Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Baklava Pound Cake

Recipe Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, The Countryman Press, Woodstock, Vermont, 2003, p. 356

One recent Friday I planned to make a very simple, light dinner for me and my husband.  Some friends of ours had experienced a trying couple of days (their roof sprung an unpleasant leak during Nopacalypse III) and we decided that we would bring them dinner so they didn't have to deal with it.  Since I'd planned enough for two, I added a couple of things: quinoa to the main course to make it more filling, a green salad so there was something green on the table, and a dessert. 

Part of me feels kind of weird posting this, because I've posted the main cake recipe before.  I'm posting it again for two reasons: the first time I posted it my audience consisted entirely of people who were somehow related to me, and I did something a little different this time.  Last time I posted it with two kinds of sauce.  This time I made the glaze with honey instead of sugar and added rosewater.  While this seems like a minor change, the difference in the two dishes was profound.

The last pound cake had a slight tendency toward dryness, which I'll blame on overcooking.  This pound cake was a little less dry, but it also collapsed in the middle.  I really didn't want to serve it if it was going to look like Frankenpoundcake, but I came up with a quick fix.  I inverted the cake.  The batter had stuck to the pan ever so slightly in a couple of places, leaving unsightly holes in what was now the top of my cake, but these holes were superficial.  I had a plan.  The "glaze," thanks to the substitution of honey for sugar and the addition of rosewater, was more of a syrup.  I drenched the cake in the syrup and then used flaked almonds to conceal the blemishes. 

The result was a very well-received cake, so well-received that I'm posting this today instead of the older recipe I'd planned to serve.  It was particularly tasty when served with Amaretto that night, but I'd like to point out that the cake was equally moist and delicious the next morning with coffee. 

Baklava Pound Cake (serves 16, approx. 0.38/serving)

1 cup unsalted butter

7 ounces granulated sugar

1 1/2 ounces brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon iodized salt

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

7 1/8 ounces flour

4 large eggs

For the syrup:

1/2 cup amber honey

1/4 cup water

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 tablespoon rosewater

Almond flakes for decorating (optional but pretty)

Equipment:

• Stand mixer
• 9x5 inch loaf pan
• small sauce pan for syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, salt, almond extract and baking powder until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the flour. Mix well. The batter should be distinctly paste-like.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Pour the batter into your pan and smooth out the top.
6. Bake for around 45 minutes, until the cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for around 10 minutes while you make the glaze.
8. In the sauce pan, bring the honey, water and salt to a boil . Boil for one minute.
9. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and rosewater.
10. Turn the hot cake out onto a wire rack.
11. Drench the cake in the honey syrup.  Poking a few holes in the cake (if there aren't already a few openings) will allow the syrup to penetrate more fully.   
12. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving.

Recipe: Rice with a Game Hen-Vinegar Sauce

I will be very honest with you, this hardly feels like a recipe.  In fact, when my husband caught me photographing this dish to be posted, he mocked me.  "That is not a recipe," he said.  "That is leftovers."  Well, yes, it is leftovers.  Leftovers that don't get used wind up in the trash.  That is waste, and we've had enough discussions on Not Throwing Away Food that I'm surprised he would object to my using these leftovers.  Furthermore, when we were eating the original dish that this came from, it occurred to both of us that the sauce would be just wonderful served over rice.  So let me get this straight... I have a large amount of leftover sauce from another dish that will be thrown away if not used, we've both independently come up with a use for said sauce that is distinct from the original purpose, and you want me to throw it away.  Oh, wait, we're about to have a life-changing event that will limit our ability to be in the kitchen for a while, so we need recipes to post, and you want me to let this one go by the wayside?

But really, my main justification for posting this is that Fearless Kitchen isn't just about making a bunch of fancy food.  It's about creativity - making substitutions when things aren't quite working out to your liking or intentions, altering recipes to fit your needs and desires at the time, and finding creative uses for ingredients.  As soon as the rice-with-sauce recipe popped into my head I started craving it.  I actually had dreams about it, I wanted the dish so badly.  And that's the ultimate reason that I withstood the gentle mockery and posted this.  It's taking something that would otherwise have gone into the local landfill and doing something unexpected with it. 

Now, while there is no meat on the actual plate here, this was made with poultry and is therefore not a vegetarian sauce.  It is important to boil it for at least three minutes before using it, on the off chance that some bacteria might have sneaked in there.  Could you do this as a stand-alone sauce, and a vegetarian one at that?  Probably, just use olive oil instead of the rendered fat from the game hens.  It won't taste the same and it may lack a certain complexity, but it will still be tasty and get you a serving of cooked tomatoes besides. 

Rice with a Game Hen-Vinegar Sauce (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

2 cups basmati rice, well rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Boiling water

Leftover sauce from Game Hens with Vinegar Sauce

Equipment:

• Two saucepans, one with a lid

1. Heat the oil in the saucepan with a lid over medium heat. 
2. Add the rice and saute briefly - you're basically trying to get a little bit of oil on each grain of rice here. 
3. Add boiling water to cover to a depth of at least 1 inch. 
4. Reduce heat to a simmer, clamp the lid on and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Turn the heat off and let sit at least 30 minutes. 
6. Meanwhile, put the sauce in the other saucepan. 
7. Bring the sauce to a boil.  Boil at least 3 minutes.
8. When the rice is ready, transfer it to a serving vessel.
9. Top with the sauce and serve. 

Recipe: Game Hens in Vinegar Sauce

Recipe Source: Andrews, Colman.  Catalan Cuisine.  The Harvard Common Press, Boston, 1988 pp. 96-7

I made this a while ago for a Sunday dinner.  It was actually a comparatively easy dish to make, which was about my speed at the time, and plenty filling.  I made a few changes, because I kind of had to.  The first change was substituting game hens for the original partridge.  I might have seen partridge available in one or two odd markets here and there, but it is by no means a common enough ingredient for me to be able to find it on the South Shore of Massachusetts.  (If you have a line on where I could find it down here, please let me know.)  I used canned tomatoes because it was December, and December tomatoes usually have all the flavor of old shoes.  I think I substituted tarragon for the parsley, because I had it on hand and I have little use for parsley.  We both really enjoyed this dish, and it had an additional, unexpected bonus: the leftover sauce provided the basis for another dish later in the week, which I'll post at a later time. 

Game Hens in Vinegar Sauce (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

2 game hens

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

8 onions, very thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes

1 carrot, grated

1 sprig tarragon, minced

1 cup red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment:

• Large Dutch oven

1. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven.
2. Add the game hens and brown thoroughly.  Some of the fat will render out; this is desireable.
3. Remove the game hens from the casserole and set aside.
4. Add the onions, tomatoes, carrot and tarragon to the oil and cook slowly, until the onions are very soft indeed. 
5. Return the game hens to the pan.  Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer and then cover. 
6. Simmer until the game hens are done, about an hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Recipe: Almond Florentines

Recipe Source: Kidd, Kristine.  Williams-Sonoma After Dinner.  Time Life Books, New York, 1998 p. 43. 

These cookies were on every Christmas cookie plate during my childhood.  Okay, maybe it's a little late for Christmas cookies.  Or maybe it's early.  Yes, that's it.  It is early for Christmas cookies, but what the heck, it never hurts to get an early start on that sort of thing.  Truth be told, Christmas (or New Year's, as the case may be) was just an excuse.  These delightful treats are just more of those traditional cookies I thought just naturally came from a bakery or from someone's wizened nana who probably wouldn't be able to make them for much longer.  I wanted to be able to make them for myself, and so I did.  I also made them for the same New Year's party I made the Steak and Chimichurri Toasts for, lest I be stuck with a pile of cookies and have to eat every last one. 

As is usual with me and baking, I made very few changes.  Baking is chemistry.  I did poorly in chemistry.  I didn't have grated lemon zest so all the zest was orange, and I used all dark chocolate in place of the semi-sweet and unsweetened combo called for in the recipe.  That's it.  The result was a delicious sweet treat that everyone seemed to enjoy. 

Almond Florentines (makes about 36 cookies; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 cup sliced almonds - don't yield to the temptation to use slivered almonds here.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 ounces flour

1 tablespoon plus two teaspoons grated orange zest

5 ounces dark chocolate chips

Equipment:

• Baking sheets
• Heavy saucepan
• Double boiler
• Icing spatula

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Toast the almond flakes until lightly browned.  Be very careful not to let them burn - I'd really err on the side of caution here.  Personally I prefer to toast them in a skillet on the stovetop. 
3. Line the baking sheets with your liner of choice (aluminum foil, parchment, silicon) and lubricate with your lubricant of choice (butter, cooking spray, et cetera.) 
4. Combine the cream, sugars and butter in the saucepan.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugars have dissolved and the butter has melted. 
5. Add the almonds, flour and zest.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and remove from heat immediately.
6. Drop 1 rounded teaspoon batter onto the sheet.  The butter will be runny.  That is the idea.  Repeat with the remaining batter, spacing at least 2" apart. 
7. Bake 8 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. 
8. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes.  This will make it easier to remove them from the foil.
9. Use the icing spatula to remove the cookies from the foil.  Transfer them face-down to a clean surface or cooling rack. 
10. Prepare your double boiler.  I use a wide metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, but what you do is up to you. 
11. Melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler. 
12. Use the icing spatula to spread the chocolate over the exposed surface of the cookie. 
13. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, preferably uncovered. 

Recipe: Steak and Chimichurri Toasts

Recipe Source: "Entertaining Made Easy."  Bon Appetitv 46 no. 12 December 2001 p. 62.  Find the original recipe online here. 

I wanted to bring something to the New Year's Eve party my husband and I attended this year.  I didn't need to, not from a "feeding the masses" standpoint.  Our hostess cooked up a storm and people would have been quite well-fed without my contribution.  I just couldn't bring myself to show up empty-handed, especially when I needed the recipes ahead of my daughter's arrival.  I came across this frankly easy hors d'oeuvre when I was going through my digital cooking magazine archive and decided that it was the way to go.

It's so simple a recipe that there wasn't much to change.  All I really did was increase the garlic and the cumin.  I reduced the oil.  The grocery store I had to go to that day, which is run by people who seem determined to thwart me at every turn, did not carry flank steak.  Some might suggest that I could have asked at the butcher counter.  The last time one of us did this at this particular store the employee looked at us and said, "Can't you just order a pizza?" Anyway, I decided to substitute a different type of steak instead.  While this did change the cooking time, it didn't have a negative effect on the finished product. 

And how was that finished product?  Well, I don't mind bragging a little.  People really seemed to enjoy it, and I got lots of compliments on it as well.  I certainly enjoyed it; I felt that the additional cumin really shone and that the extra garlic was just right.  And of course you can't complain about the ease of preparation! 

Steak and Chimichurri Toasts (makes 40 toasts; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (use crushed red pepper if you can't find Aleppo pepper)

2 lb steak tips

1 baguette, cut into 40 pieces.  This seems like a lot of pieces to get out of one baguette but believe me when I tell you it's possible.

Equipment:

• Baking sheet
• Broiler pan
• 2 food brushes, one of which is appropriate for meat (I prefer a silicone brush for brushing meat; they get cleaner when you wash them.)
• Plastic zip-top bag
• Food processor

1. Combine the first 8 ingredients in the food processor and blend to a paste. 
2. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the sauce and brush the meat with it.  Set the remaining sauce aside.  Put the meat into the plastic bag and refrigerate 1 - 24 hours.  (I did 2 or 3.) 
3. Preheat your oven to 450.  Brush the bread slices with olive oil and toast until just firm, about 5 minutes.  Watch carefully; you don't want them to burn!
4. Remove the toasts from the oven and preheat your broiler.
5. Broil the steaks until done to your preferred degree of doneness.  I was shooting for medium-rare, since I was feeding other people, but for the most part I prefer my beef to be barely cooked.  You can do this on a grill or Big Green Egg if preferred; the weather here was prohibitive, if I remember correctly, so I followed the original indoor cooking method.
6. Let the meat rest at least 5 minutes after removing it from the heat.  This is an important step.
7. When the meat has rested, slice it into 40 slices.  You may get more than 40 slices depending on how you cut; if this is the case, lucky you.  Enjoy.  You can do all of this several hours ahead of time.
8. When you are ready to serve, top each toast with one slice of meat and a little bit of the sauce.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Recipe: Spinach and Penne with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Living Kitchens.  Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, reprinted in Martha Stewart Living no. 161 (April 2007) p. 151.  I was unable to find a copy of the recipe on the Martha Stewart website to link to here. 

This is one of the last dishes I made before the Fearless Fetus graduated.  It fit the bill perfectly for me at the time.  At that point spending any significant amount of time on my feet was pretty untenable, but I was so sick of eating at the same places and getting takeout that I was willing to give it a try.  This dish cooked up incredibly fast, and contained vegetables.  It was a little unusual, a little off the beaten path, but still satisfied both of our hunger. 

I did make a few changes.  First of all, I did not have spinach penne.  I had regular rigatoni.  Rigatoni has always been my favorite pasta shape, I'm not sure why, but that's not why I used rigatoni here.  I just didn't have anything fancier on hand.  I think I would have preferred this dish with whole wheat pasta, but there you are.  I also didn't have fresh spinach on hand.  I had frozen spinach, and I used it.  This necessitated some changes in procedure, which will be reflected in my write-up. 

We both liked this.  My husband really, really liked it, which was kind of gratifying really.  Try this some weeknight when you're feeling tired but adventurous.

Spinach and Rigatoni with Ricotta and Pine Nuts (serves 6; approx. $1.11/serving)

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 pound rigatoni or other tube pasta

1 lb frozen chopped spinach

1 cup part-skim ricotta

1/4 cup grated pecorino

Equipment:

• Large saucepan or pasta pot
• Colander
• Large saute pan or wok

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, put the spinach in the saute pan with about 1/3 cup water.  Bring the water to a boil and cook until the spinach is completely thawed. If the pan dries out too quickly, splash a little of the pasta water into the pan. 
3. When the spinach is thawed, add the pine nuts and saute quickly.
4. Drain the pasta and add it to the serving bowl.
5. Add the spinach mixture and the ricotta.  Toss well.
6. Add the pecorino.  Serve.

Recipe: Pasta, Yogurt and Meatballs (Aush-e-Asli)

Recipe Source: Saberi, Helen.  Afghan Food & Cookery.  Hippocrene Books, New York, 2000 pp. 80 - 2.

Hmm.... I started writing this recipe up twice, and got interrupted both times.  That was before the Fearless Baby put in her appearance.  I wonder if I can remember what I wanted to say about it?  I guess there's nothing to do but find out.  It was too good a dish to just keep to myself! 

I made this dish on New Year's Eve.  The holidays can be kind of challenging for anyone with any kind of dietary restriction, whether it be a food allergy, a diet, or whatever.  I've generally found it easiest to make something to eat before I go to a party - not something too heavy, so I can snack politely, but something that will make me feel satiated.  That way if the cheese tray is the only thing I can eat, it's easier to walk away! 

Anyway, this recipe fit the bill.  It offered protein and carbs, just what I like before I go to a party (even when I'm not drinking!)  I did make a few changes, like increasing the garlic as per usual.  I also made one large, fundamental change.  You see, this dish is usually served as more of a soup.  At least, it is according to the author.  I did not want soup.  I wanted this to be a pasta dish.  First of all, I've had horrible luck adding yogurt to liquid lately.  It just curdles and becomes vile.  I also was really craving that kind of yogurt and garlic sauce that seems so prevalent in the recipes in this book.  So that's what I did with it.  It was delicious, if I do say so myself, and it was very easy to prepare. 

Aush-e-Asli (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 lb ground lamb (use beef if you can't get lamb)

1 medium onion, grated

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 egg

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, minced

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

8 oz fresh spaghetti

16 ounces fat-free Greek-style plain yogurt

1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper

6 cloves garlic, crushed

Equipment:

• 2 bowls
• Plate
• Large saute pan

1. Combine the ground lamb, grated onion, coriander, cumin and egg in one of the bowls.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.  Knead until relatively smooth.
2. Form the meat mixture into little balls, about the size of a walnut each.  Place the meatballs on the plate and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in the saute pan.
4. Add the minced onions and fry gently until softened and browned. 
5. Add the tomatoes.  Fry until the sauce turns "brownish." 
6. Add about 6 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer.
7. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar.
8. Simmer gently until the meatballs have a browned look and the sauce has thickened.  This should take about half an hour, but every stove (and pan) is different so I'd keep a close eye on it if I were you. 
9. Cook the fresh pasta according to package instructions.  Drain.
10. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper and garlic.  Mix well.
11. Put half the garlic-yogurt mixture on the bottom of your serving vessel.
12. Top with the drained noodles.
13. Top the noodles with the meatballs and sauce from the saute pan.
14. Top the meatballs and sauce with the remaining garlic-yogurt mixture.  Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper and serve. 

Recipe: Fish in a Garlic-White Wine Sauce

One of my favorite fish to play with is tilapia.  It is readily available as frozen fillets in most places, and it's pretty reasonably priced for fish.  It's certainly cheaper than decent quality beef around here.  It has a mild flavor, which gives it a versatility that more strongly-flavored fish may lack.  It is a low-fat fish, and the fillets tend to be quite thin.  This means that it cooks up quickly, and if you're using frozen fillets it means that they thaw quickly. 

I came up with this one night when I was feeling maybe a little underinspired.  It helps to have all of the ingredients lined up and ready to go, as it cooks very quickly.  The garnish is Aleppo pepper, but I mostly used it as a garnish here.  This dish is just fine without added spice. 

Fish in a Garlic-White Wine Sauce (serves 2; approx. cost per serving not available)

2 tilapia fillets

5 tablespoons butter, divided

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 pinch kosher salt

1 cup white wine

Equipment:

• Saute pan
• Bowl 
• 2 plates

1. Combine the flour, turmeric and kosher salt in a bowl.  Dredge the tilapia fillets in the flour mixture. 
2. Combine 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in the saute pan.  (You may be able to get away with less if you try, but be very careful not to let anything burn.) 
3. Fry the fish on both sides until golden and fully cooked.  Evacuate to a plate and then cover with another plate to keep warm.
4. Combine the remaining cooking fats and the garlic in the same skillet. 
5. When the butter has melted (this will be quick!) add the wine. 
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until the liquid is thickened and reduced slightly. 
7. Transfer your fish to a serving platter.  Pour the hot sauce over it and serve immediately.

Recipe: Georgian Cheese-Filled Quick Breads (Emeruli Khachapuri)

Recipe Source: Alford, Jeffrey and Naomi Duguid.  Flatbreads & Flavors.  HarperCollins Pubilshers, New York, 1995 pp. 292-3.

Are you afraid to make your own bread?  Has it always seemed like a daunting task to you, the kind of alchemy that should be better left to people with extensive training and possibly better insurance?  I used to feel that way.  I used to be terrified to bake bread.  I've never been a very good baker in the first place, and bread just seemed so much more complicated.  I've gotten over it, although my husband's breads still always turn out better.  This recipe will help you get over it too.  It is a very quick bread to make, and it is delicious. 

The filling seemed oddly familiar to me as I was making it.  I sat there and I thought about it, and it occurred to me that the filling was almost the exact same filling as tiropita, a cheesy Greek dish that I usually serve as an appetizer.  As soon as my husband tasted the bread, he said, "Hey, this tastes kind of like a tiropita!"  He was very into the breads.  I thought they were good, but filling.  I served them up with the Vietnamese beef stew for New Year's Day.

Emeruli Khachapuri (makes 8 breads; approx. $0.84/serving)

4 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

1 egg

3 - 4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

Equipment:

• Medium mixing bowl
• Large mixing bowl
• Rolling pin

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the cheeses in the medium bowl with the egg and 2 tablespoons yogurt.  Mix well and set aside.
3. In the large bowl, combine one cup flour, the baking powder and salt. 
4. Add the yogurt and stir well. 
5. Start adding flour until you can work the dough with your hands easily. 
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 - 4 minutes. 
7. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. 
8. Roll each piece out into a (rough) circle. 
9. Spoon 1/8 of the filling into the middle of the circle, then fold up the sides of the circle to overlap in the center.
10. Repeat with the remaining circles.
11. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven 5 - 6 minutes, or until golden. 

Recipe: Roasted Turkey with Pomegranate Seeds

Recipe Source: "Leggero: Bringing Fruit to Light."  La Cucina Italiana, No. 1, November/December 2007.  I could not find this recipe on their website to direct you to the original.

I am not the world's best housekeeper, and sometimes things can fall by the wayside.  When the cooking actually needs to get done, this can result in my moving piles of things I've put off until "later" someplace where they are out of sight.  This happened with a pile of cooking magazines that date to what was not exactly the best period in my life.  My husband found them while shoveling out what will become the bedroom of the Fearless Fetus.  I couldn't believe that there was this pile of like six magazines that I had never even removed from the little plastic sack that they came in.  This recipe came from one of those magazines.

What is it that appealed to me, you ask?  Have you never red this blog before?  It was the pomegranates, of course.  I had some on hand, and I don't mind pointing out that they are one of my favorite fruits.  I thought it might be fun to offer a pomegranate dish that did not originate in Iran, just to change things up a little.  (Even reading that sentence has got me craving Ash-e Anar...)  The turkey also appealed to me.  I much prefer turkey to chicken; the flavor is more pronounced but still mild.  It was generally a pretty simple dish to make, although trying to deal with rolling up the meat was a bit of a pain. 

I did make a few changes.  First, I couldn't find boneless turkey legs, so I substituted turkey tenderloins.  Turkey tenderloins are a little more mildly flavored than legs, but it's what they had and it still came out just fine.  I made a couple of procedural changes to keep my kitchen from burning down.  I also substituted blood oranges for the regular oranges called for in the original recipe.  My friend Laura turned me on to blood oranges a few years ago (okay, more than a few years, but I choose not to think about that) and I really prefer them to regular oranges.  My husband liked the change too, and in fact thoroughly enjoyed this dish. 

Roasted Turkey with Pomegranate Seeds (serves 4; approx. $4.49/ea)

4 blood oranges

1 tablespoon kosher salt

5 celery leaves, minced.  I'm not kidding.

1 1/2 pomegranates, seeds only

2 turkey tenderloins - this was about 1.43 lb for me

1/3 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup water

Equipment:

• Baking dish (I used a very deep pie plate)
• Skillet
• Kitchen twine
• Bowl
• Citrus juicer
• Aluminum foil
• Grater

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Use the grater to get the zest from one of the blood oranges. 
3. Combine that zest with the kosher salt and the celery leaves, then combine with about 1/2 cup of the pomegranate seeds. 
4. Juice the three unzested blood oranges.   
5. Spread the celery leaf mixture onto both tenderloins, then roll them up and secure with the kitchen twine.  Some of the filling may pop out; try to stuff as much of it back in as you can. 
6. Coat the turkey rolls with the flour. 
7. Heat the oil over medium heat in the skillet. 
8. Add the turkey.  Brown on all sides, then transfer the turkey to the baking dish.  Set aside.
9. Turn off the heat to the skillet.  Add the blood orange juice to the pan and deglaze.  If possible, try to bring the juice to a simmer and reduce the sauce slightly.  If not, don't worry about it. 
10. Pour the juices over the turkey in the baking dish.  Follow this with the addition of the water. 
11. Cover with foil and bake on the medium rack of the oven 40 minutes.
12. Remove the foil (reserve it) and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for another 30 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven completely, cover with the reserved foil and let the dish rest 10 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, peel and section the blood orange that you zested in step 2. 
15. When the turkey has finished resting, scatter the blood orange sections and the remaining pomegranate seeds over the meat. 
16. Serve, with a spoon to make use of the pan sauce.