I’m a little late posting this but thought I would.. because, well…. I LOVE Indian pickle. What’s pickle you say? Well Indian pickle isn’t like what you might think. It’s not Kosher dill, sweet or a relish. Indian pickle is made from vegetables and fruits. They are chopped into small pieces and either cooked cooked in edible oils or brined with many different Indian spices and plenty of salt. In this case I used lime. Pickle is this nice, spicy relish-type stuff that’s great on just about anything. My favorite is chunks of bok choy and pickle. I love the spiciness of it and the fruit. It’s like the best of both world. I LOVE lime pickle.

Last weekend Eric and I met up with a colleague of mine and a good friend, Rothrock, to show him around some good Mexican grocery stores in Hillsboro. As the three of us were shopping I notices that limes were dirt cheap and it got me to thinking about making pickle. Last year Rothrock and Julia made it together so I knew Rothrock would be the one to ask how to do it. He referred me to this great website: http://www.indianfoodrocks.com/. The site has some great Indian recipes and was quite the find. I can’t wait until it’s all made and we can use it. YUM!

Ingredients

10 limes, reserve 1 for juice
30 green Thai chillies
3/4 cup julienned ginger
1 tablespoon whole fenugreek seeds, to be added whole
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp fenugreek seeds, to toast and grind
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp powdered hing (asafoetida)

Directions

1. Quarter 9 limes, reserving 1 for juice later, after slicing off the stalk scars. Pick limes with few blemishes and smooth skins. Wash the limes well, making sure that any outer wax has been washed off. Dry well. There must be no moisture on the limes.
2. Wash and dry the green chillis. Use less if you can’t take the heat; more if you want to up the heat! Cut the stem off and cut each green chilli into two.
3. Wash and dry a 2 inch piece of ginger. Peel it and julienne into slices that are about an inch long. I used about 3/4 cup of julienned ginger.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of whole fenugreek seeds.
5. Add the salt, sugar and the turmeric powder.
6. Toast 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, the mustard seeds and the powdered hing (asafoetida) for 4-5 minutes until the methi seeds are nicely tanned.
7. Cool completely and grind them to a fine powder in your coffee grinder or spice grinder and add it to the jar.
8. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime into the jar. Shake the jar well and set it out in the sun to cook.
9. Give it a good shake as you bring it in and put it out every day. Open it once every couple of weeks to adjust it for taste as well as to check to see how well it’s cooking.
10. When the juices have thickened and the peel soft, it’s ready. Let it rest for 4-5 days in a dark and cool place. Then spoon it – a very dry spoon always – into smaller jars and refrigerate to make it last that much longer.

Recently Eric and I were at his parents house and I decided to make some carrot cake. I love carrot cake, and it’s one of the few cakes I can make that Eric will eat (He’s not a sweets guy). I love this recipe because it’s just super easy and well.. YUMMY! Ever time I’ve ever made it I get rave reviews. I’d love to say it’s my own creation but it’s not. I got it from epicurious.

Here’s a tip: When you take the cakes out of the oven to cool, consider putting them right in the freezer. I actually put mine in the freezer to cool. It gets them cool faster and keeps them moist.

So while you’re enjoying the holiday, BBQ with family and friends consider making this cake.

Ingredients

Directions

For cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper (to ensure that the cake will not stick), or place liners in 2 muffin pans for 24 cupcakes. Set aside.
2. Place the dried coconut in a cup of warm water to soften and set it aside for 15 minutes.
3. Place the carrots in a food processor and pulse on and off for 1 minute. Then add the pineapple and pulse until the carrots are cut into very small pieces and the pineapple is pureed, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the brown sugar and use a whisk to break up any lumps.
5. Drain the coconut and place it in a medium bowl. Add the oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and carrot-pineapple mixture, and whisk to combine.
6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing with a rubber spatula to incorporate but not overmix. When the batter is almost mixed, stir in the additions, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
7. Bake for 55 minutes, or until the tops are a very golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (It may look as if the cake is too well done, but it takes a while to bake because it’s so dense.) For cupcakes, the baking time is 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then invert them onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.
   
9. Fill and frost the cake with the Cream Cheese-Lemon Zest Frosting (for added oomph, add 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the frosting).

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until combined and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
2. Sift the powdered sugar onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sifted powdered sugar into the frosting (use both hands to bend the paper so the sugar pours slowly into the bowl).
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If the frosting seems too soft to spread, allow it to chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Yield: Makes one 8-inch layer cake or 24 cupcakes

A few weeks ago the hubby and I went to Kenny and Zukes in Portland. Let me just say the place has great food and a great atmosphere. While there I had some amazing Latkes. They were so yummy, fried… tasty.. yummy! (Yes, I wrote that sentence incorrectly.) Ever since then I’ve been thinking about them and considered making my own. This weekend the hubby and I worked together in the kitchen and made some great ones. I didn’t make my own applesauce though. I took the easy way out and bought the chunky applesauce at Trager Joe’s which just has applesauce, apple juice and that’s it. In any case, here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Note: This recipe is from Epicurious.com

Ingredients
1 pound potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

Accompaniments: sour cream and applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate by hand, transferring to a large bowl of cold water as grated. Soak potatoes 1 to 2 minutes after last batch is added to water, then drain well in a colander.
3. Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel and roll up jelly-roll style. Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in egg and salt.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Keep latkes warm on a wire rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven.

Cooks’ notes:

• Latkes may be made up to 8 hours ahead. Reheat on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, about 5 minutes.
• Grating the potatoes, soaking them briefly in water, and then squeezing out the liquid (as we’ve done here) keeps the batter from turning brown too quickly.

A lot of people think that gingerbread is just for the holidays. I disagree. I love.. LOVE gingerbread and thought today would be a great day to try a different breakfast. Today it was gingerbread waffles and homemade lemon sauce. The thing I love about these waffles is, well… the combination of the tasty and toasty gingerbread with the tart lemon. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients
1/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
1 c. hot water
2 Tablespoons baking soda
2-1/2 c. flour
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 t. ginger

Directions

1. Mix butter and sugar with beaten eggs. Add molasses and water.
2. Sift soda, flour, cloves, cinnamon and ginger together; mix well.
3. Preheat waffle iron. Pour in batter and bake until lightly brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Makes 8-10. Serve with warm Lemon Sauce.

Lemon Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
pinch nutmeg
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

In a medium saucepan mix sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Gradually mix in water. Cook, stirring, over medium head until mixture is thick and clear. Add butter, lemon rind, and lemon juice stirring until butter melts. Serve hot.

This recipe comes from my Cooking Club of America magazine for February/March 2011.

I have to say my husband is not much of a sweets person. Often when I make baked goods either I eat them, take them to friends, or they don’t get eaten before they spoil. That’s not the case if it’s something with ginger or lemon and better yet if it’s both. Sunday the hubby brought me flowers and salted chocolate, my favorite, for Valentine’s day. It was totally unexpected and very appreciated. It’ got me thinking about what I could make him that he’d like. It just so happened that my Cooking Club of America magazine came in the mail and I found this great recipe for Ginger Lemon muffins. So I made them as my gift to my wonderful husband. He really liked them. I love that they’re so moist and yummy. Oh, and the ginger and lemon, perfect. So if you like ginger and lemon, or know someone who does, consider making these next time.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
2/3 cup plain yogurt
6 tablespoons lemon juice

TOPPING
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

2. Cook 1/4 cup of the sugar and ginger in small saucepan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar melts, syrup is slightly thickened and ginger just starts to soften, stirring constantly (do not overcook). Remove from heat; stir in 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel. Cool.

3. Beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl at medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup sugar 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in ginger mixture, yogurt and lemon juice. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups (batter will come almost to top).

4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

5. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon peel in small cup. Brush tops of muffins with melted butter; sprinkle with lemon sugar. Serve warm.

12 muffins

PER MUFFIN: 260 calories, 11 g total fat (6.5 g saturated fat), 4 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 195 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

I know the name throws people a lot. I remember as a child having these for breakfast, and sometime dinner. I love Dutch babies. They’re my go to food when I want something quick and easy without a lot of fuss. They’ve also become a weekend regular for us and breakfast. These things are great with syrup on them, or my favorite powered sugar and a little lemon juice.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cube butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in pie pan and place in the oven. Put butter in pie pan and place in oven. Mix eggs, milk, and flour. When the butter has melted pour in the egg, milk, flour mixture into the pie pan. Place back in the oven and cook from 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your pie pan. When you’re done sprinkle with powdered sugar. Slice and serve!

Note: I use a HUGE Le Creuset pan and double this recipe. I  use a blender  to mix the egg, milk and flour ingredients. I also blend it once more right before I pour it into the pan. I think that helps to ensure a really fluffy result.