She did it again folks! Here are the current show recipes:
Jump into Spring with Cookin with Lemons and Lavender
Hope you enjoyed my show, Lemons and Lavender! Now let’s get to the recipes!
Susan’s Version of Julia Childs Lemon Chicken
3 ½ pound chicken – whole or cut up (try boneless filets)
Salt and pepper
Herbs de Provence
1 large lemon cut into slices
2 TBS unsalted butter
** Can add carrots and onions**
Set your oven to 425 degrees – place chicken in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower oven to 350 degrees. Roast chicken and baste. Bake for one hour /after 30 minutes if you want to, add carrots and onions.
Small chicken should take about 1 ¼ hours – Large chicken should take about 1 ½ hours.
Wash chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in roaster pan, salt and pepper chicken. “Massage” unsalted butter into chicken-cover well with the butter for even browning. Sprinkle with Herb de Provence and layer lemon slices in and around the chicken and squeeze lemon juice onto chicken as you arrange the lemon slices.
Make sure that chicken is cooked well – no pink and juices run clear when you prick chicken with a knife.
Salad greens with Lemon Dressing
1 shallot minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBS lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
½ cup lemon oil/Meyers lemon oil/Lemon flavored oil or plain extra virgin olive oil
Mince shallot and add to bowl. Add mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper to bowl. With a whisk add a slow stream of oil to the mixture in the bowl, whisking until the mixture thickens. Serve over salad greens, Spring mix or baby leaf lettuces. Toss and serve immediately!
Herbs de Provence Potatoes
I use one potatoe per person. Rise potatoes off with cool water and dry with paper towel or towel. Dice, slice, and cut up your potatoes anyway you like them! For the show I made “French fries”. Pour olive oil on surface of cookie sheet with sides. Layer potatoes on cookie sheet and pour olive oil over the top of potatoes. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence and sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 25 minutes – or broil until nicely brown.
I think I forgot to tell you the recipe for Herbs de Provence, so here it is!
Herbs de Provence
1 TBS thyme
1 TBS rosemary
1 TBS savory
1 tsp. lavender
1 tsp. tarragon
1 tsp. chervil
1 tsp. marjoram
½ tsp. oregano
*Can add ½ tsp. fennel seeds
*Can add ½ tsp. sage
*Can add ½ tsp. basil
Lemon Fluff – Another family favorite from my Mama Jane
1 package lemon jello gelatin
1 ¾ cup boiling water
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 can of evaporated milk / frozen until slushy
Vanilla wafers crushed – about ½ box
¼ cup melted butter
Combine lemon gelatin, boiling water, lemon juice, sugar and lemon rind to bowl. Mix and let cool until slightly thicken. If you need to speed up the cooling process then place bowl in refrigerator. In a mixer bowl (or use hand mixer) whip slightly frozen evaporated milk until soft peaks form. Add to whipped milk the lemon gelatin mixture and mix until well combined. In a square glass or metal pan add crushed vanilla wafers. Pour in melted butter on top of crushed wafers and mix in pan. Then smooth out to cover bottom of pan. Pour milk and gelatin mixture over crush wafers. Top with additional crushed wafers. Put pan into freezer. Freeze lemon fluff until firm, for a few hours or overnight. To serve, thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares and enjoy a wonderful dessert! (Not just for the bridge club or garden club anymore! HAHA!)
strong>Lavender Sugar Cookies
1 egg
1 cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
5 TBS confectionary sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp dried lavender (use ½ tsp more if desired for more lavender flavor)
¼ tsp. salt
Mix butter until creamy and add in egg. Mix well then add in sugars until blended. Add lavender to flour and add in salt as well. Then spoon in flour mixture to butter and sugars one spoonful at a time. Mix until dough forms a ball in the bowl. Dough will be sticky so chill for about 15 minutes until it can be handled. Once dough is chilled, lay dough on a sheet of press in seal or wrap covered with a light dusting of sugar. Roll dough back and forth until dough forms a log. Cover dough with wrap and seal edges. Freeze dough until ready to bake. When ready to bake, unwrap and slice dough into circles. Lay dough slices on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove to container or plate – you can frost with light glaze of confectionary sugar mixed with cream and add a few loose lavender buds to the top of each cookie.
Lemon and Lavender Lemonade
1 quart lemonade – frozen, powered or even Crystal light
1 TBS dried lavender
1 cup boiling water
Mix up your favorite lemonade per directions. Boil 1 cup water and then remove from the heat. Add to water 1 TBS of dried lavender and let steep for 20 minutes to overnight. Cool lavender water then strain into the lemonade. Mix and add lemon slices. Add ice to glasses and pour wonderful lemonade over!! ENJOY!!!
Susan’s Purple Haze Margarita
Use any style glass you like! Serve over ice or strained in cocktail shaker.
Rim glass with lemon rind or juice from lemon slice – chop ½ tsp of dried lavender and add ½ tsp. of lemon zest to sea salt on plate. Turn glass over and rim glass with this mixture!
To glass or shaker add – 2 shots of tequila, one shot or lavender triple sec (see recipe below), 1 ½ shot of lemon juice. Shake or stir. Adjust to your taste! Add more tequila or more lemon juice and triple sec or less. Add slice of lemon and stalk of lavender to drink to decorate.
YUM!!
Lavender Triple Sec: Add to small sauce pan, one cup cold water, 1 cup sugar and heat. Dissolve sugar in water and let simmer. Once water is heated add in 1 to 2 TBS of dried lavender. Cover and let steep overnight. Pour into jar and keep in dark dry place.
FOOD TRENDS to TRY~ Don’t forget that Lamb has been named the food trend of 2010! Since we are in Lamb Country give this special meat a try and enjoy! Don’t forget to try Lamb with figs – fig preserves are wonderful as a glaze over lamb.
Another great trend is salt plates, platters and bricks! Use salt blocks to grate salt for seasoning, to cook food on the stove top or use as a serving dish chilled. The lack of porosity of the salt block means that the surface area touching the food is minimal so it does not make your food salty. If cooking on a salt block do so on the grill or direct stove top but NOT in the oven as the salt block can explode. Be sure to heat them up slowly.
Sea Salt retains trace minerals and is richer in flavors that depend on where the salt is harvested. You can use about two-thirds LESS of the amount of regular table salt.
Be sure to buy organic and or culinary lavender – any health food store should carry this grade of lavender. Buy Angustifolia variety and NOT intermedia variety. You can grow your own as well – be sure to get the correct variety. Beautiful plants can be bought at any garden center for around $5.00 to $8.00 dollars a plant. Make sure to harvest lavender buds that are not fully opened. You can order from the Purple Haze farm in Washington State or from Hummingbird farms/The Lavender Chick in Texas – great websites!
Take care and contact me at tarners@live.com to make comments or suggestions! Enjoy all the recipes and eat well and be happy Helena!
