Tag: Lemons

Beer Steamed Clams and Mussels

It is fitting that I am able to host this giveaway so close to my blog anniversary! One of my biggest inspirations for learning how to cook and starting a blog to document it was Cooking Light Magazine. My mom on a whim picked up a copy of the magazine while at the supermarket. As I paged through, I was surprised with how simple the recipes seemed to be and how absolutely delicious they all sounded. After cooking a couple of the recipes, I was hooked. Three years later, Cooking Light remains a huge inspiration as I continue to learn how to cook.

One of the best parts of learning to cook is being able to experience different cultures in your very own kitchen. America alone has a ton of different cooking styles with different areas and cities having signature dishes. Allison Fishman Task, a contributing editor of Cooking Light, traveled across America to discover native dishes across the nation. The lightened up versions can be found in Lighten Up. America! Favorite American Foods Made Guilt-Free. The cookbook tackles everything from fried green tomatoes to Philly cheesesteaks.

You can win a copy of this cookbook for your very own! Details after the recipe…

I am always in search of new seafood recipes so I gravitated towards the recipe for Beer Steamed Clams and Mussels. To Philadelphia-ize it, I used a local beer from Philly Brewing Company called Walt Wit.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 shallots, chopped
  • 5 sprigs marjoram
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bottle Walt Wit (or another Belgian White)
  • the juice and zest of one orange, divided
  • 10 clams (I used larger clams but I’d suggest using Littlenek)
  • 24 mussels in shells, scrubbed and debearded
  • 6 lemon wedges

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Shrimp Scampi

Seafood is a great weeknight meal because it cooks up so quickly. The only problem is getting to the supermarket to get it because you don’t really want seafood sitting in your fridge for more than a few days. A few weeks ago, my supermarket was having a sale on uncooked frozen shrimp so I grabbed two bags to use for a quick meal.

I somehow have never made Shrimp Scampi, so when I saw a version on Cooking Planit, I decided it was about time! This recipe takes about 30 minutes if you buy the shrimp already peeled, deveined, and with the tails removed. (I have a review of Cooking Planit within my Braised Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Polenta with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta post if you’d like to read more about this app.)

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds shrimp (about 20 shrimp)
  • the juice and zest of two lemons
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 lb angel hair pasta
  • salt and pepper, to taste

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Rhuby-Lavender Lemonade

This weekend, we had two beautiful spring days: a little bit of chill in the air but sunshine and clear skies. To celebrate the return of outdoor weather, I wanted to make a lemonade. I found this Martha Stewart recipe for Lavender Lemonade and kicked it up a notch by adding in some Rhubarb Tea, a spirit made here in Philadelphia by the people at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (the same makers of Sage, Root, and Snap).

Rhubarb Tea, or Rhuby, is made from rhubarb, beets, carrots, lemon, petitgrain (an essential oil extracted from the green twigs of a bitter orange plant), cardamom, pink peppercorns, coriander, vanilla, and pure cane sugar and delivers a tangy yet sweet flavor, perfect for this drink! Even better, the ingredients are all certified organic.

Ingredients (this recipe makes 4 drinks):

  • 4 lemons
  • 1/2 cup dried lavender
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 6 oz Rhubarb tea

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Chili Oil Hummus

Hummus is probably my favorite snack. On days I don’t feel like cooking, I tend to grab some hummus with pita, tomatoes, cucumbers, or anything else that will work as a yummy vehicle for the hummus. It’s also really delicious as a spread on a sandwich instead of mayo. So I usually have at least one container of hummus in my fridge at any moment. But homemade hummus is exponentially better than the store bought stuff. Plus, you can customize it to your liking.

I recently watched a video of the hummus master himself, James Beard winner Michael Solomonov. Mike Solo has arguably the best hummus found in Philly, at his restaurant Zahav. I wanted to attempt to make my own creamy hummus at home. I tend to like mine slightly spicy, which can be achieved by adding a lot of garlic. But I have this awesome Nudo Chili Olive Oil, so I thought I’d include that to give it a bit of a kick, so I decided to make this Chili Oil Hummus!

Ingredients:
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup Tahini sesame seed paste
  • the juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons chili olive oil (I used Nudo)
  • Paprika, for garnish
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish

 

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