The Charmed Kitchen

Coconut Orange Cupcakes

This is a great dessert to take along on picnics, when the weather might be too warm for frosted treats.  A cupcake without frosting? Well, if it is this Coconut Orange Cupcake you will never miss it. The cupcake batter is made with orange juice and enriched with vanilla chips and mandarin oranges. Before baking a slightly sweet coconut and butter mixture is sprinkled on the top. The end result is a cupcake with a toasted coconut topping and enough flavor and moisture to carry the day without frosting.  They are also very simple to make. You can have the batter mixed and ready in the time it takes to preheat the oven.

Coconut Orange Cupcakes

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup orange juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained-you can also use 1 cup diced fresh oranges

1 cup vanilla or white baking chips

TOPPING:

1 cup flaked coconut

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and orange juice; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; stir into orange juice mixture just until moistened. Fold in oranges and chips. Fill 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over cupcakes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24.

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Cabbage and Carrot Salad

I love a good salad. I also like to make dishes that can travel well when I am visiting with friends. After a conversation with a friend the other day about her having to travel for a family event and bring food along I was inspired to come up with this recipe. Similar to a cole slaw this salad has an equal share of carrots and an herb-infused dressing that gives it a great flavor.  It can be made a couple of days ahead, if needed, and is better if you make it the night before.

 Cabbage and Carrot Salad

1 lb. carrots, peeled and shredded

1 lb. shredded cabbage- you can use the cole slaw mixes sold in stores

Dressing:

2/3  c. apple cider vinegar or herb flavored vinegar

1/2 c. oil

1/4 c. sugar, or to taste

1 T. salad and vegetable seasoning-recipe follows- or 1 T. dried herbs of your choice

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine veggies in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well to combine. Adjust seasonings. Pour dressing over the veggies and stir to mix well. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Serves 10-12.

Salad and Vegetable Seasoning

½ c. dried parsley
¼ c. dried minced onion
1 T. dried thyme
1-T. celery seeds
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried marjoram
1-t. dill seeds

Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry, dark place. Makes about a cup. Use in salad dressings or on cooked veggies and in soups and stews.

Reuben Salad

I picked up a corned beef and cooked it up in the crock pot. My original plan was to make a Reuben sandwich with it for dinner. By the time it was done and I was ready to have dinner I realized I was more in the mood for a salad. I decided to use the corned beef with Swiss cheese and some rye bread to make this Reuben salad. It came out really good. I’ve been trying to eat more veggies and salads are a great way to do that.

Reuben Salad

4 c. mixed salad greens, washed and dried off

3 oz. corned beef, cut in bite sized pieces

2 oz. cubed Swiss cheese

1 slice rye bread, toasted and cubed

2 T. Thousand island dressing- recipe follows

Place greens in a bowl. Top with the meat, cheese, rye bread and drizzle with the dressing. Serves 1.

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Combine equal amounts of mayo, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. Stir to combine. I like to add capers sometimes, too. Store unused portion in the fridge.

Sweet and Sour Baked Onions

I normally use onions as an ingredient to add flavor to a dish. In this recipe, the onions are the star. Plain old cooking onions are elevated to a tasty side dish I think you will like. The onions are peeled, halved and drizzled with a vinegar/sugar mix. They are topped with a bread crumb and herb mix that gets crispy as the onions roast and become tender. It reminds me of onion rings. If you never tried baking onions this way, you might want to try it.

Sweet and Sour Baked Onions

4 large onions, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the onions in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Arrange the onions round side down. In a small mixing bowl mix together the vinegar and sugar. Spoon the mixture onto the flat surface of the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. In another mixing bowl combine the breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup oil, rosemary and parsley. Mix until well combined. Pat the mixture evenly onto the flat side of the onions. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of oil over the onions and bake for 45 minutes or until the onions are tender when pierced. Let the onions cool a little at room temperature. Serve with extra salt and pepper to taste.

The Concord Garden Club is having their annual plant and bake sale on Saturday, May 9th. This is one you do not want to miss. Garden club members work very hard to get a great assortment of plants for sale including plants from each member’s home . I love these sales as I always find a few real gems. I know they will also have a great assortment of herbs including lovage.

They will have everything from trees, shrubs, flowering plants, ground covers, vegetables and more.
They also sell garden gloves and raffle off 3 items

I will be there selling books and herb seasoning packets, with a portion of my sales being donated to the cause. I will also be there to answer any herb questions you might have. As an added bonus, I will be digging up some plants from my yard to offer for sale including pink Lily of the Valley and Japanese Black Grass.

If you have never been to one of these sales, you should go. It is a great way to support a very nice garden club and to get some great plants, baked goods and more.

I hope to see you there.

Concord Garden Club Plant  and Bake Sale

9 am to Noon
Hope Ridge United Methodist Church
9870 Johnnycake Ridge Road
Concord, OH 44077

Stuffed French Toast

Whenever I make this dish I remember a Winter brunch in the park with friends. It was February and cabin fever led to the idea to meet up in the park for brunch. We cooked everything over the grill or on a camp stove. It was pretty cold. We still had a great time. I made this French toast and it was a big hit. It’s even more fun when you are cooking inside. You can stuff the bread the night before and keep it in the fridge until ready to cook which will save you time in the morning. Great for  brunch- inside or out.

Stuffed French Toast

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1 16-oz. loaf French bread

4 eggs

1 c. whipping cream or half and half

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla and nuts. Set aside. Cut bread into 10-12 1 1/2 inch slices. Cut pocket in each slice and fill with 1 1/2 T. filling. Combine eggs and whipping cream with remaining vanilla and nutmeg. Use tongs to dip the bread, taking care not to squeeze out the filling. Cook toast on lightly greased griddle until browned on both sides.  Keep toast warm in oven until ready to serve. Serve with maple syrup, warmed preserves or powdered sugar. Makes 10-12 slices.

Eggs Florentine

If you are looking for a fun way to serve eggs for a brunch, you might want to make Eggs Florentine. Simple scrambled eggs are elevated with the addition of spinach and cheese.  The term Florentine refers to dishes containing spinach. I am not sure where that all started but I must admit I like spinach in lots of dishes. These eggs are tasty and easy to make.

 Eggs Florentine

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
12 eggs
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. butter
2 c. shredded cheddar or Colby cheese – I like a sharp cheddar

Squeeze out excess moisture from spinach and set aside. Combine eggs with milk and seasonings and beat well. Heat butter in large skillet and pour in eggs. As eggs set, lift and fold eggs with a large spatula, allowing uncooked eggs to flow underneath. Stir in spinach and half of the cheese and continue cooking, stirring as needed to cook evenly. When eggs are just cooked, invert to serving plate and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serves 6.

Chive Crepes

When the chives are first up in my garden I want to use them in everything. They will be around all season but that first Spring harvest is always my favorite. Their delicate onion flavor goes well with so many dishes. Chives add a pretty color and wonderful flavor when used in crepes. I made a crab filling, but you could fill them with any number of savory ingredients. This is a great dish for brunch, lunch or breakfast.

Chive Crepes

3/4 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
3/4 c. milk, approximately
1/3 c. fresh chives*
Butter or oil for pan

In blender mix together flour, salt and eggs until smooth. Add butter, milk and chives and blend until batter consistency is that of cream. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Mix well, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 1-2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen. Makes 12.

When ready to serve: Crepes can be filled ahead or guests can fill their own
* You can use other combinations of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, cilantro or scallions.

Crab Filling – enough for 6-8 crepes

2 T. butter
1/2 c. minced onion
3 T. flour
1 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 6-oz. can crabmeat, drained, or 1 c. cooked cocktail shrimp
1 c. shredded mild cheese, I used fontina
Chopped green onions

Heat butter in skillet and cook onions until tender. Add flour and mix well. Stir in milk and seasonings and cook until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Stir in seafood and heat through. Spoon some of this mixture onto a crepe. Add some cheese and roll up. Garnish with chopped green onions. Makes 6-8.

Spice and Herb Crusted Pork Roast

I was going through my pantry and found a jar of applesauce I had canned last Fall. I remember my Mother always serving applesauce with a pork roast so I decided to cook a roast I had in the freezer. I wanted to spice it up a little so I put together this rub recipe. I added the cinnamon because I thought it would go well with the applesauce. I was not disappointed.

Spice and Herb Crusted Pork Roast

The Rub:

2 T. coarse sea salt

1 T. paprika

1 T. dried parsley

1-2 cloves minced garlic

2 t. fresh grated ginger

2 t. cinnamon

2 t. fresh ground pepper

Combine all the rub ingredients.

1 pork roast- I used a 3 1/2 pound pork sirloin roast- bone-in.

Spread the rub over the roast, pressing in to help it stick. Place pork roast in a roasting pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 2- 2 1/2 hours. Serves 4.

This rub would also be nice on poultry. Maybe I’ll try it on duck the next time.

Green Beans with Potatoes

A friend mentioned to me recently that she was trying to eat more vegetables, but having a hard time. I don’t think she is alone. A lot of people know they should eat more vegetables, or have kids that won’t eat veggies. A simple way to eat more veggies is to add them to other dishes. Most people I know love potatoes. Well, if you add veggies to a potato dish, maybe, at least, they will try it.  For this dish I just sauteed up some onions, added potatoes and then the beans. Served it to a friend at dinner. It was eaten right up. Since my friend doesn’t eat bacon I didn’t add it, but it would make a nice addition.

Green Beans with Potatoes

2 T. oil- or butter or even bacon fat

1 large onion, sliced

4 potatoes, sliced, peeled, if you like

1-2 c. chicken stock

1 lb. green beans, washed and ends trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet and cook onion until tender. Add the potatoes and cook until potatoes start to turn a little golden. Add one cup of stock and cover skillet, cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Add beans and cover skillet, cooking until beans are tender- you might need more stock. Season to taste and serve. Serves 4.