Lime Curd: Sweet, Tangy and Versatile

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Fruit curds are versatile and a little goes a long way.  This sweet and tangy indulgence is easy to make, but can also be a bit troublesome.  Incorporating the eggs correctly, cooking at a medium heat and constant stirring leads to a smooth and creamy curd with very few egg bits or none at all. If you have ever rushed making a curd by heating it too quickly or slacked when you should have been stirring, then you may already know scrambled egg enhanced curd is not what you are looking for.

Lemon curd always makes me think of my mom.  Mom loves lemon anything so lemon meringue pie showed up often when I was growing up.  I do have her recipe and I know it is good but it uses cornstarch as a thickener along with egg yolks and water (that's right water, I had to do a double take the first time she gave me this recipe).  No disrespect mom but I wanted to keep my recipe simple and focused on two techniques:  mixing the eggs and sugar with a whisk or mixer until well blended and the cooking method.  There are many recipes for making fruit curds. Some use yolks only or other additional thickeners or less butter or the addition of salt or more sugar and on and on (and water?!).  I am not saying anyone of these recipes is wrong or right because as long as they work, that is right!

Oh and don't be afraid of making a curd.  Once you get the hang of it, it is a cinch. Sometimes a little practice is all you need.  This goes well, like really well, with Coconut Bread that you can find here.

Coconut Bread

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This post was my first post on HonestCooking.com March 15, 2011.  I am very proud and honored to be contributing to this food magazine site that is headed by Kalle Bergman.  It has a flavor I have not seen before.  Go see for yourself and check it out.

On March 1, I was reading a New York Times article on coconut oils, Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World, which was stating how vegans and persons with specific dietary needs  had been using virgin coconut oil to make cakes and cake frosting, pie crusts, baked goods and sautes to achieve better quality and flavor.  It also mentioned that coconut oil is not the villain that it has been made out to be.  It was the hydrogenated version, along with all the other hydrogenated oils that have been produced, that was really bad for you.  Coconut oil got really picked on and tossed out of the party. There are other sources that suggest virgin coconut oil is a healthy oil and that societies that use them heavily in their diets do not have higher levels of heart disease than areas that consume a western diet like in the US, they are actually lower.  There have been some long term studies in the US that concluded coconut oil does not increase heart disease.  There is a lot of interesting science behind these results.  I think this is all fascinating since we have been told to stay away from these foods because they are evil and they will kill you. I should be enthralled, but instead of pondering this interesting nutritional information (info on saturated fats not being so bad for you has been coming out slowly for several years now), I had an epiphany, OK just an aha moment. Maybe coconut oil is exactly what that coconut bread that I made 7 to 10 years ago needed.  It was very lackluster in taste and I was soooo disappointed.  Would coconut oil add that extra level of flavor so the bread would taste like coconut, because why make a coconut bread that doesn't really taste like coconut?  That seems like wasted calories to me.

Amazingly. I knew exactly which cookbook of mine had the recipe (I have a few cookbooks!) and went right to it and then to the store for unrefined, virgin coconut oil.  It is now apparent that I never really gave up on this bread recipe, even though I should have after the first try.  It was really not good.  Maybe coconut has a "special place in my heart" and it was meant to be!

Homemade Limoncello: Part 1

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Before getting started on this post, I have an announcement that I am thrilled about.

I have been asked to contribute to a new online magazine called Honest Cooking.  I gladly accepted and am very excited about this opportunity to be a part of this community headed by Kalle Bergman.  The site launched today.  I think the look and content is fabulous.  Go check it out and decide for yourself!

Now onto more fun stuff:

Part 1:  Infusing the vodka with lemon zest.

I love making liqueurs.  Lemon seems like the perfect way to bring in the beginning of spring.  Anything citrus works for me this time of year.  I have jumped into the cyber world of Limoncello recipes.  There are serious opinions about how to make this liqueur.  My first shocker that it was highly recommended to use Everclear which is very unavailable, as in illegal to sell, in Pennsylvania. In PA, our alcohol use must be governed because we the people cannot make responsible choices.

The second shock was that people use this stuff as a cleaner.  Wow, all this time I thought it was for spiking punch, so the spiker could watch the spikees hurl their grits at the end of the night and laugh their loser butts off.  Funny stuff.  Yeah, right!  Oh well, that was the good old days when we were immature and immortal.

Toasted White Beans and Greens

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 This is a bowl of homemade white beans and kale.

I love sauteed greens so I am always interested in new ways to prepare them.  If garlic is involved, all the better.  Swiss chard and kale are definitely favorites of mine to cook with.  Turnip greens not so much.

Growing up my Granny used to make turnip greens or collards.  She boiled the stink out of them, literally.  I never really cared for them and don't really remember eating them very often, if ever.  It was the classic southern recipe of chopped turnip greens, ham hocks, vinegar and some sugar.  They always seemed so lifeless and unappealing.  I know some of you out there think, well she probably wasn't a good cook because turnip greens are awesome.  It's me, Granny was a fabulous cook.  I truly looked forward to our family dinners at my grandparent's house.  It was always a smorgasbord of southern dishes made with fresh garden vegetables from my Poppy's acre garden.

So one day I was putzing around at the library and I picked up a copy of Super Natural Cooking written by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks.  I found her recipe for white beans and kale and it looked interesting so I tried it.  I made it with Swiss chard and made a few changes to simplify this recipe even more.  It was so delicious that it became the main focus of the meal that night.  It is an easy, nutrient dense, delicious recipe that I have made many times since.

Mashed Potatoes, Rutabega and Parsnips

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 I love a good side dish and this is one of my favorites.  Although I will admit, I have many favorites.

A favorite side dish of a lot of people is mashed potatoes.  I have never understood why this dish is included at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table.  It seems like an everyday kind of dish.  But if you add root vegetables such as parsnips and rutabegas, then you are taking standard mashed potatoes to a whole new flavor level.  Rutabega, parsnips and a few potatoes mashed together to create something delicious.  This is not a creamy, smooth mashed potato type dish.  It is a chunky, smashed combination of root vegetables flavored very simply with garlic, salt and black pepper that give mashed potatoes a run for their flavor money! 

Rutabega.

Did you know that rutabegas have lots of vitamin C?  It is a cross between turnips and cabbage and is sometimes called a yellow turnip.  It is believed to have originated in Sweden since it was found growing wild there. While I was looking into what this crazy looking thing really is, I found out it is commonly cooked with potatoes.  It seems rutabegas and potatoes are a natural pairing!

Parsnips and red potatoes.

Did you know that parsnips taste really good and are better than cooked carrots? (OK this is an opinion thing, I don't care for cooked carrots unless they are disguised in soup or meatloaf).  Parsnips are related to carrots and originated in Europe and Asia.  They are more nutrient dense than carrots which is interesting considering that vegetables with color usually tend to be more nutritious.

This side dish is really simple to prepare.  Peel, cut into pieces, cook in water, mash and season.  Done.

Potatoes, parsnips and rutabega in a cooking pot.

Where did I get this recipe?  I am not sure. I love roasted turnips and parsnips and wanted a different way to prepare them.   Give them a try and see what you think!  I have made other versions with onions and greens that were seriously good eats.

Red potatoes, rutabega and parsnips are the combination that I like best but feel free to use carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes or celery root.  The optional cream cheese bumps up the recipe to something more decadent for special occasions.  The amounts of butter and cream cheese can be increased if you would like but I think it is quite delicious as is.


Mashed Potatoes, Rutabega and Parsnips
7 to 8 servings

1 medium sized rutabega, peeled
2 large parsnips, peeled
4 medium sized red potatoes or your favorite mashing potato, no need to peel
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk
3 ounces of cream cheese (optional)

Cut the rutabega and the parsnips into 1 inch size pieces.  The potatoes cook faster so they should be larger, up to 2 inches.  Place all root veggies in a large pot.  Cover with cold water that has had a teaspoon of salt added and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until done.  Test for doneness by piercing with a fork or knife to see if it slides in easily.  Meanwhile while the veggies are cooking, place butter in a sauce pan and heat over low until melted.  Place garlic in and saute, still over low heat for a minute or two.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

When done, drain the water from the vegetables.  Mash with a potato masher until the veggies are broken up into smaller pieces.  Add garlic infused butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and milk starting with 1/4 cup (add cream cheese here if using).  Mash a bit more until mixed and taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste.  I leave mine chunky and the potatoes break down more than the parsnips and the rutabega.

Enjoy!

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Snowmen and Sunshine

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Here is an interesting crowd that showed up in the neighborhood one day.

And then a couple of days later these little ones joined them.

 Maybe we have had a snow day or two in the neighborhood.

Actually we have had several.  You know, snowflakes and school buses don't get along.

Now there are actually teeny, tiny signs of spring.  I know I am being optimistic. The sky is blue and the temperature is rising.

Are we done with the snow?  Probably not.  But what we have is melting ever so slowly.  Melting is good.   Sadly the snowmen did not make it. 

Here is a picture of the amazing blue sky that makes you feel kinda awesome inside.  Sunshine always helps.

Well I have to take a short break and go see my hometown of Birmingham, AL.  It is a long trip, but there is family there.  I have a couple of recipes for you when I get back.  One contains rutabegas and the other is greens and beans.  Both lovely, healthy and tasty recipes that I hope you will in enjoy.  The weather is suppose to be superb this week. . .

Enjoy!

Laura