Tag

preserved lemons

Freezer Meals Lunch Recipes Main Dishes Vegetarian

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Preserved Lemons

written by Ali

It was a cold and blustery weekend here on the Oregon coast, making Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Preserved Lemons a really good comfort food. It was also a recipe born out of thwarted plans and icy roads. We’ve had great weather all winter long with just a few nights in the high thirties. All of that came to a screeching halt yesterday when the Polar Vortex split into two and decided to extend its icy fingers over the PNW. Yesterday rained, snow pelleted, and rained some more. We went to Bandon for the Gorse Festival Bloody Mary Stroll and came back to slushy streets. My poor herbs and geraniums that have dutifully grown all winter long had to be bundled up in the garage, where they are likely to stay all week long.

All of this to say that, while my original plan for this week’s blog post was Dungeness crab mac and cheese, I gave up when I looked out the window this morning and saw a dusting of snow. Yep, I’m from Colorado originally and driving in snow doesn’t really phase me, but I’ve learned that other motorists who are from this coast and California aren’t quite as skilled. (I don’t fault them – they didn’t learn to drive in March in the snow driving their mother’s 82 Mustang that had absolutely no traction whatsoever). Bottom line was I wasn’t leaving the house.

Fortunately, we’d already grocery shopped and I had all the necessary ingredients set aside for these stuffed shells with ricotta and preserved lemons. I’m sure Dungeness crab will show up on the blog next week. In the meantime, these creamy shells are baked in a glorious white wine cheese sauce. If it’s going to insist on being cold and frozen all week long, at least I’ll have a cozy, comforting lunch.

Yum

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

16 jumbo pasta shells - cooked according to package directions
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (divided into half)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup half and half
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the ricotta cheese, herbes de Provence, and preserved lemon and stir to combine. Fill each shell with a tablespoon of the cheese mixture and place in a casserole dish. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour, a bit at a time, whisking constantly until all butter is incorporated. Add the white wine slowly and whisk until it is incorporated. Add the half and half and stir over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and begins to thicken. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Taste and add pepper/salt to taste.
Pour the sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has started to turn golden brown. Broil for 1 or 2 minutes if desired.
Serves 4 Enjoy!

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February 20, 2018 0 comment

Freezer Meals Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy Soup

Creamy Tomato Dukkah Spice Soup

written by Ali

This week, I plan to enjoy a creamy tomato dukkah spice soup for lunch for as many days as I can. Oh – and I also added a little bit of preserved lemon. I made a batch of preserved lemons and preserved key limes a few weeks ago. They’ve been happily preserving in the fridge all this time and now it’s time to start making use of them. January is always time to start cleaning out the cupboards and fridge, which also means it’s when I tend to make tomato soup. I look into the pantry and realize I still have dozens of jars of diced tomatoes (and tomato sauce and tuna – but that’s a post for another day). I love how versatile canned diced tomatoes can be. I’m sure this won’t be the only week of soup and sandwich (or soup and salad) for lunch between now and the official start of spring.

The surprise ingredient for this recipe, though, is the dukkah spice. I discovered dukkah at our local Fred Meyer. They have a great section of spices and I’ve been seeing more and more interesting blends show up there. Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of spices that includes some variety of nuts and seeds. The blend I purchased had both flax seeds and sesame seeds, in addition to a number of various savory herbs and some salt. You can make your own blend, as well. Dukkah is often used as a crust for lamb or fish. I’ve still got some albacore tuna lurking in the freezer and I’m thinking it might be really tasty coated in dukkah and pan fried.

In the meantime, there’s creamy tomato dukkah spice soup to brighten up my week. I’ll be serving it on the side of sandwiches this week, as I’m working on using up some wonderful garlic sourdough we bought at the local bakery, as well as a head of lettuce. Not a bad way to start wrapping up the first month of the New Year.

Yum

Creamy Tomato Dukkah Spice Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 16 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 teaspoons dukkah spice
2 teaspoons finely chopped preserved lemons
Salt to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute the shallots until they are lightly browned.
Add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes and juice, the dukkah spice, and the preserved lemons. Bring to a low boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Taste for salt and add as needed.
Blend in an immersion blender or blender until creamy. Serve immediately or freeze for later.
Serves 4. Enjoy!

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January 22, 2018 0 comment

Beverages

Dirty Lemon Martini

written by Ali

I’ve had martinis on my mind lately, which explains this Dirty Lemon Martini. I’ve found a new podcast that I absolutely love called Martinis and Murder. The best part is that every episode starts with a martini recipe, which I guess makes the fact that the rest of the podcast is all about true crime a little easier to swallow. The hosts, Daryn Carp and John Thrasher, are very funny and very engaging. It helps, too, that their producer Matt is a shadowy figure in the background, making up martinis and making the occasional snarky remark that only the hosts can hear. I don’t usually read or watch true crime stories, which is strange, given that my preferred reading genre is mysteries. It’s one thing for it to be made up, I suppose, then for it to be something that happened in real life. This podcast is the exception for me, as it reminds me quite a bit of the podcast, Serial.

But enough about true crime podcasts. Back to the Dirty Lemon Martini. I love a good dirty martini. I’ve been known to make them with any olive brine I have on hand, including that from kalamata olives. There’s something so lovely about the brininess of the olives and the sharpness of the vodka and Vermouth. My favorite variation on this theme is a dirty martini with the brine of preserved lemons. Oh my goodness – this is the perfect way to end out a week. Preserved lemons infuse the brine with a hint of lemon. I use juniper berries and peppercorns in my preserved lemons, so there’s a hint of these spices as well.

This martini is so easy to make – all it takes is some good vodka, a dry Vermouth, and the brine from some preserved lemons. This is yet another good reason to have salt preserved citrus on hand, because when Friday comes around, who wouldn’t want to curl up with Netflix and a Dirty Lemon Martini?

Cheers!

Yum

Dirty Lemon Martini

Ingredients

3 ounces vodka
1 ounce Dry Vermouth
1/2 - 1 ounce brine from preserved lemons

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Serves 1
Enjoy!

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March 3, 2017 3 comments

Lunch Recipes Quick and Easy

Preserved Lemon Tuna Salad

written by Ali

I have just one day in the office this week before the holiday break, so decided to make preserved lemon tuna salad as a quick one-day only lunch. I’ve had quite a bit of lemon going on these last few days. I’m preparing to make a sparkly New Year’s Eve cocktail for Fix Me a Little Lunch, which I’ll post later this week. To do this, though, I needed limoncello. Limoncello is one of my favorite liqueurs, but I hesitate to pay the hefty $20 plus for a store bought bottle when it is so easy to make at home. So – I stocked up on ten lemons, with the only purpose to peel them and saturate the peels with vodka. But then, of course, I had ten naked lemons to contend with and couldn’t stand the thought of wasting them. Naturally, this led to my hubby requesting a lemon meringue pie, which is something I’ve never, ever made. As I’m writing this, it’s cooling and I’ll confess that I’m pretty afraid to cut into it. I don’t fully trust that the meringue set quite like it should have, which will only make me determined to try again. Good thing I still have plenty of lemon juice left from those ten naked lemons!

Good thing, too, that my preserved lemons are ready to use and could be chopped up for this preserved lemon tuna salad so I could have a quick and easy sandwich ready to go for lunch tomorrow. I did make the baguettes in the photos for this lunch. I opted for a more traditional baguette that required a starter and an overnight period of time for the starter to bubble and rise. It’s safe to say that I’m ready for vacation and getting a head start on baking and cooking. The recipe for the baguette, by the way, is on the King Arthur Flour site (here). If you have the time, it’s definitely worth it to make fresh baguettes. If you don’t – a store bought baguette will work fine, too, for a preserved lemon tuna salad sandwich.

Yum

Preserved Lemon Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 can water packed tuna
1 tablespoon preserved lemon, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 - 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve on a baguette or lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

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December 19, 2016 20 comments

Farmer's Market Lunch Recipes Salad

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

written by Ali

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a good green salad, especially when you add ingredients like Asian pears and preserved lemons. Asian pears are one of my favorite winter fruits: they are about the size of a very small apple, but have a brown-yellow skin and a pale white flesh. They are quite tasty while still a bit firm and can be eaten skin and all. They lend a lovely crunch to a salad and pair really well with nuts. If I could figure out where I put the hazelnuts from last year, as well as find the nutcracker, I would definitely have used hazelnuts on this salad. As it was, I do know where the walnuts are, so that’s what I went with.

I’ve been waiting weeks to start eating my preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are amazingly easy to make – all it takes is salt and lemons, though you can add in various spices, like peppercorns or bay leaves. This year, I made my preserved lemons with both peppercorns and bay leaves, but also added in the few juniper berries I had left over from pickling last summer. The lemons are perfectly salty and tart and ideal for adding to vinaigrette. I’m sure I’ll be posting more recipes with preserved lemons soon. If you are looking for a recipe, check out the preserved lemon recipe I posted last year. You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons – both are fantastic. They do take a little bit of time, as the lemons have to cure in the refrigerator for at least a month. Use only the rind – the pulp is discarded. You can also find preserved lemons in various specialty food stores, though I have to say that these are super easy and quick to make and well worth the time to make a batch of your own.

As we move into the calorie laden holidays, I definitely will be eating salads with my lunches. This green salad with Asian pears and preserved lemon vinaigrette is a bright spot this time of year. Enjoy!

Yum

Green Salad with Asian Pears and Preserved Lemon Vinaigerette

Ingredients

4 cups salad greens
2 Asian pears, sliced and cored
1/4 cup walnuts
Preserved lemon vinaigrette (below)

Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the salad greens, Asian pears, and walnuts in a salad bowl.
In a small jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, preserved lemon and pepper. Shake to combine.
Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy!

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December 13, 2016 0 comment

Lunch Recipes

Tuna Salad with Preserved Lemon

written by Ali

I spent yet another day not at my desk, but stretched out on the couch willing my lower back good health. I was glad to already have a lunch put together, particularly one that was this healthy and easy to assemble. I used plain Greek yogurt for this salad, as mayonnaise has an odd taste to me. I also used endive leaves as a vehicle for the salad, though you could definitely use lettuce, bread, or crackers. Endive is a strange little plant, requiring complicated steps to cultivate. I’ve traditionally steered away from it as it has a reputation for being both expensive and bitter, though I have to say that doesn’t seem to be the case. Two little endives at our strange local market were under $2, though a full pound would be close to $5. I can’t envision a scenario where I’d buy a pound of endive! It has a bit of a green bitter edge, but it was a good counterpoint to the preserved lemon. And as promised, this is one of many recipes that will use up the preserved Meyer lemons from several weeks ago.

Tuna Salad with Preserved Lemon
Serves 2 as a hearty lunch

1 can water packed tuna
2 small celery stalks
1 teaspoon finely chopped preserved lemon
1 teaspoon capers
¼ cup Greek yogurt

Endive or other means of serving

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

February 9, 2016 0 comment

Salad

Massaged Kale Salad with Preserved Meyer Lemons

written by Ali

Prior to moving to the PNW, there were a number of vegetables I’d encountered that only ever seemed to be served in cooked form. Kale was one of those vegetables, and though I liked it well enough, I started to really love when I realized it could be eaten raw. To balance the butter-load in this week’s prosciutto and swiss cheese croissants, I thought it might be wise to have a healthy salad on the side. I especially enjoy kale salad with preserved lemon, so this recipe does double-duty, as it showcases kale, but also is the first of several recipes using the preserved Meyer lemon recipe from last week. I also threw in some canned chickpeas, a little parmesan cheese, and a tahini and lemon salad dressing.

This salad holds up well in pint mason jars so can be prepared on Sunday for the entire week.

Massaged Kale and Preserved Meyer Lemon Salad
Serves 6

Tahini and Lemon Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1 and ½ tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly until tahini is smoothly distributed.

Massaged Kale and Preserved Meyer Lemon Salad
1 bunch kale, washed and de-stemmed
2 preserved lemons, rinsed
1 can chickpeas
¼ cup parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, tear the de-stemmed kale into bite sized pieces. Add the tahini and lemon dressing and massage the kale until the dressing is well distributed and the kale starts to soften. Chop the preserved lemons into small strips and add the preserved lemons, chickpeas, and parmesan cheese to the kale. Toss and serve.

January 26, 2016 1 comment