Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

White Bean Tasty Dip

This dip is so tasty and made the old Tuscan style. If you feel adventurous, soak the dried canellini beans overnight. Drain very well. Set aside. Here is what you're going to need:

1 lb package dried canellini beans or 2 cans white canellini beans, drained

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Good Olive oil, about 1/2 cup, 2 TBS to drizzle on finished dip

Fresh parsley

1 lemon, juice and rinse

1 TBS water for thinning out if too thick

Directions:

In saucepan, drizzle with olive oil, add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let the tomatoes cook till soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, garlic.

Let combination cook for a few minutes. Place mixture in container of food processor. Mix until resembles texture of hummus. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil slowly while processor is running.

Stop and taste for saltiness or thickness.

Serve with Italian bread slices that have been toasted.

Note: You can use this mixture as a pasta sauce, using small pasta.



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.