This year, I have completely fallen in love with lemons. I've always liked them, but am crazy for them this year. I have a few lemon recipes lined up to try and, if they turn out, I'll be posting them as I work on them. Also, a side note: Dear Simply Lemonade, thank you for making the world's best lemonade. I think I've drank so much it's replaced the blood in my veins.
This is the easiest and most refreshing summer desert I can imagine eating when it hits over 100 degrees this August. It is simple, and CHEAP. The only real cost is the lemons. It does take some baby-sitting so make it when you're going to be home and able to stir it every 20-30 minutes or so.
My brother told me something interesting tonight. When water becomes ice, it increases volume by nine percent. So this recipe calls for 4 cups of liquid which means you'll get approximately 4 1/3 cups of finished product.
Lemon Ice
3 cups water
1 1/4 cup sugar
zest of two lemons
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice (takes 4-5 lemons, depending on size)
Bring the water to a simmer. When simmering add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring the water to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. While the water is boiling, zest two of the lemons. Just before removing from the heat, toss in your lemon zest and give it a quick stir. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, juice the lemons until you have 1 cup of juice. Once the sugar water is cooled, add lemon juice and stir. Pour into a pan (I used an 8-inch square pan because we have a side-by-side refrigerator with what seem like microscopic shelves) and place in the freezer.
Here is where you can let your attention wonder. It will be fine if you don't stir it for the first hour. The only exception to this is if you're using a metal sheet pan; if you are, do NOT walk away - you'll get a frozen mixture very quickly. Once it starts to form ice crystals you need to keep on it. Stirring every 30 minutes is fine at first, but the more frozen it gets the more frequently you should stir it. When it is ready it should be opaque and on the firm side of mushy. Scoop it in a dish and enjoy! I'll try to take a picture of it tomorrow.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
It's been too long!
I've been trying new recipes last month and have one I'm ready to post, but when I came here I was SHOCKED that I hadn't posted anything in almost a year! This means I've dropped the ball on a few recipes that I thought I posted. I'll get to those soon. Right now, it's way past my bed time and once again I'm watching the Julie and Julia movie - which means that if I go to bed now I'll just lay there awake thinking about cooking, recipes, and all the stuff I don't yet know.
Of course, in the last year my Amazon wish list has grown a great deal. Even today I was researching Black (also called Onyx) Cocoa. I can't find that or even Dutch-processed Cocoa in any grocery store around here. Last week, I added tart pans to my wish list. Like I said, it keeps growing and growing and growing. Too bad my Powerball ticket tonight was a loser. Oh, I also roasted my first red peppers a couple weeks ago. They're wonderful, just like I thought they'd be. That same weekend I tried several other recipes, all of which need further tweaking.
But thanks to lots of help from my wonderful brothers, the garden is planted and growing. I think I'll have my first batch of fresh peas and green beans in a month or so (they're in the picture on the left, am I being too optimistic?), which is very exciting. Here's a couple pictures of my first garden attempt and I'll post my new recipe in a separate post.
Of course, in the last year my Amazon wish list has grown a great deal. Even today I was researching Black (also called Onyx) Cocoa. I can't find that or even Dutch-processed Cocoa in any grocery store around here. Last week, I added tart pans to my wish list. Like I said, it keeps growing and growing and growing. Too bad my Powerball ticket tonight was a loser. Oh, I also roasted my first red peppers a couple weeks ago. They're wonderful, just like I thought they'd be. That same weekend I tried several other recipes, all of which need further tweaking.
But thanks to lots of help from my wonderful brothers, the garden is planted and growing. I think I'll have my first batch of fresh peas and green beans in a month or so (they're in the picture on the left, am I being too optimistic?), which is very exciting. Here's a couple pictures of my first garden attempt and I'll post my new recipe in a separate post.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Crab Cakes
These are fast, easy crab cakes that are a great to make on a weeknight. Not too bready and lots of lumpy crab.
3 cans lump crab meat
3/4 - 1 cup break crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp dried onion flakes, re-hydrated with water
3 tsp minced garlic (or more to taste)
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch deep of cooking oil to medium. Put onion in water to re-hydrate. Drain cans of crab meat and place meat in a medium bowl. Finely chop celery, add to crab meat. Add garlic, onion and egg. Loosely mix together. Add 3/4 cup bread crumbs and mix. Once mixed, try making a ball, if it seems too moist, add more bread crumbs. Shape into 12 crab cakes and fry in oil for approximately 4 minutes each side, or until golden brown.
We made a lovely meal of the crab cakes, chilled shrimp, hush puppies and celery and peanut butter.
3 cans lump crab meat
3/4 - 1 cup break crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tbsp dried onion flakes, re-hydrated with water
3 tsp minced garlic (or more to taste)
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch deep of cooking oil to medium. Put onion in water to re-hydrate. Drain cans of crab meat and place meat in a medium bowl. Finely chop celery, add to crab meat. Add garlic, onion and egg. Loosely mix together. Add 3/4 cup bread crumbs and mix. Once mixed, try making a ball, if it seems too moist, add more bread crumbs. Shape into 12 crab cakes and fry in oil for approximately 4 minutes each side, or until golden brown.
We made a lovely meal of the crab cakes, chilled shrimp, hush puppies and celery and peanut butter.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Fruity Fish Fold-overs
We've been experimenting on making some fish tacos this summer, and while this wasn't very "taco-y" it was YUMMY. :) I started with the intention of making a fruit salsa, but once we started omitting things that each of us don't like we just sort of ended up with a fruit salad with tomatoes on the side. Still really good and very summery dinner; I can't wait to make this one again. For the breaded cod, we found a some really good panko crusted cod at Costco, but they're more like fish-fingers rather than fillets, so we used 2 "fingers" per tortilla. You'll want to adjust depending on the size of your fish pieces.
4 8-inch flour tortillas
8 pieces breaded cod
1 avocado, chopped into small chunks
1 lime
1 mango, chopped into small chunks
1/3 of a fresh pineapple, chopped into small chunks
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
lettuce, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded monterey jack cheese
Bake the fish as per box instructions. Meanwhile, chop fruit and combine in a bowl. Just after chopping the avocado, squeeze the lime over it to prevent browning. You can add the chopped tomato to the fruit mixture or keep it on the side, however you prefer. Just as the fish is ready, lightly toast the flour tortillas. Layer tortillas with fish (squeeze lemon on fish if desired), cheese, fruit mixture, tomatoes, and lettuce. Fold over to make a wrap and enjoy.
4 8-inch flour tortillas
8 pieces breaded cod
1 avocado, chopped into small chunks
1 lime
1 mango, chopped into small chunks
1/3 of a fresh pineapple, chopped into small chunks
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
lettuce, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded monterey jack cheese
Bake the fish as per box instructions. Meanwhile, chop fruit and combine in a bowl. Just after chopping the avocado, squeeze the lime over it to prevent browning. You can add the chopped tomato to the fruit mixture or keep it on the side, however you prefer. Just as the fish is ready, lightly toast the flour tortillas. Layer tortillas with fish (squeeze lemon on fish if desired), cheese, fruit mixture, tomatoes, and lettuce. Fold over to make a wrap and enjoy.
Monday, July 20, 2009
mmmm, grill roasted potatoes
not a very original recipe, but they were YUMMY!
10-15 new potatoes, cut into quarters
5-6 large cloves of garlic, minced
about 2 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat mixture)
we made a little foil cooking tray that we could just put straight on the grill. tossed the potatoes, garlic and oil in a large bowl. stirred that around until everything was well coated (use your hand, it's just easier). then spread that out on the foil and roast over a low to medium-low grill. the potatoes were done in about 40 minutes.
10-15 new potatoes, cut into quarters
5-6 large cloves of garlic, minced
about 2 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat mixture)
we made a little foil cooking tray that we could just put straight on the grill. tossed the potatoes, garlic and oil in a large bowl. stirred that around until everything was well coated (use your hand, it's just easier). then spread that out on the foil and roast over a low to medium-low grill. the potatoes were done in about 40 minutes.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
first garden on my own
there is a sad trail of dead plants littering the path of my adult life, so i claim temporary insanity when i decided to try my had an a little bit of container gardening this year. i decided to keep it easy, and to only grow things that i knew we'd use: basil, dill, and grape tomatoes.
well, the dill died right away. which sucks because we use it all the time on salmon and in other dishes.
but the basil and grape tomatoes have really taken off on me. i drastically underestimated how big the tomato plants would get, they're towering over their pots now. i've given up tying them to little stakes in their pots and am just letting them take over the rails in the front porch decking. and the tomato plants have given me lots of silly excitement this year, once when they bloomed and now that they're actually growing little tomatoes. i'm getting all giddy again as they're starting to ripen.
i also underestimated the basil, they've gotten too big for their pots too. and we have a LOT (so if you have any recipes that use basil, please send them my way). i was surprised then they started to get little blooms on them, googled that night and found out that's BAD - they were going to seed which makes them crappy. good news is, if you catch them right away, take off the top 1/3 of the stem that's seeding and then give it a couple weeks the flavor will go back to normal. i have been surprised at how fast the basil leaves regenerate after picking them. so it seems i will never run out of basil. well, if i can successfully transfer the plants to indoor living come winter that is....
well, the dill died right away. which sucks because we use it all the time on salmon and in other dishes.
but the basil and grape tomatoes have really taken off on me. i drastically underestimated how big the tomato plants would get, they're towering over their pots now. i've given up tying them to little stakes in their pots and am just letting them take over the rails in the front porch decking. and the tomato plants have given me lots of silly excitement this year, once when they bloomed and now that they're actually growing little tomatoes. i'm getting all giddy again as they're starting to ripen.
i also underestimated the basil, they've gotten too big for their pots too. and we have a LOT (so if you have any recipes that use basil, please send them my way). i was surprised then they started to get little blooms on them, googled that night and found out that's BAD - they were going to seed which makes them crappy. good news is, if you catch them right away, take off the top 1/3 of the stem that's seeding and then give it a couple weeks the flavor will go back to normal. i have been surprised at how fast the basil leaves regenerate after picking them. so it seems i will never run out of basil. well, if i can successfully transfer the plants to indoor living come winter that is....
Friday, July 10, 2009
shredded barbeque chicken
really easy way to make some shredded barbeque chicken. i'm going to use this for a barbeque chicken pizza. if there's left overs it'll be good to throw on a bun for quick sandwich.
2 packages of chicken breast tenders
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
put chicken and sauce in a crock-pot, cook on medium for approximately 3-4 hours, until it is very tender. let cool slightly when done, then shred with forks.
can be done ahead of time. when you reheat, put in glass bowl, drizzle a bit of water over it, cover tightly with cling wrap, and microwave. this will add enough steam so your meat doesn't dry out.
2 packages of chicken breast tenders
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
put chicken and sauce in a crock-pot, cook on medium for approximately 3-4 hours, until it is very tender. let cool slightly when done, then shred with forks.
can be done ahead of time. when you reheat, put in glass bowl, drizzle a bit of water over it, cover tightly with cling wrap, and microwave. this will add enough steam so your meat doesn't dry out.
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