Tag: lemon juice

SHRIMP SCAMPI

SHRIMP SCAMPI

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
handful of chopped scallions
splash of white wine
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

In a pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute-be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the shrimp, salt and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the wine, lemon juice, zest and cook 1 minutes. Remove heat and add the scallions & lemon slices. Serve over rice or quinoa!

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New Potato and Sweet Pea Salad

This is a spring version of the old standby barbecue/picnic potato salad. It uses the tiniest new potatoes you can find, and fresh garden peas. The dressing is a lightened up half and half mayo and Greek yogurt blend. The flavor is brilliant thanks to fresh lemon juice, fresh dill and lots of snipped chives.

Have you come across Peewee potatoes? They’re the size of large grapes! They cook up quickly and I think they look so cute in this salad.

Look for the smallest potatoes you can find. Halve or quarter them them if they are on the larger size. I put the salad together while the potatoes are hot so they have a chance to absorb the flavors from the dressing.

Don‘t be shy with the fresh dill and chives. The more the better.

I just blanch the peas for a minute or so in boiling water to take the raw edge off. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that you’ve used fresh garden peas, but the blanching brings out their flavor and improves their texture and color. The lemon juice and yogurt make a really zingy dressing, and a little mayo keeps it from being too delicate.

New Potato and Sweet Pea Salad
serves 4
1 lb baby new potatoes (leave them whole if they’re small enough, if not, halve or quarter them)
6 oz fresh garden peas (a heaping cup)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
handful of fresh dill
handful of fresh chives
salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Whisk the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add the fresh peas. Let cook for about a minute or two, then drain and cool the peas immediately in a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.
Cover the potatoes with water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are just tender, when you can pierce them easily with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain and add the hot potatoes to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat the potatoes.
Add the herbs, cooled peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Don’t skimp on the herbs or the salt and pepper. Toss well.
Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Check the seasonings and toss again lightly just before serving.

NOTES: I think a couple of eggs, cooked just until their yolks start to harden, then roughly chopped, would be a good addition for the next time I make this.

I’m off to the farmer’s market, how about you?

One year ago today—

Heirlooms

Homemade Fresh Grapefruit or Pomegranate ‘Jello’

This was a real eye opener for me. I’m not a jello eater. My mom’s lime gelatin salads filled with shredded cabbage knocked that right out of me at an early age. Her wobbly tomato aspic studded with green olives clinched the deal in case I had any lingering doubt. No one could be more surprised than me to find out that you can make homemade gelatin with fresh fruit that tastes incredible. I made pomegranate and pink grapefruit, but you can really use almost any fruit juice you want, fresh or not. (Fresh pineapple won’t work though, it contains an enzyme that breaks down the gelatin.)

You can make it in little individual sized jars or dishes, or pour it all in a flat pan and cut it into cubes after it’s set. The more powdered gelatin you use, the firmer it will set up. The color will be softer and slightly cloudier than commercial Jello, unless you are using a perfectly clear juice.

This is refreshing and healthy—the recipes I developed have minimal sugar—there’s no need for it because the fruit, even the pink grapefruit, is already sweet. The pink grapefruit gelatin tasted just like fresh grapefruit, only in a different form. Without excess sugar, color and flavorings, you really get a very bright real fruit taste. Great for kids, great for dieters, but really good enough to make for no other reason than because it tastes great.

I’ve have a secret yen to make one of those beautiful layered jello desserts, but with real fruit gelatin. I can just imagine how beautiful it would be with the natural colors.

I used two slightly different methods for each version here, and both worked, so I don’t think there’s a precise science to this. You will use 1 to 2 packets of unflavored gelatin for about 1 1/2 cups of fruit juice. A little sugar and water, and a squeeze of lemon juice if you want extra tang. I made small quantities, double them if you like.

Homemade Grapefruit ‘Jello’ ~~~adapted from Martha Stewart
juice of 2 large grapefruits ( 1 1/2 cups)
2 packets unflavored gelatin (1/2 oz)
1 heaping Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup water

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of the grapefruit juice, m.ix and let sit to soften, about 5 minutes.
Heat the water and sugar together, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the water comes to a simmer.
Pour the hot liquid over the juice and gelatin, and add the remaining 1/2 cup juice.
Pour into individual serving cups or into one glass pan.
Refrigerate until completely firm, several hours.
When firm, you can cut the jello into cubes.
Keep refrigerated until ready to eat; the gelatin will eventually turn back to liquid at room temperature.

Homemade Pomegranate ‘Jello’

~~~adapted from WikiHow

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice (I used Pom)

1/4 cup cold water

1 packet unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz)

1 Tbsp sugar

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Dissolve the gelatin in the water and set aside for 5 minutes.
Heat the juice and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the hot juice over the gelatin and mix well. Add the lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust the sugar if necessary.
Pour into individual serving dishes or into one large pan.
Refrigerate until firm, at least several hours.
Keep refrigerated until ready to eat; the gelatin will eventually turn back to a liquid at room temperature.

Notes: To slice the gelatin cleanly, dip a knife in very hot water before each cut. For those who don’t eat animal products, there are gelatin alternatives, here is a list from PETA.

I’m going to have to dig out my mom’s old jello mold.

(Did I just say that?)