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Lemons make me happy.  Having a friend that supplies me with bags and boxes of lemons makes me ecstatic!  One day I will have a lemon tree in my life, but until then I will use any and all lemons that come my way.

What is so fun and exciting about lemons?  Personally, what I love most about lemons is that they have so many uses other than culinary.  Lemons aren’t just for drinks and cocktails, they also have several health benefits as well.  According to lemonmania.com lemon juice can help those with colds and the flu, those with restless leg syndrome, and can even help those that are stressed out or have warts!  Lemon juice is also a great natural disinfectant and non-toxic cleaner.  I recently started making my own house cleaning products and lemons are an absolute gem, especially, when it comes to cleaning a wooden cutting board.  Lemon juice is also fantastic in homemade beauty treatments and can add a wonderful scent to candles and air fresheners.  Lemons also make a simple and beautiful centerpiece and are lovely when used in place of flowers.  I could go on and on and on about my love for lemons, but today I want to share with you something that I’ve never done before with lemons and that is- preserving them. Truthfully, I don’t know what I’m going to with them after they are preserved, so FYI, I’m open to suggestions!

After researching several different recipes I found the easiest and fastest way to preserve lemons isn’t by following a recipe at all.  Thanks to the Food Gal, Carolyn Jung’s, instructions all you have to do is follow a few steps and in a matter of minutes you’ll have jars of lemons in a salty brine that will be ready to use in recipes in 3 to 6 weeks.  Please check out her article here , it’s a fun read and I love her photos! For delicious wine and food filled tweets be sure to follow the Food Gal on Twitter as well @CarolynJung. 

So, here is what you need:

• Organic lemons, washed and dried.
• Kosher salt
• Sterilized glass jars with lid (Food Gal suggests sterilizing in the dishwasher)

This is what you do:

• Cut lemon in quarters from the top without cutting through to the bottom (see photo below) I wasn’t able to do this because my lemons were big and my jars were small.
• Stuff the cavity of the lemon with Kosher salt. 
• Add a little Kosher salt to the bottom of the jar and then start layering as many of the salted lemons as you can into the jar.
• Cap jar and leave on your kitchen counter for up to three weeks, shaking jar daily to distribute the brine.
• After 3 weeks, refrigerate.  Your preserved lemons will last up to a year if they remained covered in the salty brine.

This is the proper way for cutting lemon before stuffing them in the jars.  Photo is used with permission from Stevie Rose at www.gardentherapy.ca.  Stevie also has an excellent post on preserving lemons found here. Do yourself a favor and check out this refreshing and inpspiring blog for the latest gardening tips, weekend crafts projects, recipes and tutorials on making homemade bath and body products.  Garden Therapy can also be found on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and also has a great line of gorgeous botanical pillows on Etsy.  Thanks for letting me use your photo Stevie!

Lemons, salt, jars

That’s how easy it is!  After about a week I added some more lemon juice to my brining lemons because I was concerned about them not being totally immersed in liquid.  I didn’t use Meyer lemons so maybe they didn’t exude as much juice as was expected.  At 3 weeks I transferred the jars of preserved lemons to the refrigerator.  In a few more weeks I plan on cooking up a Moroccan feast featuring my new found love…the preserved lemon.  Have you cooked or prepared recipes calling for preserved lemons?  What is your favorite dish to prepare?  I’d love to hear your suggestions so please leave a comment here, or send me a message on Twitter or my Facebook page.

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I’m happy to report that the HIGHLY ADDICTIVE PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE recipe was a success!  

My friend, Heather, was right this is a recipe that you’ll want to make more than one batch at a time.  If you missed the recipe on Friday, here’s a recap. 

*3/4 cup raw pumpkin or pepita seeds–lightly toasted in the oven with a sprinkle of sea salt and drizzle of olive oil

2 TBSP unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar in the raw ( turbinado sugar)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 TBSP ground cinnamon

dash of ground black pepper

sea salt to taste

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with chili powder, cinnamon, pepper and vanilla extract.

2.  Stir in both sugars, stirring constantly for about 5-10 minutes to avoid burning.

3.  After the sugars clump and melt. Add pumpkin seeds and mix well.

4.  Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment or wax paper. I used a  lightly buttered non-stick cookie sheet and it worked great. Spread thin, sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool.

5.  You can pop it in the fridge to speed up the process. Once the candy is hard, just break into pieces and serve.  Two hungry adults will finish this off in no time! Double or triple the recipe for parties.

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 The combo of caramelized sugar, butter and crunchy sea salt just cannot be beat!! WARNING– HIGHLY ADDICTIVE 

 

PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

(note: use caution when making any brittle recipe because the sugars get extremely hot when melting)

*3/4 cup raw pumpkin or pepita seeds–lightly toasted in the oven with a sprinkle of sea salt and drizzle of olive oil

2 TBSP unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar in the raw ( turbinado sugar)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 TBSP ground cinnamon

dash of ground black pepper

sea salt to taste

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with chili powder, cinnamon, pepper and vanilla extract. Stir in both sugars, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes to avoid burning. The sugars will eventually clump and melt. Add pumpkin seeds and mix well. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment or wax paper. Spread thin, sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool. You can pop it in the fridge to speed up the process. Once the candy is hard, just break into pieces and serve.  Two hungry adults will finish this off in no time! Double or triple the recipe for parties.

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I used to be discourage with all the green tomatoes I had on my hands as soon as Fall hit and because of that frustration all my green tomatoes ended up in the compost heap.  Yes, I was composting perfectly good tomatoes that would  have been ideal for many dishes that call for green unripened tomatoes.  Live and learn, right?.  Sure, there’s nothing like the taste and smell of a fresh summer tomato, but since the Fall harvest is here I celebrate the green tomato by making batches and batches of luscious, sweet and savory sauce know as green tomato chutney.

My first canning experience was in the Fall of 2010 that resulted in several half pints of green tomato chutney.  Unfortunately, I lost the recipe, but it included green tomatoes, onion, apple, red bell pepper and a little pickled ginger. Once I find it, (and I need too because I’m harvesting green tomatoes today), I will share it with you.  If you have a favorite green tomato chutney recipe please feel free to share it by commenting on this post or over on my Facebook page.

My green tomato chutney and fresh peach sauce recipe is an excellent accompaniment to a cheese and cracker platter or equally delicious spooned over grilled fish and roasted meats.  With the addition of diced peach, a little jalapeno and cilantro this sauce takes on a surprisingly mango-peach salsa flavor. 

Green Tomato Chutney and Fresh Peach Sauce

• 1/2 pint or 8 ounces of green tomato chutney
• 1-peach peeled and diced
• 1/2 a jalapeno, diced (optional)
• 1 TBSP chopped cilantro
• red pepper flakes for garnish if you want more heat (optional)

Directions: Mix green tomato chutney, peach, jalapeno, and cilantro together and put it in a bowl…It’s that easy and takes just a few minutes to prepare.

Mix a half pint of green tomato chutney...

...with one peeled and diced peach, some fresh cilantro and chili...

...and there you have a nice dish of green tomato chutney with fresh peach sauce. Dig in!

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Happy Fall everyone! 

I have something very exciting to share with my readers.  I grew potatoes for the first time this year and am happy to announce I just made my first harvest of beautiful red potatoes!  If you have grown potatoes before you know that there is nothing more captivating then scraping the soil back only to find big beautiful taters that almost look like they came out of nowhere!  I will now forever be a potato farmer. 

Hello beautiful

You can guarantee I’m already making plans on growing many different varieties of potatoes next year which means more planting beds for growing these nutricious tubers.  Also on the list is to make sure I label what I plant!  Unfortunately, I spaced on labeling what kind of red potatoes these are so next time I’m going to make my label first…then plant.  For now, we’ll just call this a Belly Button Potato 

The Dirt & Martinis Belly Button Tater!

Since my harvest was very small I won’t be storing them for winter eating, not to mention I’m not sure if this is a type of potato that would store well.  These babies are going to get eaten right away by myself, friends and family over the next week.  The first meal I made was a small mountain of simply prepared mashed potatoes.  The secret to perfect mashed potatoes are two things: 1) Add a bay leaf to the cooking water.  2) Do not boil but simmer the potatoes.  I learned this from a tweet made by Ron Zimmerman of the famous Herbfarm in Woodinville, WA and it really does make a huge difference in the flavor and texture of the mashed potatoes.  Second up on the potato harvest menu was cooking up a big pot of steaming potato-leek soup.  This recipe is not only simple but it can be made in short period of time.  Hopefully you’ll give this a recipe a try for your next lunch or prepare it for light lazy night supper.

Enjoy!

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Who doesn’t like a little nibble during cocktail hour or a small plate of  hors d’oeuvres to snack on before a dinner party?  Starters that are quick and easy to prepare can set the mood for a party that’s guaranteed to be stress free.  With some quality ingredients, beautiful colors and flavors combined with prepping and planning, you can whip up magnificent small plates with ease.

At a recent party I made a batch of baked goat cheese appetizers that were prepped ahead and then popped in the oven right before the guests arrived.  This recipe is considered a technique more than an actual recipe and was inspired by the brilliant David Lebovitz.  

Baked Goat Cheese Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 11 ounce log of goat cheese
• 1/2 cup plain toasted bread crumbs mixed with 1 tsp fresh herbs, (I used basil and thyme), and a pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Cut goat cheese into 1/2″ slices and shape into the size of a quarter
3. Brush with olive oil
4. Dredge goat cheese coins in seasoned bread crumbs and place on a non-stick cookie sheet
5. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to get soft

Serve on a plate garnished with herbs and/or edible flowers.  Serve with your favorite bread, prepared tapenade or basil pesto, and olives.  Enjoy!

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Another Wednesday and another What I Ate Wednesday Post with Peas & Crayons.   If you get a chance check out all the other foodie bloggers that join in Peas & Crayons and blog about what they’re stuffing their face with.  There’s A LOT of yummy and healthy recipe suggestions to check out and if you blog about food you may as well join the WIAW link party too!

I didn’t document all my meals but I did photograph my morning breakfast.  Now that the mornings are warm enough to have meals outside it’s wonderful to start the day off with a light and healthy meal outdoors.  Here is what I ate… Toast with my homemade bread recipe that had walnuts instead of sunflower seeds and fresh rosemary was added for an extra burst of flavor.  That was topped with avocado, tomato slices, sweet red onion and a side of cottage topped with Sriracha sauce and fresh garden herbs.  And, of course, black coffee to drink. 

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I recently picked up a bread machine on Craigslist for $20!  It didn’t come with the owner’s manual so I’ve been experimenting with several pizza dough and bread recipes.  Some of the recipes were flops, some tasted great but had very little nutritional value and one looked like I was attempting to make a homemade river rock. 

For the most part I try to eat as healthy as possible so I was excited to finally find a recipe at allrecipes.com that worked with my Hitachi HB-b101 bread machine.  The recipe was tweaked by adding whole grains, seeds, and replacing butter with olive oil.  By using organic hard white wheat flour and 100% stone ground flour from Bob’s Red Mill, instead of regular white flour, this recipe is full of fiber, nutrition and make the most scrumptious grilled cheese sandwich ever.

Bread Machine Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups warm water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill hard white wheat flour

1 1/3 cups Bob’s Red Mill 100% stone ground whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill flaxseed meal

1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds

Directions:

Add all ingredients (except the sunflower seeds) in the order suggested by your bread machine manufacturer.  At the end of the first kneading or at the beep, add the seeds. Makes about a 1 1/2 pound loaf.

Do you have a favorite bread machine recipe?  If so I’d love to hear about it!  You can leave a comment here, on Twitter or over on my Facebook page. 

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Hello everyone!  This is my first “What I Wednesday” post.  Please check out Peas & Crayons site for LOTS of yummy recipes!

Some of the best meals I’ve enjoyed have the fewest ingredients and are the easiest to prepare. All you need is a little a planning to turn your family dinner into something enjoyable and extremely tasty! If you like to prepare meals in advance this is a great recipe to add to add to your collection because it actually taste better a day or two after it’s prepared.

Chicken Italiano

10 frozen boneless-skinless chicken thighs

1 yellow onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2- 26 oz jars of pasta sauce (without sugar)

1-15 oz can stewed tomatoes (without sugar)

1 small carton sliced mushrooms (2-3 cups), optional

1/8-1/4 cup Italian seasoning

Small handful of fresh basil or a dollop of basil pesto sauce, optional

3/4 cup red wine

1 TBSP red pepper flakes, optional

2 Bay leaves

Preparation: In a large pot add all ingredients and stir. No, I didn’t thaw out the chicken! On medium-high heat bring up to a simmer. Cover and turn heat down to low and simmer for 2 hours. During the cooking process keep checking and stirring every 5-10 minutes. You may need to add more liquid if it seems to thick and if you cook it for longer than 2 hours. I simmered mine for 4 hours and it needed an additional 2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with fresh basil chiffonade, parmesan cheese and more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy. Enjoy! Serves 8

Note: This recipe can easily be cut in half for a smaller batch or doubled for a huge batch.  Also would be delicious served over polenta.

 

All the ingredients added to the pot!

All stirred up! Ingredients barely fit...

Simmering away...

Dig in!

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Spaghetti squash is admired for it’s spaghetti-like strands it gets when cooked and scraped from its shell. Available year round, spaghetti squash is low in calories (1 cup has 41 calories), is high in fiber and a “friend” to those on low carbohydrate diets. Today’s recipe is one that you would traditionally make in the fall/winter months. Since it was unseasonably cold and snowy last week I was craving something healthy and full of carbs. With the addition of green cardamom pods this soup has a complex flavor with a fresh lemony flavor.

•  1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, top sliced off (optional)
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 8-10 small red potatoes quartered, skin left on
• 1 spaghetti squash, left whole, prick skin with a fork
• 4-6 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Sriracha to taste (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 branches of fresh thyme and/or rosemary
• 5 cup water or broth
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Place onion, garlic, sweet potato, carrots, potatoes on baking trays and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Prick spaghetti squash with a fork and place on a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 until tender. Note: spaghetti squash may need 15-20 minutes more baking time.

When spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, cut in half, remove and discard as many seeds as possible. With a fork scrape the “spaghetti” strands out and place in a soup pot. If you like roasted garlic squeeze the garlic cloves into the soup pot. Transfer remaining vegetables to the pot and add cardamom, herbs, bay leaf, curry powder, and 5 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and herb branches. Transfer to blender and puree soup until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and sriracha. Serve.

Serves 6

Note: Cardamom is the second most expensive spice behind only Saffron. If you can’t find it your local grocery store I’d recommend ordering from www.MySpiceSage.com