Alright I don't have a picture for this one because it (like most of my cake failures) fell out of the pan into pieces. However, those pieces were quite yummy and stayed moist and fluffy all week! This was my first try--of what I assume will be quite a few--of my new Cake Mix Doctor book. Courtesy of a boss who is bound to have Individualization up there somewhere. Half the people on my floor swear by the book so I'm looking forward to getting more adventurous. I thought Orange Pound Cake was an easy place to start, and it was. But since it fell out of the pan, I'll have to think of something to get my baking confidence back!
Orange Pound Cake
1 package yellow cake mix w/pudding (Pillsbury--and I used Reduced Sugar, worked well)
1 cup fresh orange juice (I used the new low sugar Tropicana)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used Splenda...do you sense the low-sugar theme yet?)
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
Glaze
My glaze didn't turn out very well...I think the actual recipe calls for too much OJ. So pour a little bit of OJ into your mixing bowl, along with about a Tbs of orange zest (optional). Then add at least 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and stir until blended. If too runny, add more sugar until you reach a good "glaze" consistency. I soaked my cake on accident and it was basically like pouring OJ all over the cake. Still tasty though :o)
Preheat oven to 350. Place all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on LOW for one minute. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to MED for 2 more minutes until batter is thick and well blended. Spray a bundt pan with PAM and lightly flour the interior. Add batter and bake for 45 minutes.
Now my book says to remove it from the oven and place on a wire baking rack to cool for 20 minutes before trying to remove from the pan. Then using a knife or spatula to run down the sides before turning it over onto a plate. Just make sure you run the knife down the outside ring AND the inside ring. I think this is where I went wrong. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and let cool for 30 more minutes before adding the glaze.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Spicy Pork-and-Orange Chopped Salad
Hi :-) OK well first things first: My birthday cake was delicious, just in case you missed that on Facebook. Please see the posted pictures for the cake in all it's chocolaty glory. I won't be sharing the recipe though, sorry! I did not use Naynie or Mom's frosting because I didn't have a double boiler, but my mom found me a fantastic Italian Chocolate Creme frosting that was delicious! So perhaps we just all make it with our own frosting? It was divine!
The end of March was not conducive to a lot of new recipes, and we mostly ate pizza. But last week as we got back on the healthy food bandwagon, we tried this new one from Southern Living, and I highly recommend it! Quick and healthy for a weeknight dinner. It is a bit spicy--which we loved--but if it's not your thing I can tell you how to reduce the spice.
Spicy Pork-and-Orange Chopped Salad
1lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2in pieces
2tsp to a whole packet of Szechwan seasoning blend (less for less spice, more for more spice!)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 navel oranges
1/2 c bottled low-fat Sesame Ginger dressing (eyeball it)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1 romaine lettuce heart (we actually used a half-head of green leaf lettuce)
3 cups shredded coleslaw mix (about half a bag)
1/2 cup wasabi-and-soy flavored almonds (I couldn't find them and used plain--they worked)
After cutting the pork into pieces, place all pieces in a plastic bag with the Szechwan seasoning--shake to coat. Then saute pork in hot olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat, about 8-10 minutes or until done. I always cut the thickest piece in half to determine if it's fully cooked. Peel the oranges and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Pour dressing into the bottom of the salad bowl, then stir in oranges, cilantro, and cucumber and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, coleslaw mix, and finally the pork. Toss very gently and garnish with the almonds. Garnish with more oranges or cilantro as needed.
This really is a great new recipe for spring. We always struggle with dinner salads because so many end up covered in cheese or chips or Caesar dressing and negate the health-factor of having a dinner salad to begin with. But this one is light, fresh, and still filling. A big thumbs up from us and definitely work a try! Happy Easter to everyone and let's all look forward to some warmer weather and spring/summer menus :-)
The end of March was not conducive to a lot of new recipes, and we mostly ate pizza. But last week as we got back on the healthy food bandwagon, we tried this new one from Southern Living, and I highly recommend it! Quick and healthy for a weeknight dinner. It is a bit spicy--which we loved--but if it's not your thing I can tell you how to reduce the spice.
Spicy Pork-and-Orange Chopped Salad1lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2in pieces
2tsp to a whole packet of Szechwan seasoning blend (less for less spice, more for more spice!)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 navel oranges
1/2 c bottled low-fat Sesame Ginger dressing (eyeball it)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1 romaine lettuce heart (we actually used a half-head of green leaf lettuce)
3 cups shredded coleslaw mix (about half a bag)
1/2 cup wasabi-and-soy flavored almonds (I couldn't find them and used plain--they worked)
After cutting the pork into pieces, place all pieces in a plastic bag with the Szechwan seasoning--shake to coat. Then saute pork in hot olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat, about 8-10 minutes or until done. I always cut the thickest piece in half to determine if it's fully cooked. Peel the oranges and cut them into 1/2 inch slices. Pour dressing into the bottom of the salad bowl, then stir in oranges, cilantro, and cucumber and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, coleslaw mix, and finally the pork. Toss very gently and garnish with the almonds. Garnish with more oranges or cilantro as needed.
This really is a great new recipe for spring. We always struggle with dinner salads because so many end up covered in cheese or chips or Caesar dressing and negate the health-factor of having a dinner salad to begin with. But this one is light, fresh, and still filling. A big thumbs up from us and definitely work a try! Happy Easter to everyone and let's all look forward to some warmer weather and spring/summer menus :-)
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