Flourless Chocolate & Orange Cake

Did you eat your oranges and unbroken noodles on January 31 in celebration of the Chinese New Year?! (We're now in the year of the horse, by the way). The hub & I were lucky enough to be invited over by good friends celebrating the New Year in serious foodie fashion: by hosting a homemade dumpling party. Gatherings should more regularly center around those delicious little pockets of happiness.

I contributed a big bowl of sesame noodles with Szechuan peppercorns + fried scallions, which proved less exciting than it sounds next to the platters of gorgeous homemade kimchee, shrimp and vegetable dumplings, Korean pancakes, homemade dipping sauces and traditional glass noodles. GOOD EATS.

Oranges are considered lucky in Chinese culture, and so this flourless chocolate & orange cake seemed appropriate for the celebration. It was terrific as-is, but it's worth mentioning that it may also pair well with Earl Grey tea the following morning. ;)

新年好 ~ Xīnnián hǎo ~ Happy New Year!  

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ORANGE CAKE

Serves 10 - 12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
flour, just for dusting
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 c. plus 2 TBS. sugar
zest of two (2) oranges
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 eggs + two (2) egg yolks
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

confectioners' sugar, for dusting
candied orange slices or peel + ice cream or whipped cream for serving


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper cut to fit, then butter the parchment.

Gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler, then stir the butter into the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove from heat.

Whisk the sugar, orange zest, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Now add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk well to combine. Finally, sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture, and then whisk together until completely smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top has formed a crust and a tester comes out cleanly. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving platter.

Once cool, dust the cake with confectioners' sugar and garnish with candied orange peel. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or both!


This recipe, originally titled "Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake for the Reagan Family," is adapted from All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard.  

Spiced Lentil Tacos

In Houston, our weekly hankering for Tex-Mex was satisfied by a quick trip to El Real, the Original Ninfa's on Navigation, Hugo's, Torchy's, or TQLA. (Check out which of these made my Top 50 Houston list and why).

Despite the wind-chill, we've ironically found ourselves in the middle of a desert of sorts: a barren land devoid of authentic Tex-Mex. Not ideal, but not as desperate of a situation as it first appears either, thanks largely to a host of new cookbooks and a drastic decline in chips + salsa consumed at any given sitting.

Actual view from my office window in mid-January.
Approximate distance to Hugo's: 1,155 miles.
 

If you're looking to scratch your I-NEED-A-GOOD-TACO-NOW itch at home, or perhaps are simply up to trying a new healthy + flavorful meal option, these beautiful green lentils do the trick. Stuff that (soft shell corn) tortilla with avocado, minced onion, cilantro, chipotle crème, diced tomatoes, Torchy's diablo sauce and whatever else your stomach desires.

They're best served with black beans, my go-to Mexican rice, and cold beer.


Feeling a little closer to the southern border with every bite.

SPICED LENTIL TACOS
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 TBS. EVOO
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves (or more) garlic, minced
*1 jalapeño, seeds removed, minced (optional)
1 c. dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
2 TBS. (or more) taco seasoning (don't buy it -- recipe follows)
2 1/2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
soft corn tortillas
miscellaneous taco fixin's: avocado, minced white onion, cilantro, jalapeño, pickled onions, chipotle crème, diced tomatoes, Torchy's diablo sauce, fried egg, lime wedges, shredded cheese, salsa

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions (and jalapeños if using) until they're golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the garlic, and sauté -- stirring regularly -- until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils and taco seasoning, and cook until the lentils are dry and seasoning fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 - 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, especially at the end. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings -- more salt? more taco seasoning? -- and serve.

Adapted from SELF, February 2009



HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

Ingredients:

2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1  tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)


Directions:

Blend spices together in a small bowl. Store any unused spice blend in an air-tight container (empty spice jars work beautifully).




Don't have good spice-storage solution? (Me either).
Find a container that fits on a kitchen shelf or in a drawer, and label the caps with "sticker dots," available at your nearest office supply store.