Persimmon Gelato

So, for Christmas I received an ice cream machine.  Not just any, but a retro yellow one.  It works really well.

The other day, while I still had persimmons in my house, I decided to make persimmon gelato.  This recipe is super easy and really delicious. Enjoy.

Persimmon Gelato

5 ripe fuyu persimmons, washed, peeled, & cored
1/4 cup milk
honey to sweeten


Place fruit in the blender or a food processor, add milk, and process until smooth.  Taste, and add more milk if you would like your gelato milkier.  Blend in honey 1 teaspoon at a time until desired sweetness.  Place in the ice cream maker and run the machine for about 20 min or as instructed.  Serve soft or place in the freezer until desired texture.  Also don't need need to use an ice cream maker if you don't own one.  Just place the puree in the freezer.

Serve with a cookie (I used a pizzelle), fruit, or by itself.

~Victoria

Indian Salad

India.  Both of my parents have been to India more than a couple of times.  It is my dream to serve and visit there.  I love everything about India.  One reason I do is because their cuisine is amazing.

I have grown up with this simple recipe.  It is much like raita, but has more vegetables than a yogurt base.  My Mother said she had a salad like this in India several times.

This salad flourishes with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and yogurt.  It is such a great combination with a spicy chicken or curry dish.  The yogurt and the vegetables make this salad cool and refreshing especially while eating spicy dishes.

Indian Salad

8 persian cucumbers, diced
1/2 small red onion, minced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
plenty of cilantro, ripped into smaller pieces
yogurt
a dash of cumin
salt and pepper

Add together the cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro in a bowl.  Next, add the yogurt a spoonful at a time.  You want the yogurt to really be there...coat the veggies really well.  Add a little cumin and salt and pepper to taste.    

~

Roasted Carrots with Sage

 Carrots make a great snack and they sure are a favorite in our house.  Some of us enjoy them cooked, raw, or either way.  Here is an easy recipe to have as a side dish or even for a main course. 

Roasted Carrots with Sage

plenty of fresh sage
8-10 whole carrots
juice from 1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place washed carrots in a baking dish.  Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice.  Scatter the sage leaves all over.  Finish off with salt and pepper.

Bake carrots until desired softness.

Soon you will have melt in your mouth carrots.  Yum!

~Victoria

Chicken Lime Salad

My lunch.

Chicken Lime Salad
Serves 1

1/4 cup chopped chicken
2 peppercinis
green olives 2-3
a squeeze of lime
drizzle of olive oil
cracked pepper
spring greens such as spinach, arugula, radicchio, frisee
1/8 cup red bell pepper, chopped
cilantro to garnish
feta to top
broccoli

Combine and eat.


~Victoria

Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving.  To be honest, I'm not a big fan of turkey...or stuffing...or gravy.  This doesn't mean I won't ever eat them, I just don't because I have other food items to look forward to on Thanksgiving.  Plus, I believe they taste better.

  Mashed potatoes, corn pudding, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie are what I lean towards eating.  Also, I can't forget cranberry relish.

Cranberries.  Apples.  Oranges.  Apricots.  Raisins. A touch of cinnamon.  Sugar.  Pecans.

It's perfect.

This recipe is from my Grandmother and was passed to my Mother, and now to me.  I hope you put this in your menu for next year.  You won't regret it.

Cranberry Relish
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

3 cups or 12 ounces fresh, whole cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 whole orange, quartered and seeded
1 tart apple, quartered and cored
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Coarsely grind cranberries, orange, and apple.  Stir in sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Cook raisins and apricots in 1/2 cup water over medium heat until raisins are plump, for about 5-10 minutes.  Drain the water.

Stir in raisins, apricots and pecans into the relish.  Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to be merry.

I hope you relish this relish as much as I do.

Take joy in!
~Victoria    

Making Clementine Marmalade

Marmalade.  

Some may be familiar with this type of preserve.  Some may not.  Whatever the case, it is tangy and sweet.

The other day, we brought home 3 five gallon buckets of clementines.  I just had to cook with them.  That is when I ran across a marmalade recipe.

Today, the recipe is from Caitlin from Roost.  Her concoction is simple and so delightful.  She also made almond meal biscuits to go along with the marmalade.  They are perfect together.  After you make this recipe, I hope you enjoy your very own clementine marmalade.

You can find the original recipe here

Clementine Vanilla Bean Marmalade
Yields about 2 cups

7 clementines
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (I ran three clementines through my juicer and it yielded exactly 1/2 cup of juice)
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1/4 cup honey

In order to remove the bitter taste from the peel you first needs to blanch the clementines. Slice the clementines as thin as you can and place them in a pot with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Pour more cold water into the pot, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and let clementines cool in the pot.

Chop clementines into small pieces and return to pot. Add juice and honey. Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until the temperature gets to about 220F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla seeds. Allow to cool before adding to clean jars for storage.

~

Rosemary Almond Meal Biscuits
4 larger or 6 smaller biscuits

2 1/2 cups almond flour, plus 1/2 cup for dusting the dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup grape seed oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon  honey
1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary or thyme

Combine almond flour (2 1/2 cups), salt, rosemary and baking soda in a bowl. Mix together the oil, eggs and honey in a separate bowl. Mix your wet ingredients into your dry until a nice dough forms.

Roll your dough between two sheets of parchment paper, sprinkling extra flour to avoid sticking. For larger biscuits roll dough to about 1 inch thick and cut biscuits using a biscuit cutter or the mouth of a mason jar. For smaller biscuits roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick.

Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake on 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.

Remove from oven, slather with marmalade and savor with tea!

You can also eat your marmalade by swirling it in oatmeal or yogurt.  I can imagine it paring perfectly with a creamy goat cheese.  Marmalade with soy sauce would make a great marinade for salmon.  The possibilities are endless, so enjoy it while it lasts.

You may also want to can it and give it as a gift.

Now go and make marmalade!

~Victoria

  

Favorite Teas

Straight in the morning while dew is outside one's window.  A cup right before bed.  Tea.  Iced or piping hot, it is treasure in a cup.

My tea schedule:

Morning:

Earl grey

English breakfast

Irish Breakfast

Chai

Jasmine

Oolong

Mid-Evening:

Rooibos

Mint

Night:

Chamomile

Anything herbal


~