Orange Marmalade

Putting food up for a later enjoyment in winter seems such a reasonable thing to do. And even now that we can actually buy whatever we want all year round and there is little need to put food up, preserving some of the seasonal produce is very satisfying. But I find that I got these things backwards, usually. I am currently thinking about investing in enough large jars to can tomatoes at the end of summer, even though I'd have to buy the tomatoes since I don't have the space to grow them.
And if I do can something, I usually only make a glass or two that I eat long before winter.
This year I bought organic oranges for my vin d'orange and after draining the vin off, I was left with wine/vodka soaked orange halves that I really did not want to just throw away. Canning is, after all, a sort of resourcefulness. As it turns out, the remnants of making vin d'orange make a really lovely orange marmalade, satisfying both my cravings for something sweet on my toast and my need to not throw that much food away.

Vin d'Orange

I am soo ready for spring. As in, I have been ready for spring for the last month or two but he (she?) decided to take some more time and leave me here in the dead of winter. But the last few days were warmer, I saw the first spring flowers peak out of the cold soil and I actually one day enjoyed lunch outside, though still wrapped up because it is not that warm here. As I write this, though, the temperatures are slowly dropping again, and we are expecting some snow on Thursday and Friday.
The one thing I am sad about saying goodbye to is citrus fruit. (Oh and Avocados. Avocados grow in winter in Spain, apparently). I'd love to bring citrus fruit into spring and summer with me, to hang out with cucumbers and tomatos and eggplant. And to just generally eat on a really hot day. I'd really love that. Since I can't (or techincally I can because I can probably buy oranges all troughout the year but won't since they are from South Africa or Australia then) I decided to preserve some of the last oranges and refashion it into a drink that is ready for spring and summer.

I had Vin d'Orange for the first and only time at Michael's parents' house, probably two years ago. I am not a liquor kind of girl, but this Vin d'Orange with some white wine, or better sparkling wine was just so good. I don't know what kept me from making it, it is really easy to throw together and the result is really delicious. I just hope I have made enough to actually have some leftover for when the days are warmer.

Vin d'Orange

8 oranges, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
350 gram sugar
350 ml vodka (40% alcohol)
1,5 - 2 bottles white wine(750 ml each)

Layer the orange and lemon slices with the sugar in several mason jars (I used three 1 l jars and had some wine leftover). Pour the vodka over the orange slices and fill the jars with the white wine.
Set aside in a cool dark place and shake the jars once a day, for about a week.
Drain the vin'd orange through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and fill it into bottles. Store it in the fridge and use within 6 months.

The vin d'orange is really great over ice, with a few mint leaves thrown in, and I plan to add it to a glass of sparkling wine, soon.

And stay tuned for an idea on what to do with all the lovely leftover orange you have after bottleing the vin d'orange.

Seared Bean Sprouts with Tofu and Sesame Orange Sauce

It always makes me a bit sad when people tell me that they can't cook. They are often people who love to eat, but are intimidated by the kitchen and the contents of their fridge. 

We often seem to think that some people are just born with it - it being a talent for drawing, painting, writing, photography, or cooking. I used to think that way, too. I tried many things, always looking for the one thing I was inherently good at. Oh well, what a waste of time it was. 

I learnt a lot in the last year of blogging and cooking and living. I learnt how to cook tofu, because you really can't just treat it like it is meat. I learnt that I can live with less pasta in my life. I learnt that I can change things up in recipes for baked goods, too. I learnt that pistachio seed oil makes everything heavenly (if only it wasn't that expensive). And I still have so much to learn and to explore. Wonderful.

I really hope the Food Matters Project can show some people how easy it is to adapt a recipe. Make it yours.

This weeks recipe,  Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce, was chosen by Dominica from Wine Food Love. Go over to her post to check out the original recipe, and to the Food Matters Project homepage to find all the other takes on this recipe. It is a really easy recipe, but the way I prepare the tofu takes a bit more time than the original version with beef. You could omit the additional step and just marinate the tofu in a bit of the sesame orange sauce for some time in the fridge.

Good Morning Citrus Smoothie

One part of my eating habits I wanted to change is breakfast. As I said before, I love bread, but I just don't thrive on bread alone. And I end up starving after just 2 hours after eating, which is not that great, really.
So the smoothie entered my life. I did not stop eating bread completely, but I really try having something else whenever possible now. I began with making green smoothie (aka the Green Monster), tried one with beets in it (kind of strange, tasted really healthy) and now this. Citrus for the wake-me-up-boots I really need in the morning. Banana for sweetness, and what I really love about it, some chicory (or Belgian endive, however you may call it). I have been adding some greens to most of my smoothies, but I love the chicory here, because it doesnt change the color of the smoothie. Green smoothies just don't look that great.
One of Michael Pollan's food rules in In Defense of Food is to eat mostly plants, and mostly the leaves (not seeds) of them. I like to eat salad, but I love to have other options to increase my intake of leafy plants. And you can't actually taste it (I tested it on my boyfriend), which is great, because I don't always want to have a green tasting smoothie. The chicory loses the bitterness it usually has in between the brightness and sourness of the lemon and orange juice and the sweetness of the banana.
Oh, and I felt great this morning, much more awake than after a cup of coffee.