olive medly pinwheels & orange-cranberry cake

Today's food for thought friday recipes come from the latest issue of Better Homes & Gardens. They caught my eye while browsing the magazine at the gym, and not just because I was hungry. Both recipes look like perfect dishes for entertaining and both seem fairly simple to prepare. I haven't had a chance to try them yet so if you're able to do so soon, please let us know what you thought! (And thanks, LeShan, for the BH&G subscription!)

Olive Medley Pinwheels
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 10-inch flour tortillas
8 large basil leaves
1/2 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, well-drained and cut in strips

In medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in olives, lemon peel, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; set aside.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread olive mixture on each tortilla; arrange basil leaves and sweet pepper strips along center. Roll tortillas parallel with sweet pepper strips. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. To serve, trim off ends of each roll; cut rolls in 1/2-inch slices.


Orange-Cranberry Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
2 T sugar
2 tsp finely shredded orange peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch tube pan; set aside. In bowl stir together flour, oats, baking powder, soda and salt. In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs; beat until well combined. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.

Toss cranberries with 2 T sugar; fold into batter with orange peel. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on rack. Prepare Orange Glaze; spoon over cooled cake. Let stand until glaze is set.

Orange Glaze
In small bowl combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel. Add 2 to 3 tsp orange juice to make drizzling consistency.

"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star." -- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin