Lemon Polenta Torta with Fruit Compote

'Lemon Polenta Torta' with powdered sugar sprinkled on top just as it is served in Italy!

Winter and lemons?  This combination just doesn't seem very logical to many of us.  Lemons are more commonly associated with the hot days of summer when we quench our thirst with icy, cold lemonade or lemon sherbet.  But in the warmer regions of the world, especially in the Mediterranean areas, and the U.S. states of Florida, California, Arizona and Texas, lemons are at their peak.  Lemons and all citrus fruits are a delicious and healthy part of winter, especially for cooking lighter in the kitchen.  The vitamin C in citrus proves their worth by helping us in the cold and flu season also, another timely advantage to citrus in winter!

In Italy, vibrant yellow lemons are harvested three times a year along the Amalfi coast!   The flavor of lemons is a family favorite in desserts, from torte' to pies to icey granite'.   We also love adding lemon juice with butter and garlic for an added sophistication to fish or chicken sizzling on the grill.  Vinaigrettes and vegetables jazz up with the help of lemons as well.

Baking and cooking with fresh, fragrant lemons infuse the air of any kitchen and home with their hypnotic perfume.  So during these grey days of winter, it's a perfect time to prepare something lemony!   The theme for this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club is perfectly timed for the winter season and the 'holiday of amore' . . . "Pucker up with Lemons (for Valentine's Day!)" hosted by Val on her blog, "More Than Burnt Toast".  Following the recipe for the Lemon Polenta Torta, you'll see what the rest of the group prepared with links to their recipes.

My husband seriously raved about this cake!  "Superb . . . very, very wonderful!" were his exact words!  Both of us thought that this cake was even better served warm, plain and simple without the compote.  We favored it with just a little sprinkling of powdered sugar on top as is the customary way to serve it in Italy.  Below is a photo of my sweet cousin, Silvia in Italy, who prepared an incredibly delicious classic Italian torta for us during our visit in October.

Silvia cuts fresh slices of Italian torta for us just minutes after entering the home!

perfectly moist and flavored, with a generous dusting of powdered sugar on top!

Lemon Polenta Torta with Fruit Compote
(adapted from "Cooking Light")

For the cake:

Cooking spray and parchment paper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup sugar (I added the extra 1/4 cup due to my addition of lemon juice, below)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil (I did not use extra-virgin because the taste is so much stronger)
2 large eggs (I use jumbo eggs)
juice from 1/2 of a lemon, fresh-squeezed (preferably from Meyer lemons) (my addition that I highly recommend)
2 tsps. grated lemon rind

For the winter fruit compote:

1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup fresh or dried cranberries
1 3/4 cups chopped red-skinned pear (about 2)
1/2 cup golden raisins (I eliminated since my husband doesn't like raisins)
2 tsps. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sugar

To prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
Line bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Coat paper with cooking spray.
Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine flour and all dry ingredients (except the lemon zest) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Make a well in center of mixture.
Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, lemon juice and lemon rind, stirring well with a whisk.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until moist.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.
Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare the compote:

Combine apple juice and raisins in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, and cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 4 minutes).
Add cranberries to pan; cook 5 minutes.
Add pear to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.
Top slices of the lemon torta with the fruit compote.

If 'lighter' lemon dessert recipes are something that you enjoy, than you might want to check out the following luscious lemon treats that I've prepared before.  Both of these cakes are loaded with lemon flavor and you'd never, ever know that they are lightened up!

Lemon with Limoncello Layer Cake

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

All of the recipes contributed to this month's "Lemon" theme can be found at:

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) made a delicious main dish of Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken
Sandi (Cooking at The Whistlestop Cafe) concocted a strong batch of Limoncello 
Jerry (Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants) prepared a Fennel Salad with Meyer Lemon
Susan (The Spice Garden) made a hearty winter Chicken Rice Avgolemono Soup with Dill 
Sarah (All Our Fingers In The Pie) put together a healthy salad of Tomatoes with Avocado and Preserved Lemons 

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Nutella, Banana and Macadamia Nut Panini

Bananas and Nutella may sound weird to some, but the combo is simply incredible and irresistable once you try it.  I love this marriage of fruit and chocolate-hazelnut so much that I am exceptionally good at tricking my brain into thinking that I'm really eating something healthy when I indulge in a half of a banana dipped straight into a jar of Nutella.  Just who am I kidding?

But since today is World Nutella Day, I knew that I had to make our favorite dessert panini to celebrate the event and that highlights this favorite Nutella combination!

What makes these somewhat ordinary sounding dessert panini extra sweet and special is that they are grilled in a pool of butter, cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkled with chopped macadamia nuts, and dusted with powdered sugar.  Now that's a sweet treat!


I bet you can't eat just one bite!

And I bet you'll have a messy face . . . but messy with a big smile on your face!

After grilling the bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar

spread Nutella generously on one slice of bread per panino,

 layer with sliced bananas

and finally, sprinkle on diced macadamia nuts.

close the panini lid lightly to grill until the Nutella is melted.

all melted, nice and gooey before the final presentation

pretty powdered sugar dusts the panino, strawberries, and sliced bananas

Nutella, Banana and Macadamia Nut Panini

1-1/2 sticks of butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar mixed together with 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
 3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4" thick
4 - 8 slices Ciabatta or Italian bread (depending on how many panini you want)
1 small jar of Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or hazelnuts)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Whole strawberries, for serving

Heat panini griddle to medium-high or large non-stick pan over medium heat.
Place the butter on the griddle to melt (do not use all of the butter if doing this in batches).
Spread some soft butter on the outer sides of the bread slices.
Sprinkle both sides of the bread slices with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place bread slices on the grill and cook for a few seconds so that the cinnamon sugar adheres to the bread (do not press the panini pressing top down while doing this).
Flip over and do the same for the opposite side of the bread.
Spread each slice of bread with Nutella, as thick as you like.
Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the layer of Nutella.
Sprinkle with hazelnuts
Grill until the bread is golden brown on each side and the Nutella is melted.
Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
Sprinkle with more chopped macadamia nuts for pizazz.
Serve warm immediately with strawberries on the side.

If you enjoy Nutella recipes, here is another yummy one that you might like:

Nutella and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

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Twiced Baked Potatoes with Fontina Cheese

The big game of the Super Bowl is now playing and we've settled into our comfy spots after splurging on some appropriate, football man-food . . . a rib-eye steak so thick and wide that we cut it in half and still only finished a smidgen of it!  Plated on the side of that big beef monster was the mother load of all potatoes . . . twice-baked potatoes loaded to the max.  Including something new and a little different to keep Mr. M. and P.'s (meat and potatoes) tastebuds surprised:  I added fontina cheese to the mix to give the potatoes a little more zing!  I might use some asiago cheese the next time too, since it was really a nice twist.

No need for little finger food in this household to watch the game.  A juicy, perfectly grilled beef steak and an awesome loaded potato somehow keeps us content throughout the entire game . . . well, until it's time for dessert!

May the best team win!

Oh, PS:  I will change the channel to watch Downton Abby on PBS.  Even my husband enjoys that great British show more than football!  He's such a keeper!

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