat (I used my electric wok). Transfer cooked meat out onto a plate.

Pour stir-fry sauce into hot pan and reduce by about 1/3 until it's slightly thickened. Return beef and orange slices to pan (I added the green onion now too). Stir until coated. Serve over rice or noodles (RICE!)

It was a little too orange-y for me but I think that the peppers would probably help with that. It was still really orange to orange-yellow in taste. I would probably make it again, it was wickedly filling too.

Rhubarb and Orange Cake

So here is your third installment of cakes from the 101 Cakes and Bakes - I made a few mistakes (noted in brackets) and didn't get a chance to photograph the cake. However, it was tasty enough to try again sometime - so I will post any further tries with pics!

I have to say that I am facinated with using oranges - particularly the zest. The flavour is quite intense, and new somehow - at least in cakes - at least for me.

We ate this cake pretty much straight out of the oven, with no icing sugar dust. We also ate it more like a hot pudding, some table cream on this would be exceptional!

350 g prepared rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2 inch lenghts (mine were shorter and frozen)
200 g of golden caster sugar (I used darker sugar here)
finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 small orange
140 g butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp baking powder
85 g self-raising flour
100 g ground almonds

for the topping:
25 g butter, melted
25 g light muscovado sugar
finely grated zest of 1/2 small orange
50 g slivered almonds
icing sugar for dusting

1) Mix the rhubarb with 50 g of the caster sugar and the orange zest. Set aside for 1 hour, stirring once or twice. ( I accidentally added all the sugar, and used dark brown instead of the golden sugar - when the time came, I had to really strain the rhubarb mixture, and of course there is a flavour difference)

2) preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and line a 9 inch pan. ( I buttered and floured the pan - I only have an 8 inch pan, so it was kinda too much for the pan)

3) Cream the butter and remaining caster sugar (150 g) Add the eggs, baking powder, flour and ground almonds. Beat gently, but do not overmix. Stir in the orange juice. Spoon into the cake pan and level. ( I always use my stand mixer, I don't think it is that gentle, but the cake was good anyway!)

4) Drain the rhubarb and spoon over the mixture. ( I used some of the juice and drizzled it over the fruit and cake - think crispy bits of a crumble - mmmmmmmmm)

5) Bake for 25 minutes. In the meantime, make the topping by combining the sugar, zest and almonds. (I forgot to melt the butter before I added the almonds and zest, so I just mushed it up with my fingers and spread it on the top of the cake, also, I think I used shaved almonds instead of slivers, might used slivered next time to see if there is a difference)

6) Reduce the oven to 325 and sprinkle the topping over the cake and return it to the oven for another 15 - 20 minutes - or until firm.

7) Cool in the tin, transfer to a rack and dust

Raspberry and Almond Madeira Cake

My cake did NOT look like the one in the book. In fact, going into the oven, it looked somewhat garrish. But ended up tasting quite nice! Not an ordinary flavour, as Colin remarked, "It's quite ambitious!"

Ambitious, but tasty! Here it is: again, from the Cakes and Bakes Book from the BBC;

175 g butter, softened
175 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs lightly beaten
50 g flaked almonds
grated zest of 1 orange
100g plain flour
100g self-raising flour
2 Tbsp milk
200 g raspberries fresh or frozen (I used frozen and a bit more than called for)
icing sugar to dust

1) pre heat oven to 325 butter/spray oil pan and flour it
2) cream butter and sugar, then add vanilla and gradually add eggs (I did all this in the stand mixer)
3) set aside a few almonds and crush the rest (in a baggy with a rolling pin) then stir them in with the orange zest.
4) Fold in the flours and milk, then fold in all but 8 of the raspberries (I did not do this)
5) Put in the tin and sprinkle remaining almonds and raspberries on top

bake for 1 hr and 15 mins. cool in the pan for 5 mins and then on a rack. dust with icing sugar!

Yummy! ;-)

Whole Orange Cake

That's right, you heard it, the WHOLE orange. It's VERY GOOD and easy too. This is another cake from the Good Food Mag and BBC Books book that Katie got "101 Cakes & Bakes". Both cakes I have made from this book have been super! It's a by weight recipe, so get out your scales boys and girls.

The thing I really like about these cakes is that they are not really sweet.

1 small orange
140 g sugar
3 eggs
85 g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds (bought some at Bulk Barn and the self-raising cake flour too)
50g butter, melted

FOR THE ICING

85g icing sugar
the juice of 1 small sweet orange - I just used OJ from a bottle - unsweetened
creme fraiche to serve (0ptional)

1) Put the orange in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. remove the orange and cool (I left it overnight)
2) preheat oven to 350 F butter and line an 8 inch deep cake pan ( I buttered and floured it insead of lining - it worked out fine.)
3) take cooled orange and roughly chop it - discard pips - whiz in the food processor until smooth.
4) wisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy and melt the butter (in the microwave)
5) sift flour and ground almonds on to the egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon, fold gently and then add orage puree and melted butter. Fold in gently until just mixed. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until the cake is brown and springs back. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then ice and serve with creme fraiche. - I served the cake iced with tea- it was amazing!!

ICING

mix the icing sugar and just enough OJ to make a drizzley icing. I tried to do a chantilly lace pattern , that is what the pic in the book did.

Make this for tea some day soon - you won't be disapointed!