Mojo de Ajo

Mojo de Ajo is a traditional Mexican sauce used in many dishes, but typically with seafood such as shrimp and fish.

Mojo de Ajo
adapted from recipe by Rick Bayless

2 heads of garlic
1 1/2 cups olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lime juice

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

Remove tough skins from individual garlic cloves. Cut any large garlic cloves into fourths. Place garlic, olive oil, and salt into an 8"x8" pan, making sure that all the garlic is covered with oil. Add more oil if necessary. Roast 45 minutes.

Add lime juice and roast an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes before straining oil into a wide-mouthed glass jar. Transfer reserved garlic to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Add garlic to jar with oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipes using this delicious garlic sauce coming soon!

Orange Pistachio Meringue Kisses

These meringues were inspired by the Orange Pistachio Cake I made for Rebecca's half birthday. As I have mentioned previously, I have several friends who cannot eat gluten, one of whom would be attending this birthday celebration. I remember when I couldn't eat gluten (or dairy or soy...), I really hated going to events where everyone else got to eat dessert while I got to sit and watch them eating dessert, pretending that it wasn't a big deal that I didn't get any! I think this is one reason why whenever possible, I try to find a sweet to share with my gluten-free girls. These meringues got rave reviews from both the gluten-free crowd and those that ate cake. The other benefits? They don't require going to the store and investing in a variety of gluten-free flours AND if stored in an airtight container, they stay good for weeks.

I actually wasn't going to blog about them, but they received such positive reviews I changed my mind!

Orange Pistachio Meringues
Kelley Gondring

4 egg whites
1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon rose water [optional]*
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pistachios, finely diced

*If rose water isn't a staple in your kitchen, there is no need to go out and buy it. Just just leave it out or substitute almond extract.

Preheat oven 250 degrees.

In a large electric stand mixer, use whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the orange zest, cardamon, cream of tarter, and rose water. Beat on high until glossy and peaks form. While the mixer is on, add the sugar a quarter cup at a time. Once all the sugar is incorporated, gently fold in the diced pistachios.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Working quickly, spoon egg whites into piping bags and pipe meringues onto parchment paper. They don't need to be placed very far apart; they won't expand much. The uncooked meringue will start to fall - it's like it's melting! - if it isn't piped onto baking sheets and placed in the oven fairly quickly. If it starts to do this, place bowl in the refrigerator to slow it down. Do not, as I did, try to re-beat the mixture. It will turn inot a big egg white puddle :)

Garnish with orange zest if desired. Bake for 2 hours, turning cookie sheet halfway through.

Let cool before peeling off parchment paper. Store in an airtight container.

Eat up!

Orange Pistachio Cake

Last year, my good friend, Rebecca, wanted me to make her a cake and cited her upcoming half birthday as the perfect excuse. I balked at the idea at first, but then decided that I'd halfway acquiesce by making her a half birthday cake. It was a hit, so this year to celebrate another year gone by, I thought it would be fun to surprise her with a half birthday lunch.

Unfortunately, after planning and baking, she was sick and couldn't attend!! It was a bummer, but I hope that next year we'll be able to celebrate her twenty-eight and a half years on this good Earth. Happy Half, Rebecca! Hope you get better soon!

To quote my co-worker, Cara, "To be honest, I was skeptical but this is really good." I know this recipe is different, but it is a great cake, especially for those of you who don't really like cake. It isn't too sweet, the flavors are subtle, and the texture is perfect. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

For a gluten-free sweet inspired by this cake, try these Orange Pistachio Meringues.

Orange Pistachio Cake
cake recipe adapted from recipe by Rick Tramonto

Pistachio Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 scant cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped*
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Cream together the butter and sugar, about 1 minute on high. Mix in eggs one at a time until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients, nuts and orange zest. Add half the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, then the milk and vanilla, followed by the remaining flour mixture.

Pour into greased 8" cake round, lined with parchment paper. Bake for ~40 minutes or until middle is set and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely on cooling rack before icing.

*Measure one scant cup of whole pistachios. Place in food processor and pulse until a fine, crumbly mixture forms. Do not over-process or you'll end up with more of a paste. You may also chop by hand, though you'll end up with a coarser meal.

Orange Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest, minced
1/2 pound confectioner's sugar

Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and orange zest in an electric mixing bowl. Beat on high until ingredients are well combined. Mix in sugar one half cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically.

Eat up!

Gluten Free Three Layer Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Last week, I made a Red Velvet Cake full of gluten for my friend, David's, surprise birthday party. Unfortunately, his wife and planner of the birthday surprise, Traci, can't eat gluten. So I made these little whoopie pies to accompany the birthday cake so she wouldn't have to miss out on dessert!

Gluten Free Red Velvet Woopie Pies
adapted from recipe by Carol Kicinski

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 cup gluten-free flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line a large, lipped cookie tray with parchment paper.

Cream together butter and sugar. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add, egg, vanilla and red food coloring. Mix until just incorporated. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Mix in half to the butter/sugar mixture, followed by buttermilk, and then the remaining half of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda and then immediately mix into batter.

Pour batter onto lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out cake circles. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest. A little at a time, beat in confectioner's sugar.

Assembly
Spread desired amount of frosting onto one cake circle. Top with second cake circle. Repeat.

Refrigerate covered until ready to eat, then remove 15 minutes prior to serving.

Eat up!

Homemade Red Food Coloring

Now, you may be asking yourself why in the world you'd make your own food coloring since it is easily purchased at the grocery store. I would have agreed with you whole heartedly until two days ago when I began looking for recipes for Red Velvet Cake.

Red Velvet cake is a southern favorite that I have never much liked, which is why I'd never made it. However, I'd volunteered to make a birthday cake for my friend, David's, surprise birthday party and Red Velvet was high on his list of a favorites. After reading several recipes, it became clear that I was going to have to use at least an ounce if not two ounces of red food coloring in order to get that signature red. Seeing as I didn't have that much red food coloring, I did what I often do and asked myself if I could just make it and avoid a trip to the grocery store.

The answer: Yes and no. I could make it myself but I'd still have to go to the store. Why, then, you are wondering, did I still make it?

Well, because I read on the good old internet that the stuff used to make commercial red food coloring has been identified as a carcinogen. HOWEVER...after my brother-in-law, who is armed with a chemistry degree, did some research he told me he couldn't find any research showing Red 40 to be carcinogenic. He did direct me to this website that explained where food dyes come from (don't be deterred from the diagrams...it is really quite non-chemist friendly).

But like I told Joshua, I still like making my own because I understand beets and cranberries and red peppers. It is also much more cost effective and it is fun! Over the next several weeks, I plan to make my own yellow, green, and maybe even blue. But this was a good lesson...next time I won't read the top four articles on Google and base my opinion on them...

Anyway...I made this red food coloring myself using beets before Joshua educated me. You can substitute any red fruit or veggie (like cranberries or raspberries), but I liked the idea of using beets because they are relatively cheap and I love their beautiful color. As a disclaimer, using beets gives you a purply-red, so if you're looking for that bright, bright red, I'd add cranberries or maybe even a red pepper.

Homemade Red Food Coloring

Kelley Gondring

8 cups water
1 pound of beets, washed and stems removed
2 teaspoons white vinegar

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Let cook 8-10 minutes or until beets are tender.

Transfer to cutting board. Gently remove the outer skins. Finely chop and place back into the reserved water. I actually coarsely chopped them and then used my immersion blender to do the rest of the work. You can also use your food processor but be warned that the beets can stain the container. Let the beets sit in the water for at least 4 hours but preferably 6.

Strain out beets and transfer water into a clean pot. Let simmer on medium heat for an hour to further reduce. You can skip this step, but you'll get a deeper red if you don't skip it. Add vinegar.

Transfer to glass mason jars.

Enjoy and think about all of the carcinogens you're avoiding!