Always Eating

Inspired by the Instagram account Mainly Breakfast (who posts gorgeous monthly illustrations about seasonal produce), I’m trying to be more mindful with the ingredients I’m cooking with. Every month, I’m going to choose one or two fruits or vegetables from their illustrations to inspire my cooking and share my recipes on here.

Because I didn’t post in January, I’m going to make up for that error by sharing TWO Blood Orange recipes today instead.  Blood Oranges are so underrated and have such a short season so you must enjoy them while you can.  I’ve shared ways where you can pair them with both sweet and savoury ingredients… let me know which one you enjoyed the most!

Blood Orange Salad (inspired by Elly Pear)

½ bag rocket leaves

A handful of shredded leftover chicken

½ packet feta cheese, cut into small cubes

1 blood orange, peeled and cut into small pieces

A drizzle of your favourite salad dressing (a French vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar works well)

1. Wash your rocket leaves thoroughly then add to your bowl
2. Assemble chicken, feta and blood orange on top of your rocket
3. Drizzle with your salad dressing of choice

Amendments

If you’re a vegetarian, replace the chicken with more bitter vegetables such as radicchio or fennel to bring out the sweet, citrus flavour of the blood orange.

If you don’t have a nut allergy, pistachios and almonds would also add a nice crunch to this salad.

Blood Orange and Poppyseed Loaf Cake (inspired by Mamamia)

300g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cooking salt

2 heaped tbsp poppy seeds

200g caster sugar

300ml juice, squeezed from 4 – 5 blood oranges

100g unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 cap Cointreau

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. Grease a loaf tin with oil or butter or line with baking paper.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
4. Combine the orange juice, eggs, butter and Cointreau in a separate bowl. Whisk well to combine then slowly pour into the dry mixture. Mix until lump free but don’t over mix as this can make the cake tough.
5. Pour the batter into the loaf tine.  Sprinkle with sugar to make a crust. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin then transfer the loaf to a wire rack.