Fresh Margaritas on the Rocks

The key to a great margarita is fresh lemon and lime juice (and a good-tasting tequila, of course). The store-bought sour or margarita mixes just can't compare. This recipe serves six because it's an effort to freshly-squeeze the citrus, so you might as well make a big batch while you're still sober!

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 1/2 cups tequila

1/2 cup orange liqueur

ice

Kosher salt

Make simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allowing the sugar to dissolve in the water. Once dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.

In a shaker filled half full with ice, combine all ingredients with half of the simple syrup. Shake and taste. Adjust the flavors adding more syrup or booze as needed. 

Rub the rim of four margarita glasses with a piece of lemon or lime wedge that you already juiced and dip the rim into kosher salt to line the glass (optional).

Pour margaritas and ice into prepared glasses and serve.

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Shake

This shake is so thick and creamy, you won't notice that there is no ice cream in it! Freezing the banana makes a good substitute for ice cream, the peanut butter gives it extra thickness and chocolate soy milk gives it a silky quality. It makes an equally good breakfast as dessert!

This is also a great way to use bananas that are getting too ripe. Just slice them, lay them out on a plate and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, move the banana slices to a freezer bag and then use them in this shake or other fruit smoothies as needed. 

You will need a blender that can crush ice.

1 banana, sliced and frozen

2 T. peanut butter

1 cup chocolate soy milk

Place frozen bnana slices in the blender. I try to let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to get the frost off before I turn the blender on. I think this reduces the chance that you'll get a frozen chunk of banana in your shake. 

Add peanut butter and soy milk. Turn blender on high or ice-crushing setting for 20 secnds or until smooth.

When life brings you lemons...

make Limoncello!

My husband and I went to Monte Carlo for our honeymoon, close enough to Italy that they serve the delicious lemon liquor Limoncello at the end of every meal. When my in-laws brought us a bag of lemons from California a few weeks ago, we decided to learn how to make this lemony libation.

All you need is a middle-of-the-road vodka like Pinnacle, a peeler to remove the rinds from your lemons and some simple syrup. Because you don't use the lemon juice in Limoncello,  you'll have about a cup of the versatile juice to use in sweet and savory dishes the rest of the week!

Essential Kitchen Gadgets

• Grater
• Strainer

Ingredients

• 5 lemons
• 2 cups of vodka
• 2 cups of sugar

Instructions

Wash lemons and peel the rind off of them in strips, being careful to not peel so deep that you get the white underside of the rind. (Squeeze the juice out of the lemons and set juice aside.) Combine peels with vodka in a sealed container and let sit at room temperature from 1 week to 1 month. Shake it occasionally.

Strain peels out of vodka and mix with simple syrup. Make simple syrup by heating sugar in 2 cups of water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Bottle your limoncello and store it in the fridge or freezer. It also makes a great gift!

Now for that leftover lemon juice. It's hard to find lemon recipes that don't also include the zest of the rind. But here's a few good options to choose from. If you don't have the opportunity to use it right away, pour your lemon juice in ice cube trays, freeze and and store the lemon juice cubes in a freezer bag for later use.

A big batch of Lemonade


Hummus
Add one 15-oz. can of chick peas (drained and rinsed) and 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic to food processor and pulse until chopped. Add 1/4 c. water, 2 T. tahini, 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 T. olive oil and 1/4 t. salt, and dash of black pepper. Pulse until smooth. Add other fresh herbs or spices as desired. Serve with pita chips.


Mayonnaise
Add two large egg yolks, 1 t. dark mustard and 4 t. fresh lemon juice to food processor and pulse until well combined. While processor is running, slowly add 1 cup oil until mixture turns white and thick. Season with salt, pepper and other herbs and spices as desired. Store in an air-tight container for one week. (If raw egg yolks scare you, I've also heard you can poach the eggs in vinegar water before adding them to the mixture. Never tried it!)



Lemon Marinade for Fish
Combine equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. Add some minced garlic, salt, pepper and other herbs and seasonings as desired, and whisk together. Place fish filets in a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over top. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then flip filets to marinate on the other side. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Garnish with fresh herbs. Best for white fish like tilapia, halibut, cod, etc.



Lemon Cheese Pie
Make your pie crust of choice in a 9-inch pie pan, bake and let cool. I like to use a graham cracker crust.  (Pulse 6 oz. of graham crackers in food processor. Add 2 T. sugar, 1/4 t. coarse salt, and 3 T. unsalted butter, melted. Press the mixture into the bottom and along the sides of pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.)

For filling, combine 1 package of softened cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 T. fresh lemon juice, and 2 eggs and beat on high with an electric mixture for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture into cooled pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Pie should be slightly firm, but not browned on top. Cool on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Before serving, whip together 1/2 c. heavy cream, 2 T. confectioners' sugar and 1/2 t. vanilla. Top entire pie with whipped cream.
It's perfectly delicious on it's own, but I sometimes serve it with fresh berries on the side if I have them.

Country Fair Lemonade

You don't need to wait for summer fairs and festivals to enjoy great fresh squeezed lemonade. On the first hot day of the year (which was Jan. 30 for us in North Carolina), nothing helps you pretend it really is summer like having a frosty glass of lemonade after a long walk.

Suggested Kitchen Gadget

Cocktail Shaker

Basic Ingredients
1 lemon (or lime)
1/2 cup sugar
water
ice

Instructions
Make simple syrup by heating 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a pan over medium heat just until the sugar is dissolved.

Cut the lemon in half and remove any visible seeds. In a cocktail shaker (or two kitchen cups, one larger than the other), squeeze half the lemon into the larger of the two cups. Add the squeezed lemon half, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of the simple syrup and some ice. (Adjust these quantities depending on how juicy your lemon is and how sweet you want your lemonade.) Place the mouth of the smaller cup inside the larger to form a seal and shake vigorously. Pour all contents into a serving glass.

Repeat for a second glass of lemonade.

If making limeade, add some grenadine (adjusting the amount of simple syrup if needed) to make cherry limeade!

Fruit Smoothies

It's the healthy milkshake... frozen, creamy, and a great way to get in a full day's serving of fruit and calcium before you even leave the house!

Essential kitchen gadgets

• Blender that will chop ice

Basic ingredients

• Banana -- The banana gives you thickness and a more milkshake-like texture. I suggest using one that has already started to get some brown spots because it will also add sweetness. If you don't like the taste of bananas, you may not even notice the flavor depending on the other ingredients you add. But you can forego the banana if you are allergic or really don't like the flavor.
• Yogurt or cultured milk -- Adjust the amount to give you the level of creaminess you desire. I use plain yogurt or cultured milk because I like the tanginess it provides in contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. But you can use vanilla yogurt or another sweetened fruit flavor that compliments your other ingredients.
• Frozen fruit -- The possibilities are endless! My favorites are peaches, mangoes and any kind of berry. This is often the most pricey ingredient in your smoothie. To reduce the cost, either buy in bulk at a place like Costco, OR, if you have the patience, buy fruit and berries you like when they are in season and freeze them yourself. If you do the latter, be sure to wash them and then place them (not touching) on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen. Then throw them in a freezer bag until you're ready to use.
• Juice -- This is what makes it possible to drink your smoothie. You'll need enough liquid for your blender to combine all the ingredients, but you can add more to make it thinner. I use orange juice (fortified with calcium) most often because it's sweet and I always have it on hand. Other good choices are pineapple juice or any kind of fruit nectar.
• Sweetener -- I don't ever use an additional sweetener, but you certainly could if you're using ingredients that aren't as naturally sweet as you'd like your smoothie. I would use honey because it will blend in well.

Instructions

Combine one banana, ~1/2 cup yogurt or cultured milk, ~1 cup of frozen fruit, ~1/2 cup juice and any sweetener you may add. Blend on a setting that will chop ice for 20 to 30 seconds, or until desired consistency.

Serving

If you make these often, get a re-usable, insulated "to-go" cup with a straw, like this one I got from Starbucks. It will keep your smoothie cold for at least an hour. Great way to take it with you as you embark on your day!