Candied Golden Limes ~ What to do with Calamansi?

So it might be that lately I am a little, just a teeny, tiny bit, obsessed with calamondins which are also known as calamansi. A lot of it has to do with the fact that they are a relatively unknown local fruit. Truly, I feel like the fruit version of a modern day orchid hunter when I rediscover some hitherto unknown or fallen out of favour produce. Some of you might remember me getting a wee bit crazy over rumberries, and then again with purslane?

I have had my eye on this fruit for a couple of years and have been wanting to blog about it for the longest while. 

Rather surprisingly, I did not find this in a some remote country district but in a suburb of the capital city where it was being grown as an ornamental by an elderly, Chinese, gentleman. The small tree is quite beautiful when laden down with orange fruit which are about the size of limes. They have an intense, fragrant smell-like Portugals (tangerines) but don't be fooled by the heady aroma. Bite into one and you will be in for a screwed up, sour faced surprise........ugh they are so very sour! Yet, if you know what to do with them, they can be utterly delightful.

Camalodins or calamansi are also known as Chinese oranges or golden limes. The fruit starts off green, then turns yellow and finally orange. It can be used when green since it is just as sour green as it is in its orange state. The fruit is thought to have originated in China and is most likely the result of a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin. It is grown here mainly as an ornamental but not much is done with the fruit outside of using it to season fish. It is quite popular in the Phillipines where it is used commercially in juices and marmalade. 

Now can we talk about breakfast? More importantly, can we discuss how these darling, candied limes have turned my boring, healthy, yoghurt and oatmeal breakfasts into desserts? 

Yum, I love the idea of dessert for breakfast, don't you? 

Candied Calamansi 

Ingredients

1 lb calamansi

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Lay some waxed or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup granulated sugar on the paper. 

Slice calamansi into thin rounds and remove the seeds. Combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir a few minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved and syrupy. 

Add the calamansi slices and cook until they are translucent. Drain the rinds and lay on the sugared, parchment paper to dry. Let dry overnight or a couple of days. Store in an airtight container.

WARNING: Usually I end a recipe with a cook's tip. This time around I think it more appropriate to end with a warning.  I strongly advise that you do not under for any reason dip these in chocolate! Trust me on this. I am not to be held responsible if you ignore this warning and end up consuming a pound of chocolate covered calamansi in one sitting. Yeah, it.....uhmmmm......has been known to happen.....just saying.

Caribbean Smashed Potatoes

I'm here to talk about smashing stuff.

Can I confess that more often than not I arrive home in a mood that is more conducive to smashing things, rather than preparing dinner.

These potatoes are two thumbs up, high five, secret handshake delicious AND they have the added bonus of giving you an outlet for burning off some of the day's stress.
.
Here is how you go about pretending that you are crushing your boss' giant potato head making these smashing good potatoes.

SMASHED POTATOES

Ingredients
12 potatoes (small to medium sized potatoes)
2  tsps kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Herbs (* you can pretty much use any of your favourite herb blends. Fresh rosemary is nice. Herbs de Provence or Italian herbs are great too. Here I have used green seasoning which is a staple in every Trinidadian's kitchen.

METHOD
Boil your potatoes in water salted with 1 tsp of salt. Cook the potatoes until they are tender. Check that the centers are cooked through by piercing with a fork or bamboo skewer.

Preheat your oven to 450°F

Drain the potatoes.  Brush a large baking tray with oil. 

Use a potato smasher to pulverize those puppies.

Brush the smashed potatoes with oil. 

Be generous. 

Sprinkle with your favourite blend of herbs. 

Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher or a coarse grained sea salt. The larger grains cling to the crispy skins just a little bit better than table salt. 

Roast potatoes in the oven at 450°F until they are crispy. This should take about 30 minutes.



Cooks Tip: You can do the prep work - boiling and flattening the potatoes- the night before. Then all you have to do the next day is cover them with oil, herbs and salt before roasting them.

As a final note I'd like to make mention that I am very honoured to have been featured in this month's newsletter of Simply Trini Cooking. Click the link to head on over to the website and subscribe to get your free copy. I wonder if you can guess which one of my recipes is being showcased?

Secrets to a Delicious Trinidadian Fish Broth

Today is a feel good day and all you need is fish broth,

or maybe it's not such a great day.

I'm sorry.

Well now you definitely need fish with a squeeze of lime, layered over rough- chopped, root vegetables and green bananas, some salt, green seasoning and a hot pepper. This will cure what ails you.

Promise.

In Trinidad, fish soup is called 'broff' (broth) but there is little about it that is broth-like. In the Caribbean our soups serve as main meals and are heavy, flavoursome and 'chunked' full of high-fibre, starchy root vegetables. 

Fish broth calls for un-fancy fish. When I was a child we would vacation at beach houses in Mayaro and one of my favourite things to do was to wake just before the sun, run down the beach and help fishermen 'pull seine' ( pull in their nets ). At the end of the haul you were sure to be rewarded with the small fish that weren't suitable for sale but which were perfect for making fry dry or broth. 

Pay attention.

This is important.

These are the secrets.

Rule number one:

You can not make fish broth without fish heads. Well you can but my father will tell you that you are making dishwater, not broth. 

Fish heads with their hugely, surprised eyes staring back at you from your bowl of soup are creepy. Believe me I share your pain but get over it because tucked inside those heads are bits of fat, cartilage and connective tissues. All of this will render out into your soup making it richer and sweeter. 

Rule number two: 

Understand that this is essentially just a frugal meal of water, cheap fish and vegetables so that you have to give this the love it deserves in the form of fresh herbs.

This is not a suggestion.

Here is where you will find use for that green seasoning marinade that I told you about two months ago. 

My grandmother used to serve this to me in a chipped enamel bowl. I have yet to taste anything better coming out of a restaurant on a fancy plate, as this humble broth. It's just that good really if you follow two simple rules. 

Trinidadian Fish Broth

For the Marinade
2lbs Fish cleaned ( at least 2 or 3 heads)
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic  (minced)
3 tablespoons green seasoning
1 tsp salt

Broth
6 green figs/bananas (cooked, peeled and sliced)
2 tablespoons Golden Ray margarine ( or vegetable oil, or butter)

 2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion ( minced)
1 tablespoon green seasoning
8 cups water

Root Vegetables / Ground Provisions
3 small potatoes peeled and diced
3 small eddoes (taro) peeled and diced
1 medium dasheen (taro) peeled and diced
3 small tannia ( yautia)
* Amounts don't have to be exact if you don't have one type just use a little more of the others that you do have on hand

1/2 stalk celery ( chopped)
1 medium tomato sliced
1 tsp salt
pepper sauce to taste (optional)

Mix 2 tsp lime juice in 1/4 cup of water. Put fish in a glass mixing bowl and wash   in this mixture of lime water. Throw away the excess water. Rub the minced garlic, green seasoning, and salt all over the fish. Cover fish and set aside in fridge for 30 mins - 1hr or overnight.

Next prepare the Green figs. Green fig is the Trinidadian name for green cooking bananas. Cut off the top and bottom ends of the green figs/bananas. Place into a large pot of water with about a tablespoon of oil.  The uncooked peel of the green figs/bananas secretes a sticky juice that might stain your pot. The oil prevents the skin of the green figs/bananas from staining the pot and makes for an easier clean up. Pierce the figs/bananas with a fork to see if they have cooked through. When they are done remove and let cool. They will peel easily now that they are cooked. Peel, slice and set aside.

In a large stock pot, saute the onion and garlic in butter or oil or Golden Ray margarine until translucent and fragrant. Add green seasoning. Saute about 30 seconds then add all the water.

Add all the root vegetables, celery, tomato, salt, vegetables and scotch bonnet pepper and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender. Roughly 15 - 20 mins depending on size of your root vegetables.

Keep an eye on the pepper throughout the cooking and make sure it does not burst. The heat from the pepper will be unbearable if it does.

Add the green figs/ bananas and the fish. Reduce heat and simmer fish 5-7 mins.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Adding more salt, lime and or pepper to your taste.

Lemon Cheesecake with Pistachio Nut Crust (Gluten Free)

I found this note stuck to my fridge.

WARNING:

Eat anymore of this cheesecake and containment will no longer be an option. Have just one more slice and I will tender my resignation. 

Sincerely 

Your Jeans.

I am never ever making this cheesecake again.

If I never make this cake again it will be too soon.

I ate far more of this than was considered polite, certainly far more than is healthy or even sane. 

I am making this cheesecake again tomorrow.

Not for me because my jeans would stage a revolt. 

A friend asked me to make this for her daughter's birthday and I am happy to oblige.

This cheesecake is meant to be shared.

Your jeans will thank you if you do;-)

Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Pistachio Nut Crust (Gluten Free)
Yeild: one 9" round cheesecake
* recipe adapted from The Shiksa in the Kitchen

1 cup lemon curd ( warmed slightly)

PISTACHIO CRUST 

2/3 cup shelled pistachio nuts (salted)

1/2 cup cassava farine 

1/3 cup granulated sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING 

3 8oz packages of Philladelpia cream cheese

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream

2 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

Remove cream cheese, eggs and butter from the fridge and bring all ingredients to room temperature before you begin.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of your springform pan with butter. Cut a 9" round  parchment paper circle and place on the bottom of your spring form pan. 

Put the pistachio nuts, cassava farine, sugar and salt in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely processed. Let the machine run and drizzle the melted butter int the nuts. Once all the butter has been added put the crumb mixture in the prepared springform pan. Use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula and press the crumbs evenly on the bottom and about half way up the sides of the pan.

Bake the crust in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 mins until the crust starts to brown and smells fragrant. You will notice that the crust puffs up a bit and swells rather like a pastry pie crust. This is because cassava swells when it absorbs the moisture from the butter. Simply press it back in place with the back of a spoon when you remove it from the oven. 

To make the filling:

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until fluffy ( approx 2 mins). Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds more.

Grease the sides of the pan with butter. I find it easier to use a baking spray. Spoon the filling into the pre-baked crust and spread out evenly. Warm lemon curd slightly in the microwave. (I made the mistake of using mine straight from the fridge and it was too cold. As a result the curd sank to the bottom and my cake did not have a pretty marbled pattern). Drop lemon curd by spoonfuls randomly over the cake and run a butter knife through the curd to make a swirling pattern.

Fill a baking dish with warm water and place it on the lower shelf in the oven. Place the cheesecake on the shelf above the water filled tray.

Bake the cheesecake at 350 degrees F for for 50 to 60 mins. The center of the cheesecake will still be slightly wobbly. It will firm up when cool. Leave the oven door slightly adjar and let the cheesecake cool for an hour, Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until the pan no longer feels warm to the touch. 

Refrigerate overnight before serving.

It's no big deal, Lemon curd (Microwave Version)

A spoonful of lemon curd over my breakfast makes my medicine oatmeal go down in the most delightful way! To really appreciate how HUGE a deal that is for me I direct your attention to this.

Those of you who make curd on the stove top know that it involves stirring, stirring, stirring AND stirring over a low heat until the thing thickens. It's a tedious process during which my mind wanders. I start thinking about socks and laundry, I make the grocery list in my head.  I wonder.....dagnabbit will this thing be done in time for the next episode of Game of Thrones? I look down......

Gah! I have scrambled eggs. Not cool.

Today you are gonna want to high five-me.

If we aren't already friends, you are going to want to be my friend.

Hello friends! I have an easy peasy lemon curd recipe for you. It seriously is no big deal to make this. No scrambled eggs, I promise.

The hardest part is keeping the spoon out of your mouth between stirs.  

FYI, you might not want to do that as I have it on good authority that hot lemon curd burns like a motha!

That’s real.

Before this, I purchased lemon curd at the gourmet shop. An extravagance to be sure since this one little jar of curd costs a small fortune. But those days are behind me since I discovered this recipe.

The microwave has got to be the strangest invention of modern times. Almost everyone owns one of these giant, space-age looking heaters but few actually cook with it.

I am one of the few.  Until now....

now I cook curd, a lot of curd.

Please don't freak out.....it's just juice, eggs, sugar and butter stirred in the microwave.

You can totally do this.

And when you are done put a dollop over your porridge,

in your yogurt

or on your pancakes,

bake a lemon meringue pie

or just eat it straight from the spoon, cause yeah ..........that's not strange, not in the least, especially not in my home.

Lemon Curd ( Microwave )

yield 2 cups

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (unsweetened)
3 eggs

1 tsp of lemon zest

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter (melted)

pinch salt

METHOD
Add sugar to lemon juice and taste. Add more sugar a tablespoon at at time until you are satisfied with the taste. Most recipes I have seen call for a cup of sugar so my using 1/2 cup should tell you that I like a fairly tart curd. Adjust sugar to your taste.

In a 4 cup sized glass measuring cup, melt butter and let it cool. To this, add the now sweetened lemon juice, and eggs. Mix well with a whisk.
Microwave on high for one minute.
Remove from microwave and whisk vigorously.
Repeat, microwaving for one minute at a time and whisking until it coats the back of a spoon. (depending on the microwave this will take 3-5 mins)

In my microwave the curd was done in 4 mins.

Spoon test: Dip a small spoon in the curd. Let it cool a bit and run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the curd holds the finger mark, it is done. If the custard flows and closes the mark then it needs to cook some more.

Once the curd is done transfer to a jar and store in your fridge.

Assuming you don't eat it all right away, it lasts 2 weeks.

COOK'S TIP
When I don't have lemons I use a reputable brand of unsweetened, from concentrate lemon juice.