Marmalade Cake, Eggplant Boats, and Bobó de Camarão

Marmalade Cake
This is my Americanized take on a Jamie Oliver recipe:

                                

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or spray the bottom and side of a 9” springform pan or other loose-bottomed cake tin. For a taller cake, use an 8” springform pan.

5 Oranges – I prefer Honeybells
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar (Demerara if you can find it)
1-¾ cup White Sugar, divided
1/3 cup Marmalade Mixture (see below)
4 large Eggs
¾ cup Self Raising Flour
¼ cup Almond Flour

Freeze 2 oranges for at least an hour.  Grease or spray a 9" springform pan or other removeable-bottom cake tin.

Marmalade
Chop 3 oranges into thumb-sized bits, and take it all – skin, pith seeds -- for a spin in the microwave until finely pureed. Transfer to a microwave-safe glass bowl and stir in about 1 cup of sugar, to taste.  Add 3 Tbsp of this to the cake batter (below).    When the cake is almost done, microwave the orange/sugar mixture for 8 minutes, and reserve.

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Thinly slice (1/8” more or less) the frozen oranges (much easier to slice them thin when partially frozen) into rings. Sprinkle the base of the greased baking pan with the brown sugar and arrange the orange slices on the base. Mince the leftover orange pieces including skin and pith and reserve them for the batter.

Cream the butter and white sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in 3 heaped tablespoons of the orange/sugar mixture and the reserved minced leftover orange bits, followed by the eggs. Fold in both flours and a pinch of salt.

Carefully pour the cake batter into the tin. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch.

Remove the cake from the oven and rest for 5-6 minutes. While it’s still warm, remove the springform side, flip the cake over onto a serving plate and very carefully lift off the detached springform bottom to reveal the orange slices in melted sugar.

You can, of course, serve the cake just like this; which is what Jamie Oliver has you do.  But. That's just an elegant handmade Upside Down Cake with a bit of orange flavor.  

It's really much nicer with a marmalade frosting!  See the photo at the top of the page.

Use a spatula to carefully spread fresh hot marmalade on the cake.  Then let it rest at room temperature for an hour or so until the marmalade sets up, before serving. 

Before it hardens, transfer the leftover marmalade to a screw top jar (but don't lid it until the marmalade cools to room temp).  Store in the fridge for up to six months.   Lots of things you can do with marmalade other than have it on toast!!

Eggplant Boats
Called Aubergine or Brinjal elsewhere in the world, Eggplant in many shapes and recipes is a favorite of ours.  I've been making these "boats" for decades, can't remember where I got the idea for this Technique (not a recipe) using the large purple or purple/white stripped variety.

You can make them vegetarian, or as we often do, add a can of tuna or salmon; or even some frozen "salad shrimp".   Diced ham is good too.  Spice them up however you like.  I often use curry masala blends,  taco seasoning, or Italian blends. 

Use a knife and spoon to "gut" the eggplant halves leaving about a 1/4" thick shell.  Chop up the "guts" and cook them  with onion, tomato, bell peppers, celery, mushrooms, whatever you like for veg, and add the meat to make a stuffin .   Use panko or other breadcrumbs to tighten up the stuffing at the end as it can be quite watery.  Top with your favorite cheese(s) and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes to get everything heated through and the cheese(s) melted.

Half of a larger eggplant makes a good 'single serve' dinner which you can elevate with a side salad if you like.  Small halves make good lunch entrees.  

Bobó de Camarão (Brazilian Shrimp Stew)
This dish was recommended by a Brazilian acquaintance who knows I love to cook, and knows I've made other Brazilian dishes like Feijoada and Moqueca.  This shrimp stew with it's coconut milk "sauce" is similar to Moqueca, but has the yuca root for added nutrition and thickener.  

1 Onion, diced
2 tsp Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 lb fresh Yuca root, peeled, shredded*
1-1/2 lb large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
Hot peppers (fresh diced, or dried) to taste
1 Tbsp grated Ginger
1 can Coconut Milk (not cream or water)
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 cup Green Onion, sliced
1/4 cup Cilantro or Parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

*If you absolutely cannot find yuca, you could substitute peeled, shredded new potatoes or other waxy potatoes, but it won't quite be the same.  Yuca adds a silky texture to the dish which potato won't quite do.

Marinate the shrimp in the lime juice.

Saute the onion and garlic in a dutch oven or large covered pot. Add the bell peppers and tomato and cook until soft. Add the ginger and cilantro if using.

Pour in the coconut milk, and 2 cups of water. Add the shredded yuca. Stir and simmer covered over low heat until the yuca is cooked and mostly 'dissolved' into the liquid – 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly.

After 10-15 minutes add the green onions and the hot peppers, If the mixture starts to get too thick, and stick, at the bottom of the pan, add another cup of water.

Lastly, add the shrimp.

Cook another 10 minutes or so, until the shrimp just turn pink. Overcooked shrimp are tough and chewy. Serve over white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.