Lemon Juice - for Later

Lemons are in season right now.  That means great prices on lemons, as you'll find sales on in-season produce.  (Or if you are lucky enough to have lemon trees, this is the time you'll start to see your lemon trees producing.)

Either way, this is the wonderful time for lemons.  

You may want to buy a lot - but you might not want to use them all right now.  Here's a great way to save that lemony goodness for use later.

First, you need to make sure your lemons are clean.  I soak mine in warm water for a bit and them scrub them.

Now use a micro-grater to zest all of the lemons.  It is best to do this BEFORE juicing them.  Both the juicing and the zesting are easier.  Zest the lemons onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet.  Once all the lemons are zested, spread the zest evenly on the sheet and freeze.

After 30 minutes, remove from the freezer and place in a large freezer bag.  Break up the zest so that it is in individual strands (more or less) can easily be measure out later, and store in the freezer.  Be sure to label the bag so that you can remember when you put it in the freezer!

Now to juice them.  

I like to juice them into a large measuring cup - this makes it easy to pour into my containers.

Pour the juice into small freezer-safe containers.  I have 1 ounce plastic containers to use for this.  This is a pretty good size for use later.

Pop the tops on, and freeze.

I store these in large freezer bags (labelled with the date) too.  And now I can have fresh lemon any time!

And a nice side benefit?  The kitchen smells lemon-fresh!

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Steakhouse Steaks

So, it is Saturday evening and you'd love a steakhouse steak.  But - the long wait and expense of your favorite steakhouse keep you away except on special occasions.  What if I told you that you could have your steak at home?  At a fraction of the cost?  Would you make it?

Steakhouse Steaks

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• Four 8-ounce rib eye steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
• Vegetable oil, for brushing

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch, salt and pepper to blend evenly.

Rub a generous 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning mixture over each side of each steak to coat.

Arrange the steaks on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.


Preheat a cast iron grill pan (preferably ridged... which I don't have) over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the pan with oil.

Cook the steaks until the bottom is crusty, about 5 minutes.

Flip the steaks over and cook again until the bottom is crusty, but the center is still medium-rare, about 4 minutes longer.

Use a thermometer to test for proper doneness.  Medium rare is 120F, but take them off about 105F.  They will continue to cook while they are resting.

Transfer the steaks to a platter or individual plates. Let stand 5 minutes.

Then serve!  Beautiful, crunchy coating with perfectly cooked interior.  Just like you'd get at a steakhouse - without the cost and hassle!

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Tangerine Pomegranate Sorbet

Do you get as excited as I do when grocery stores start carrying those $5 to $6 bags of tangerines or clementines? We seem to go through one bag in less than a week.They're tangy, sweet, loaded with vitamin C, and they're easy to peel, making them the perfect snack for any time of day.

Like satsumas and clementines, tangerines are a type of mandarin. (Unlike tangerines, clementines have little to no seeds and easy-to-peel skin; satsumas hail from Japan.) The name "tangerine" comes from Tangier, Morocco, which was the port from which the first batch of tangerines were shipped.


Sorbet may not be the first thing that comes to your mind in the middle of a cold winter, but this recipe is worth it.  This sorbet is absolutely fabulous!



Tangerine Pomegranate Sorbet

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups pure pomegranate juice
• 1 cup tangerine or orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated tangerine peel or orange peel

Directions:

Combine sugar and water in bowl.

Stir until sugar dissolves.  You can speed up this process by heating the water, but you'll take that time - and likely more - at the end making sure the mixture is cool, so I just keep stirring.

Juice the tangerines.

Whisk the pomegranate juice, tangerine juice and peel into the sugar-water mixture.  Place the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes, until the mixture is very cold.

Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.

Freeze sorbet in covered container until firm.

Scoop into serving dishes and enjoy!

This light and refreshing dessert is a perfect end to a rich meal.  You'll love this sorbet - it's a perfect recipe for tangerine season!

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Conversation Heart Strawberry Smoothie

Are you looking for something sweet for your sweetie today?  Why not try a delicious and healthy Conversation Heart Strawberry Smoothie?


Here's how to make it:

Take a handful of conversation hearts, put them in a plastic baggie and crush with a wooden rolling pin.

Dip the rims of serving glasses in a shallow bowl of half-and half.

Then roll the rims in the crushed conversation hearts.  Let dry while you make the smoothie.

Put a cup of fresh strawberries into a blender.  Add 1/4 cup sugar (or use Splenda for a lower calorie drink),  1/2 cup of fat-free half and half and 1 cup of milk.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into prepared glasses and enjoy the love!

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Roasted Peppers

I'm planning to make some Roasted Pepper Soup for our Valentine's Day dinner.   (check back Later this week for that recipe!)

To do that, I need some roasted peppers.  You could buy a jar of them, but making them yourself is cheaper and simple.

You'll need some peppers.  I used these mini sweet peppers because they were on sale, but you can use whatever peppers you like. Red, orange and yellow are preferred, and if you want a soup that is very red, be sure to use either all red or mostly red peppers.

Heat your broiler to high, and place the peppers on a baking sheet or a rack.

Roast until dark on one side (5 - 10 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven), then turn over and roast on the other side,  You want these to be blackened as if they were burned.

Using tongs, remove from the oven and put into a bowl,

Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit for 15 minutes.  This lets the charred skin loosen so it is easy to remove.

Remove the skin with your hands - it should slide off fairly easily.  Remove the stem (and seeds if desired).

And here you are - roasted peppers!  See how easy that is?!

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Tuesday's Table - February 12, 2013

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Time to fill Tuesday's Table!

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?  Do you have some wonderful Valentine's Day recipes and ideas to share?  Or perhaps you need to get through Fat Tuesday first - and have a great Mardi Gras recipe?  Bring your favorite ideas to share here!

We've had a lot of fun and creative links shared.  This week I chose Katherine over at Tar Heel Taste Bud's Strawberry Cake Batter Blondies.  These look fabulous.  And easy too!  Just the thing for a Valentine's Day dessert!

Thanks for sharing - grab a button here!

I'll feature my favorite entry from this week on next week's post.  I hope you bring your favorites!

Only a few guidelines:

• Please share as many links as you like, but only if you haven't shared them here before.  
• Add a link back to Tuesday's Table (or grab a button above!) so others can join in the fun.  
• Sign up for my email reminder here.

No other requirements, but visit the other links here, and I'd love for you to follow me too!

And now, for this week's link party!

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