Lemony Beetroot and Lentil Salad

It is a very simple and also substantial salad that can be prepared in almost no time.  The lentils make this salad substantial and you can enjoy it just as a whole course meal.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Beet Roots, Peeled and cut into sticks

1/2 cup Lentils

1 cup Water

1 handful of Italian Parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 Lemon of juice

1 tablespoon Agave Syrup

pinch of Salt

DIRECTION:

1. To cook the lentils, combine the rinsed lentils and 1 cup of water in a pot.  Bring them to a boil over high heat.  When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low.  Cover the lid; cook it for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft to bite.  Allow them to cool.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients including the cooked lentils.  Mix well; allow it to sit for 10 minutes for the taste to develop before serving.

Lemon Brown Rice Salad

Do you often have extra brown rice in the fridge? I do because I tend to cook a larger pot for multiple recipes that call for day old rice, just like this one.  It is still delicious to use freshly cooked rice, but the day old one will give you a more al dente texture.  Adjust the lemon juice amount to suit your tastebuds.  This substantial salad is good to serve with pan fried fish.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups Indian Brown Basmati Rice, cooked

1 cucumber, seeded and cubed

Red Bell Pepper, seeded and cubed

1 handful Parsley, leaves and stems, finely chopped

DRESSING:

1/3 Lemon of juice

1 Lemon of zest

5 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1/3 teaspoon Salt

2 flat tablespoons Brown Sugar

DIRECTION:

1. In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk well.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and then stir until they are well coated with the dressing.

DIY Candied Orange Peel

The key of making bitterness-free orange peels is to remove all the pith that's attached to the outer skin, and making sure to boil them twice before simmering them in syrup.  My son and my husband always love these orange peels, and my son even tried to smuggle some to his best friends in school.  Recently I brought some to my work to share with my colleagues, and they all told me how much they enjoy them.  They didn't think you can make these at home.  Yes, for sure you can, and it is very straightforward.

INGREDIENTS:

Orange Peels (about 10 oranges)

Sugar (equal weight of the pithed orange peels)

Water

DIRECTION:

1. With a small knife, carefully cut off the pith.  This white pith will give the candied orange peels bitterness.

2. Put the pithed peels in a small pot.  Fill the pot with water just enough to cover the peels.  Bring it to a boil and then discard the water.  Repeat the boiling process again; drain well.

3. In the same pot, add sugar of equal volume to the orange peels.  Fill the pot with water just enough to over the peels.  Turn the heat to low and simmer the peels for three hours, or until the peels are bright orange colour and slightly translucent.  Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and leave it over night.

4. The next day, line up the orange peels on parchment paper without overlapping them.  Allow them to totally dry.  Keep them in an air-tight container.  You can snack on them as they are, or sprinkle them on muffins, cookies, or cakes.

Roasted Mini Potato with Cilantro Lime Sauce | 青檸汁焗薯

This flavour of these potatoes will probably remind you a little of Thai cuisine because of the cilantro, lime and fish sauce.  My husband and I love what this exotic flavour brings to the humble potatoes.  This recipe is even tastier when it is spicy, but my husband and my son can't handle heat so I omitted the chili here. If you enjoy spicy, just add chopped chilis into the dressing.

  

INGREDIENTS:

15-20 Mini Potatoes

Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Lime of zest and juice

1/4 cup Cilantro, stems and leaves, finely chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, peeled, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce

材料：

15-20 迷你薯仔

菜油

鹽和黑胡椒粉

汁料：

2 湯匙  橄欖油

1 個  青檸，刨皮和榨汁留用

1/4 杯  莞茜，莖和葉，切碎

3 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，切碎

2 湯匙  啡糖

1 湯匙  魚露

DIRECTION:

1. Add the potatoes in a mixing bowl.  Season them with salt and pepper and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Mix well.

1. 在一只碗內加入薯仔，下鹽、黑胡椒和少量菜油調味；拌勻。

2. Pour the potatoes onto a foiled roasting pan without crowding them.  Roast them in the pre-heated oven at 400F for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

2. 薯仔倒上已舖好錫紙的焗盤上。放入已預熱至400F 的焗爐烤若20-25分鐘，似乎薯仔的大小而定。

3. Meanwhile, combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl; whisk it together until the brown sugar is dissolved.  Set it aside.

3. 同時間，在另一只碗內加入所有汁料材料；拌勻靜置。

4. When the potatoes are roasted until slightly brown and soft, remove them from the oven and add them into the dressing immediately.  Mix to coat the potatoes with the dressing.  Serve.

4. 當薯仔焗至微金黃和軟身，從焗爐取出。倒入汁料，小心拌勻；上桌。

June Berry Muffins with Lemon and Cardamom

June berries are also called service berries.  We are so lucky to have many of them grow at the park across the street.  When it comes to mid-June, the berries will become purplish-red and attract many birds to eat them.

My son is familiar with these little tiny juicy berries and he knows exactly which trees in the park produce the best berries.  He often suggests to pick some berries on the way home to add into pancakes or muffins, but he usually ends up snacking on them instead of bringing them home.  Now, eating June berries is a highlight for my son in the summer after he plays at the splash pad at the park.

Actually June berries are a very common botanical plant in Toronto.  If you pay attention, you will certainly come across them in parks, gardens, or sidewalks.

I froze the June berries before I used them for the recipe here.  It is only because I didn't have time to make the muffins for that few days and I didn't want them to go bad.  However, fresh berries are equally good.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup June Berries, frozen

1 cup Cornmeal

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 handful of Quinoa (optional)

3 Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1 cup Milk, 2%

1 Lemon, zest and juice

2 teaspoons Cardamom, ground

1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

pinch of Salt

材料：

1 杯  Juneberries，冷凍

1 杯  玉米粉

2 杯  麵粉

2 茶匙  泡打粉

1/2 杯  棕糖

一把  藜麥 (隨意)

3 隻  雞蛋，打勻

1/2 杯  牛油，熱溶

1 個  檸檬，皮和汁

2 茶匙   豆蔻粉

1 茶匙  薑粉

少撮  鹽

DIRECTION:

1. Preheat the oven at 360F.

2. In a large bowl，combine butter, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest together; mix well.

3. Add in cornmeal, flour, quinoa, cardamom, ground ginger, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix everything thoroughly into batter.

4. Gently stir in the frozen June berries.  Divide the batter equally into the paper muffin cups.  Bake for about 20 minutes.

做法：

1. 預熱焗爐至360F。

2. 在一只大碗內，加入牛油、蛋、檸檬汁和皮；拌勻。

3. 下玉米粉、麵粉、藜麥、薑粉、棕糖、泡打粉，鹽；拌勻成麵糊。

4. 輕輕拌入Juneberries。把麵糊平均倒入小蛋糕模。焗若20分鐘。

How to make Lemonade | 簡易檸檬水

How to make Lemonade | 簡易檸檬水  

Ingredients: (3 servings)

1 Lemon of zest

1 Lemon of Juice

3 tablespoons of Agave Syrup

4 cups Water

材料： (3人份)

1 個   檸檬 (皮和汁)

3 湯匙   龍舌蘭蜜

4 杯   水

DIRECTION:

Orange Peel Candy ｜ 糖橘皮

After finishing a sweet and juicy orange, don't throw away the  peel.  The peel is actually as flavourful as the orange flesh.  We can zest it and add it to salad dressing or to flavour water.

Another good way to use orange peel is to candy it.  It is a traditional preserved treat that can be eaten as it is or used in baking goods, such as cookies, cakes, or bread.

My son loves these candied orange peels.  He knows I always keep some of this candy in the kitchen and whenever his sweet tooth itches him, he will try to poke around my cupboards to look for it.  Of course I don't encourage him to "search" my kitchen, but just the  cute eager look on his face makes me smile.  I never knew that this traditional candy can catch a kid's heart that much.

Now, we both treasure any orange peels we get, and my son will remind me to save the peels to make candy for later.  "Mommy, we are using the whole orange and we are not wasting food, right?" he says with a proud smile.


Orange Peel Candy
糖橘皮

Ingredients:
1 Orange of Peel
1/2 cup Sugar
3 cup Water


How to make:

1. Slice the orange peel into segments.  With a small knife, remove the white pith that will cause bitterness.

2. In a heavy bottom pot, add the orange peels and water that is just   enough to cover them.  Bring it to a boil and then discard the water.  Repeat this process two times with two changes of water.  This steps can help to remove the bitterness of the white pith that may still be attached.

3. In the same pot, combine all the ingredients.  Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.  Continuously simmer until the liquid reaches a syrupy consistency.  Remove the pot from the heat.


4. Place the peels on parchment without overlapping them.  Allow them to totally dry and keep them in an air-tight container.

Save the syrup for dishes like roasted radish or carrot.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Preserved Meyer Lemon ｜ 醃梅爾檸檬

To preserve your own food is one big step towards an urban homestead.  It is a way to re-learn and practice a basic life style.  Living in the city, we have little space to grow our own vegetables, but my family and I are trying as much as possible to eat what is in season and preserve the bounty for later.  Making preserved lemon is my annual project.  I will preserve just enough of it to last until the next batch of lemons is ready.  

Comparing the regular lemon to the Meyer lemon, I would say the flavour of the Meyer lemon is more profound and less pungent.  It tastes like a combination of lemon and orange.  Salted Meyer lemon makes a wonderful citrus seasoning that can be used in many meat dishes, and goes especially well with pork and seafood.

The high season for Meyer lemons begins in November to March

Preserved Meyer Lemon  ｜ 醃梅爾檸檬

INGREDIENTS:

4 Meyer Lemons

1/2 cup Sea Salt

A clean air-tight bottle

DIRECTION:

1. Wash the lemons carefully with a soft brush; dry them.

2. Cut them into quarters.

3. In the clean bottle, add a thin layer of salt and then add a layer of Meyer lemons.  Alternately add the salt and the lemons until the bottle is full. Seal the bottle and keep it in the fridge for at least three weeks.  You can start to use this preserve after three weeks, but I found the best flavour develops only after the full year of preserve and when the lemon rinds get really soft.

This recipe is one I reach for preserved Meyer lemon most often.

Steamed Pomfret with Meyer Lemon

(Ingredients):

1 Pomfret, gutted

2 wedges of Preserved Meyer Lemon

DIRECTION:

1. Roughly chop the lemon; apply it on both sides of the fish and inside the fish’s belly. Place the fish on a plate and leave it on the counter to marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add a rack in the pot. Place the fish on the rack and steam on high heat for about 12–14 minutes (depends on the size of the fish). Drizzle some light soy sauce to add extra flavour if you want.