For the Love of Lemon Curd

My love affair with lemon curd began during a trip to London. I'll never forget High Tea at Harrod's where the tart perfection was served slathered over euphoric scones and biscuits giving me my very first culinary high. Upon returning from Britain, I began searching for this most delicious treat and had luck at my local specialty grocer. I found out real quick that store bought curd (all 5 different versions) just wasn't the same as homemade. What a tease! So, I began searching for recipes and learned that these too are all different and most of them just don't do the real thing justice. I actually saw one that used margarine. Seriously? Margarine? Blach!

After making many batches of lemon curd, I've finally found a recipe good enough to make me feel like I'm at least in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge. Though let's be honest, not quite as good as Harrod's. Perhaps curd just tastes better across the pond? Whatever the reason, I'm just happy eating it!

Lemon Curd Recipe

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 to 5 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Heat about 2 inches of water in a large stock pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a medium sized metal bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Once water reaches a simmer in the stock pot, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk constantly (you must not stop) until thickened, approximately 10 minutes (this also doubles as a workout), or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately remove from heat and stir in butter one piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next (this regulates the temperature). Place the curd in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap by placing a layer of plastic directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate. This will stay fresh in the refrigerator for to 2 weeks.

Serve curd on just about anything, including grilled chicken (just heat it up first)! I regularly use it on french toast, ricotta pancakes, pound cake, berries and drizzled over ice cream.

Long live the lemon!

Dinner for Father-in-law

Last weekend my Father-in-law came into town for a short visit. So what says welcome to my humble abode better than being a guinea pig for new recipes?

Dijon Roasted Trout

I'm generally a creature of habit and cook my trout with lemon and fresh herbs on the grill. I decided it was time to change it up. I used dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, creme fraiche, a dash of white wine to create the sauce and placed it on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Brent and my FIL loved it. I could have done without the creme fraiche.

Parmesan Broccoli

I love, love, love broccoli! It's my favorite vegetable. For this dish I placed broccoli florets on a roasting pan with sliced shallots, sliced garlic and mushrooms. I tossed all in a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. I then roasted it all in a 450 degree oven for about 12 minutes. After removing it from the oven I added lemon zest, 2 T fresh lemon juice, 1/4 aged Parmesan cheese (not the Kraft stuff in the bag) and some toasted pignoils. We all agree, this is delish!

Pecan Wild Rice

I prepared the rice according to the package directions using chicken stock in lieu of water. Toasted the pecans and set aside. In a separate bowl I combined 1 tablespoon of butter, zest of one orange, 2 T fresh orange juice, 1 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, about 1 cup of halved green grapes and the pecans. Toss with wild rice and serve. Note - I used wild rice for this test and will use a wild rice blend next time. Otherwise, the dish had great color, aroma and flavor!

Limoncello Parfait

I had something similar to this at a brunch once and paid about $10 for it. So this was my attempt at recreating the recipe. For this recipe I tossed one carton of sliced strawberries, a pint of blackberries and a pint of raspberries with 2 T of sugar and about 1/4 cup of limoncello. I let this sit together in the refrigerator for a few hours stirring a few times along the way. In a separate bowl combine an 8 oz container of Fage made with 2% (Greek yogurt), 1 T honey, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1/3 cup homemade lemon curd (can use prepared lemon curd). Place berries in a serving bowl and top with the yogurt mixture. Garnish with a lemon and eat!

B's Mini Meatloaf Muffins

When I think of meatloaf two things come to mind, my grandmother and the movie A Christmas Story. My grandmother because I have fond memories of helping her prepare dinner and meatloaf was in the regular rotation. A Christmas Story because I just LOVE the scene where Randy (Ralphie's younger brother) has been reprimanded for playing with his food and enters his protest, "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf." I suppose for some people the term meatloaf brings up memories of a dry hunk of meat that meant you would definitely be eating dinner at your friend's house! This was not he case at my grandmothers. Mawmaw's meatloaf was always moist, full of flavor and without leftovers. Unfortunately, mawmaw's meatloaf was also always full of fat and salt (not to mention time consuming).

I've been working on a recipe to capture that retro goodness found in my grandmother's cooking that doesn't require me to spend an extra 3 hours on the treadmill tomorrow. Finally!

Mix all ingredients

Into the muffin pan

Remove and glaze

Plate and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T finely chopped cilantro
zest of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 bellpepper (any color) diced
2 chipotle peppers (canned) in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (I use Kosher)
1 pound ground turkey breast

Topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T chipotle pepper adobo sauce (reserved from can)
1 T brown sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 8 muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, onion, bellpepper, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, chipotle peppers, lime zest, celery salt, kosher salt and pepper until mixed. Next add in the oats and egg whites and combine. Fill each muffin cup to the top (makes about 8 muffins) pressing down lightly. Bake for 20 minutes.

While it cooks, combine ketchup, adobo sauce and brown sugar and set aside. Remove meat from oven after 20 minutes and spoon the sauce over the top of each meatloaf. Return to oven and continue cooking for 10 minutes (or until 160 degree center). Let meatloaf stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Per Mini Meatloaf - 110 calories, 1g fat, 6g carbs, 16g protein and 1 gram fiber.

Buon Appetito!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

For Mother's Day the entire gang went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for an afternoon of outside fun. If you've never been or if it's been a while since you were last there, it's definitely worth checking out. The gardens recently underwent a massive overhaul resulting in much more to do and see, including a children's garden (for the young at heart too) with a place for the kiddos to play in water. What could be more fun?

The current exhibit on display is Moore in America, a large exhibition of the works of British artist Henry Moore. The sculptures are amazing and the backdrop of the gardens really shows them off. Here are a few shots from the trip...

Mom

Dad, just being dad.

April and I

Moore sculpture (inspired by an elephant's skull)

with the Atlanta skyline

This one weighs 5 tons.

Mom and Dad

Scott & April

I told you the children's garden was for kids at heart.

Dinner on the Deck

Bring out the grill, grab your tongs, grilling season is here! I love this time of year and believe that all food tastes better when grilled and eaten outside. The temperature is perfect and the daylight just goes on forever. My grill is one of my favorite pieces of cooking equipment (look out Bobby Flay) and it gets used at least three nights per week this time of year. Why heat up the kitchen when just about every dish can be taken outside and cooked on the grill? So, drag out the grill and get to it. Oh and whoever said grilling is a man's job...no seriously, who said that?

Meyer Lemon Sockeye Salmon

Where there is food, there is Anders.

Retro fun!

Tasting the Vino (Justification 2006)


Voila - grilled vegetable and quinoa salad with meyer lemon sockeye salmon!

Happy Grilling!

Here's to you Mom!

Everything I know in life, I learned from my mother...

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.."If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

My mother taught me RELIGION."You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL."If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC."Because I said so, that’s why."

My mother taught me MORE LOGIC."If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to your friend's house."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY "Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS."Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM."Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?"

My mother taught me about STAMINA."You’ll stay in here until this room is clean."

My mother taught me about WEATHER."This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it"

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY."If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate!"

My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE."I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION."Stop acting like you were raised by wolves!"

My mother taught me about ENVY."There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION."Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING."You are going to get it when you get home!"

My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE."If you don’t stop rolling your eyes, they're going to get stuck like that."

My mother taught me ESP."Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?"

My mother taught me HUMOR."When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me."

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT."If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up."

My mother taught me GENETICS."You’re just like your father."

My mother taught me about my ROOTS."Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me WISDOM."When you get to be my age, you’ll understand."

And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE."One day you’ll have kids..."

On a serious note, Happy Mother's Day Mom! I couldn't imagine life without you. Whenever something important happens in my life, I can't wait to share it with you. You have a way of making the good stuff great and the bad stuff seem not so bad after all. Thank you for being just the friend I need. I love you!

Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness

I'm always looking for ways to save money and be more environmentally friendly. Commercial cleaners tend to be costly and for the most part I hate the smell they leave behind. I've found great replacements to some of my favorite store bought cleaners. If you're looking to save a few $$$ or just want to be a little more kind to mother earth, try the recipes below.

Laundry Detergent - these items can be found in the detergent aisle of your regular grocer.
2 bars Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated)
1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)
1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team Borax)Mix well and store in an airtight plastic/metal container. Use 2 tablespoons per full load of laundry.
***Safe to use on baby's delicate skin too.

Stain Fighter
Use leftover pieces of Fels Naptha soap as stain stick. Wet the spot on the garment you wish to treat and rub with the soap. Let it sit for approximately 15 and launder.

Floor Cleaner (tile or vinyl)
1 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

Wood Floor Cleaner
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon warm water

All-Purpose Cleaner
2 T white vinegar
1 tsp Borax (20 Mule Team)
Hot water
A few drops of a mild dish detergent
10 drops of essential oil, optional
In a 16 oz spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water. Swish around until borax has dissolved. Add the drops of dish detergent and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add the essential oil (I prefer lemon or orange).

"Soft Scrub" Cleaner
Place a small amount of baking soda in a bowl and mix with a little mild dish detergent until you form a paste. Use on sinks and countertops. This will not scratch surfaces.

Window/Mirror Cleaner
½ tsp mild dish detergent
3T vinegar
2 cups water
Put all these ingredients into a 16 oz spray bottle. Shake it up and use just like the commercial variety.
*Note - use newspaper or coffee filters instead of paper towels and you won't be left with bits of paper on your windows or mirrors.

Drain Cleaner
1/2 C baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Hot water
Pour baking soda down the drain followed by the vinegar. Let if bubble for about 15 minutes. Then pour a kettle full of boiling water down behind it.

Oven Cleaner
1 T liquid soap (dish detergent or mild hand soap such as ivory)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup salt
3/4 baking soda
Spray oven surface with soapy water. Mix salt and baking soda and sprinkle onto the wet surface. Spray again with the soapy water so mixture damp with a paste consistency. Let it overnight. Scrape off with a wet pumice stone or putty knife.

Toilet Cleaner
1/4 cup borax
Sprinkle on wet bowl brush, scrub and rinse.

Mold/Mildew Remover
Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray, let sit, wipe clean.

Furniture Polish
3/4 cup olive oil or mineral oil
1/4 cup vinegar
Mix in a spray bottle and apply to a soft rag, rub on wood furniture, wipe clean.
(Test a small area in a hidden area first)

Happy Cleaning!