Citrus is one of my all time favorite flavors. A
splash of citrus juices or zest can lend just the right amount of zing to so many
dishes. When shopping for citrus fruits look for ones that are heavy
for their size, firm, free of wrinkles, bruises, or soft spots, and show no
signs of puffiness. Although good color can be appealing, it doesn't always
indicate quality or ripeness. You can store them in a cool, dry, dark place which will help them stay fresh for a few days or you can store them in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to two to three weeks in the fridge.
To maximize the amount of juice when juicing, roll the fruit firmly on a work surface or squeeze it
between your palms. Zest is the perfect pick-me-up for many sweet and savory dishes. You want to rinse and dry the fruit well before zesting. If you are juicing and zesting the fruit, do the zest first. Once the fruit is juiced, the zest is almost impossible to remove. (trust me, I know) Use a micro plane zester, or the smallest holes on a box grater to zest the fruit. Be careful to remove only the colored portion of the peel and not the white pith directly beneath it. It is very bitter and will ruin the flavor of your dishes.
If you find yourself throwing out way too many citrus fruits
that have spoiled like I do, freeze the juice. It can be frozen for up to 6
months. Just pour the fruit juice into ice cube trays. Once they are frozen, pop them out and store in a freezer zip top bag and have fresh citrus juice whenever you need to add a little zing to your dishes.
Of course, since I love citrus fruits so much I decided to put together a collection of great citrus recipes from my blogger friends. There is a lot of deliciousness all right here in one spot. Enjoy!!
(Click picture or recipe title to view the recipe)
Easy Orange Rolls - The Country Cook
Go ahead, spread a little sunshine!
Which recipe are you going to make first?
Even though we are almost in the middle of August, the weather can still be pretty hot and humid here in Virginia. When it is hot out, I just want to eat light meals that don't weight me down too much. If you have been here for a while then you know that I am a huge fan of anything lemon. So naturally, Lemon Spaghetti ranks at the top of my favorite summer time meals.
Whenever I go to any gathering where food is involved, I usually get really excited for the sides. I am a side dish girl and could eat just the side dishes on any given meal and be happy. Fresh string beans are plentiful here in Virginia and just begging to be enjoyed. Recently while at a roadside vegetable stand with my parents, they bought a mess of beans to cook up. She must have made Dad happy with them because she had instructions to go back and get a bigger mess of them.
Oh you know how much I adore anything lemon and nothing beats a good old refreshing glass of lemonade, especially on a hot summers day. My kids love it too and when I make it they get super excited, even the 19 year old. Sure those instant drink packets or those brand name canisters are a good option too in a pinch. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I have one of those name brand canisters in the cupboard right now. I tend to use it when I need to make it quick but making it homemade is easy and the extra effort is so worth it. Since I usually have lemons on hand almost all the time it is easy for me to whip it up in no time flat.
Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid? In our little neighborhood we had a great group of us kids and every so often in the summer we would set up a lemonade stand to have something to do. It was never anything special. Most of the time it was a kids plastic table and chairs set that we would drag out to the edge of the road. We would always make our lemonade using those little drink packets and get super excited as we waited on our first customer. There was a lot of fun and laughter and lots of little sips and tastings along the way and every so often there would be a customer that would feel sorry for us and buy a glass and then it was gone because we drank it all while we were waiting. Then, we would pack it all up and move onto playing something else. In another few weeks we would do it all over again and this happened all summer long.
Last week was Spring break for our daughter. I think she enjoyed the laid back days and being able to sleep in a bit each day and so did mommy. Although we did not do anything in particular last week, we certainly were extra busy. We were kept busy with Easter activities, several girl scout outings, a few doctor appointments, and ended the week with my in laws at a gathering for Easter a week later. It is back to the grind today and man I am super tired.
One of the things I had been wanting for quite a while was a waffle maker. I purchased our waffle maker about a year ago and have only used it a few times. One of my favorite ways to use it is with tater tots. It is amazing how good those tater tots tastes from the waffle maker. If you haven't tried that yet, just place a handful of thawed tater tots in the waffle maker and cook them away. They get nice and crispy and make a perfect hash brown to go along with your waffles.
I keep frozen berries in the freezer to make healthy smoothies on a whim. So I knew I could amp up the flavor of just a plain waffle with some blueberries and the family would be happy. You can top your waffles with maple syrup, fresh whipped cream and berries, or even a little lemon curd.
So tell me in the comments, what do you put on your waffles?
Lemon Blueberry Waffles
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest and juice of one lemon
Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour,
milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice just until smooth. Spray preheated waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle
iron and place frozen berries on top of the batter. Cook until golden brown.
Cooks Note- placing frozen berries on top of the batter while on the waffle iron rather than mixing in prevents the batter from turning blue.
Spring is super close, can't you feel it? These long, dreary days of winter have really taken an effect on me this year. I think it is the fact that we have all been stuck in the house. We live in a small house so there are not many places you can go and hide. We have all been irritable and grumpy. Mentally, I do so much better with a sunny day. So this time of year I tend to do more with the freshness of lemon and citrus. I think it just brightens up even the most dreary days.
Most of my family know now that I like lemon and do not question why I buy lemons by the bagfuls. It is crazy how expensive they are to purchase them one by one. I can buy a bag at BJ's for just a little over $3. Our local store was selling them recently for $1 a lemon. So when I make the hour trip to BJ's, these are always on my list. Why must the fresh fruits and veggies be so expensive?
Lemon curd can be enjoyed on almost anything. Smeared on a nice warm biscuit for breakfast can be quite tasty. Who needs jelly? You can also use this to fill cute little tarts or my favorite, make some lemon sweet rolls. Yeah, I went there. Look for that recipe soon.
The recipe I used was from my friend Jennifer's blog, Bake or Break. If you have yet to find her blog, please go and visit. She shares great recipes and you will never be sorry you found it.
Lemon Curd
Via
Bake or Break
6 lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
Zest lemons for a total of 2 tablespoons of zest.
Juice lemons for a total of 1 cup of juice.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one
at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add lemon juice, mixing just until blended. Stir in lemon zest.
The mixture will look curdled.
Place mixture in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low
to medium heat, whisking constantly.Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the surface of the
lemon curd. Chill at least 4 hours.
Store refrigerated up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Yields 2 Cups
Notes- I found this to be just a bit too sweet. However, we are reducing our sugar intake so that may be why it seemed super sweet. Next time I will reduce the amount of sugar.
Shared at
Weekend Potluck @ The Country Cook
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