Favorite Things, Lemon Curd, Victoria Sandwich, Green Bean Mushroom Casserole, Soup

 

Lemon Curd
It's been five years since I made and wrote about my first microwaved lemon curd experiment.  High time to bring it back again.  Especially as it's Meyer Lemon season here in Southwest Florida, and they have the highest juice content of all the lemon varieties.  This recipe also works with other citrus fruits alone or in combination.  

If you make curd the old stove-top way, it's a lot of standing around and stirring -- I mean half an hour or more.  Microwave style is a lot like my microwave marmalade, and you're done in 10 minutes or so.

1 cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (or the other kind if you can't get Meyers)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Butter, melted
3 Eggs, beaten
zest of 3 of the lemons, before you juice them, 1/4 to 1/3 cup

In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until they are very smooth.  Add the juice, zest and butter and whisk some more. 

Microwave on High for 1 minute.  Stir.  Repeat...and repeat.  After 3-10 1 minute blasts, the mixture will have thickened until it will coat the back of your stirring spoon.  Time depends on your lemons and your microwave.  Ladle into screw-top jars and refrigerate after cooling, for up to 3 weeks.

What good is Lemon Curd??   See that Victoria Sandwich cake up at the top of the page??  That!! 

Plus... Lemon pie, lemon tarts, schmeared on crumpets, toast or scones, as a cake topping, filling for fruity pocket pies... you name it!

Old School Layer Cake
So, there I was with all that wonderful Meyer Lemon Curd.  Something else I haven't done in a long time is make a cake from scratch rather than a box mix.  Here's a Victoria Sponge cake, named after Queen Victoria, with nice thick layer of Lemon Curd between the two layers.  This recipe is from the  Great British Bake Off How To Bake cookbook which our English friends Fiona & Toby gave me a couple years back when they came to visit.

To make this cake even more "olde school" I decided to use just a wooden spoon to beat things into shape  -- sorta Downton Abbey!

1 cup unsalted Butter, softened to room temp
1 cup Sugar
4 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Self-Rising Flour, sifted to get air and reduce lumps
1 Tbsp Milk at room temp

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  While that's going on:

Beat the room temp butter for a minute or two until smooth and creamy.   Gradually add the sugar while beating with each addition -- another 3-4  minutes until the mixture get almost white and fluffy.  Be sure to scrape down the sides as you go.  Add the vanilla extract too.

Now add the beaten eggs a bit at a time, beating and scraping down as you go.  This should take about 5 minutes.

Lastly, sift the flour a second time as you fold it into the mixture, as lightly as possible to give the mixture as much air as you can.

Spoon the mixture equally into two 8" baking tins  which have been sprayed all around or given a parchment bottom and greased sides.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden as springy to the touch.  Test for doneness with the ubiquitous toothpick.

Cool the cakes.  Then put one cake upside down on your cake plate, and spread on a nice thick layer of Meyer Lemon Curd (or your favorite strawberry or other berry jam).  

Set the second cake, crust side up, on the first layer.  Dust with confectioner's sugar, or add more jam, or fresh berries.  Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream if you want, but this is plenty decadent as it is.

Mushroom -- Green Bean Casserole
This recipe is based loosely on a Forks Over Knives recipe, but my gravy is healthier and tastier!

1-1/2 lbs fresh Green Beans, topped, tailed and cut into 1-2" lengths
1+ lb assorted fresh Mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1-1/2 Onions
2-3 cloves Garlic
Mushroom Powder
Vegetarian Gravy Powder
1-Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup slivered Almonds

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Steam the green beans al dente.  Reserve.   Slice 3/4 of an onion into strings, and sauté them with a dab of butter until starting to brown.  Combine the onions and green beans, and reserve.

Dice the other 3/4 onion and sauté it in a pot with the garlic.  Add the mushrooms and continue cooking.  Now add the water, the seasoning and the powders.  Stir until the gravy begins to thicken.

Spoon half of the bean-onion mixture into a 9x9 baking dish.  Top with half of the gravy.  Repeat.  Top the casserole with slivered almonds and bake 20-30 minutes until the almonds brown a bit.  Rest a few minutes before serving.

Favorite Things -- Spice Blends
No raindrops on roses, or whiskers on kittens... but these are a few of my favorite spice things.  I add one or more of these to many, many dishes that I make from breakfast omelets to ultra-fancy dinner entrees and desserts.  Left to Right:

Za'atar

Za'atar is both the herb hyssop, and the name of a spice blend containing that herb.  In this country we mostly see the spice blend unless you hang out in Middle Eastern markets,  The blend usually contains hyssop, sumac, thyme, oregano, cumin, coriander and toasted sesame seeds.  Not a strong taste or flavor, as a blend Za'atar it goes great in egg dishes, on meats and veggies, and various bread doughs.  

Cavender's Greek Seasoning

This is a company secret blend of spices which has been produced in the Ozarks since 1969.  I love Cavender's on almost anything.  Add a good amount of this to ground chicken or pork  to create a pretty tasty home-made Gyro meat filling.   

Sazon Tropicale

My favorite Latin spice blend!  Not hot spicy.  Perfect on popcorn, in omelets, paella, dry-rubbed on chicken or pork.  Add a teaspoon or two to rice while it's cooking to make the best "Spanish Rice" called Aroz Amarillo.  

Everything But The Bagel

The name says it all!  Turn any old slice of buttered toast into a "bagel" any time you want one.

Everglades Seasoning

One of my all time "goes on anything" seasonings!! Everglades Seasoning was first created in 1944 by Mess Sergeant Bill Gerstman who arrived in Saipan to find soldiers of the 714th Rescue Mission so disgusted with eating only mutton and goat that they were dumping their rations into the sea. Gerstman experimented with herbs and spice and came up with a secret recipe that  made the soldiers very happy.  After his tour of duty Gerstman resumed his trade as butcher at the LaBelle Trading Post in LaBelle, FL.   Just a few miles from here!   In 1985 he sold the recipe to Gene and Martha Cross,  owners of the LaBelle Trading Post, who produce the seasoning and several others in Sebring.

Mrs. Dash Chipotle

Mrs Dash was the original no-salt general purpose seasoning!  These days the company makes 18 very interesting no-salt spice blends, plus marinades and rub packets.   I particularly like the Chipotle blend as it has just the right amount of heat and a real taste of the smoked dried jalapenos which are chipotle peppers.

Japanese Seven Spice 

Shichi-mi tōgarashi (七味唐辛子) is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine.  The usual seven spices are coarse red chile pepper, white & black sesame seeds, dried orange peel,  ground ginger, hemp seeds and nori seaweed flakes.

Chinese Five Spice (not shown)

A quintessential flavor of  Chinese dishes, Five Spice is made from cinnamon, clove, fennel seed, star anise and Sczechuan peppercorn.

Garam Masala (not shown)
In Hindi, the word Masala means "spice blend" and Garam (hot)  Masala is one of those blends that if you add it to a vegetable dish the diner will automatically say the dish is Indian cuisine.  Cinnamon, mace, cumin and coriander seeds, peppercorns, and cardamon make up the traditional blend.

Butternut Spinach Soup

Got squash.  Got some celery that needed using up and a couple of carrots.  Likewise a bundle of "senior" spinach (not the baby kind) with long stiff stems.  What to do?  What to do? 

Cook it all together!

1 medium Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped or shredded
2 large Carrots, peeled and chopped or shredded

4 sticks Celery, chopped

1 bunch Spinach, sliced into 1/2: strips

Vegetable Base Powder

Mrs Dash Chipotle

I used our SaladMastertm Shredder to reduce the squash and carrots to thin pieces that cook quickly.

Start by saute-ing the celery in a splash of EVOO.  Add the shredded squash and carrots and about 4 cups pf water, and cook for about half an hour, stirring every few minutes to mix things up well.  

Transfer the solids to your food processor and puree in batches if needed.  Return the puree to the liquid in the soup pot.  Add spices to taste and another couple cups of water to get the consistency desired.  Bring to a boil, add the spinach and cook just a couple more minutes.

Pretty -- and pretty tasty too!