Home-made Lemonade

Ingredients

6 large lemons
150 g granulated sugar
1.50 ltr boiling water

method

  1. Scrub the lemons in warm water. Into a large bowl, thinly pare the coloured outer zest from three of the lemons. It is best to use a lemon zester for this. A potato peeler can be used but be sure to include as little of the white pith as possible - to prevent the lemonade tasting bitter.
  2. Add the squeezed juice of all six lemons and the sugar. No need to strain the mixture at this stage.
  3. Add 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir well. Cover and leave overnight to cool.
  4. The next day, stir and taste - to check for sweetness. Add a little more sugar if needed but not so much as to overcome the lemony tang.
  5. Strain through a coarse sieve (such as a tea strainer). Pour into clean bottles and chill.
  • Serve on its own chilled, or with soda water, and plenty of ice.

Lemony Prawn Risotto

Ingredients

1 bag of prawns, defrosted
3 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or fish stock, hot
1 onion, finely chopped
300 g rice
1 small glass white wine
200 g frozen peas
1 lemon

Method

  1. If the prawns are shelled, peel them, and make fish stock with the heads and shells.
  2. Saute the onion until softened, add the chilli and continue to cook gently.
  3. Add the rice and stir until it’s all covered in the oil.
  4. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.
  5. Add the prawns and peas and stir, then leave covered and simmering very gently for 15 mins.
  6. Add the lemon juice and zest if available.  When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid it’s ready.

Lemon Mousse

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated
3 lemons, juiced
250 g fromage frais
1 low cal. lemon (or lemon and lime) jelly
5 dsp Canderal Sweetner or sugar

Method

  1. Place egg yolks, lemon juice and Canderel in a bowl. Whisk well over a saucepan of hot water until it is all mixed.
  2. Dissolve the jelly in a small amount of water and whisk into the mix. Place in a fridge to cool.
  3. When cool, whisk in the fromage frais.
  4. Whisk egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mixture.
  5. Stir well and leave in the fridge to set.

Lemon Cheese Cake

You will Need

350 g full fat cream cheese
75 g sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
30 ml cold water
10 to 15 g gelatine (available in packets approx. that size)
150 ml double cream

Method

  1. Beat the cheese, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatine, stir and leave for 2-3 mins.
  3. Place the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved. Beat into the cream cheese mix.
  4. Whip the double cream and fold in. Pour the mixture over the base and chill.
  5. Top with flake or chocolate curls.

Notes

  1. I use my standard cheesecake/banoffee base of 200g crushed digestives, mixed into a melted mix of 100g butter & 50g soft brown sugar but the recipe suggests you could also use chocolate digestives.
  2. It's from a freezer cookbook, so can be frozen.

Macaroni Cheese

Ingredients

100 g pasa shapes or macaroni
25 g butter or margarine
25 g flour
300 ml milk
100 g cheese, Cheddar or similar
½ tsp mustard
optional
ingredients		 small can tuna
100 g ham
50 g peas or sweetcorn
cooked onions or peppers

Method

  1. Cook the past and drain.
  2. Mix the margarine, flour, milk and mustard in a saucepan and whisk until the flour dissolves.
  3. Heat gently stirring all the time.  Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Remove from the heat, add half the cheese, cooked pasta and any extras.  Season & stir together.
  5. Place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  6. Grill under a hot grill until bubbling and browning.