Dessert Thursday April 5, 2018

Vegan Baked Lemon Doughnuts

This week we have some vegan donuts made with lemons.

 

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts:

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup gluten free flour OR all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Grease your doughnut pan (if needed).
3. Prepare your flax egg by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest.

5. In a small bowl, mix the milk, melted coconut oil, lemon extract, and flax mixture together.

6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Don’t over mix.
7. Using a piping bag or a large Ziploc bag, pipe the mixture into each cavity.
8. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let the pan sit for a few minutes before removing the doughnuts.
10. Remove the doughnuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

While the doughnuts are cooling, make the glaze:

1. Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and add the lemon juice, and lemon zest (if using).

2. Mix until everything has combined into a liquid glaze.
3. When the doughnuts have fully cooled (they don’t take long!), dip the tops of each doughnut into the glaze. Repeat with all the doughnuts.
4. Place the doughnuts back onto the cooling rack for the excess glaze to drip off and for the glaze to firm up. (Place a piece of parchment paper under the rack to catch the drips!)

 

Find out more at: https://delightfuladventures.com/vegan-baked-lemon-doughnuts/

Dessert Thursday March 22, 2018

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse

We got a lemon desert for this week.

Ingredients

Crust

•  3/4 cup crushed graham crackers (6 full sheets)
• 2 Tbsp (26g) granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp (42g) salted butter, melted

Mousse

• 2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp water
• 1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 1/2 cups (355ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (110g) powdered sugar, divided
• Yellow food coloring (optional)
• 12 oz (340g) cream cheese, softened
• 1 (10 oz) jar lemon curd (tested with Dickenson’s)
• Sweetened whipped cream , lemon wedges, blueberries and mint for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl whisk together graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour in butter and stir until evenly moistened. Divide mixture among 8 – 10 dessert cups and lightly press into an even layer, set aside.
2. Pour lemon juice and water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over top, let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whip heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add in 1/3 cup of the powdered sugar, tint with yellow food coloring if desired and whip until stiff (but not lumpy) peaks form (shake cream from beaters, no need to clean). In a separate large mixing bowl whip cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Mix lemon curd and remaining 2/3 cup powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture.
3. Heat rested gelatin mixture in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Whisk for 1 minute to thoroughly dissolve gelatin, then let cool 3 minutes (no longer or it may start to set then you could end up with little lumps in the mousse). While mixing cream cheese mixture with hand mixer, slowly pour in gelatin mixture then blend until thoroughly combined. Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture to lighten, then add remaining whipped cream and gently fold until combined. Spoon or pipe mixture into dessert cups over graham cracker layer. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours (or up to 1 day ahead if desired) to set. Garnish as desired. Serve cold.

Recipe from: https://www.cookingclassy.com/lemon-cheesecake-mousse/

Better Late Than Never: Our May Supper Club Recipes!

SOUP: Deceptively Simple Gazpacho

By Kendra PeloJoaquin at Food.com

Ingredients:

• 6 -8 tomatoes, chopped (Roma or plum are best Don’t lose the juice!)
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped finely (red is a nice alternative)
• 1/2 large white onion, chopped in 1/4 inch chunks
• 2 small cucumbers or 1 large cucumber, chopped
• salt (preferably sea salt)
• fresh ground black pepper
• virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice of
• chopped basil or cilantro (preferably fresh)
• 2 cloves garlic (or a tablespoon of diced garlic from a jar)

Directions:

1. Dump 1/3 cup olive oil and lemon juice into a blender or food processor.
2. Add the vegetables, then the seasonings.
3. I start with a little and add more after I’ve mixed it all up.
4. Use the “chop” or”grate” function until the gazpacho is soupy but still has some good sized chunks.
5. Taste and then add more salt, pepper, oil or basil to your preference.
6. I usually serve this*very* cold as a summer appetizer or meal w/ tabasco and parmesan cheese on the side, and some good crostini or bread.

 

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SALAD: Avocado and Cucumber Salad

By Emma Braz at Taste.com

Ingredients:

• 175g baby salad leaves
• 2 medium avocados, chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cucumbers, halved, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

Directions:

1. Combine salad leaves, avocado, onion and cucumber in a bowl.
2. Place lemon juice and olive oil in a screw-top jar and shake. Season with salt to taste and drizzle on top of salad.

 

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MAIN ATTRACTION: Stuffed Tomatoes

By Sunny Anderson at FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes
• Salt
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice tomatoes in half horizontally and scoop out pulp and seeds.
3. Salt insides and rest upside down on a sheet pan lined with a wire rack to extract juices, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together bread crumbs, garlic, basil, pepper, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan and oil.
5. Stuff tomatoes with the filling, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and bake until tomatoes are cooked through and tops are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

 

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DESSERT: Rhubarb crumble

By Felicity Rooney at Taste.com

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 10 stalks of rhubarb, rinsed and chopped
• 75g caster sugar

Crumble Topping:

• 125g cold unsalted butter, chopped
  175g plain flour
• 50g brown sugar
• 25g raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C degrees.
2. Place rhubarb and caster sugar in a saucepan over medium low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Prepare the crumble topping by roughly rubbing the butter with the flour and brown sugar, then stir through the raisins. Pour the rhubarb mixture into a 4-cup capacity oven-proof dish or four 1-cup capacity oven proof ramekins.
4. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top and bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm with custard.

Fruit of the Week: Lemon pt. 3

Selection and Storage:

– When selecting lemons, choose those that are firm, plump and feel heavier
– Avoid selecting lemons that feel soft and spongy, and those that have bruised soft spots on the skin
– Store the lemon in a plastic or paper bag inside the fridge and it should keep for 1-2 weeks
– Lemons sealed in plastic ziploc bags and stored in the fridge can keep for even longer
– Lemons can also be stored outside of the fridge if you intend to use them between 2-5 days after purchasing them

Preparation and Serving:
– Wash lemons in cold water before using, particularly if you are using the skins for zest
– Lemons can be sliced in order to be used as garnish
– Otherwise the lemon can be cut in half in order to squeeze for juice, either by hand or with small juicer
– The skin can also be used for zest, and lemon can be zest by using a hand-held peeler or grater
– But when zesting a lemon make sure not to cut into the underlying white skin beneath the yellow as this part is very bitter.
– Lemons can be used for many different purposes including: in salads, soups, on pasta, meat, on vegetables that have been baked, steamed or raw, rice, for lemonade and much more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parmesan Lemon Zucchini
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
– 3 tablespoons butter
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 4 zucchinis, thinly sliced to 1/2-inch thick rounds
– 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
– Zest of 1 lemon
– Salt and black pepper, to taste
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
– 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more, to taste

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Working in batches, add zucchini, thyme and lemon zest. Cook, flipping once, until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan and lemon juice.

Note: Ingredients for today’s recipe can be found at the St. James campus Good Food Market (200 King Street East, main lobby every Thursday 11:45 am – 3:00 pm)! Lemon ($0.40 each or 3 for $1.00), Garlic ($0.50), Zucchini ($0.50)

(Recipe adapted from http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/04/parmesan-lemon-zucchini/)

Fruit of the Week: Lemon pt. 2

Health:

– One of the major health benefits of lemons is their high Vitamin C content

– One lemon can contain between 36% and 50% of daily Vitamin C requirements, depending on the size of the fruit

– Lemon juice is among the juices containing the highest amount of antioxidants

– Lemons contain up to 8% citric acid, which helps digestion and can assist in dissolving kidney stones and gallstones

 

 

 

 

 

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon and Egg Soup)

Ingredients:
– 4 cups chicken broth (if prefer can also use vegetable broth)
– 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
– 2 eggs
– Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
– 1/2 cup cold water
– 1 cup warm broth (from the cooking soup)

Directions:
1. Bring broth and rice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is very tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Separate 2 eggs (whites in one bowl and yolks in another). Whisk the egg whites till creamy and fluffy. Add the egg yolks to the egg whites and mix them until creamy.
3. Slowly add the lemon juice to the eggs .
4. Mix half of a cup cold water and half of a cup warm broth/soup together in a medium/large bowl (making one cup of lukewarm water/broth so the eggs do not curdle)
5. Slowly add the lemon/egg mixture to the water/soup mixture. Stir slowly till blended. Then add another half cup of broth. Stir slowly till blended.
6. Slowly pour the mixture into the rice soup and stir till blended.

*If you like you can add a little dill, parsley, pepper to taste or green onions for extra flavour

Note: Ingredients for today’s recipe can be found at the St. James campus Good Food Market (200 King Street East, main lobby every Thursday 11:45am – 3:00pm)! Lemon ($0.40 each or 3 for $1.00), Green onion ($0.50 per bunch)

(Recipe adapted from http://weeshenanigans.blogspot.ca/2009/07/my-big-fat-greek-soup.html)

Fruit of the Week: Lemon

– A lemon is a small citrus fruit about 5-8 centimetres in diametre
– Lemon trees are classified as evergreens and originate from southern China/northern India
– Lemon trees typically grow to stand between 10 and 12 feet tall and grow best in tropical environments
– One study on the lemon’s genetic origins demonstrated that it was likely originally a hybrid between the citron (larger citrus fruit) and the bitter orange
– Most citrus fruits, the lemon included, originate as natural hybrids from one or more of four original citrus fruits: citron, mandarin, papeda and pummelo
– Because of its low pH balance, lemon juice is also antibacterial
– China and India are the world’s top lemon producers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buttery Lemon Parsley Noodles
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
– 1 pound Pasta (according to preference, for example fettuccine, Linguine, Angel Hair)
– 4 Tablespoons Butter
– 1/4 cup Finely Minced Parsley
– 1 whole Lemon
– Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. (If using angel hair, stop just short of the al dente stage.) Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the cooked pasta and cook it around in the butter for a couple of minutes so that a few of the noodles get a little bit of a pan-fried texture to them.
3. Zest the lemon. Squeeze in the juice, then add the zest of half the lemon.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss around and serve.

Note: Ingredients for today’s recipe can be found at the St. James campus Good Food Market (200 King Street East, main lobby every Thursday from 11:45 am to 3:00pm)! Lemon ($0.40 each or 3 for $1.00)

(Recipe taken from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/08/buttery-lemon-parsley-noodles/)

Vegetable of the Week: Potato pt. 2

– Potatoes were first grown in Ontario in the 1700s by French and British colonisers
– Potatoes are Ontario’s biggest fresh vegetable crop and second largest processing crop
– Potato planting season in Ontario is April through May
– Potato harvesting in Ontario begins in July and goes into the fall season
– Ontario potatoes are available throughout the year except for between April and July
– 1/3 of Ontario potatoes are sold for consumption after being harvested while 2/3 are stored so that they can be sold throughout the rest of the year
– At the right temperature, Ontario potatoes can be stored as long as 11 months
– Long, round white, round red, and sweet are the four classifications of potato in Ontario

Patates me lemoni (Greek Lemon Potatoes)
Makes approximately 6 servings

Ingredients:
– 5-6 medium to large potatoes (preferably with waxy peel)
– 1/2 – 2/3 cup lemon juice depending on preference for lemon flavour (lemon can be from a bottle or fresh squeezed)
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– 2 cloves minced garlic
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
– 2 cups broth (can use vegetable, chicken or lamb broth depending on preference)

Directions:
1. Cut medium to large potatoes into quarters
2. Let potato wedges sit in bowl of water while preparing marinade
3. Place all other ingredients in gallon-sized ziploc bag or in dutch oven/casserole dish with lid
4. Shake ziploc bag or stir dutch oven/dish to combine all ingredients
5. Dry off the potatoes with cloth or paper towel, gently pierce each potato chunk with a fork, put them in the bag/dish with the other ingredients so that they are covered and then let them marinate in the fridge for 2 hours. If putting them in casserole/dutch oven, lid should be on.
6. After 2 hours, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Put the potatoes and marinade in a large casserole (or if you marinated them in casserole dish/dutch oven keep them in there), preferably a white pyrex, approximately 13 x 9 x 3 oval.
8. Cook in oven for 1 hour and 10-30 minutes (until potatoes are soft). Stir/turn potatoes every 20-30 minutes
9. Take potatoes out of the oven once they are soft and let them cool

Potatoes are even better the next day after they’ve been in the fridge over night!

Veggie of the Week: Snap Pea pt. 3

Selection and Storage:
– Choose fresh, tender bright-green pods, which give an audible “snap” when broken
– Buy full, round, pods with smooth skin
– Avoid over-matured pods as they tend to have less flavor
– Avoid those with surface cuts, cracks, mold, and discoloration
– Snap peas may be frozen but should not be canned since high temperatures destroy the structure of the pods
– Fresh pods are sweeter and more nutritious so use them as soon as possible
– Snap peas can be stored in a plastic cover and placed inside the vegetable compartment of a fridge where they will remain tender and crispy for 2-3 days

Chilled Pea Broth with Lemon Cream

Chilled Pea Broth with Lemon Cream
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb sugar snap peas, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

Directions:
1. Cook onions in oil in a wide 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add sugar snap peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and bright green, 6 to 8 minutes. 3. Add sugar and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
4. Purée pea mixture with 6 cups water in a blender in 6 batches until very smooth, about 30 seconds per batch, then pour through a very fine sieve, discarding solids (do not press on solids).
5. Stir in salt and chill broth, covered, until very cold, about 8 hours. (Do not chill longer or soup will discolor.)
6. Whisk together sour cream, zest, and remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, then pour through a very fine sieve into another small bowl (to remove air bubbles).
7. Serve broth topped with lemon cream.
8. Enjoy!

Veggie of the Week: Kale

– Kale is also known as borecole
– Can have green or purple leaves
– Kale is related to broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts
– Can reach heights of six or seven feet!
– Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe
– Curly leafed and flat leafed cabbage existed in Greece in the fourth century BC which are considered to be the ancestors of today’s kale
– Kale leaf colours range from light green through dark green and violet-green to violet-brown
– Freezes well and tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost

Lemony Kale

Lemony Kale
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups torn stemmed kale
2 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch each salt and pepper

Directions:
1. In skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in kale; cook until slightly wilted and dark green, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Enjoy!