Sally's Salmon, Orange Chocolate Cake, Green Beans & Gandules, and more

Sally's Orange-Mustard Salmon
This one is all her own invention.  So simple and so tasty!   She's my "closet gourmet".  Try it -- you'll like it!  We keep a re-closeable can of frozen OJ concentrate in the freezer for this dish, my carrot ribbons, and other times you want a burst of orange in a recipe.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

2 Salmon Filets
2-3 Tbsp Frozen OJ Concentrate
2-3 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
6-8 whole leaves Fresh Basil

In a ramekin, stir together the OJ and the mustard until the OJ is thawed enough to spread on the salmon.  Brush the sauce on top the salmon.  Top with the basil leaves.  Bake 10-14 minutes until the salmon is flaky and the basil is beginning to char.  

Plate with a vegetable, and serve.

Filled Cake for Mother's Day
We found this set of four tins for making filled cakes at Goodwill a couple weeks back, and this was the perfect chance to try it out -- dessert for my Mother's Day Lunch.  What's great about the set is that you make a cake that is just right for 3 or 4 people without fattening leftovers.

You make up a batch of cake batter -- I used Devil's Food cake mix -- and pour it into the tins.  A regular size cake mix gives you four 4" diameter cakes, plus enough batter for a couple cupcakes.

Bake the  cakes for 18-20 minutes and let them cool.  

My "bad" was that I thought the non-stick coating would work, so I didn't coat the insides with a butter/flour layer of 'mould release'.   I also badly misjudged how much the batter would rise, and ended up with overhanging mushroom caps.  When I tried to get the cakes out, things went 'pear-shaped' as they say.  But I did manage to salvage one good top, and one good bottom.

Once cooled, you fill each cavity with something -- I used thick orange marmalade that I made from Cara Cara oranges -- a uniquely tasty orange variety relatively new to Florida.   

Then you stack the two layers, filling to filling.

I used a thin skewer to hold the layers together while I made the ganache frosting that Sally had requested.  The orange liqueur was my own addition...

Ganache
9 oz semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
8 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbsp Orange extract (optional)

Puts the chips in a bowl.  Bring the cream just to a boil and pout it over the chips.  Add the extract if using.  Whisk like mad until the chocolate is melted and smoothly combined with the cream.  Allow to cool (on the counter or in the fridge) until you get the stiffness of frosting you want, then slather it all over your cake. 

I topped the frosted cake with a dollop of my handmade marmalade "because I could"!

If you can't find a set of these tins, you can still make a filled cake using three layers of cake -- one for the base, one for the top, and a middle layer with circle cut from the center which holds your filling.  For fillings you can use custard, instant pudding, small whole fruits set in frosting, etc.


Green Beans & Gandules
Although Sally has gone vegetarian and her Mum mostly so, they agreed we needed to use up a 'spare' turkey breast that I have had frozen since Thanksgiving.  I cooked the breast in my usual "Red Cooking" style but instead of using soy sauce and water, I used a bottle of Naranja Agria -- Sour Orange Marinade --  a Caribbean favorite for poultry.  This marinade doesn't have the overpowering amount of garlic that regular Mojo sauce does.  

For the vegetable side, I made another Caribbean style dish with fresh green beans and a can of Gandules -- Pigeon Peas in English.  Pigeon Peas have 3/4 the amount of protein of white beans, and a bit less calories and fiber, but they offer a unique flavor that no other legume can match.

I used about a pound of green beans, a can of Gandules from the Ethnic aisle, a shallot sliced thin, about half a red bell pepper diced, and a handful of pine nuts:

German Guacamole Redux
Last week I gave you the recipe for the sauerkraut-avocado-feta salad spread dish, but I neglected to get a good picture.  The dish was so good that Sally requested more this week, so I got a better picture for you:

This was Sally's lite dinner after our big Mother's Day Lunch.