You will adore the richness of this olive oil cake—the delicate savory undertones pair so elegantly with the herbaceous rosemary and zesty citrus. Olive oil cakes are so moist which renders them appropriate for rainbow layer cakes, sturdy for decorating, and excellent for freezing. Or simply, just a dusting of powdered sugar and you’re good to go!
Top it with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar using a pattern or paper doily to make it more festive—I used two star-shaped cookie cutters. It’s best to shake on your design just before serving as the cake is very moist and the confectioners’ sugar will melt into it. If desired, serve with a dollop of good French vanilla ice cream to take it over the top.
Preheat the oven to 325 ˚F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Add the sugar, orange zest, and rosemary to a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub everything together until the sugar is fragrant and damp. Add the eggs and whisk until pale and thick. Beat in the yogurt and orange juice, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl until aerated. Slowly pour in the wet ingredients and, using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold everything together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Bake for 45-50 minutes (ours took a total of 60), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely.
When cool and ready to eat, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
“These full-flavored potatoes are a great new approach to your typical potato side dish. The potatoes roast, then “melt” with the flavors of lemon, rosemary and garlic. They’re good enough for a special occasion, but easy enough for a weeknight.” —EatingWell
We paired our potatoes with a sous vide, pan-seared steak and spinach sautéed with garlic and olive oil.
The original recipe indicates the potatoes will serve six. They were so good, we barely got three portions from them, so I would plan on a maximum of four servings.
A word to the wise, DO NOT use glass or stone bakeware. When it’s time to add the broth and lemon, even though the liquids are room temperature, there’s a high likelihood the very hot dish will crack, trust us on this one. Either a metal pan or enameled cast-iron one are good choices. Ideally, the pan should have a wide enough bottom to accommodate the potato slices arranged in a single layer.
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sliced garlic
Directions
Position rack in upper third of the oven; preheat to 500 degrees F.
Toss potatoes, butter, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. (Don’t use a glass dish, which could shatter.) Roast, turning once, until browned, about 30 minutes.
Carefully add broth, lemon juice and garlic to the pan. Continue roasting until most of the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.
Roast chicken with citrus and herbs? It has my name written all over it! As far back as I can remember, Sunday supper with Mom’s Orange Juice Chicken was a meal I looked forward to all week—and I was one picky eater back then.
Crisp, tangy, and succulent citrus rosemary chicken, seasoned Mediterranean-style with garlic, rosemary, and oregano, and covered in a bold wine and orange marinade. I mean, what’s not to like? This simple twist on roast chicken makes a dish with the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and warm flavors! Delicious and impressive with little work involved. Who’s not with me now?
The citrus marinade in this recipe is made of a combination of wine, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, tomato paste for color and umami, and fresh garlic, onions, rosemary, and other Mediterranean spices.
We served ours with a Near East rice pilaf dish and a side salad.
According to chef Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish food blog, “The key to great flavor here is to allow the chicken a good 1 to 2 hours in the marinade (refrigerated), and make sure to lift up the chicken skin to spoon some of the garlicky, citrus marinade underneath. If you only have a few minutes, leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.”
Now you can use a whole chicken and cut it up saving the neck, back and wingtips for homemade stock—which is our typical rodeo—however, this time we purchased precut bone-in, skin-on breasts and thighs. They were well-salted inside and outside the skin, left uncovered in the refrigerator overnight, and marinated for 2 hours prior to cooking.
Once the chicken is out of the oven, allow it 10 minutes to rest before slicing and serving. Then get ready to be amazed! This dish definitely evokes warm, childhood memories, but at a more advanced level, and with more depth of flavor.
1 whole chicken, split in half through the backbone; or pre-cut parts (about 3 ½ pounds)
Kosher salt
1 cup Pinot Noir
1 orange zested and juiced plus 1 sliced orange
1 lime juiced, plus 1 sliced lime
Extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper
7 to 8 garlic cloves minced
1 yellow onion halved and sliced
1 Tbsp. honey
Salt chicken inside skin and all around
Refrigerate uncovered overnight
Prepare citrus marinade
Add chicken to mix and marinate for 2 hours
Let chicken sit at room temp in braising pan for 30 min
Directions
Season the chicken with kosher salt on all sides, making sure to season underneath the skin as well. (You can do this one night ahead of time and keep the chicken in the fridge to air-chill uncovered.)
Prepare the citrus marinade. In a large bowl, add the wine, orange juice and zest, lime juice, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, spices, and a good dash of kosher salt. Add the garlic and onion. Whisk to combine.
Add the chicken and toss to coat, making sure to lift the skin up and spoon some of the marinade underneath (this will give you more flavor). Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two. (For best results, take it out of the fridge and leave the chicken at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before cooking.)
Preheat the oven to 425°F and adjust a rack in the middle.
Transfer the chicken and the marinade to a braising pan. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes, then carefully turn the pan 180 degrees and roast for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender (juices should run clear).
In a small bowl, mix together the honey with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and brush the top with the honey and olive oil mixture.
Switch the oven to the broil function. Return the chicken back to the oven about 6 inches away from the broiler and cook briefly for 3 to 4 minutes, watching for the skin to turn a nice golden brown.
Remove from the heat and finish with lime juice. Add slices of fresh orange and wedges of lime.
This unique syrup-soaked chocolate cake was the perfect dessert for our Christmas dinner, however you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to make it.
Floral honey and piney, resinous rosemary combine for a surprisingly delicious match for chocolate, their flavors and aromas complementing and lifting the dark, bittersweet notes.
Erika Bruce for Milk Street
The cake has a fine crumb similar to pound cake, yet is tender and light, and the syrup makes it extremely moist. If you can, plan in advance and make the cake a day ahead; its texture improves as the syrup slowly soaks in. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
Tips: Don’t measure the ¾ cup water and then bring it boil it or too much will steam off as it heats. Instead, boil a larger quantity of water in a kettle or saucepan, then measure the ¾ cup. Don’t underbake the cake or it will sink as it cools. When testing doneness, make sure the toothpick comes out clean and dry from the cake’s center. Finally, to ensure even absorption, drizzle on the syrup in four applications, with a brief rest between each. If applied all at once, the syrup will pool on the surface and turn the top soggy.
10 Tbsp. (1¼ sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
For the Honey Syrup:
⅓ cup white sugar
⅓ cup honey
3 sprigs rosemary
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, then dust with flour; tap out the excess. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate and cocoa. Pour the boiling water over top, jiggling the bowl to ensure all the chocolate is submerged. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth; set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar on low until just combined. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce to medium and add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl once halfway through.
Reduce to low, then add the chocolate mixture and vanilla; scrape the bowl. With the mixer running on low, add about a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk, then scrape the bowl. With the mixer running, add half of the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk, then finish with the remaining the flour mixture. Fold the batter by hand to ensure it is homogenous. The batter will be thick but pourable.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until the cake forms a thin, crisp center crust and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, rosemary, salt and ⅓ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup and cool to room temperature.
When the cake is done, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary from the cooled syrup, then drizzle about a quarter of the syrup onto the warm cake. The syrup will not be immediately absorbed; let stand for about 5 minutes to allow it to soak in. Drizzle on the remaining syrup in 3 more applications, allowing a 5-minute rest between each.
Cool the cake completely in the pan, at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight (if storing overnight, wrap the pan in plastic and store at room temperature). To serve, run a paring knife around the pan to loosen the cake, remove the sides of the pan and cut the cake into wedges.
What’s summer without a great burger now and again? And how about an upgrade that puts you in adult territory by incorporating a rich taleggio cheese. When combined with the other ingredients, the ground meat patties become light and airy allowing all of those flavors to dance a jig on your taste buds.
These deeply savory burgers were inspired from a recipe by Ignacio Mattos, chef of Estela in New York and author of a book by the same name. Instead of using fish sauce like Mattos, Courtney Hill from Milk Street opted for similarly salty and umami-rich Worcestershire sauce. It is mixed with rosemary and garlic to create a rich base. These seasonings, combined with a simple, yet sinful, taleggio cheese sauce, make these burgers richer, more elegant and far more flavorful than your average cheeseburger.
Look at that bed of luscious creamy cheese smeared on both halves of the bun!
As far as buns, brioche buns or Kaiser rolls are recommended, as they better resist turning soggy than standard hamburger buns. Keep it simple with toppings using only sliced tomato and/or pickled red onions to balance the burgers’ richness. We used both although I never got around to pickling those onions.
We found that our cheese sauce was silky smooth after simmering with the heavy cream and therefore did not need to be strained. Instead of adding black pepper, we used white to keep that creamy color.
Don’t put the cheese sauce directly onto the cooked patties because it will slide off. A better approach is to spoon the sauce onto the cut sides of each bun and allow the bread to slightly soak it in.
8 oz. taleggio cheese, rind removed, cut into ½-inch chunks
¼ cup worcestershire sauce
4 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
2½ Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1½ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
4 buns, split and toasted
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium, heat the cream until just simmering. Stir in the cheese, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand until the cheese is softened and partially melted, about 20 minutes, quickly stirring once halfway through.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the Worcestershire sauce, garlic and rosemary. In a medium bowl, combine the beef with 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire mixture and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then mix gently until the seasonings are evenly incorporated.
Divide the meat into 4 portions and shape each into a patty about 4½ inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick.
In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until lightly smoking. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes, spooning 1 teaspoon of the Worcestershire mixture over each.
Using a wide metal spatula, flip the patties and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, again spooning 1 teaspoon of the sauce onto each.
Continue to flip and cook, brushing with the remaining sauce mixture, until the patties are well browned on both sides and the centers reach 125°F for medium-rare or 130°F for medium, another 2 to 4 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
(This step may not be necessary if your cheese mixture is velvety smooth like ours was.) While the burgers rest, set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Stir the cream-cheese mixture thoroughly, then pour through the strainer, pressing with a silicone spatula to force the cheese through; the sauce should be smooth and creamy after straining. Stir in ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cheese sauce onto the cut sides of both halves of each bun. Place a burger on each bottom bun half, then cover with the toppings.
Veal chops are a rarity in our house, typically due to the high cost. I picked these up by mistake a while back, (I meant to get pork chops, go figure!) and put them in the freezer until such time we felt like treating ourselves. (Like every day since the lockdown went into effect.)
So on a recent Friday night—when in the good ol’ days we use to dine out—those veal chops came to mind as an “aha” moment. Grilled Veal Chops with Rosemary with Green Beans and Blistered Tomatoes, can’t even tell you how good this combo was; you’ll have to make them yourself.
While this dinner is meant for 6 people, with only two veal chops on hand, we cut the marinade recipe in half and bathed them in it for one hour (you can do up to 4 hours). The grilling was super quick; about 3 minutes per side because the thickness was less than 3/4″.
With little to do, you’ll have more time to enjoy company. In fact, the green bean side dish (absolutely divine BTW) can be made ahead and served at room temperature. Get the chops marinating before guests arrive, and all you’ll have to do is toss them on the grill for a few minutes when ready to eat. Dinner done.
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
2 large garlic cloves, pressed, or 1 Tbsp. roasted garlic paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
6 8-oz. veal rib chops (3/4 to 1 inch thick)
Directions
Whisk oil, wine, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper to blend in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add veal chops to dish and turn to coat with marinade. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate up to 4 hours, turning veal occasionally.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler.
Remove veal from marinade, shaking off excess. Season veal with salt and pepper.
Lightly oil grill. Grill or broil veal to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve.
Super easy to make and delicious served at room temperature, these green beans pack a ton of savory, spicy flavor. Next time however, we will reduce the “remaining 3 Tbs of coconut oil” by half.
1-1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 21/2-inch pieces
3 Tbs. soy sauce
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 400°F.
On a small rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with 1 Tbs. of the oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Bake until the skins crack, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 3 Tbs. oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the pepper flakes and stir. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the green beans and soy sauce. Stir to coat the beans, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover and gently stir in the tomatoes. Cook until the beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Accounting for Taste 