Month: April 2026

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Eating well and healthily is not about denial. It’s about good choices. So most nights our dessert consists of fresh fruit and a few simple cookies. There is an Italian cookie made from cornmeal that I adore and which has become so difficult to come by. But I digress. However, for Shabbat and other holidays I like to make something just a bit more special. This Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake by Adeena Sussman was this week’s dessert.

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake cake uses olive oil instead of butter so it can be eaten with a meat meal under the laws of Kashrut. But I also love an olive oil cake because unlike when you use butter, there is no laborious creaming of the butter and sugar. Which means, no electric mixer and this comes together quickly. And as with many Middle Eastern style semolina cakes, there is always a sugar syrup to pour over it, which keeps the cake from getting dry and improves the flavor with each passing day.

Curiously the cake recipe only calls for baking powder as a rising agent. Generally if your cake contains an acid you also want to include baking soda. I made the cake as written but next time I might try adding some baking soda.

The semolina flour adds a bit of crunch to the outside of the cake and the all-purpose flour produces a finer crumb. The surprise ingredient is ground sumac. I absolutely love sumac and use it in most of my salads and roasted meats and vegetables. It’s made from a deep red pulverized berry and is used all over the Middle East. It adds a tangy, fruity, citrusy bite which absolutely complements the orange in this cake.

I further enhanced the orange flavor by using a fine orange infused olive oil. I love the oils that I get from Sciabica in California. It’s not essential and you can simply use a good quality buttery olive oil.

The original recipe called for blood oranges in the syrup and navel oranges in the batter. I used Cara Cara oranges in the batter and navel oranges in the syrup because that is what I had. I don’t believe that it made a significant difference.

Olive Oil Orange Semolina Cake is not overly sweet despite the sugar syrup. I paired it with a bit of whipped cream, but a lightly sweetened yogurt or mascarpone would also be delightful. And, of course, it can just be eaten as is adorned only with some chopped roasted pistachios.

So the next time that you need a quick dessert that isn’t overly fussy and pairs especially well with Middle Eastern or North African food, give this a try. There is another Orange Semolina Cake recipe on my blog which is a Cypriot specialty. Frankly, you can’t go wrong with either one although there are differences.

RECIPE

Yield: One 9 X 5-inch Loaf cake

INGREDIENTS


Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup olive oil (I used an orange-infused olive oil, but a plain buttery or light olive oil would work)

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or extract

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Zest and juice of 2 large oranges (I used Cara Cara but navels or even large Blood Oranges would work)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semolina

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground sumac

For the Syrup:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup blood (or regular) orange juice

Pinch of salt

Garnish

1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted pistachios, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Generously grease a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan with oil or vegetable spray. (If you like, line the bottom with parchment paper for easy cake extraction). In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy. While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil, then whisk in vanilla, sugar, salt and zest.

Mix in the flour, orange juice, semolina, baking powder and sumac until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden and hard to the touch, 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and onto a cooling rack. 

Let the baked cake cool for 10 minutes; loosen the edges with a knife and remove to a wire rack. (If you used parchment paper, the cake should come right out.) Use chopsticks to poke holes in the cake, drizzle some of the syrup over the cake, and garnish with pistachios. 

Make the orange syrup:

While the cake is baking, combine the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow the syrup to cool.

Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait is the perfect start to your day. It’s loaded with protein, fiber and anti-oxidants and sets you up for the entire morning. The berries and lemon combination brightens up the yogurt and almost makes you feel as if you are being just a bit naughty eating dessert for breakfast.

My husband, who is 6’2″ eats one of these parfaits with one of my protein muffins. I find either of these options sufficient for me. But one thing we have found over the years, is that skipping breakfast is rarely a good idea. So periodically I like to switch things up a bit, especially as the seasons change.

Therefore, in winter I prepare a fully loaded hot cereal. But as the days are finally getting longer and warmer, this Breakfast Yogurt Lemon Berry Parfait fits the bill. It’s like summer in a jar.

I came across the recipe on a vlog that I follow of this British PhD nutritionist, Dr. Emily Prpa. Even though her target audience are pre-menopausal women, which at 73 I clearly am not, I find her very engaging and with sensible and non-scary health information that frequently makes sense for me as well. Unfortunately, however, she is not a recipe writer and this one had a few issues that I have corrected here.

NOTE:

You can make this parfait vegan by using a non-dairy yogurt. It will be a little less protein but still a good choice. This can be gluten free if you use an oatmeal, such as Bob’s Mill that is labeled as gluten free.

RECIPE

YIELD: 4 glass jars

INGREDIENTS

JAM LAYER/JAR

100 g frozen mixed berries per portion (320g in total)

1 tsp chia seeds OR a mixture of Chia and Hemp

YOGURT LAYER

400 g thick Greek yogurt (dairy or non-dairy) I used a full fat yogurt, but you could use a reduced fat or non-fat yogurt if you prefer.

Juice of 1 medium lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

4 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

CRUMBLE TOPPING

160 g rolled oats (Gluten Free, if that is a problem for you)

60 g chopped almonds

4 tsp ground flax seeds

4 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder (any kind you like – whey, plant based)

¼ teaspoon of kosher or fine sea salt

4 tsp maple syrup

4 tbsp cashew butter (You could also use almond butter if you prefer)

1/4 cup of milk to combine (I used cashew milk, but you could use dairy)

DIRECTIONS

You will need 4 (16oz.) jars with lids

Place the frozen berries to the bottom of each jar. Add 1 teaspoon of the hemp/chia seeds on top of the berries in each jar.

Make the yogurt layer:

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and maple syrup until combined and smooth. Divide the yogurt evenly over the berries in each jar.

Make the crumble topping:

Using the same bowl, mix the oats, ground almonds, flaxseeds, protein powder and salt.

Then whisk the cashew butter and maple syrup in a small bowl. Add ¼ cup of the cashew milk. Using a whisk, stir vigorously until you have a thick but runny mixture. You may need a bit more or less of the milk since it will depend on the consistency of the nut butter to begin with. At first the nut butter will appear to seize up, but give it a minute, adding more milk if necessary to get the right consistency.

Add the nut butter mixture into the oat mixture and mix until mostly evenly coated. You should begin to see some clumps form.

Divide the mixture evenly over the yogurt in each jar. If there seems to be more topping than you need, just refrigerate any extra and it can be used with yogurt or cereal. If you wish for a softer oat topping then add about 1 Tablespoon more of milk.


Cover each jar tightly and refrigerate overnight. These will last up to a week in the fridge.


Raspberry Fool

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Raspberry Fool is an incredibly simple dessert to make and is the perfect ending to a fish or vegetarian holiday dinner. If you make a non-dairy whipped cream, then you could serve this with a meat or vegan meal. However, as a lover of real whipped cream made by me, I would prefer to eat this dessert when it doesn’t violate the laws of kashrut. But you do you.

There are very few ingredients to make this rich, yet somehow, light dessert. It feels luxurious somehow although there is nothing exotic about it. All that it needs to accompany it is a simple cookie. During Passover, I serve this with my Passover Florentine Cookies.

Why is this dessert called a “Fool?” It isn’t 100% clear, but many people believe that the word comes from the French verb fouler, which means to crush or press. The raspberries are macerated with sugar and liqueur and then lightly mashed or crushed before adding them to the whipped cream.

This beautiful Raspberry Fool has the fluffy white whipped cream with ribbons of fresh, macerated and crushed raspberries running through it. You can certainly make the whipped cream ahead and then place it in a sieve over a bowl in the fridge to allow any of the liquid to drain off. The raspberries can also be prepared ahead but do not assemble the dessert until you are just ready to serve it. Any leftovers (Really, there will be leftovers??) will still taste good, but won’t look quite as pretty.

While I have only made this dessert using beautiful raspberries, I can’t see why you couldn’t make it with ripe strawberries, blackberries or a mix of berries. Perhaps its because great raspberries seem so decadent.

Serve the Fool in a pretty dish. Get creative. I used small snifters that came as part of a gift of Napoleon Mandarin Liqueur. Dessert should be delicious and fun! Top it with either a few unmacerated raspberries and a sprig of mint or add a small dollop of the macerated berries that you set aside for this purpose.

While I rarely make any of Ree Drummond’s recipes, this is hers. It works perfectly every time and is simple and straightforward. I did make a couple of tiny tweaks. The most difficult thing about it is to know when to stop whipping the cream.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for a holiday to make this delightful treat!

RECIPE

YIELD: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 cups fresh raspberries and a few more for garnish

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons Chambord or Framboise liqueur

2 cups of cold heavy or whipping cream (I try to buy it without any stabilizers)

Powdered or Confectioners Sugar

A good splash of pure vanilla extract

FOR GARNISH

3 fresh, washed and dried raspberries per serving

A sprig of mint per serving

OR a drizzle of the macerated raspberries that you have set aside for this purpose

A simple cookie to accompany it

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, gently stir together the raspberries, granulated sugar and liqueur (you could use water but it just isn’t the same). Allow this to sit for about 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl that you place in your sink to avoid any mess, add the heavy cream. (TIP: chill the beaters or balloon whisk before using.) You could do this in a standing mixer, but for this amount of cream I generally use an electric hand mixer. And for some reason having to do with physics that my husband has tried to explain to me MANY times over the years, a larger amount of cream to whip makes less mess than a smaller amount.

Whip the cream on high until it starts to form soft peaks and look like whipped cream.

At this point stop the whipping and add the vanilla extract and 2 to 3 Tablespoons of confectioners sugar. Whip it some more to mix everything through and then stop to taste it. You want the whipped cream to be fairly stiff but not turned to butter.

If it is too soft like a Chantilly, the cream will collapse as soon as you add the berries. If its perfect, you’re done. If you prefer it sweeter or with more vanilla, add a bit more, whip and taste.

You could use more of the liqueur instead of the vanilla in the whipped cream. It’s your choice. Once the cream is to your taste, set it in a sieve over a bowl. It can be refrigerated until you are ready to assemble.

Just before assembling, take a fork and mash the raspberries until all of the liquid and fruit are mashed together. Spoon half of the fruit into the whipped cream and gently fold it through once or twice with a rubber spatula to create streaks. DON’T OVER MIX! You want it to be streaked, not solid pink. Repeat with remaining raspberries, setting aside some first as a garnish. You could alternatively choose to layer the whipped cream and fruit in your serving dishes. It’s hard to go wrong.

Now enjoy!

Matzattata

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I don’t know about you, but after two seders and Shabbat, I am ready for something lighter and simpler for dinner. So tonight I made a Matzattata. Perhaps as you can guess this is a riff on a frittata. Now I could simply have made a frittata, but I wanted to use a few less eggs while also making something just a bit more substantial.

While I am giving you how I made the Matzattata, there are almost endless variations you could make by switching out vegetables or herbs or spices. So as long as the proportions are more or less similar, make this your own.

RECIPE

YIELD: 2 to 4 servings depending on sides and appetite

INGREDIENTS

4 standard squares of matzah

5 large eggs

3 to 5 Mushrooms, sliced (Mine were very large so I only used 3)

5 of the thicker kind of asparagus, with the stem thinly sliced. Save the tips plus about 2-inches of stem to add separately

Onion or shallot, finely chopped – about 1/4 cup

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 medium tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 Tablespoons dairy or non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)

kosher salt and either cracked black pepper, Aleppo Pepper or red pepper flakes

Neutral oil such as avocado or a buttery olive oil

rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Rounded 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

About 5 ounces of your favorite shredded cheese. I used a Kosher for Passover smoked Gouda and Mozzarella.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Break up the matzah into smallish pieces – about 2 x 3-inches. Place the broken matzah into a sieve or colander. Run cold water over the matzah and using your hand, gently toss the matzah. Only do this for about a minute. You wanted the matzah softened but not mush!

Drain and add to a medium bowl. Add the 5 eggs, milk, dried herbs and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Set aside.

In a 9-inch oven-proof non-stick (or well seasoned cast iron) skillet, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil or a neutral oil like avocado on medium heat until just shimmering.

Add the onion, pepper, mushroom and thinly sliced asparagus stems. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes and then add the tomato. Cook until the vegetables have softened – about 5 minutes.

Once the vegetables have softened, add in the matzah/egg mixture. Using a spatula or large spoon, spread the mixture over the top of the vegetables, covering everything. Press down slightly.

Cover the top with the cheese. I didn’t do it because I forgot, but lay the asparagus tips over the cheese in whatever way looks pleasing. Press it down slightly into the cheese.

Allow this to cook undisturbed on the stovetop for about 3 to 5 minutes. Then place the pan in the hot oven uncovered! Allow it to cook for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. It will look like there is a LOT of oil, but it’s fine.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. This will allow things to firm up so you can make clean slices. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs or cut tomatoes.

Eggplant Supreme

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We all LOVE eggplant in my family. This Eggplant Supreme is sweet from roasting the eggplant. It is savory and bright with lemon, almonds and mint. Serve it with or without crumbled feta and it will be a delightful addition to any table. This Eggplant Supreme is along the lines of something I saw Jamie Oliver make on YouTube and it turned out to be a big hit.

Eggplant Supreme can be a wonderful side to a meat, fish or vegetarian meal. If you add some crumbled feta, it makes a light lunch. Best of all, it can be made ahead and will hold up in your fridge for about a week – unless you devour it like we do!

I enjoy it best at room temperature, but it can also be eaten straight from the fridge. Just be sure to use a quality olive oil. I like to use the Mediterranean Medley Olive Oil from Sciabica, but a good quality lemon or garlic oil would also be great here. Fresh mint is classic in Mediterranean cuisine and it just brightens things up. However, if for some reason you are not a fan, you could use pretty much any fresh herb as a substitute.

I chose to use a shallot, but you could use red onion, Vidalia, yellow onion or even a scallion. Because I used a shallot, I didn’t feel the need to add any fresh garlic, but you certainly can.

Another thing I love about this eggplant dish is that there is no messy frying. The eggplant planks are roasted in the oven. I do strongly encourage you to cook the eggplant on parchment rather than using foil or even directly on the pan. Using anything else tends to make the eggplant stick and then you end up with large rips in the planks. And while I used a mortar and pestle to make the topping, you could chop the things together and then mix in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest.

Eggplant Supreme is great for Passover and all year long so give it a try.

RECIPE

YIELD: About 6 to 8 servings as a side

INGREDIENTS

3 eggplants about a pound each

About 1/3 cup Olive Oil, divided

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/3 cup chopped raw almonds

About 1/4 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 small shallot, chopped or about 2 tablespoons of any onion you prefer

Feta cheese – Optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you are doing multiple sheet pans and have convection, preheat to 375 degrees F. Line your sheet pans with parchment and set aside.

Cut off the tops and bottoms of each eggplant. Then lay the eggplant on its side and take a thin slice off, which should mostly be skin. You then want to slice planks that are about 1/2 inch thick. Don’t worry if they are not perfectly the same. Mine NEVER are! I have found that it is easiest to stand the eggplant on its now flat bottom and to slice down vertically from the top. Some people prefer cutting with the eggplant on its side. Do whatever is easiest for you.

When you get to the last piece of each eggplant, again take a thin slice of skin off to expose the meat of the eggplant. Lay each plank on the prepared pans without overlap. Brush each plank with the olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake the first side for 20 minutes.

Then remove the pans from the oven and carefully turn the planks over. Brush this side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. This side will cook faster so only bake it for another 8 to 10 minutes. Ovens vary so just watch it. You want the eggplant tender and beginning to brown.

While the eggplants bake, prepare the topping. You will use about 3 Tablespoons of the oil for this and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remember that you already salted the eggplant and if you use feta, cheese, that also adds salt. Put everything into a mortar and pestle or small food processor. If you are using a mortar and pestle, bash everything to get a coarse, paste. If using a processor, pulse everything until you get a coarse paste. You want texture! If you are just chopping by hand, then add all of the chopped bits into a bowl and mix through with the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Once the eggplant has finished baking, lay the planks on a platter in a pleasing arrangement. There is no one right way.

Spread the topping over the middle of the eggplant. If you are using feta, crumble it over the top. Drizzle a bit more olive oil and add a few cracks of pepper if you are using feta. Now enjoy!