Teddi's Turkey Bacon Cobb Salad

I chose turkey bacon for our next ingredient because I think it's a breakfast staple that can easily be translated into lunch or dinner. I've been eating it a lot lately because it's incredibly easy to cook and a bit more figure friendly than its piggy companion. Turkey bacon has become a staple in my house (errr... apartment). It's fairly low-calorie, filling, and tasty. I love it with eggs in the morning, and it makes a great addition to this spinach salad, too!

This isn't a recipe so much as an idea, but here's what I think you need:

- A few handfuls of baby spinach. Most any lettuce would work, I suppose, but baby spinach is ideal for an entree salad because the leaves are meaty and it really helps fill you up.
- 2 slices of turkey bacon. I usually use Oscar Meyer, but I'm just bought a pack of Applegate Farms to try out - I love their products. In the interest of time, I microwaved mine. Usually I like my TB a little chewy, but for this salad, get it nice and crispy.
- A hard boiled egg. Maybe two, if you're a little extra hungry.
- A small handful of shredded cheese. I think the standard Cobb is served with bleu, but I used part skim mozzarella.
- A handful of sliced mushrooms. I grilled mine in a bit of truffle oil first, which always seals the deal for me. If you're pressed for time, uncooked white mushrooms work just fine.
- A small handful of fruit. I used diced apples. I like to throw in some golden raisins, too.
- 2 tablespoons of dressing. I used Ken's Honey Balsamic. I love it.

This salad is great for a few reasons. Obviously it's tasty, but I also find it very visually appeasing. Between the spinach, the egg, and the turkey bacon, this one really packs a protein punch. It's going to keep you full, while still leaving a bit of room for dessert. Always a must for me.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Here's the thing about me and oranges. I grew up in Florida, where the very best are grown. And I love, love, love them. I love the scent, I love the color, I love the taste. But I absolutely, positively refuse to eat them in their natural state. There's something about the stringy texture that just doesn't jive with me.

But, oh, oranges! I love them! And it was tough to decide what I wanted to make with them. Initially I was dead set on making some sort of an orangey chicken, admittedly because I bought a mandarin marinade and I have no clue what to do with it. But I settled on my own adapted version of this simple Orange Olive Oil Cake that I found via Food Network.

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing the pan (I used Pam Baking Spray)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 3 tablespoons juice, 1 tablespoon zest)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until blended and light. 

Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. 

Add the orange juice and zest and mix well. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another medium bowl. 

Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate. 

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Let the cake cool 15 minutes, dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

A few notes:

The original recipe calls for white sugar. I much prefer brown, so that's what I included above.

I don't own a sifter, so I used a slotted spoon. Sara taught me that!

The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup olive oil. Next time, I'll up it to 1/2 cup. The taste of the cake was 
spot on, but I would have preferred it a bit moister.

The original recipe suggests that you bake the cake for 25-30 minutes. I baked it for 25 on a middle rack, and I think it probably could've come out at minute 21-22.


I topped it with a simple vanilla glaze, and that really made the cake. I didn't have any confectioners sugar on hand, so I used granulated, some hot water, and a teaspoon of vanilla oil. It may sound strange, but the glaze had a crunchy texture that was just perfect. It really made the cake a hit. 

Looking forward to making this again - with the above moderations - and reporting back!

Orange Ricotta Crab Linguine

I'm a Florida native, born and bred, so I grew up eating the best of the best oranges. The ones used in this recipe actually came from a friend's backyard, so they're probably some sort of hybrid. When you're shopping, make sure you get an orange with a nice looking rind and since you'll be using it in the recipe, make sure to wash it before you grate it. Navels would be lovely here. Really any citrus would work in this recipe (personally, I'm a big fan of grapefruit and crab) just make sure to take it easy on the amount of rind you use if the citrus is on the tart or bitter end.

This pasta is actually really easy- it's made even easier if you use store bought ricotta. My chef husband made ours from scratch which I can show you to do at a later date, if you're feeling really ambitious. Either way, this would totally be a great date night meal since it's fairly impressive and makes the perfect amount for two people.

Orange Ricotta Crab Linguine

Ingredients: (These are all approximate, so feel free to adjust based on your own taste.)

• two slices of thick cut bacon
• approximately two-three small or one very large orange
• tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• teaspoon of olive oil (I used lemon flavored because it's extra delicious)
• two handfuls of mixed greens (I used baby spinach and arugula)
• 8 oz. of lump jumbo blue crab meat (you can get this in the seafood section of most grocery stores)
• one package of linguine or other pasta of choice
• 8 oz. of ricotta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into smallish (1/4 inch long) slices.
2. Place bacon in a large, COLD skillet over medium heat.
3. Place pot of water on stove over high. (DUH. This is the water you're boiling the pasta in.)
4. Wash your oranges. Then, grate the peel until you have about 1/4 cup of grated orange rind. Set aside.
5. Juice your oranges and remove the seeds. 
6. While your bacon is rendering (i.e. cooking until sizzling), mix the juice from the orange with the vinegar and olive oil. Whisk, whisk, whisk. Set aside.
7. When crispy, remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
8. When your water is boiling, add the pasta, and set a timer for it.
9. Place greens in the pan and stir until they begin to wilt. Add the crab meat, bacon, and orange juice/olive oil mix and reduce heat to the lowest setting.
10. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the orange rind until it's thoroughly incorporated.
11. Drain the pasta and add it to the ricotta bowl, stir, then add the greens/crab mixture.
12. Salt and pepper to taste. White wine would be nice.