This and that: Meyer Lemon

Showing posts with label Meyer Lemon. Show all posts

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit and Avocado Salsa

Today I decided to do some major housecleaning in my kitchen. I haven't done that in a while. One of things that I have been meaning to do is move my cookbooks. I have them over the stove and they are getting mighty greasy. So, I took them down, washed all the covers (good thing they are all hardback cookbooks) and moved them so that hopefully they won't get as greasy and dirty.

Of course when I take my cookbooks down, I have to read a few of them. I found my cookbook called Weeknight Fresh + Fast by Kristine Kidd. I had bought this one a while ago at a book sale at work and really hadn't read it yet. Long story short I found this recipe for Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit and Avocado Salsa that sounded interesting. I planned on making salmon for dinner and I had a grapefruit and avocado in the fridge. Perfect....

Well this meal was fantastic. I loved the flavors of the salsa ~ tangy and sour of the grapefruit, sweet of the avocado with a hint of hotness from the peppers. It worked well with the salmon. I did have to change the recipe slightly but I think the way I did it worked. I will write the ingredients that she had and then what I used.

Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

3/4 lb salmon 1 1/2 inch thick (I used about 1 1/4 lb)

olive oil

course kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Ancho chile powder (I didn't have this so didn't use)

fresh lemon juice from a Meyer lemon about 1/2 lemon used (I add this ingredient)

1 large grapefruit

1 small, firm but ripe avocado - pitted peeled and cubed

1/2 large jalapeno chile ~ seeded and minced (I used about 1 tsp of a hot pepper)

3 tablespoon red onion diced (I used 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp fresh cilantro minced (I used 1 tsp ground)

1 tbsp fresh lime juice (I used fresh lemon juice)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place parchment paper on small cookie sheet. Place salmon on parchment paper, skin down.

Brush flesh of salmon with olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to taste. If you have ancho chile powder add it here.

Squeeze juice of 1/2 Meyer Lemon over salmon. I just used my hand and then cut the lemon in slices and place over salmon.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 18 minutes until almost opaque in the center. (Once it is easy to flake it is done).

While salmon is cooking, peel and remove white part of grapefruit. Over small bowl, using a sharp knife cut between the membrane to remove grapefruit. Squeeze membrane to get all the juice. Cut grapefruit in small pieces.

Add avocado, hot pepper, cilantro and lemon juice. Mix gently.

To serve add salsa on salmon and enjoy.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake Bars

Last week I decided to do some baking for Easter. I had some Meyer Lemons and I had wanted to make some Lemon Shortbread cookies. If any of you follow my blog or facebook page on a regular basis, you know that I don't always read recipes and just pick what I want out of a recipe and make up the rest.

Well, to make a long story short this is what my dough looked like:

Not really the dough I had in mind when I was starting out my cookies.

I did finally get my cookies made and the recipe is here,

but my dilemma was 'What was I going to do with all the crumbs?'

So I did what any sane person would do.... I went to facebook and asked my followers...

Here are some of the suggestions I got:

Pie crust with added coconut oil... yum I am going to try that

Topping for a fruit crisp dessert... Yes, for sure with the lemon in the dough...

Using for a crustless quiche

and lastly CHEESECAKE..

SHORTBREAD, LEMON FILLING, CHEESECAKE!

Sounds like a winning combination for me and it was...

So YUMMY!

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake Bars

adapted Cheesecake Lemon Bars

Bottom Layer Shortbread Crust:

I used my Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookie recipe with only 1/2 cup margarine. This made close to 3 times the amount you really would need.

You could use any shortbread crust recipe.

Lemon Filling (Middle Layer):

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice

Cream Cheese Layer (Top Layer):

2 - 8oz cream cheese

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In 9 x 13 pan press shortbread crust on bottom and sides of pan. Bake for approx 10 - 15 minutes until lightly brown. Set aside to cool.

In mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest. Pour this mixture over crust.

Mix cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. Add beaten eggs. Pour over lemon mixture. Bake for 40-50 minutes until filling is set.

***These mixtures will separate once baked. I was surprised that they did.

***I used a water bath to make mine. I placed a pan filled half full of water on the rack below the bars.

*** next time I would add just a small amount more of shortbread crust. I added about 2 cups of the mixture I had, so would probably increase it to 3.

Enjoy ~ I added some canned cherry pie filling on top.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)
`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links: Swap and Share, Thursday's Treasure, Food Holiday Link Party

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies

At the end of last year I was participating in a Foodie Penpal program. I loved that program and need to start doing it again. Anyways, one month, my penpal sent me some lemon cookies that tasted like a lemon shortbread. For Easter I wanted to make something similar that I could cut into shapes.

I had found some Meyer Lemons at our local Walmart Superstore. I had never tried Meyer Lemons but as everyone was making recipes with them, I thought they must be great. I decided that I would combine a shortbread recipe with lemon juice and use cookie cutters to make them look Eastery (is that a word, it is today!).

I found a recipe for Lavender Shortbread Cookies from Allrecipes, that I thought would work perfect with a few minor changes. It was a perfect recipe once I got it right. I had to make the dough three times before I got them to work out. Mainly because I don't always read recipes. My first two batches ended up being just crumbs as when I finally read the recipe, I realized that I didn't put in enough butter. But I did use some of the crumbs for another recipe that I will share in the next day or two.

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies

adapted from Lavender Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cup softened butter

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)

2 tsp lemon zest ( zest of one Meyer lemon)

1 tbsp Meyer Lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup corn starch

In bowl, cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well. In separate bowl combine flour and corn starch. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture slowly until well combined. Divide dough into two balls and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Flatten the balls slightly and refrigerate for about an hour ~ until firm. (I put mine in the freezer for about 1/2 hour until firm).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut cookies with a cookie cutter (I used a flower and egg shape). Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for approximately 16-20 minutes until edges just start turning brown. Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

These cookies were delicious, very close to the cookies that my foodie penpal sent me. The only thing I think I will do different is put a little more lemon in them. The cookies that were sent had a very distinct lemon flavour to them. Maybe I will use lemons and Meyer lemons next time. That is if I have any Meyer lemons left. We loved the Meyer Lemons and my husband ate one by it self.

These cookies are great with coffee or tea..