Homemade Citrus Jello Bricks

Sometime around 11pm I decided to make Jello with fresh squeezed orange juice. I happened to have a lot of oranges of varying kinds in the refrigerator: Cara Cara (those are the pink ones), navel, marmalade (the ones that look like lemons). I even threw in a couple of Oroblanco grapefruits.

Making your own Jello is simpler than you think. You need 4 cups of 100% juice and you don't even have to juice it yourself.

Honestly this isn't the best Jello I've ever had--it is a little bitter probably because I only added half the sugar it called for assuming my juice would be sweet enough. Bad assumption. However, I would definitely make this recipe again because it is worth it for the pictures alone--and I think it could be delicious. Besides, I had to use that LEGO mold for something!

Homemade Jello Bricks
1 cup cold juice (I used orange-grapefruit)
2 T sugar or honey (I used one and should've used more)
3 cups juice, heated to boiling
4 packets unflavored gelatin

a. Sprinkle gelatin over the 1 cup cold juice and let sit one minute
b. Meanwhile, heat additional 3 cups until boiling
c. Add boiling juice to gelled juice stir until dissolved. Add sugar and stir.
d. Pour into either a 9x13 pan or half-fill LEGO molds
e. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours until set. If you used a 9x13 pan try cutting out shapes with cookie cutters or just cut into cubes and serve.

Pork and Orange Kebabs

This is the week of dinner at home. On Sunday I compiled a group of recipes and went to the store. The plan was to make enough food so that Joey and I could enjoy the meals for both dinner and lunch the next day. I spent about $50 total at the store, which I think is not so bad for 8 meals for 2.

Last night, I knew I would arrive home late so I wanted something quick and easy. I decided on Pork and Orange skewers with a side of frozen vegetables. The skewers, once threaded were to be cooked on the grill pan over two burners. The concept appealed to me and the presentation seemed outstanding. In practice, however, the kebabs were hard to make. I didn't cut the pork and oranges just so, and as a result they didn't all cook resting across the grill pan. So, after my careful threading, I embarked on some unthreading and cooked most of the pork off the skewers on the grill pan. I didn't really get the glaze concept either, so I just served the cooked skewered--some on the skewer some not (hence the picture with raw pork) with the honey mustard dipping sauce.

Pan Grilled Pork Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 navel orange, cut into chunks
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard yellow mustard

Directions:

• Be sure the orange chunks are about the same size as the pork tenderloin chunks
• Thread pork and orange alternating on the skewer, season with salt and pepper
  
• Heat grill pan over medium heat
• While pan is heating, mix together honey and mustard in a small bowl
• Brush the grill pan with oil and set the skewers on the pan. Grill 4-6 minutes on each side
• This is when I had to un-thread the skewers
• Once they are cooked through, turn up the heat to high and brush the skewers with honey mustard and cook 2 minutes more
• Serve immediately with excess honey mustard for dipping
  

Orange Cake

I like reading food blogs. I like to see what other people are making and imagine myself making those same things. At one time last year, I read this recipe on Foodbeam and knew it was perfect for me. The yogurt cake needs nothing but one bowl and a wooden spoon (limited dishes) and just a few simple ingredients to make a delicious cake.

When I made the cake the first time I stuck to grapefruit and while it didn't look nearly as wonderful as Fanny's, it tasted delicious. This weekend, I decided to make the cake again but deviate from the grapefruit and use orange. I also thought that since it was the 4th of July, I should make two cakes--one chocolate and one white with a common theme of orange throughout. That way, it would be criss-crossed along a red plate and look sort of patriotic.

I cheated on the chocolate cake. I used the box mix, I think it was Betty Crocker. I almost replaced the oil with applesauce, and I almost used the super secret ingredient. But in the end, I just went with the basic box recipe with the addition of orange zest for a refreshing twist. When I was taking the orange out of the refrigerator, I saw the chocolate chips, so I thought, this too!

It turns out that chocolate chips sink to the bottom when baked in a chocolate cake. However, this ended up being a good thing and the cake had a light fudgey bottom layer.

I followed Fanny of Foodbeam's recipe for the yogurt cake exactly except I replaced the grapefruit zest with orange zest and I didn't use the juice glaze on the top.. I also made the cake in an 8x8 square glass pan. (I have made it in a regular circular cake pan before and I like it better because the cake is thinner.

For the glaze, I used the Betty Crocker Cookbook recipe for Vanilla Glaze and replaced the vanilla with orange zest. The recipe doesn't specifically say to leave the pan on the heat the whole time, but that seemed to be the only way it worked. I poured the same glaze on both cakes and had a little bit leftover--but the resulting look was a little messy.

Chocolate Orange Cake with Orange Glaze
Ingredients:
For Cake:
1 box chocolate cake mix (and whatever it needs to make it)
zest of 1 Med. Orange
1 Tb zest (add.)
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
For Glaze:
5 1/3 TB butter
2 C. powdered sugar
1-2 TB fresh squeezed orange juice
1 TB orange zest

Directions:
1. Make cake batter as suggested
2. In the last 30 seconds of the 2 minute mix, add orange zest and chocolate chips.
3. Bake as directed, cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a 1 1/2 qt. saucepan over low heat
5. When butter is melted, slowly add powdered sugar until dissolved.
6. Add orange zest to mixture
7. Add a little bit of orange juice until thickened and mixture is pourable
8. Drizzle mixture over cake for desired effect, glaze thickens as it dries.