Everlasting lemons and limes

The title of this post is a slight exaggeration however the recipe does give your life an extension on your lemons. They are preserved lemons, using salt, which are used mainly in middle eastern and North African countries. They have a mellow, deep and of course salty flavour that lends itself well to dishes like tagines. Along with the research on the lemons themselves, I've seen lots of recipes for pasta salads and other dishes that I'm looking forward to trying out. The only trouble with these little yellow gems is that you have to wait a month for them to preserve. 

I couldn't wait that long so ended up buying some to use in a recipe for Persian lamb tagine but I'm sure I'll get through them fast enough. I'll follow with the recipe for the lamb stew which is far more exotic than the one you'd get for tea after school. 

I also have given preserved limes a go as I thought they would be very good for Mexican food, especially cooked down in a nice hot beef chilli. I'm sure I will update you on their progress after a month goes by. 

Preserved lemons/limes 

You will need a sealable litre jar for each fruit. 

Depending on size 9 lemons and 11 limes. They should be tightly packed in. 

Plenty of coarse rock salt. 

Take each fruit, give them a good wash and cut a cross in the top, not quite going all the way through so all 4 wedges are still attached. 

Take a spoonful of salt and stuff it inside then push in to the jar. 

Repeat this process, pushing the fruit down each time to release as much juice as possible whilst sprinkling some more salt in each layer. Fill to the top and add some more salt and give it another squashing for good measure. Leave over night, the juice should come out and fill the jar to the top. If it hasn't then just boil a kettle and cover the fruit. 

Now all you have to do is remember to give the jar a shake upside down every day or so. Once given a month of this they are ready to use. 

Hipster's coffee

Whilst out and about on my travels (mostly reading Timeout) I've noticed a trend with something called 'cold brew coffee.' Immediately my interest was spiked as I'm rather partial to a cold glass of coffee. Upon reading more on the matter I've discovered it's a lot like using a French press and ground coffee but instead of using hot water, brewing for a few minutes, you use cold water and leave to steep for up to 24 hours. The result is apparently a much less acidic and bitter drink with light coffee flavours but still the same caffeine hit. After giving it a go I would agree with this statement. It definitely lacks the punch of an espresso based or hot brewed coffee but there is a subtly complexity that I enjoyed. It is also makes summer life amazingly easy when you have some cold coffee sitting in the fridge ready to mix with ice and milk for a refreshing hit. Having said that, you can also keep it at room temperature and mix with some boiling water for a hot drink too, just add more coffee grounds whilst brewing to produce a stronger base. 

I read some articles it can last up to a month in a sterelised jar in the fridge so even if you're not a regular drinker it's rather handy. If you like coffee give it a try. 

Cold brew coffee

Makes 6-8 cups of coffee 

80-100g course ground coffee (it has to be course to avoid a cloudy drink and residue after straining. I just blitzed some beans in a food processor and got them as fine as possible) 

1 litre of cold water.

Get a large container and pour boiling water inside to sterelise then empty. After this just chuck in the coffee and water, give a good mix and then leave in the fridge or room temperature for at least 16 hours or up to 24. Make sure you stir or mix the brew a few times during this period. 

Once brewed take a sieve lined with muslin and strain off. When it has fully drained, repeat this process 3-4 times to produce a clear, clean product.

It's now ready decant in to a sealable sterilised jar or bottle and enjoyed at your leisure (kilner jars are perfect for this.)

Chicken jointing and jerking.

When it comes to butchery and all things associated with it, I'm very much a novice. I know having the skills to joint meat and fillet fish can save you a lot of money but I've never had the chance to learn properly. I managed to pick up a reduced whole chicken and instead of doing a boring old roast I thought I would use the opportunity to try my hand at butchery. I found a few sites which gave helpful step by step instructions along with photos and thought I'd give it a go. 

I ended up with 6 pieces of meat on the bone, 2 breasts (and 2 chicken breasts too) and a carcass perfect for making soup/stock from. 

Thinking how much you would spend to get all this ready-cut compared to the price of a whole chicken, it really is worth having a go. Once cut it was a bit rough around the edges but when it's cooked you wouldn't notice. After all, practice really does make perfect. 

I could have easily done a number of different recipes with all the meat I got and will definitely make the effort to do so in future

However, I'd previously spotted a good recipe for jerk paste and wanted to use it with the meat on the bone. The recipe was plenty for that and the breasts too so I just marinaded them separately and popped them in the freezer for a rainy day. I served the jerk chicken with rice and peas (I won't put my own recipe in as once again my nemesis, rice, defeated me and I burnt it badly) and a sunny little tomato and sweet corn salsa (I will include this recipe, nothing to burn here.)

Jointed chicken

Makes 8-10 pieces

Start with your chicken on a board and a sharp knife. (I actually swapped out the Chinese cleaver for a smaller sharper knife as there is no real need to cut the bones.) Take off the band and spread apart the legs, taking hold of the first one start to cut between the main body and the leg. Once cut through to the bone you should be able to just snap it out of the socket, use a knife if you are struggling. Repeat this process and you will have your two legs. You can keep this whole or do as I did and cut the leg to the bone and then snap at the joint to give you 2 thighs and two drumsticks. Put to one side.

Repeat this process and you will have your two legs that will need tidying up so remove the small joint at the end which is where the feet used to be. You can then keep this whole or do as I did and cut the leg to the bone and then snap at the joint to give you 2 thighs and two drumsticks. Put to one side.

Next you can run the knife down the middle of the body until you find the centre bone. Very gently run your knife down along the ribcage, trying to take all the meat (breast meat) off the bone, including the wing (as seen on the left of the photo.)

You can then remove the wings from the breast by cutting right to the edge of the joint, making sure not to leave any breast on the wing. You are now have enough meat and bones for at least 3 separate meals.

Jerk Marinade
makes enough for a whole chicken

1 small red onion
3 cloves of garlic
1-3 whole, scotch bonnets depending on your spice levels
1-2 red chillis, ditto
small handful of thyme, leaves picked
small handful of coriander
zest of two limes, reserve the juice and limes for cooking
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 nutmeg grated
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper

Chop the onion and chilies in to chunks and place with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or pestle and mortar if you're going old school and blitz to a paste. Put the meat in a freezer bag and pour over the paste. Leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

When ready to cook either place on a BBQ until cooked through and charred nicely or do as I did, place on a tray with the limes squeezed over and popped on too. Put in a 180 degrees oven for about an hour until the chicken starts to char. 

Put in a 180 degrees oven for about an hour until the chicken starts to char. You're then ready to serve.

Tomato and sweetcorn salsa

Take 2 ripe tomatoes and cut in the chunks, a handful of sweetcorn, chopped sweet red pepper and mix with some chopped coriander, juice of half a lime, pinch of sugar and salt and a sprinkle of Tabasco. Ready to serve straight away. 

Not quite tabbouleh.

Middle Eastern food has long been a favourite of mine ever since my teen years when my mum would treat me to Lebanese for lunch after going shopping in our local town. Even in my youthful naivety, the star of the mixed mezze plate was the fresh and zingy tabbouleh salad that accompanied it. If you've ever had proper tabbouleh then you'll know that it's mostly parsley with a tiny amount of bulgar wheat tomatoes and maybe some other ingredients mixed in with a lemony dressing. This is far from the salad we would have at home BBQ's which was made mostly for filling up tummies and therefore primarily made of bulgar wheat, cucumber and tomatoes. 

Now the heat has finally arrived and its the season for salads along with a little health kick, I thought it would be good to get creative with some lighter dishes. 

The plan was to have a Sunday roast chicken with a slight alteration. Still the tasty, crispy chicken but serve it with a butternut squash salad (recipe to follow) and a tabbouleh salad somewhere between the original and the bulky one of my childhood. The result was on point, light and refreshing whilst still being filling. Recommended for anyone looking for an accompaniment to a summer roast lunch to be enjoyed on a hot day. 

Bulky tabbouleh

Serves 4

1 handful of bulgar wheat, rinsed under a cold tap

1/2 red onion finely chopped

3 salad Tomatoes cut in to rough cubes or a handful of halved baby tomatoes 

1/3 of a cucumber, seeds removed and cut in to bitesized pieces

1 big handful of parsley, chopped

4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped 

Juice of a lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Boil a kettle, pour over the bulgar wheat then cover with cling film. Let that sit for 5-8 minutes until doubled in size and tender. Drain off and then run under the cold tap until cool. Leave this in the sieve so all the excess water drains off. 

Meanwhile prepare all the other ingredients in a bowl except the lemon and oil. Once ready, mix through the bulgar wheat, adding more chopped herbs if needs be. Then dress the salad, taste and serve. 

The unpronounceable cocktail

It's time for something a bit different and that comes in the form of a cocktail recipe instead of a standard food recipe. I've recently discovered a new cocktail favourite called a caipirinha which is a cachaca (like rum but made using pure sugar cane rather than the leftovers) based cocktail. The name is the only bad element to this drink as it's rather confusing to say, especially for someone who has trouble speaking coherently on the best of days. The best tip I've managed to find in the Internet is by saying k-eye-pir-een-hya and hope for the best. 

 I normally prefer a citrus flavoured cocktail and gin is my spirit of choice so this is familiar but unusual at the same time. The only ingredients are lime, sugar, cachaca and ice. Easily made and definitely easily drank.

 

Caipirinha 

Serves 2

3 limes, quartered pith removed and then cut in half again. 

2-3 teaspoons of raw sugar (Demerara or caster is fine)

Crushed ice

2 5cl shots of cachaca 

A handy wooden muddler or mini rolling pin to smash up the limes

The super cheap bottle of cachaca I bought in duty free came with perfect pictured instructions so I'll just leave them here:

Healthy bruschetta

Since returning from holiday where fruit and ready made salads were plentiful, I've had something of a revelation on how good it all can be. Having a break from the usual stodgy and unhealthy diet has done wonders for the way I've felt and even my skin looks better. Obviously it's all made easier at this time of year when there are so many good fruits and vegetables in season, tasting as they should so hopefully this little health kick will last. Obviously I'll still enjoy the fattier things in life but trying to establish a healthier balance is a little goal at the moment. 

One little fruit that is particularly good at the moment is the humble tomato. Whether you buy them on the vine, as big salad tomatoes or in miniature they are ideal when the weather is hot and you're in need of something light and refreshing. 

I've even managed to get a bumper crop of baby tomatoes on our little balcony so I'm excited for them to ripen. Be prepared for tomato recipes galore! 

I've always kept tomatoes in the fridge thinking that it's best to keep them fresh for longer but I recently read it's best to keep them at room temperature where they can ripen further and won't lose their flavour. Their shelf life is certainly shorter but they will taste so good they won't last that long anyway. Here is a simple lunch or snack recipe to enjoy them once ripe and juicy. 

Low-fat bruschetta

Serves 2

1/2 red onion or shallot finely chopped

1/2 clove of garlic finely grated or crushed 

4 or 5 really ripe tomatoes depending on size, chopped in to rough cubes. 

A squeeze of lemon

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

Plenty of salt and black pepper

A touch of sundried tomato paste (optional) 

Ryvitas 

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl and taste, making sure you can taste the garlic and there is enough salt to bring out the flavour and juice of the tomatoes. You can serve this straight away or leave the mix in the fridge for an hour or more for it to marinade.

Spread the ryvita with the sundried tomato paste if using and then top with your bruschetta mix. Serve with some fresh basil over the top

Tip: For something more indulgent or a nice dinner party starter, replace the ryvita with some old ciabatta cut in to slices, rubbed with the cut side of a garlic clove, drizzled with olive oil and toasted on a griddle pan or under a grill.