Monday, June 3, 2013

Something Sweet, Preserved Lemon Roundup, and June's Community Recipe Announcement!


This week it's all about desserts...



Sweet treats...


and recipes with sweet ingredients.

Make and post your Something Sweet on or by Sunday, June 9th.  Don't forget to link your dish, as well as your thumbnail image, below.  Please remember to leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome pageIf you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Pattycake, Pattycake theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the fabulous dishes everyone made.


The Optional Monthly Community Recipe for May was Preserved Lemons/Quick Pickled Lemons!



The quick pickled lemons were easy to make, very fragrant, and really colorful and bright.  Part of the challenge was to use the pickled lemons in a recipe.  Everyone chose to pair their lemons with a patty of some sort.  The lemons were served as a relish with some flavorful chicken patties, a condiment for some gorgeous fishcakes, and a topping for a delicious veggie burger.  Check out the recipes below.


Joyce, from Kitchen Flavours, made Chicken Meatballs with Preserved Lemon and Harissa Relish.  Joyce's chicken patties were a lovely mixture of ground chicken, corn kernels, and fresh chile, as well as herbs, seasonings, and spices.  Not only did Joyce rise to the challenge of making the quick pickled lemons, but she also made her own harissa paste and combined the two into one gorgeous Preserved Lemon and Harissa Relish that looks simply stunning on the plate.  Joyce gave the relish and the chicken meatballs a thumbs up! Great job with the challenge, Joyce!


My lovely co-host and friend, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen, made Fish and Caper Patties with Burnt Eggplant and Lemon Pickle.  Deb's fish patties were made with a local mahi and served with a perfectly golden brown crust alongside some rather seductive burnt eggplant (Note: I have got to try that burnt eggplant).  Deb thought the quick pickled lemons added a sweet, strong, fragrant punch to the dish.  I imagine the lemons would be a perfect accompaniment to the fish!


 They say great minds think alike and I have to agree.  My equally lovely co-host and friend, Sue of Couscous & Consciousness, was on the same page with Deb this week.  She also made Ottolenghi's Fish and Caper Kebobs with Burnt Aubuergine and Quick Lemon Pickle.  After two such wonderful reviews I am convinced I need to try this dish!  Sue is a fan of both preserved lemons and the quick pickled lemons and found the quick pickled lemons incredibly moreish.  Sue loves the quick pickled lemons so much she has decided to make them a "refrigerator staple" so she will have them on hand for all sorts of dishes. 


Over at Stirring the Pot, I made Ottolenghi's Fava Bean Burger (my favorite veggie burger to date) and topped the burger with two slices of the most unique pickle I've ever had, pickled lemons.  I thought the spices in the quick pickled lemons really paired nicely with the burger.  The lemons added a spicy refreshing quality to the burger.  I'm eager to try the lemons in future recipes!

The Optional Monthly Community Recipe for June is Hummus!!

Ottolenghi has several versions of hummus in his cookbooks.  Feel free to try your hand at any of them.  If you need a little inspiration, there is a video of Ottolenghi making a warm hummus below. 
 
  Please feel free to make and post your hummus in place of any theme or even as a bonus recipe for the month.  Hummus would fit in nicely with our Got a Pulse theme which runs the very last week of June. 

We really appreciate and enjoy all the wonderful dishes you are sharing with us!!

12 comments:

Deb in Hawaii said...

Thanks for rounding up the lemons Kim! The quick ones were easy and delicious. Looking forward to finding a new hummus recipe this month now.
;-)

Jason said...

You have made me very hungry! lol

Zosia said...

After much deliberation, I went with a delicious, traditional Middle Eastern style cake from the book Jerusalem.

Couscous & Consciousness said...

Thanks for doing a great round-up, Kim. I'm really looking forward to exploring a few Ottolenghi variations on hummus.

kitchen flavours said...

Lovely roundup Kim! Will be looking up for hummus recipes!

Kim said...

Thanks everyone! I enjoyed reading about everyone's pickled lemons and all the possibilities. I'm going to make my hummus recipe this week and I can't wait. It's been too long since I've made hummus at home (I buy it from the store way too often).

Kim said...

Just a heads up: I just got through making YO's Basic Hummus. The 1 cup of tahini may be way too much, depending on your personal taste. I'm glad I tasted my hummus after adding 1/2 the tahini because that's all I ended up using. I fear the 1 cup of tahini makes the hummus taste of tahini instead of chickpeas. Also, just my personal opinion, the hummus needs a little more lemon juice to brighten things up a bit. I also noticed my hummus was a little too thick (personal preference again) so I added a bit more cold water and a couple tablespoons of olive oil to thin it out a little more. My end goal was a very smooth and creamy hummus, not a paste or spread. And, lastly, garlic lovers will need to add more garlic. Probably double the garlic. After making those changes, the hummus is absolutely delicious. Can't wait to add the ground lamb and lemon sauce!

Deb in Hawaii said...

I adapted Ottolenghi's Walnut & Fruit Crumble Cream to include blueberries and LOVED it! (Especially the spiced cream mixture.) A perfect comfort-food dessert. ;-)

kitchen flavours said...

Made apple fritters! Very good snack for tea-time!
Kim, thanks for the tips on the hummus!

Couscous & Consciousness said...

I haven't had a moment to myself this week, so I'm cheating a little and I've linked up the Spice Cookies I made last week.

Looking forward to life getting back to normal next make, and having a go at Ottolenghi's hummus - thanks for all the tips Kim.

Kim said...

I love sweet dates so I took this opportunity to try them in the VERY popular Baby Spinach Salad with Date and Almonds. So delicious! Feels very indulgent and exotic. Love it!

Nupur said...

Thats a wonderful roundup .. so looking forward towards linking my recipes now :)