Lemon Curd Parfait with Ginger Whipped Cream

For years I have been making this lemon cream pie, mostly because I get too many lemons off my tree at one time I thought how perfect to make a lemon pie each year. Now you know I am very fussy when it comes to sweets, and I do not like meringue, so I had to find one that didn't have it. The recipe I found is a lemon cream pie, made with lemon curd which is quite sweet, but then with whipped cream folded in it cuts the so so sweetness some.

You have to let it set in the fridge for at least three hours and it can stay over night. The first one I made I used a graham cracker crust I like that flavor better than the cookie crust...it didn't set up all the way, but it sure did taste good! In the reviews some users added a thickener, and some stated if you waited long enough it should set up....but when I spotted these cute little cordial/dessert cups...

...I thought (bing! - that is supposed to be a light bulb going off) what about a layered dessert in a cup, like a parfait! This is kind of like a deconstructed lemon cream pie... you take some of the lemon curd, then the graham cracker crumbs (mixed with sugar and melted butter then toasted) whipped cream, all in layers...adding dome fresh strawberries for color. I wanted to use raspberries, but couldn't find any fresh ones, so strawberries it is. Either one would work well here, gives it that sweet-tartness that I love.


Lemon Curd somewhat adapted from Lemon Cream Pie recipe Epicurious June 2002

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

- Combine the eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in a heavy medium-size saucepan and whisk the mixture until it is smooth. Add the lemon juice and butter and cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it is thickened, 7 to 9 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil.

- Pour the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the lemon curd until it is cold and thick, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

For the whipped cream I decided to add a little ginger to it instead of some vanilla, and I used it to layer with the lemon curd instead of folding it in with the curd.

Ginger Whipped Cream
ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger

- In a medium-size mixing bowl using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and ginger until soft peaks form. You can make it plain if you opt for that!

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 8 graham crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients and then lightly toasted in a skillet on low heat, you could do it in the oven too if you like. It came out crunchy and a nice flavor added to the dessert. Use a little sprinkled on top for garnish.


But, the first one I made I used some of my homemade granola, and no fruit. Again this was a big hit, the sweet - tart thing still going on and flavors and are so good. This is really a fun dessert to play with.

Chicken and Olive Tajine

My co-worker gave me this recipe, she has never made it before, but she did taste it when her writing teacher made this and brought it into her class one evening. She thought I'd like it since I am interested in different regional cuisines. She was telling me about the preserved lemons that were used in this dish. I looked for them at the local shops by us that carry Moroccan foods and such. I put the recipe aside probably for a year or so, not really sure. I finally decided this year with my good crop of lemons to make my own preserved lemons...you know since I knew nothing was used on them like fertilizer and pesticides...maybe just lizards walking on them (I cleaned them super good) :)

So it has been over a month since I started the jar of preserved lemons where they have been hanging out on my counter looking all pretty. Every so often truing the jar, moving all the salted juice around the coriander seeds and cinnamon stick, wondering how much you will be able to taste all the flavors they might bring...


...the wait is over, actually it wasn't that bad waiting for it...now if it was soaking in a good booze with sugar instead of salt, that's another story :D

When you use the lemons they recommend that you rinse it will and take out the flesh and just use the outer peel (remember these are washed very well before preserving) . Some will say you can use the whole thing and it will give a stronger flavor.

Chicken and Olive Tajine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of skinless chicken parts (I used the breast tenders and boneless thighs)
3 cloves garlic, chopped (I used a little more, my preference)
1 onion chopped (I used the sweet Florida onion)
2 tablespoons ground ginger (I used some fresh chopped and and a little ground)
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons turmeric (I should of used my fresh turmeric too)
1 tablespoon paprika (I had smoked paprika so I used half that and half red chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Lebanese spice mix (I used my spice blend because I didn't have any ras el hanout, or you could use a Moroccan blend if you have one or not you can skip it)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 preserve lemon (I used half, my lemons were larger than the ones I've seen)
1 7 1/2 oz jar pitted Greek olives (I used some mixed olives I got at the Middle Eastern store)
4 quartered boiled potatoes (I used little red potatoes)


In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and saute the chicken in two batches until browned on both sides. Set aside. (I used a Dutch oven since I had to set aside the chicken anyway I just placed in on a dish until I needed it back in the pot)

Heat a 6 quart cooking pot, add remaining oil and saute the onion,and garlic until transparent, adding the ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper, spices, and 1/2 cup of water and cook for about another 5 minutes or so...

Add the chicken, tomatoes (I added some garlic at this time so it wouldn't burn or turn bitter in the saute) ...

...parsley, cilantro, olives, lemons...

...and enough water to almost cover the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and cook another 10 - 15 minutes, or until chicken in done. (I didn't quite boil the potatoes all the way through before I added them because I knew they would be cooking in the pot for another 15 minutes).

The recipe has you serve it with French bread so you can soak up every last drop of the delicious broth. Lots of broth here, so...


....I thought another way to soak up the broth...it would be good over rice, or couscous of course!!



This Moroccan dish is highly spiced and is usually made in a tagine hence the name I imagine,
but since I don't have a tagine I couldn't tell you how or if better using one. It turned out good using the Dutch oven, and it was even better the next day for lunch!


I used my glass lock & lock lunch box that I got for Christmas and it worked great to warm everything up.
Our neighbor's cat who thinks he lives at our house (we never feed him, just the birds out front by way of the bird feeder) has found a new place for his afternoon nap! My daughter's bed, of course she doesn't mind the company!

Lime Bars - Martha Mondays

It was Megan's turn author of Megan's Cookin' and she chose Lime Bars for us to make this week for Martha Mondays. This was great! She chose lime bars from the St. Patrick's Day recipes, and I know it was supposed to be green and all, but....I still have some lemons left on my tree and I was looking for a lemon bar recipe so I thought I would make a slight change...
After all key lime pie doesn't turn out green...unless you add green color to it. I just used lemons instead of limes (I do love key limes so I'll try it that way later) I added a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla extract that is all the changes I've made...not so bad for me!

Lime Squares with Pistachio - Graham Cracker Crust - Martha Stewart Living


I found this vintage juicer at a tag sale, I have a fancy electric juicer, but for small jobs this works best.

I also had this box of graham cracker crumbs already in my cupboard (I had planned on making lemon bars and a lemon cream pie). This is so nice, you can measure a cup if that's what you need, no fuss, no muss! Not that tossing them into a food processor is difficult, but these were on sale so cheap I couldn't pass up the ease.

So since I didn't have to pull out my food processor I just chopped the pistachios in a mini chopper that I have and after this I decided to get rid of it. It doesn't do that good of a job and it takes up space. I left the nuts a little big so you would know they were in there.

See...now you can even see them in the crust
I did use the parchment paper as she suggested to make it easy to pull out of the pan. You could probably use a tart pan with a removable bottom as well.


They were very good nice and creamy, sweet and tart, kinda like key lime pie would be. Yummy, but these pieces were rather large.


but we still ate it, right before lunch...no, just kidding we at it for dessert after lunch! The rest of them were cut smaller and I think I'll dust them with some powdered sugar.

My daughter gave it a thumbs up too.
We are on spring break this week so I have plans to get all sorts of things done.
We'll see...

Preserved Lemons

Since this is the time of year when my lemons are starting to fall off the tree, I though I better get cracking on doing something with my lemons. I have been wanting to make preserved lemons since last year's lemon crop. I don't know what happened, but it was over with before I knew it. What a perfect thing to do with my lemons...I feel comfortable using my own lemons because I know what I do with them and that no spray is used on them. Meyers lemons are a nice choice if you can find some organic Meyers lemons, since they are thinner skinned and not as bitter as some other lemons, but I am using my own. So this is what I did to salt preserve this batch of lemons...

Ingredients:
6 - 7 organic lemons (more or less depending on the size of the lemons and size of the jar you are using)
1/2 cup kosher sea salt more if needed (use a salt that has nothing added no iodine)
5 organic coriander seeds
3 threads saffron
3 organic peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
lemon juice to cover
canning jar (sterilized)

Clean the lemons, I like to use vinegar to clean my fruit and vegetables. You will want to scrub them pretty well...since it is the peel that you will be eating. Trim off any stems on the top and make two slices in the lemon from the top but don't go all the way through...keep it connected.


Spread the sections apart...


Sprinkle with salt getting it on all edges inside...

...place the lemons in the prepared jar (sterilize like you would for jam...boil or in the oven) sprinkle more salt on the lemons as you put them in the jar adding the spices (if you wish) as you go...

...push down on the squeezing them in the jar, add more slices around the edges or empty spaces... and more salt on top...

..I added some fresh squeezed lemon juice to cover the lemons...place the lid on the jar and tip it over and back to move the salt all through it. Place the jar in a cool space free from sunlight (like a cupboard) and move it around...tip it over and back every so often... :)


Let it stay in it's new space for 30 days. After that when using the lemons rinse them and remove the flesh, using the peels. I will let you see what that looks like after 30 days. It reminds me of when I made the vanilla extract wait and see...
Meanwhile...I will have to find some good recipe to use the preserved lemons in, I know they are used in many Moroccan dishes, but I could use your help, if you know of any recipes or different ways I can use these lemons...I would be thrilled if you would let me know. Thanks a bunch!!!