Lemon Curd

Wouldn't you know it....here it is the end of March and we had snow flurries yesterday and last night.  The flurries also continue this morning.  In viewing the news report from around the country I should be counting my blessings.  We are only having flurries and not inches of snow.  I am ready for spring and am looking forward to getting my herb garden in shape as well as our new garden plot.

There is a local church that rents garden plots for $25 a year.  It is for organic gardening.   There are tools that can be borrowed to clear your plot, compost and mulch.  I am so ready to get started.  
 
A few weeks ago my post dealt with scones.  :yummy:  But what are scones without lemon curd?  There are many, many recipes out there for lemon curd.  King Arthur Flour not only has a great gluten free scone recipe but wouldn't you know it a lemon curd recipe as well.  

Microwave Lemon Curd

by 

King Arthur Flour

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (Approximately 4 medium to large lemons should yield 1 cup of juice.)
• zest of 1 lemon (optional)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 2 large eggs

1.  The zest was an optional ingredient from King Arthur's blog.  It did suggest combining the lemon juice and zest and processing in a food processor or blender.  I added the freshly squeezed lemon juice with the zest and blended in the Vita-Mix.  

2.  Combine the juice with the remaining ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl.  The use of a large bowl is encouraged to prevent spill overs.  I used a 2.5 quart glass mixing bowl and trust me it was needed.

2.  Microwave in 1-minute increments, removing from the oven and stirring to combine after each minute.

3.  When curd starts to thicken; coats the back of a spoon; and starts to mound a bit as you stir, it's done. The recipe on King Arthur says that this could take up to 10 minutes depending on the wattage of your microwave.  If memory serves me correctly it took about 4 to 5 minutes in my microwave. 

4.  Stir the curd one more time, spoon it into a storage container, and refrigerate until firm.   The curd was prepared in the afternoon and then served the next morning.  It was perfect texture.

5.  Keep curd refrigerated for up to 3 weeks; freeze for longer storage.

Yield: a scant 2 cups lemon curd.

 

 The curd, along with some of the scones was shared at a recent ladies group.  The curd got some very positive comments.  It is very tart and such a wonderful contrast to the lightly sweet scones.  I think it would also be delicious served on pound cake or over fresh berries. 

True to my decision to use more King Arthur gluten free recipes in my cooking I have made Gluten Free Lobster Rolls, Gluten Free Apple Cobbler and this morning used the Gluten Free Muffin Mix for muffins.  Plans are to share the results with you over the coming weeks.  Until next have a safe a wonderful Easter Season.

Tired of Substandard Gluten Free Baking?

I have been doing this blog for a couple of years now.  It has been a challenge to get out a post or two every month and then the moving thing really put things on hold.  It seems that I did better at keeping current when I was working.  Sounds funny I know but it is amazing how full a person's life can be at retirement.

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a baking demo by King Arthur Flour.  While the demonstration was using their glutenous products the techniques taught also work with gluten free products.  If you want a good gluten free baked good you must start with good quality gluten free ingredients.  Over the last couple of years I have come to respect and appreciate the high standards of King Arthur Flour.  Since I am using their products and for the most part their recipes I have decided to dedicate the next several months to blogging about the recipes and ingredients I find there.

This morning I tried the Gluten Free Scones recipe.  As was anticipated the scones were wonderfully flaky and lived up to the high standards the company has set.  Specialty items you might need:

Quality scone pan.  My photo shows my trusty divided scone pan by Lodge.  It has years of use not just in making scones but in making delicious cornbread

Perfect Pie Blender not just any but the one from the King Arthur Flour website. I have tried other pastry blenders but this one does the job right.   

Bowl and Dough Scraper

Hot pad for setting the hot pan on after your wonderful scones are cooked through.

Naturally you will also need assorted measuring cups, spoons and bowls.  I would also recommend a digital scale for measuring flour.  Let's face it, if you have done any gluten free baking you might already be aware that they can measure much differently from glutenous flours.

and of course a recipe.

Gluten Free Scones

by King Arthur Flour

and adapted by PaulaG

1 3/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour or 2 1/4 cups brown rice flour blend

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

3/4 cup diced dried apricots, raisins, or cherries

2 large eggs

1/3 cup cold milk

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract 

1.  Whisk together the flour or flour blend, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and nutmeg.  The flour was the Brown Rice Flour Blend recipe that is referenced using 2 cups along with 2 tablespoons of buckwheat flour made a perfect dough.  In place of the nutmeg I used Baking Spice Blend which is Recipe #145505 on Food.com.

2.   Work in the cold butter till the mixture is crumbly.  I cut the butter into small cubes.  Worked in half the butter and then added the remainder and continued to work until crumbly.  Cold butter is essential to achieve flaky scones.

3.  Stir in the dried fruit of choice.  This morning I had some dried blueberries and used those in the recipe.  Wonderful!

4.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla till frothy.  My milk of choice is almond milk.

5.  Add to the dry ingredients and using the Dough and Bowl Scraper blend the ingredients until well blended. The dough should be cohesive and very sticky. 

6.  Drop dough by the 1/3-cupful into the scone pan or onto the baking sheet.   Hint:  If you spray the measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray it is very easy to scoop into the pan.  Let the scones rest for 15 minutes.  Mine rested in the refrigerator to keep the butter cold.

7.  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a divided scone pan, or grease (or line with parchment) a baking sheet.

8.  Sprinkle the scones with sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, till golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes or so before serving. Best enjoyed warm, with butter and jam.

Yield: 8 scones.

After the 5 minute standing time the scones lifted out of the pan with the aid of my brownie spatula and we enjoyed a delicious scone with homemade apple butter.

Happy Baking!

Don't Cry....Make Moussaka

Time is sailing right on by.  Hard to believe that it is February already.  What have I been doing since I last posted?  I have been to Atlanta a couple of times.  Continuing to get settled in my new home and very sadly a very special friend passed away.  I will miss her dearly and know that she is no longer suffering.

I began reading a book "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.  The book challenges you to live life to the fullest by remembering to be thankful for all that God has given.  The thankfulness part can be a challenge for me.  I am often times pretty good at asking and I do remember to say thank you.  How good am I at expressing gratitude for all my many blessings?  Before I can do that I have to become aware of them.  The book is helping me to look at the smaller picture.

My friend who passed, I for one am very thankful for her.  She came into my life when I needed a friend and over the last 30+ years our friendship grew.  No matter the time or distance once we were together again none of that mattered.  We enjoyed ourselves as though we had last been together only the day before.

In March I was given a great gift.  Hubby and I made our trek across country and homeward bound we stopped in and visited Jan.  The morning we were headed her way she began calling at mid-morning to check on our progress.  By late afternoon I had spoken with her several times by the time we pulled up in front of her house.  The time and distance melted away and we once again laughed at her kitchen table. 

During this trip we got to do something we had not done in the past.  We cooked together.  Cooking is a true joy of mine and I got to share this special gift with her.  We made Moussaka by evelyn/athens.  Nothing like making Greek food for a Greek.  Jan's husband is from Greece.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal and I enjoyed the time we shared in Jan's kitchen.

This recipe is one that I have made so many times I could probably make it in my sleep.  I have shared this dish with my family and it is one of my son-in-law's favorites.  The making of Moussaka can be a labor of love but after making it so frequently I have discovered some wonderful tricks. 

Moussaka

Adapted from recipe by evelyn/athens

 

Meat Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 lbs ground beef or 2 lbs ground lamb (I usually use 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground lamb as the lamb can be very expensive in my part of the world.)
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (When Jan and I made this we bought the olives at the deli counter.  I remember she asked the lady behind the counter if they were pitted and was assured they were.  Well after getting home we discovered they weren't so we had the joy of pitting them together.)
15 ounces seasoned tomato sauce
 
Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour (A gluten free blend may be used.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup grated kefalograviera cheese (use Parmesan if unavailable) (And I do believe we used the Parmesan.)
 
Eggplant and Potatoes:
2 lbs eggplants
olive oil, to brush on
salt
2-3 potatoes (cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds or long slices, enough to cover bottom of baking pan in 1 layer)
 
For Assembly:
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup kasseri cheese or 1 cup white cheddar cheese (I think we used Gouda.  Jan had known someone who had made this substitution.  It was delicious.)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (Breadcrumbs can be  made from gluten free bread if desired.)

In large, heavy saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; saute ground meat, onion and garlic until lightly browned; add oregano, basil, cinnamon, salt, ripe olives and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer slowly about 30 minutes; uncover and simmer slowly another 30 minutes.

While sauce simmers, prepare eggplant and potatoes.  To prepare the eggplant: Have your hubby fire up the grill.  Cut ends from eggplant (1 large or 2 small) and cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices (if using large, flask-type eggplant, peel the skin off in strips with a vegetable peeler - creating a striped look - with some of the peel left on and some off.  Place on a cookie sheet and brush with remaining olive oil.  Give the prepared eggplant to Hubby and have him grill each slice for a few minutes on each side.  He needs to be very careful or the eggplant could burn.

Once the eggplant has been grilled, brush the potatoes lightly with olive oil and let Hubby grill those on the pre-heated grill as well.  Set the grilled eggplant and potatoes aside while making the Bechamel Sauce.

To make Bechamel Sauce: In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; whisk in flour and cook slowly until smooth and lightly cooked (2-3 minutes); add salt and remove from heat; add milk, whisking rapidly and return to heat; cook until thick and bubbly, whisking constantly; allow to cool 5 minutes, whisking once in a while to prevent a skin from forming; incorporate eggs and grated cheese with wire whisk to make fluffy sauce.

To assemble: In 13x9x2-inch baking dish, arrange layer of potatoes, overlapping slightly, season lightly (there will be only one layer of potatoes, so use them all up); next, do a layer of eggplant; sprinkle some Parmesan, kaseri (or cheddar) and bread crumbs over eggplant; layer meat sauce, freshly grated cheeses, crumbs and Bechamel Sauce until all is used; bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees or until flecked golden-brown on top.

Freezer Notes:  Once the baked moussaka has completely cooked, cut serving-size pieces, double-wrap in foil and freeze.  Defrost in the usual manner and reheat in microwave (or oven) for a delicious, quick meal, when there's little time to cook and dinner is ready and waiting in the freezer!

Here is a photo that I posted on Food.com some time ago.

I am very thankful for Jan, the times we shared together and for the lasting memories.   From now on when I make this dish for my family I will think of her and remember.

Happy 2013!

Okay so it is a little late for a happy New Year post but considering that I haven't posted in how many months it makes sense.  Lots has been happening in my life.  Maybe this should be a year in review.  Oh well....here goes.

Last year hubby and I did our cross country trip in March.  We traveled across Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee to Alabama.  From their we headed back to Tennessee and down to Georgia.  After a nice visit with children and grandchildren we headed back home via of Mississippi and Louisiana.  We drove by our old home in both locations with Mississippi being the biggest surprise.  After 19 years or so the small town we lived in wasn't so small anymore.  As I was taking photos of the old place in Louisiana the new owners came home and we hightailed it out of there.  

After a relaxing night in Baton Rouge we headed north and continued our journey home.  We stopped off in Dallas and got to spend a couple of glorious days with old friends.  I am really glad for those memories because my friend is now very sick and in need of prayers.  

The car had been serviced prior to setting out and somewhere around Midland, TX on the return trek was when the alert went off that it was in need of an oil change again.  After traveling over 3,000 miles it was time to do make a change.  Hubby and I dove into redoing the old home place and getting it ready to list.  For 6 long weeks of painting, scrubbing, textured walls the house was ready.  Mid May the house went on the market and we headed off to Las Vegas with friends.

During our 3,000+ mile trip we had the opportunity to do some house looking in Dallas with the thought of possibly returning and putting down roots again.  Mid May we were still pretty undecided as to what we wanted to do.  It wasn't until our house hunting trip in June that it because a little clearer the direction we would take.

Tennessee had a lot to offer to include a lower cost of car insurance rates, property taxes, etc.  It was also close enough to the kids and grand-kids but not to close.  We were lucky to find a nice 3 bedroom house that had been really taken good care of.  By the time we headed back west, this time by airplane, we had a contract on our new home.  

The house in El Paso had been listed now for about 6 weeks with only minimal interest.  Nine days after we had made the offer on our new home we were blessed with an offer on are old home.  

God truly does work in wonderful and mysterious ways.  On the trip home I sat next to a realtor from Houston, TX.  She gave me some pointers in ways to market the house.  Then about a week after we returned we were taking our morning walk with the 4 legged girls and saw that a couple of streets over the moving company we had contracted with for our move was loading up another household.  This house did not have a for sale in the yard and we kinda discussed it and went on our way.  

The next morning the owners were outside as we passed by and we asked them about their move.  Like us they were now retired and were moving to all places Houston in order to be closer to their family and grandchildren.  They had been able to sell their house without the aid of a realtor and they mentioned that a gentlemen on their block had seen the moving van and had stopped by.  His son was looking for a house in the neighborhood.  The son traveled a lot on business and by getting something near by it would be easy for his father check out things while he was gone.

They weren't sure where the man lived other than he lived on their block.  Well we saw this as an opportunity.  We went home, printed out the MLS listing on our house and took a second walk that day.  We placed a copy of the listing on every door in that block and as luck would have it this was the man that bought our home.

We closed on the house in Tennessee at the end of July and received the proceeds from the sell of our home in El Paso early August.  The people that we bought from rented our place for a couple of weeks while their new place was being completed and we rented our old place until mid-August.  The moving rates were lower during the middle of the month.  Again God had his hand in things for us.  

We headed east again driving 2 cars and 2 dogs across country arriving safely in our new location.  We have been unpacking and settling in.  Both of us are enjoying our new home.  I'm still gluten free and promise to have a product review up in the next couple of days.  Life continues to be a wonderful journey and one that I look forward to sharing.

Key West Key Lime Cupcakes

Life has been super hectic for me.  Somehow I had the idea that retirement would be a slower pace.  Not necessarily so.


Starting May 31 and going through a week ago, I spent 3 glorious weeks with family and friends.  Hubby and I also spent a great deal of that time house hunting in the southeastern part of the US.   We found a beautiful home that we are scheduled to close on the end of July.  Now if we could sell our present home.  I know "Let go and let God".  That is often a hard thing to accomplish.


I was surprised and happy to see a recipe of mine made the rounds today thanks to Gluten Freely.  Some time ago I entered a contest they were having while I didn't win it was fun and then this morning I saw my recipe featured in their email alert.

Key West Key Lime Cupcakes

• 1 box (15 oz) Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 oz) package gluten-free lime gelatin
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup key lime juice or 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free lemon extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 4 oz gluten-free cream cheese, softened (from 8 oz pkg)
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free lemon extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1. Heat oven to 325?F. Line 15 medium muffin cups with cupcake liners. Lightly spray inside of liners with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In large bowl, stir together cake mix and gelatin. Beat in butter, water, lime juice, lemon extract and eggs on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes until thick and fluffy. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.
3. In medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, lime zest and lemon extract until combined. Beat in powdered sugar on low speed. Beat in just enough milk to make frosting spreadable. Frost cupcakes with frosting.
   
   
   
    photo courtesy of Gluten Freely™ Kitchen Editorial team.

A Memorial Feast for Memorial Day

Well here I sit again.  It has been a long haul since my last post.  No excuses.  I got  back from the 3500 mile trip and Eric and I went to work getting the house ready to list.  After 6 grueling weeks the house went on the market May 12.  Not much activity to date but we are hopeful that all that is about to change now that school is out and the summer is on the horizon.

We bought this house in June of 1993.  It wasn't much but had a lot of potential.  For the last 19 years we have redone, repaired and replaced.  Things were done to last.  At one point we believed that we would remain here during retirement.  As time went on, the kids moved away and our grandchildren were born.  We discovered that it would be so much better to be close to family.  While we will miss the friends we have made over the years we are looking forward to new adventures.

Where are we moving?  That is an interesting question.  We haven't reached a final decision as yet.  We have done some looking in Dallas and plan to look in Alabama and Tennessee in our upcoming trip.  Our destination is in the hands of God.

This is Memorial Day in the US.  A time to reflect and remember the sacrifice that many have made for our freedom.  To all the military families, present and past know that you are forever in my debt.  Memorial Day is also a wonderful day to cookout on the grill.  Yesterday we had a wonderful meal of Fresh Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Mushrooms and French Green Beans in a Mustard Sauce.  A delicious meal.  Hopefully something that I can share with my family very soon.

Fresh Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1 1/4 pounds

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, oregano and sage

3 to 4 garlic cloves

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Remove meat from refrigerator, rinse and towel dry.   Allow to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  


Finely mince fresh herbs.  Sprinkle the garlic with kosher salt and mince with chef knife until very fine.  Mix the garlic and fresh herbs together.  Sprinkle on additional salt if needed along with freshly ground black pepper.  Rub the mixture into the meat and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.  

Place on preheated grill and cook over indirect heat for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 145 °F.  Remove from grill and tent with foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to settle.  Slice and serve.  Serves 4

 

French Green Beans in a Mustard Sauce

1 pound French Green Beans

6 cups of water

2 to 3 tablespoons butter

1/2 lemon, juice and zest

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons sliced almonds, coarsely chopped and toasted

Measure water into a large pot, salt to taste and bring to a boil  When boiling add in green beans and blanch for 3 minutes or until bright green.  Immediately drain and rinse well under cold water.  Allow to drain 


In pot used to blanch the beans, melt the butter taking care not to burn.  Add in lemon juice and Dijon mustard, whisk to combine.  Remove from heat and toss the cooked beans with sauce, sprinkle chopped almonds over and toss again.  Serves 4

 Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Mushrooms

3 small to medium red skinned potatoes, washed and cut into 1 inch cubes

8 to 10 medium mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

1/2 medium to large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Place the vegetables on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and minced rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat.  Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, stir.  Return vegetables to oven.  Turn off heat and allow to remain in hot oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.  Serves 4 to 6

Making Leftovers New

First off, it has been a long haul.....literally.  Hubby, Eric, and I just completed over a 3,500 miles of cross country driving.  No we are not truckers  and after this road trip are glad of it.  I for one admire those long-haul drivers.  We went on the very first road trip in retirement, traveling across Texas.  That in itself is a major feat. There were visits to family and friends that were long overdue.  During our travels I cooked in 4 different kitchens and enjoyed good food along the way.  There is nothing like sharing a meal with someone to build a lasting bond.


I have been home now for a few days and working to recover from the last several weeks.  On Saturday, Eric grilled steaks.  Delicious!  There were leftovers and thanks to a heads up from my son-in-law I found that medium rare steak makes a delicious opportunity for trying my hand at using leftovers.  I L-O-V-E Penzeys Spices.  Have been using them for the last several years.  Even through mail order and paying postage I find that they are less expensive and so much better than other brands.


Last summer when I was visiting my daughters family, my son-in-law suggested that I make a stir-fry using some leftover beef and Penzeys Chinese Five Spice Powder.  Since then I have used the recipe and of course personalized it to make it mine.  I'm not sure I've ever used the exact same veggies but the stir-fry marinade stays pretty consistent.  Get creative with the veggies.  What I'm listing are suggestions.  The recipe lends itself to personal interpenetration.  While I used beef this time around it also is great to use a chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs or even thinly sliced pork. 

Left-over Stir-Fry

1 medium orange, zest and juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce*

2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder

1 teaspoon honey

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

crushed red pepper, to taste

1/2 to 1 pound beef, thinly sliced or

1/2 to 1 pound chicken, thinly sliced or

1/2 to 1 pound pork, thinly sliced

3 green onions, sliced (use both green and white portions)

In a large bowl mix together the orange juice, zest, soy sauce, Five Spice Powder, honey, garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes.  Once mixed well toss in the meat of your choice.  Allow to sit at room temperature while prepping the veggies.

Vegetables

4 to 6 medium mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 medium carrot, cleaned and cut in thin strips or

a handful or baby cut carrots cut in strips

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 to 2 cups broccoli florets, cut in bite size pieces

6 stalks fresh asparagus, sliced on a diagonal in 1 inch slices 

cooking oil

In a wok or heavy skillet heat a small amount of cooking oil.  When warmed add in the mushrooms and cook until browned.   Add in carrot and cook a few minutes then toss in bell pepper, broccoli and asparagus.  Allow to cook a few minutes and then stir in meat and marinade.  Continue to cook until vegetables are crisp tender and meat is either warmed or cooked through.  Serve over steamed brown rice for a wonderful meal.

Note:  If cooking gluten free please read labels as not all soy sauces are created equal.  My personal preference is San-J Organic Tamari.