Meyer Lemon Marmalade

This is a first for me and it's a huge leap out of my comfort zone in the kitchen...making marmalade.  I've never made marmalade or any type of jelly/jam/preserves before so this a big deal.  At least for me it is :)

The lemons on my tree are very (very) ripe and I need to use them quickly.  Aren't they gorgeous?  And they are huge!

So I searched online for a marmalade recipe that looked quick and easy and I found this one on Epicurious and thought I'd give it a try.  To be honest, I was astonished (and quite proud actually) at my results :)

I made a double batch of this recipe.  I didn't double it; I made 2 separate batches at the same time.  In reading some of the reviews, many said doubling it will turn the mixture dark and cloudy and doubling it throws off the ratios.  So I just did it twice :)

Meyer Lemon Marmalade
6 Meyer lemons (1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar

Special Equipment
Cheesecloth
Kitchen string
12 (1/2 pint) Mason-type jars, sterilized

Halv lemons crosswise and remove seeds.  Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag.  Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice.  Combine with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered at room temperature 24 hours.

Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes.  Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until marmalade measures 212F degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 30 minutes (or could be longer too).

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of top.  Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids.  It was difficult to take pictures during this process...dealing with boiling hot water, scaldingly hot marmalade, very hot, sterilized jars, yadayadayada...you get the point :)

Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot.  Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil.  Boil jars, covered, for 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack.  Cool completely and make sure the jars seal.  You can tell they've sealed if you hear the lid being "sucked" onto the jar or if you see the tiny seal in the center of the lid concave in.  Look at these little jewels!  They made great Christmas presents this year :)

Let cool completely and store in a cool dark place for up to a year.  Refrigerate after opening.  Some ways to use the marmalade:  stir into plain yogurt or oatmeal; spread on good artisan crackers for a quick snack; slather on toast and top with a sliced banana; drizzle it over the top of a lemon cake or my simple favorite:  slather a bunch on good toasted bread :)

 What other ways can you think of to use this golden treat?

Buon Appetito!

North Carolina Sunset

I took these pictures on Christmas Eve night off a shoreline in North Carolina while waiting for my son to arrive home from his deployment.  It was truly a magical sunset and the prettiest one I think I've ever seen.

Happy New Year to all and many thanks for visiting me over the past year.  I pray for good sense to prevail in our leaders as we struggle to keep the world balanced, safe and prosperous for all.  Blessings to all for love, good health, happiness and warm family time in this New Year.

My Son is Home!

Yes indeed...he arrived home safely late Christmas Eve Day and I cannot think of a finer Christmas present :)  He looks great!  And he is so very happy to be home with his family.  And so are we:)  Katie's brother was present at the actual homecoming and he took some wonderful photographs.  Katie was kind enough to let me share some of them.  Mike and Katie really are as happy as they look :)

Eagerly waiting...

Finally!

Look at that little foot sticking out between them :) 

Michael...remember Daddy :) 

Ya, I do remember you :)

 The sweetest picture

 A beautiful family reunited :)

Many thanks to all of you for your good wishes and prayers for my son and his family during this deployment.  God answered them and brought Mike safely home.  For this and so many other blessings in my life, I am grateful.  

December Sunrise

I was blessed to witness this amazing sunrise very early one morning last week and it literally took my breath away.  It seems appropriate to share this on Christmas Day with my sincere wishes to each and every one of you for a blessed Christmas filled with love, family and all things good.

Harry and I are in North Carolina helping to welcome my son home from his deployment to Afghanistan.  He arrived home late Christmas Eve and I can think of no greater gift than having Mike safely home with his loving wife and precious baby boy.

Merry Christmas to All!  

Mushroom, Barley & Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

Ok...here's another one :)  I told you I was totally enamored with my new Soup CookBook!  This Mushroom/Barley soup is destined to become another of my go-to-favorites.  It's tasty and very hearty; perfect for a cool fall night; or if you're up North, a cold winter night :)  Do try this one.  This is a great soup to make with kids who will love rolling out the meatballs and they will also love eating the results :)  These meatballs are delicious served with pasta or couscous and marinara sauce or added to virtually any vegetable or grain soup.  And they can be made ahead and frozen.  The recipe is also easily doubled.  So for me, if I'm going to make 30 meatballs, I might as well make 60!

Mushroom, Barley & Leek Soup with Mini Chicken Meatballs

For the soup:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small leeks, white and pale green parts, thoroughly rinsed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, either mince or very thinly sliced; I prefer the latter as it seems to take some of the bite out of the garlic
1/2 lb cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley
4-5 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed

In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until very soft, about 5 minutes.   Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and wine, store to combine and cook for 4 minutes.  Add the barley and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.  

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. 
1 lb ground chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp minced flat leaf parsley, plus 1/2 cup chopped parsley for garnish
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty foil and lightly coat with oil.  In a bowl combine the Parmesan, egg, bread crumbs, tomato paste, 2 Tbsp parsley and 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Then add ground chicken and gently mix to combine.  The mixture will be very sticky.

Gently shape the mixture into small meatballs and transfer to baking sheet.  My own note here:  Be very gentle when forming meatballs (of any kind).  You don't want to "pack them" together.  As you can see here, mine are kind of gnarly shaped, but that's what makes them light, not tough.  Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  

Add the meatballs to the soup and stir gently.  If the soup is too thick, add more broth and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the 1/2 cup chopped parsley and serve.  

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as my husband and I do :)

Buon Appetito!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup

I just can't seem to get enough of that new Soup Cookbook I bought recently!  Here is another soup I tried that is too good not so share.  In keeping with how I like to cook~~It's easy to make, comes together very quickly, uses seasonal, on-hand ingredients (one of my lemons :), and is hearty enough for dinner served with either cheddar biscuits or a green salad.

I like red lentils better than green or brown, although I do like them too.  According to this book, An ancient preparation~~this is the biblical "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright~~red lentil soup remains common today in Egypt and Lebanon.  Red lentils cook more quickly than other varieties and to me, are easier to digest.  I really like this soup.  Let me know if you do too!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup split red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and well rinsed
1/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of one small lemon or 1/2 of a large lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped.

Combine the cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes and set aside.

Chop the onion and carrots and set aside.

Zest the lemon and freeze zest for later use.  Squeeze juice from lemon.  You should have about 2 Tbsp.

Measure out 1/4 cup diced tomatoes; refrigerate or freeze remainder for another use.

In a large heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils, carrots, tomatoes and broth.  Season with 1 tsp of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the lentils fall apart and the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.  Add the beans and heat through on low, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Using a potato masher or fork, mash the soup to your desired consistency.  I don't like this soup too well pureed, so I leave it kind of chunky.

Add the lemon juice and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Serve, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

This soup has now been added to my repertoire for quick weeknight suppers.  I hope it makes its way into your kitchen as well :)

Buon Appetito! 

Roasted Lemon Chutney

You all know how prolific my lemon tree is this year and I'm on a constant hunt for ways to use fresh lemons.  My good friend Linda suggested I try this Roasted Lemon Chutney recipe she found on the website, 101 Cookbooks.  It just so happens I have the cookbook that contains this recipe!  The book is All About Roasting by Molly Stevens and it is wonderful!  I have one of Molly's other books, All About Braising, that lives on my counter top during the fall and winter.  It's one of my favorite cookbooks.   So I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  A bit unusual, but it is delicious!

Roasted Lemon Chutney
Adapted from All About Roasting
1/4 cup (1 oz) finely chopped shallots
3 small lemons, washed, and preferably organic; but if not, wash them in warm soapy water to remove any waxy residue.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped bail or mint

Heat oven to 400F with a rack in the center.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Soak the shallots in a small bowl of cold water to reduce their strength a bit.

Set one of the lemons aside to use later.  Slice about 1/4 inch off both ends of the remaining lemons and discard.  This part is mostly pith which can make the chutney too bitter.  Slice the lemon into 1/2 inch rounds and use the tip of a knife to remove any seeds.  Arrange the lemons on the baking sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil.  Turn and coat the second side with oil.

Roast the lemons, turning every 10 minutes, until they are very tender with just a few spots of brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Don't let the lemons crisp and keep and eye on the bottoms, which tend to brown before the tops.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Transfer the lemons to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade.  If there are any juices (not burned or blackened) on the baking sheet, add these.  But there may not be any.  Drain the shallots, shaking off any excess water, and add to the food processor.  Add the honey and pulse several times until the lemons are coarsely chopped.

Add the juice from 1/2 the remaining lemon and the 1/4 cup olive oil.  Continue pulsing until the chutney is fairly smooth and creamy, with just a few lemon chunks.  Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and more lemon juice or honey to taste.

Taste and correct seasonings until it tastes really great to you.  Transfer to a small bowl and let sit for at least two hours to meld flavors.  Just before serving, stir in the mint or basil, making any final tweaks, and serve at room temperature.

Heidi Swanson of the 101 Cookbooks blog suggests these ways to use the chutney:  "A dollop stirred into brown rice, chopped sautéed spinach, topped with a fried or poached egg with a touch of soy sauce"; oe inside a savory crepe.   One of my ideas is to toss it with hot, cooked pasta with lots of fresh herbs and tiny, halved cherry tomatoes.  Another way I've used it is to spread it on a piece of toasted ciabatta bread, topped with a sunny-side up egg.  But probably my favorite way to use this chutney is to stir a little into that Linguine with Tuna and Lemon dish I blogged about a few months ago.  It ups the Yummi factor in this dish tenfold!  Although this recipe is, as I said, a bit unusual, if you are a lover of lemons, I guarantee you'll like this :)