Sweet & Tangy Meyer Lemons

Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange.  They are sweeter than typical lemons and the rind is very flavorful. They originated in China but came to the US be grown in California in the 1900's.  In the 40's they developed a bad virus only to go away and come back again in the 70's.  This is one complicated lemon!  The winter season is the best time to purchase these deep yellow lemons but they are available year round.

I highly recommend purchasing a Microplane zesting tool.  Citrus zest is highly concentrated and also it is a great alternative when you don’t want to add liquid (juice) to a recipe.

Pan Fried Shrimp Cakes with Creamy Meyer Lemon Sauce

Serves 4

For the Shrimp Cake:

2 Scallions         

½ of a Small Red Pepper

¾ Pounds of Raw Peeled and Deveined Shrimp

2/3 C Panko Bread Crumbs plus approx. ½ C for Coating

½ Cup Mayonnaise

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

1T Butter

For the Sauce:

4 Oz Cream Cheese

1T Chopped Cilantro

Juice from 2 Meyer Lemons, Zest from 1

For the Micro Green Salad (Optional):

1.5 Oz Mixed Micro Greens

Juice from ½ of 1 Meyer Lemon

1t Olive Oil

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Finely chop scallions, red pepper, and the shrimp or stick them into a food processor.  Put it into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients except the butter.  Form into 4 patties (or more if you want to make mini cakes) and lightly coat in bread crumbs.

Preheat a sauté pan and add butter.  Once melted, add the cakes and pan fry them.  Once the first side of the cake is brown, flip it over and brown the other side.

In a separate sauté pan over low heat, melt the cream cheese.  Once it starts to thin out a little, whisk in the remaining ingredients.  Spoon out onto plates.

Mix the micro greens in a bowl with all of the ingredients.

Once the cakes are cooked, arrange them on the plates and garnish with a tall micro green salad. If you make the cakes too thick and are afraid that they are browning too fast and not cooked all the way, finish them in the oven.

*Do you know what deveined shrimp are and why it’s important? Along the back side of the shrimp is a long light orange or black vein that goes from the top down to the tail.  Basically it’s a really long piece of crap that I like to refer to as the “poopy vein”.  Eating shrimp poop won’t kill you but it’s not very lady-like.  Once peeled, run your knife lightly down the center of the vein and pull it out.  Some people like to then rinse the shrimp off under cold water.  If you’re not into touching shrimp crap, ask your seafood shop to do it for you or buy it already deveined.

Micro Greens

Micro Greens are like the caviar of vegetables, literally.  Have you ever started seeds to plant in the spring?  The seed gets planted into the soil and a small bud starts to grow up towards the sun.  If you would cut the buds down, you would have micro greens.  The varieties can be greens like cabbage or kale, or herbs like cilantro or basil. So what’s so great about micro greens?  They taste like salad greens, but they are light in flavor and have a nice crunchy texture.  And the obvious reason to use them is because it will definitely up the score & make you look like a culinary genius. 

Avocado Grapefruit Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 2

For the Vinaigrette:

Juice & Zest from 2 Meyer Lemons

1/2 C Olive Oil

1T Chopped Chives

2t Agave Nectar (or Honey)

Salt & Pepper

For the Salad:

1 Red Grapefruit

1 Ripe Avocado

6 Oz Any Mixed Lettuce Greens

¼ C Sliced Almonds

For the vinaigrette, put the lemon juice, chives, agave nectar and a pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl.  Slowly pour in the oil and whisk quickly.  Toss the dressing with the lettuces.

Cut the peel off of the grapefruit and slice it into segments.  Be careful to look for seeds.  Peel and cut the avocado into slices.  Lightly toss the grapefruit, avocado, and almonds with the greens and arrange it on a plate.

*if you want to use this vinaigrette for other things or in larger batches, I recommend using the blender.  When you whisk the oil into a dressing, you run the risk of it separating.  What you want to do is create an emulsion which keeps the dressing well blended.  For an emulsion you need to have the acid part of the dressing whisking or blending at very fast pace while you slowly pour in the oil.

 

Greek Yogurt “Cheese” Spreads

Greek yogurt is strained so it’s almost like the consistency of cream cheese.  The “cheese” spread recipes below are greet for crackers, breads, veggies, fruits, and sandwich spreads. Make up your own variations using dried fruits, herbs, citrus zests, etc.

Meyer Lemon Fig “Cheese” Spread

1 Meyer Lemon, Zested

6 Oz Plain Greek Yogurt

Dash of Nutmeg

2t Honey

Mix all of the ingredients together. You’re done

Pesto “Cheese” Spread

1 Sprig Basil, Chopped

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

1T Walnuts, Minced (optional)

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Homemade Flavorings

As you've probably noticed by now, I love to combine unusual flavors in many of my recipes.  These flavorings are a great way to do this and take very little time to make.

Scented Sugars

Scented sugars are really easy to make and can add that little extra flavoring to an item without changing a recipe.  You can use them for baking in place of regular sugar, in your coffee or tea, and they make nice gifts for all of your swanky housewife friends. I always have a few flavors continuously “infusing” in my kitchen cupboard. The flavors are pretty much endless.  You can use any herbs, edible dried flowers, spices, citrus peels, etc.  Every time that you use them, add a more sugar, shake it up and then let it marinate some more.  Put them in decorative ceramic or glass jars.  *You may want to strain them before using.  

Vanilla Sugar

2 Vanilla Beans

4 Cups Sugar

Split the vanilla beans in half long ways.  Add them along with the sugar into a jar and shake.  Best if made at least 30 days ahead.

Lavender Vanilla Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean

1 Package Dried Lavender buds (about 3 Tablespoons)

4 Cups Sugar

Split the vanilla bean in half long ways.  Put the sugar, bean, and lavender into a jar and shake.  Best if made at least 30 days ahead.

Orange Sugar

2 Oranges

4 Cups Sugar

Peel or cut the rind off of the orange.  I find it easiest to use a potato peeler and peel towards me.  With a paring knife remove any white from the peel.  The white layer is called the pith and it tends to be very bitter.  Let it sit out at room temperature for a few hours so that it starts to dry out. Then eat the oranges with your husband (*last step is optional). Add it along with the sugar into a jar and shake.  Best if made at least 30 days ahead.

Flavored Extracts

These are really fun because you can get creative.  Unfortunately for the impatient type, these are best made 2-3 months in advance for best results.  The alcohol level makes this a lot easier to use with fresher ingredients because it can handle just about anything.  You also want to use a lot of your flavoring because it needs to be really concentrated.  You can use vanilla, herbs, edible dried flowers, spices, citrus peels, dried fruits. This also makes a great gift for the baking enthusiast.

Vanilla Extract

2 Vanilla Beans

Approx. 12 Oz Vodka

Split the vanilla beans in half long ways and put them into a glass bottle.  Using a funnel, pour the vodka to just the top of the bottle and seal.  Shake from time to time.  Best if used after 2-3 months of marinating.

Lemon Extract

2 Large Lemons

Approx. 12 Oz Vodka

Peel or cut the rind off of the lemon.  I find it easiest to use a potato peeler and peel towards me.  With a paring knife remove any white from the peel.  The white layer is called the pith and it tends to be very bitter.  Using a funnel, pour the vodka to just the top of the bottle and seal.  Shake from time to time.  Best if used after 2-3 months of marinating.

Lavender Extract

2 T Dried Lavender Buds

Approx. 12 Oz Vodka

Using a funnel pour the lavender into a bottle. Pour in the vodka to just the top of the bottle and seal.  Shake from time to time.  Best if used after 2-3 months of marinating.

Infused Honeys

These make fun gifts for the baking or tea lovers in your life.  They are supper easy to make and everyone will think that you’re the ritziest housewife on the block.  Infuse with fresh herbs, spices, edible dried flowers, citrus peels, etc.  Drizzle these infused honeys into your tea, on top of or into baked goods, on your husband’s chest…..oops, did I just write that?!

Rosemary Honey

2 Sprigs of Rosemary

Approx. 2 Cups of Honey

Rough Chop the Rosemary and put it along with the honey into a sauce pot.  Bring to just a boil and lower the flame.  Keep it lightly cooking for about 20 minutes and then turn off the heat.  Pour it into a jar and let it cool before sealing.  You can use it immediately, but it would be best to let it sit for about 1 week before using.  If you want a clear honey, strain out the rosemary.

Lavender Honey

3 T Dried Lavender Buds

Approx. 2 Cups of Honey

Put the lavender along with the honey into a sauce pot.  Bring to just a boil and lower the flame.  Keep it lightly cooking for about 20 minutes and then turn off the heat.  Pour it into a jar and let it cool before sealing.  You can use it immediately, but it would be best to let it sit for about 1 week before using.  If you want a clear honey, strain out the flowers.

Holiday in a Jar

Winter Snow Globes

Supplies you will need:

Jars

Small Holiday Characters (with a flat base)

Mini Trees

Glitter, Large Grain

Glue

Flip the jar over and place the tree and the character onto the lid.  Place the jar on top to make sure that it will fit.  Sometimes you can bend the tree to help it fit.  Glue them to the lid and let it dry for 24 hours.  Flip the jar and add about 1 cm of glitter to the bottom.  Screw on the lid and shake.

Cocoa Gifts

Supplies you will need:

Ground Unsweetened Cocoa

Sugar

Marshmallows

Chocolate Chips

Flavorings: Ground candy canes, cinnamon sticks, cayenne pepper, mint or cinnamon candies, etc.

Mason Jars

Ribbons and Tags

Candy Cane Cocoa

Layer 6T sugar into a jar.  Add about 2T chocolate chips and then 6T Cocoa.  Add 1 crushed candy cane and then fill the rest of the jar up with marshmallows.  Label with instructions “Bring 4 cups of milk to just a boil.  Whisk in the ingredients from the jar and cook about 30 seconds”.

Cayenne Cinnamon Cocoa

Layer 6T sugar into a jar and 1 cinnamon stick. Add about 2T chocolate chips and then ¼ t cayenne pepper.  Layer with 6 T cocoa and then fill up the rest of the jar with marshmallows. Label with instructions “Bring 4 cups of milk to just a boil.  Whisk in the ingredients from the jar and cook about 30 seconds”.

Basic Recipe for Hot Cocoa

1 ½ T Cocoa

1 ½ T Sugar

1 Cup Milk

Bring the milk to just a boil.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients and cook about 30 seconds.

*Use this as your guide in case your jars are smaller than the ones that I used.

Pumpkin Butter

2 Cans Pumpkin

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Water

1t Cinnamon

¼ t Nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a sauce pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Cool and put into jars or serve warm.  This should last refrigerated for about 2-3 weeks.

Gingersnap Pear Butter

4-5 Pears, Diced

1 ½ Cups Water

¾ Cups Sugar

½ t Cinnamon

2t Ground Ginger

2t Vanilla

About 18 Gingersnaps

Mix all ingredients except gingersnaps into a sauce pot and boil about 8-12 minutes or until pears are cooked.  Add gingersnaps and cook another 4 minutes.  Add a little more water if needed, but it should be thick.  Cool and put into jars or serve warm.  This should last refrigerated for about 2-3 weeks.

Cranberry Apple Jam

2 Apples, Diced

9 Oz Fresh Cranberries

2 ½ Cups Water

2 Cups Sugar

1 Orange, Zested and Juiced

Add a few pinches of spices if you like (cinnamon, ginger, cloves)

Mix all of the ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a light boil for about 30 minutes or until all of the cranberries burst. Reduce to a thick jam.  You can thicken with cornstarch if needed. Cool and put into jars or serve warm.  This should last refrigerated for about 2-3 weeks.