Lemon Curd

I usually end up in a situation where I end up with either extra egg yolks or extra egg whites, and I’m always looking for recipes I can make that will use up whichever part of the egg I have extra of.   I made a white cake the other day, and that left me with extra egg yolks.  I thought about making pudding, but then some fresh lemons caught my eye.  After about 2 seconds of consideration, I immediately decided to make lemon curd instead.

I find lemon curd to be really light and refreshing.  I am sure that I ate more than my fair share before I offered some to my family.  I like my lemon curd on the tart side, so I used less sugar.  But if you would like it more sweet, I would recommend you use the full amount.

What you need:

4 -6 Tbs sugar (I like my lemon curd to be tart, but if you prefer it more sweet, add the full amount)

Zest of 1 lemon

3 large egg yolks*

½ c lemon juice

4 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces

What you do:

Combine the first four ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil the mixture for one minute, stirring constantly.  Then remove the pot from the heat and add the butter, one piece at a time, incorporating each slice before adding the next one. 

*Most recipes for lemon curd call for the entire egg, and then require you to strain the mixture.  That is because the egg whites and the yolks cook at different times, which can lead to little curdled bits.  Because we are using just the yolks, we can bypass the straining step.

Transfer the curd to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap comes into contact with the entire surface of the curd.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. 

Serve on top of toast, with scones, muffins, or pancakes.

Summer Vacation!

Last week I told you all I was going on vacation, and since I promised to show you pictures, here they are!  We went to New York City for a few days before sailing on a cruise ship to Bermuda.  It was a wonderful trip!

The ball in Times Square.  It's a lot smaller in person!

We also visited Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue, and Central Park.

We at lunch at Carnegie Deli one day.  Look at the size of this sandwich! They were all that big!  Note to self: If I ever go there again, one sandwich can easily feed four people!

All to soon we said goodbye New York and were on our way to Bermuda!

 Here we are enjoying our first dinner together on our ship, the Norwegian Breakaway.

Of course we had to go to the beach while we were there!  We found our own private cove to enjoy.

The water here is so incredibly beautiful.  I wanted to take it all back with me!

We also visited Crystal Cave near St. George's.  It always amazes me to see such incredible natural structures. 

A view from the streets of St. George's.

Again, this water.  I love it.

We found working old fashion telephone booths!  Finding items such as these in the 21st century is really exciting to me.

These are just a tiny tiny handful of the pictures I took and the memories I made while in Bermuda.  I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer- you deserve it!

Asian Tuna Salad

This post is coming a few days earlier than normal, but that is because my family is going on vacation until May 31^st!  My sister won the ASCAP (a music composition award), so we will be spending a few days in New York City attending a ceremony honoring her achievements before heading on a cruise to Bermuda!  Needless to say, I am very excited!  I won’t be able to post while I’m gone, so I will leave you with this recipe and then share photos and stories upon my arrival back home.

Let’s talk tuna! 

To be honest, I hated canned tuna for the longest time.  It’s still not one of my go-to foods, but I have grown to tolerate (dare I say enjoy?) it more.  This recipe is a unique spin off of traditional tuna salad.  Instead of mayonnaise, the binding agent here is a miso salad dressing my mom found at Costco.  

This dressing is great!  I love it on top of my mom's homemade garden burgers. 

What you need:

1 3.5 oz can tuna

2 Tbs chopped carrots

2 Tbs chopped celery

1 Tbs chopped green onion

1 Tbs peanuts

What you do:

Drain the tuna.  Combine all ingredients and serve with crackers, over a bed of lettuce, or on toast.

I'll see you all in two weeks!