WHAT’S ON THE MENU WEDNESDAY and Blood Orange and Blue Cheese Salad

Thanks for joining me for this week’s edition of What’s On the Menu Wednesday.  I really appreciate your willingness to participate and to share your great ideas.  

I am so fortunate to have a family that likes most foods.  They allow me to experiment and are patient with my attempts to try new dishes.  However, there are some that are frequently requested, this simple salad being one of those.

While they add to the beauty of this dish, if blood oranges aren’t available, use any kind of sweet, juicy orange in the dish.

Blood Orange and Blue Cheese Salad

10 cups arugula
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 blood oranges
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine arugula and cheese in a large bowl.  Remove peel and white pitch from oranges.  Cut between orange membranes to release segments into bowl with arugula and cheese.  Pour oil and lemon juice over salad; toss to blend.  Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
I sometimes garnish the salad with candied walnuts.
4 – 6 servings
Courtesy o^f Bon Appetitt
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WHAT’S ON THE MENU WEDNESDAY and Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tart

  This tart makes for a beautiful presentation, and it chock full of flavors that I just love.  I mean…my name probably should have been Lemon!  Lemon Tart.  Hmmm??

The lemon curd and the crust can be made a day or two ahead which makes it nice if you are planning for guests.  It can be completed up to 6 hours ahead, saving those last minute preparation minutes.

Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tart

Curd

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons (or more) chilled whipping cream
1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, stem end of each cut flat
1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the curd:  Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy small saucepan to blend.  Add butter and lemon peel.  Stir over medium heat until curd thickens to pudding consistency, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to small bowl.  Press plastic wrap onto surface of the curd and chill at least 2 hours.

For the crust:  Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds.  Add butter, using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 2 Tablespoons cream and egg yolk.  Blend until moist clumps form.  Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round.  Transfer dough to a 9-inch-tart pan with removable bottom.  Trim overhang to 1/2 inch.  Fold overhang in and press firmly, forming double-thick sides.  Pierce crust all over with fork; refrigerate 1 hour,

Preheat oven to 400 degrees,  Bake crust until golden, pressing with the back of a fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Cool crust completely on rack.

Spread curd in crud.  Stand berries in curd.  Strain jam into saucepan, warm briefly to thin (or heat in the microwave).  Brush jam over berries.  Chill tart until glaze sets, at least one hour and up to 6 hours.

Release tart from pan and serve. Garnish with whipped cream and mint leaves, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit.

 

WHAT’S ON THE MENU WEDNESDAY and Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter

  I just love Spring with all of its fresh bounty of new spring greens and veggies.  Even though I don’t technically have a garden anymore, I do grow several things in pots.  One of those will always be filled with arugula, a.k.a. rocket.  This weekend, I harvested the first crop of the season and immediately knew that I would be making this relatively easy pasta for dinner after picking up some fresh goat cheese from our local farmer’s market.

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Goat Cheese Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter

For the Ravioli:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large shallots, minced
8 ounces arugula, chopped (about 8 cups)
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Nonstick vegetable oil
42 (about) wonton wrappers from one 12-ounce package
2 large egg whites, whisked until foamy

For the Tomato-Pancetta Butter
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (or bacon), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter, plus 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 large Roma tomatoes, quartered, seeds and membranes removed, tomatoes diced
1 teaspoons fresh thyme
12 fresh basil leaves
Fresh thyme sprigs

For the Ravioli:  Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots; sauté 10 minutes.  Add arugula; toss until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes.  Transfer arugula mixture to large bowl and cool.  Mix in goat cheese and Parmesan.  Season filling with salt and pepper.

Line 2 baking sheets with heavy duty foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.  Place 4 wonton wrappers on work surface; cover remaining wrappers with plastic to prevent drying.  Lightly brush entire surface of each wrapper with egg white.  Spoon 1 generous teaspoon filling into center of each wrapper.  Fold wrappers diagonally in half, forming triangles.  Press edges firmly to seal.  Arrange ravioli on prepared sheets.  Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

These can be prepared ahead.  Cover with plastic and chill up to 1 day; or cover with plastic, then heavy duty foil and freeze up to 1 week.  Do not thaw before cooking.

For the Butter:  Cook pancetta in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain.  Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon drippings from skillet.  Add 1/4 cup butter to skillet; melt over medium-high heat.  Add tomatoes and chopped thyme; sauté until tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.)

Place 5 Tablespoons melted butter in a large bowl.  Cook half of ravioli in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes for fresh or 5 minutes for frozen.  Using a large strainer, transfer the raviolis to a colander and drain; place in bowl with butter and toss to coat.  Cover to keep warm.  Cook remaining ravioli in the same pot of boiling water.  Drain and add to the bowl of buttered ravioli.  Toss gently to coat.  Divide ravioli among bowls. Rewarm tomato butter over medium heat.  Add reserved pancetta and basil; sauté 1 minute.  Spoon sauce over ravioli; garnish with thyme sprigs.

4 to 6 servings

Thanks for joining me for What’s On the Menu Wednesday this week.  I look forward to what you have to say.

WHAT’S ON the MENU WEDNESDAY and Lemon-Poppy Seed Bread

 Thanks once again for being here and for sharing some of your favorite dishes.  It’s always a pleasure to visit your blogs and try those favorites out.
  As always, I will certainly look forward to what you have to say.

It you’ve been hanging out with me for very long, you know that I am absolutely crazy about all things citrus, especially lemon.  I just know you are going to fall in love with this bread that I am sharing today.

LEMON-POPPY SEED BREAD

(adapted from Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters)
For the Bread:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2  teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
3 large eggs
For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 – 3 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 (or more) fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray 2 ( 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds, and 2 Tablespoons lemon zest in a large bowl and mix well. 

Combine 2 cups sugar, vegetable oil, milk, extracts and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until well-blended.

Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Glaze:  Combine the powdered sugar, 2-3 teaspoons of grated lemon rind and the lemon juice. 

When loaves are removed from the oven, immediately pour some of the glaze on top of the loaves.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on wire racks before removing from pans.

Pour the remaining glaze over the loaves after they have been removed from the loaf pans.

Cool completely on wire racks before serving or freezing.

Absolute YUM!

Linked to:
Full Plate Thursday
Menu Plan Monday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday