Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana, who?

*are you sighing in exasperation yet?*

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange, who?

Orange you glad I didn't say, "banana?"

*giggles*

OK. Really.

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

ME!

I am back.

So far, 2014 has been a busy year, and I can't believe that I haven't yet shared anything on the blog. As always, so much has happened. So much good food has been consumed. So many recipes have been tried. But, as always, the first thing that gets plucked from my to-do list when things get hectic is blogging. Hopefully, this will bring me back to share for awhile. Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate with cake. Orange Yogurt Cake. Lately, I have been making my own yogurt, and this cake puts it to good use. It is dense and rich, yet bright with the flavor of citrus. Orange you glad I am back On My Plate?

Orange Yogurt Cake

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

1/4 cup plain yogurt

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small saucepan, bring orange juice to a simmer.
Remove from heat and stir in saffron; let stand 10 minutes.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Beat sugar, egg, and egg white with a mixer until thickened.
Add yogurt, beating well. 
Gradually add olive oil and orange juice mixture, beating until well blended.
Add half of the flour mixture to sugar mixture, beat until just blended.
Add remaining flour and combine.
Spoon batter into a 9-inch round cake pan that has been coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
Combine marmalade and liqueur in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat; strain through a fine sieve directly over the cake; discard solids.
Spread marmalade mixture evenly over the top of cake, allowing excess to drizzle down sides of cake.
Garnish with fresh fruit, mint, and grated orange rind. (Serves 12)

Berry Merry

I love blueberries. I don't think that is any secret. Click on the blueberry category in the cloud on the right sidebar of this blog, and I believe 10 different recipes which include blueberries as an ingredient will appear. I toss them into muffins, quick breads, crumb cakes, and hot cereals. These little berries are sometimes mixed with other fruits in desserts and also given a well-deserved, solo spotlight. In season, or not, I can't resist picking up a box any time I see them at the grocery store.

A favorite simple breakfast is blueberries stirred into Greek yogurt. Fridge Friday has often shown you a container of Greek Gods Honey Yogurt perched on a shelf in my fridge, and I think this is a perfect, rich, and creamy pairing for blueberries. Digging my spoon into a bowl of yogurt and blueberry goodness *does* make me merry. I even have a go-to plan for those times when I want to up the ante and experience total merry berry bliss: Broiled Blueberries.

Kristen over at Dine and Dish shared a version of the recipe this summer as a dessert. It is an EXCELLENT dessert. Depending on the type of yogurt used, it is even a pretty low-cal way to end a meal without sacrificing a single ounce of sweet berry satisfaction. However, the recipe was first introduced to me as a breakfast, and I have been broiling my blueberries while my whole grain bread is toasting for about 5 years now. (Can you think of a merrier way to start the day?)

The brown sugar topping caramelizes over the smooth, creamy yogurt, and the berries swell with sweetness under the intense heat. It's almost like Creme Brulee over luscious, juicy berries. Truly. Broiled Blueberries is a little cup of merry heaven. Breakfast. Dessert. Anything in between. You have got to try some Broiled Blueberries.

 

Broiled Blueberries

4 cups blueberries

2 cups Greek Gods Honey Yogurt (or other vanilla yogurt)

1-2 cups packed brown sugar

Preheat broiler.
Divide the berries between 4 oven-proof ramekins.
Spoon 1/2 cup of yogurt over berries in each ramekin. 
Top with brown sugar. (Use enough to completely cover the yogurt and berries.)
Broil 3-4 minutes, until the sugar is melted and caramelized. (Watch carefully, as the sugar can burn.)
Serve immediately (although, leftovers can be refrigerated and are still quite tasty when cold).

April Fool!

What does someone who is obsessed with food, recipes and fun do on April Fools Day? They pull a food prank, what else? :~)

Get up before your Hubby, fry up a couple of eggs (for the authentic aroma), make some toast, and brew some coffee. Then, get ready for the prank. Create a special "egg" on his plate and have it waiting when he meanders down the stairs. Having a spouse that doesn't fully wake up until the second cup of coffee does help to pull off the surprise. Enjoy the laughs and have a great day!

Peachy Eggs for April Fool's Day
1/3 -1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
½ peach (canned halves in light syrup work well)

Spread yogurt into circle on plate, using the back of a spoon.
Place peach half, flat side down, in the center of the yogurt.