The Real Housewife of Santa Monica
Lemon Curd

Posts Tagged ‘fast’

Lemon Curd

It’s been exciting having this huge yield of lemons from my next door neighbor’s tree. I’ve been getting “Southern Living Magazine” this year thanks to my niece’s magazine drive and have stumbled upon a few yummy recipes.

Lemon curd can be used for lots of things including Lemon-Yogurt Crumb Cake, Lemon Tiramisu, Lemon Souffles, Lemon Bar Cheesecake and even Rosemary Lemon Curd Martinis which I shall try as soon as I lose this hacking cough. Wonder if I can make a Lemon Curd Nyquil Martini?

This is a really quick microwave/cheater method. I’ll tell you how to do it via stove top too though if you really can’t stand the idea of nuking your curd. Haha!! “Nuking your curd!”

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBPS lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
1 c lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons)
1/2 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs

Beat 1/2 c butter, softened and 2 c sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add 4 eggs, one at a time. Beat until just blended each time. Add lemon juice slowly until just blended.

Now add zest & stir.

If it looks curdled, you

You’re about to microwave this so make sure it’s in a large microwave-safe bowl!

**NOTE: See bottom of post for stove-top method!**

Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring every minute. That means just set it for 1 min, then open, stir, put back in or 1 min etc. I wrote hash tags on a little paper because I was being talked to and interrupted the whole time.

Now microwave 1 or 2 more minutes on HIGH stirring every 30 seconds. It should be thickening and sticking to the spoon.

Poor into an airtight container. Cover with plastic wrap being sure it touches the surface of the curd to keep it from getting a “skin” on top. Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Curd
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

A quick way to make your own lemon curd. A yummy addition to tons of foods!
Ingredients
  • 2 TBPS lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
  • 1 c lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons)
  • ½ c butter, softened
  • 2 c sugar
  • 4 eggs

Instructions
  1. Beat ½ c butter with 2 cups sugar until well blended.
  2. Add 4 eggs, beating in one at a time until just blended.
  3. Slowly add lemon juice mixing on slow until just blended.
  4. Stir in zest. (It will look curdled – this is OK!)
  5. If microwaving, transfer to microwavable bowl.
  6. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
  7. Microwave 1-2 minutes more stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture thickens and clings to spoon.
  8. If using stovetop method, cook over medium-low heat in a 4 qt saucepan.
  9. Whisk constantly for 14-16 minutes.
  10. Pour into air tight container. Place plastic wrap over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
  11. Stores for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Stove top method:

Instead of microwaving, place in a 4 qt saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 14-16 minutes, whisking constantly. Pour into air tight container & cover with plastic wrap (directly touching surface of curd to prevent “skin” from forming.)

Source: Southern Living Magazine

Last minute cookies: Spicy Molasses

Here’s a REALLY easy cookie recipe for when you have NO TIME.

I just made these this morning for our daycare’s caroling at the convalescent home. Totally forgot I was going to make them until around 8AM. D’OH!

No pictures – no time. These are winners from The Pioneer Woman. You only need one bowl. You are done making them from start to finish within about 20 minutes. They are chewy, tasty & yummy. The only change I made was to use the turbinado raw sugar to roll them in but if you don’t have it you can use plain sugar too.

Spicy Molasses Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 36
 

A simple recipe that’s simply delicious!! Spicy & chewy – not your run of the mill holiday cookie.
Ingredients
  • 1 c sugar
  • ¾ c Crisco
  • ¼ c molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 c flour
  • 2-1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • turbinado sugar for coating the cookies (regular sugar works too!)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Mix sugar, Crisco, molasses & egg together until well combined.
  3. Add dry ingredients, stirring until combined. (If you don’t mind two bowls – you can whisk together your dry ingredients first in a separate bowl.) I did it all in 1 bowl and they came out perfect!
  4. Roll tbsp sized balls in your hands, the roll through a plate of turbinado sugar (or regular sugar if that’s what you have!). Place on cookie sheet leaving ample room for spreading.
  5. Bake for 9-11 minutes or for 1 minute after cracks appear on top of them.

Notes
Makes between 30 and 36 cookies depending how big you make them.

 

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Taco Cups

 

Some nights you get home with ravenous kids – there is no time to chop/assemble & bake or even to boil pasta water. This is the dinner for THAT night!

I saw it on Pinterest a few months ago.

So far, about 50% of the recipes I’ve tried from Pinterest have convinced me that it’s the PHOTOGRAPHY that is good, not the necessarily the recipe.

Now I’m a little more careful about reading the recipe before trying it. It’s got to taste good.

This one was a pleasant surprise! Taco cups in won-ton wrappers. This is seriously the easiest, quickest dinner to throw together.

You need:

(I tried it with vegetarian ground “meat” but I didn’t care for it so ignore that in the photo!)

and

INGREDIENTS:
- won ton wrappers
- refried beans
- shredded Mexican blend cheese (or cheddar etc.)

OPTIONAL:
- jalapeños
- taco sauce
- diced tomatoes
- diced onions

Preheat oven to 350.

Fill muffin tin with won ton wrappers.

Spoon refried beans into won ton wrapper.

Add any toppings you like. I tried some with meat substitute but nobody liked it so I stopped. I also put shredded cheese on half of them since M hates melted cheese.

Yesterday I made them with 1 sliced jalapeño (jarred) on each of mine. I then sprinkled taco sauce on top of that. Yes, that thick nasty taco sauce you get at Ralph’s. I don’t care!! I love it!! Spicy ketchup!!

Bake for 5-7 minutes. Won tons should be getting browned at the edges. Once you figure out how your oven works (I use the toaster oven to avoid heating up the house in the summer!) you can decide how many minutes.

There is always that tenuous moment when you present new food to the kids. It definitely helps if they haven’t snacked since lunchtime though.

She LOVED them!

Bea didn’t like them until I broke hers up. I don’t think she has enough back teeth to really chew them. Now she loves them! (Bea not pictured.)

M thinks she has long black hair when she wears this hat.

 

Taco Cups
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

10 minute dinner – great for kids!
Ingredients
  • won ton wrappers
  • refried beans (I use a can)
  • shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions
  1. Preheat toaster oven (or real oven) to 350.
  2. Line muffin tin with won ton wrappers.
  3. Spoon beans into won ton wrappers.
  4. Sprinkle shredded cheese & any other fillings you like on top.
  5. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

Notes
You can make as many or few as you like. M ate 5 or 6. Additional topping ideas: – jalapeño slices – taco sauce – diced tomatoes – diced onions

 

Kermit Smoothie

Some call this the “Shrek” smoothie. Since my kids don’t know Shrek as well as Kermit I called it a Kermit smoothie.

They LOVE it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 frozen banana
1 c frozen peaches
1 c frozen mango chunks
2-3 c cold almond milk
2-3 ice cubes
2 handfuls spinach
OPTIONAL: splash lemon or orange juice

Honestly, I don’t measure this stuff! I put about half the frozen fruit into the blender & 1 c of the almond milk & blend. Then add the ice cubes. Blend. (Add as much more almond milk as you may need.) Add the rest of the fruit. Blend. Then add the spinach. Blend. As you can probably tell, I don’t have a powerful blender. If you have a Vita Mix or whatever you can probably toss it all in at once!

Start out using less almond milk until you get used to it. It’s easier to thin the smoothie out than it is to make it thicker.

I love to add a few ice cubes and 2-3 TBSP lemon juice since it’s a sweet drink and needs a little acid.

You can’t taste the spinach at all! My kids LOVE this! They have had variations on this one for the past three days. What’s the spinach for? Spinach is SOOOOOOO full of vitamins!! And it makes a crazy bright Kermit green smoothie! (Unless you add blueberries & strawberries, in which case it makes a gnarly brown smoothie that is still delicious.)

There’s my other “smoothie” on the left. A STRONG coffee.

The kids drink it from those plastic cups you get at restaurants.This one is from Benihana’s. And the beer cozy (koozie?) is courtesy of a pre-kid weekend up at the Tuolumne River. Classy!

Maddie wants to call it “Frog Pillow Smoothie” after a particularly filthy little someone special to her.

Kermit Smoothie
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 3
 

Perfect vehicle to transport raw spinach from your fridge to your kids’ stomachs!
Ingredients
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 c frozen peaches
  • 1 c frozen mango chunks
  • 1-2 c cold almond milk
  • 2-3 ice cubes
  • 2 handfuls spinach
  • OPTIONAL: splash lemon or orange juice

Instructions
  1. Combine ingredients in blender. Blend!
  2. Adjust amount of almond milk to make smoothie thicker or thinner according to your desires!

 

Quick & Easy Mediterranean Pasta

Let me start this post by saying I made G a double layer ice cream cake for his bday last weekend. Eating that cake was the second most excited I saw him in the last 2 days. The MOST excited was when the Kentucky Wildcats won the NCAA championship last night. GO CATS!!!!

Last night I was heading to Hooters (where I, incidentally, ate some fried pickles) to watch the game with him so I had to throw together a quick dinner for the girls. This is the fastest pasta dish in the world.

SO easy. Everything is available at Trader Joe’s. In fact, I got this idea from Trader Joe’s as they used to have a pasta in a box with these ingredients except you had to add a whole s-ton of olive oil & water to the dehydrated stuff for the dressing. M used to love it but all good things came to an end as they do at TJ’s and they no longer sell it.

1. Chop pitted olives as small as you like them. Same with the tomatoes. Mine came julienned so I just left them alone!

2. Cook your pasta of choice according to package directions.

3. Drain pasta & then return to pot. Add the olives, tomatoes & a handful of crumbled feta.

Toss & salt to taste. I added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil too!

Not the prettiest dish but VERY tasty & simple!

 

Quick & Easy Mediterranean Pasta
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives & crumbled feta. When you have exactly 20 minutes to make dinner and no fresh veg in the house!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb pasta
  • 2 TBSP olive oil (or to taste)
  • 1 c julienned sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 c chopped kalamata olives
  • ¾ c crumbled feta

Instructions
  1. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
  2. Drain & then return to pot.
  3. Add tomatoes, olives & feta & toss to combine.
  4. Taste & adjust amounts to your liking including a pinch of salt if needed.

 



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