Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Much like Guestblogger Alita, I can't get enough cranberries this time of year. I love cake for breakfast so there is no question that I will be trying this recipe out soon. Thanks to Alita for the perfect holiday brunch recipe! --A Crafty Lass

I love that it is cranberry season - I can’t stop myself from buying fresh cranberries every time I go to the store this time of year. But, it always surprises me how quickly they disappear from the produce section after the holidays, so I usually freeze a few bags and use them well into the new year.

I love the cranberry's bright red tartness and the way they kind of melt when baked. Their nutrient content and antioxidant qualities aren’t bad either! Cranberries are a “superfood” and any time I can incorporate healthy ingredients into my desserts, I consider it a small victory.

Over the years, I have developed several cranberry baked goods into my repertoire. Family favorites include a simple but delicious Cranberry Orange Scone & a brilliantly red Cranberry Upside Down Cake. This particular recipe is well on its way to being a new favorite. It's suitable as a morning cake and pairs well with a hot cup of coffee or tea. It will likely grace our table for Christmas morning brunch.

The Bottom:

• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• ¾ - 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

The Cake:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1¼ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

The Topping:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oats
• 2 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the cranberries: Toss the cranberries with ¾ cup sugar (a little more if you want a sweeter version), cinnamon & orange zest and pour into a greased 9-in square pan.

Prepare the cake: cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, milk, extract & orange zest and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder & salt and add to the butter mixture. Drop the batter by spoonfuls over the cranberries & carefully spread to cover the entire surface.

Prepare the topping: combine the sugars with the ginger, cinnamon and oats and cut in the butter until it become crumbly. Sprinkle the oat mixture over the cake and bake for 40-50 minutes.

Shelly's Crab Dip

I am fortunate to have been in a book club for almost 10 years. My girls and I have read close to 100 books and discussed them over riotous nights of wine and hysterical laughter. One of the best things about our club is that we all love to eat, cook, bake and drink.

There are six of us and we switch off hosting - whomever hosts also picks the book. Whomever hosts also has had the shared of experience of having a complete and total pre-book club meltdown due to things just not going as planned. The thing is, we've all had some unfortunate kitchen disasters, or picked a crappy book, or just couldn't get it to all come together, but that's never what anyone remembers.

What we remember is the time that Lisa strutted out of the kitchen triumphantly presenting a crown roast of pork (with the little hats!) for our always special Christmas book club, or Tanya making so many courses, including 2 kinds of bread that she baked herself, that we all waved off dessert and sort of moaned for a while. Or when Christie borrowed her parents Raclette grill and introduced us to the joys of eating cheese on absolutely everything. Diana, our calmest member, knocks out multi-course dinners like it's a breeze, leaving us in awe of her total togetherness which her husband claims isn't the case in the hours before we all arrive.

This dip, from one of our alumni who moved to California a few years ago, is a book club classic. Shelly would always serve it as we arrived next to some delectably greasy tortilla chips she would buy from the Mexican restaurant down from her house. I have made it countless times since and it stands to reason it's so addicting...it's essentially fat+fat+crab=goodness. I have doubled the recipe for parties and watched it disappear fast. I like to serve it with some carrots so I can pretend they will somehow make it less unhealthy. What are carrots good for anyway if not as a vehicle for dip?

For about 2 cups:

• 6 ounce can lump crab meat, drained
• 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 scallions, white and light green parts chopped
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

In a bowl stir together the crab meat, cream cheese, mayo, scallions and red pepper flakes until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. This dip can be made a day ahead. Serve with tortilla chips and carrots.

Parsnip Fries with Thyme and Lemon

Not only had I never eaten a parsnip until about 5 years ago, I'm certain I had a hard time even identifying them amongst all the produce in the grocery store. Originally I had them in a stew and it was definitely not love at first bite. They sort of laid there in the broth, beige and flavorless.

One thing I've learned over the years is that my preferred method for preparing most vegetables is to roast them. The heat of the oven transforms many humble vegetables into something pretty magical much in the same way that grilling does.

These parsnip fries are one of my favorite side dishes although admittedly, after I made them for this post, I just sat down and ate the whole batch on their own for lunch. I also stirred a little lemon juice into some mayonnaise and dipped the fries into it, which--yum. The herbal spiciness of the thyme really compliments the parsnip flavor, and the counterpoint of the tart zest livens them up considerably.

For 2 servings:

• 2 parsnips
• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• Kosher salt
• Zest of half a lemon

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the parsnips and trim each end. Cut the parsnips into half-inch thick slices. Place them on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, thyme and a generous pinch of kosher salt so that they are evenly coated. Put the baking sheet in the lower third of the oven.

After 10 minutes, toss the parsnips. Return to the oven for 10 minutes more. Toss again and place in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until they are golden brown all over.

Remove the thyme stems and discard. Taste, and season with more salt if needed. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve immediately.

Pomegranate Citrus Salad

I so look forward to autumn foods like pumpkin, cranberries, Brussels sprouts and pomegranates. I never tire of these flavors. Pomegranates in particular remind me somehow of the holidays and I think the jewel-like seeds add festive sparkle to a dish.

When good ingredients are on hand, sometimes simplicity is best. This composed salad is one of my go-to brunch dishes. The bracing citrus slices are sweetened and enhanced by the honey and orange liqueur "dressing" while the fresh mint not only contributes contrasting color but a freshness as well. The pretty pomegranate seeds are tart, juicy and a little crunchy.

A very sharp knife is essential here otherwise the citrus slices will get mangled. It comes together in no time and can even be made ahead a few hours and refrigerated. Pour the honey mixture over the dish right before serving it.

For 4 servings:

• 2 oranges
• 1 ruby red grapefruit
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Cointreau
• 3-4 mint leaves, thinly sliced

Cut each end off the oranges and grapefruit and then cut the peel and pith off the sides so only the fruit remains. Slice the citrus into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Scatter the pomegranate seeds over the citrus.

In a small bowl, stir together the honey and Cointreau. Drizzle it over the fruit. Sprinkle the mint over the top and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower & Orzo Salad

This started as a clean-out-the-fridge meal that turned into something amazing. Sometimes, happy accidents occur in the kitchen and this is one of them. The funny part is, I had to go out and re-buy the ingredients I was trying to use up in the first place in order to make this again and fine tune it for this post.

I used my favorite Raisin Fennel Bread for this recipe and it worked out splendidly. Any sort of crusty baguette will suffice, although the raisins really added something so throw in a handful if using a different type of bread.

I loved all the components of this dish: the caramelized cauliflower, the toasty croutons, the almost creamy spinach-flecked orzo and the astringency of the balsamic vinegar. However, I urge you to give plain old cauliflower this high-heat roasting treatment all on its own. It makes for an excellent side dish.

For 2-3 servings:

• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups cubed crusty bread such as the Raisin Fennel Bread
• 1 cup orzo
• 3/4 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, stirring the cauliflower once. Add the bread cubes to the cauliflower and toss with a spatula to coat. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 5-10 minutes more until the cauliflower is browned and the bread cubes are golden and toasty.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to the package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the spinach. Drain and return to the pot over low heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Pour the orzo onto a plate and spoon the cauliflower mixture over it. Drizzle with the balsamic and serve immediately.

Miso Ginger Soup with Tofu Noodles

Today I was at my favorite Asian grocer, United Noodles, stocking up on some essentials I had run out of: rice vinegar, miso paste, sesame oil, and The Chef's favorite tea - Genmai-cha which is a toasted brown rice tea (very unusual but delicious, try it). I also had my eye on their vast tofu section because when you're penny-pinching like I am these days, you can't do better than tofu for a high-protein, low-fat, inexpensive meal.

A package of tofu noodles caught my eye. I knew tofu noodles existed but I've never tried them until today. I was betting they would be perfect in a soothing miso soup so I headed home and had this soup on the table in no time. It was so satisfying and perfect for a cool fall day.

The noodles themselves are fantastic. Pleasantly chewy and very healthy, they boast a mere 20 calories per 4 ounce serving. Be forewarned, they have sort of an alarming smell when you open the package so after you drain the liquid off of them, rinse them like crazy.

For 3-4 servings:

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

6-¼-inch thick slices of ginger

4-5 large dried shiitake mushrooms

¼ cup white miso paste (the yellow-looking one)

8 ounces tofu noodles

Scallion greens, chopped

A few drops of toasted sesame oil

Put the mushrooms in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, to cover. Cover the bowl and allow to steep for about 20 minutes. Drain off the water, pull off the tough center stem, and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, add the stock and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes more. Remove the ginger and discard. Add the miso paste and stir until it dissolves. While the soup is simmering, drain the tofu noodles and rinse, very thoroughly, under cool water. Add the noodles to the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup into a bowl and sprinkle with the chopped scallions. Add a few drops of sesame oil and serve.