Southern Watermelon Rind Pickles

Wondering what to do with all of that left over watermelon rind? This Southern favorite is great as a side dish, condiment, or snack. Start preparing this at least three days before you intend to serve it.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Ingredients

1 4-pound piece watermelon, quartered
8 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups apple cider or white wine vinegar
8 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon fresh sliced ginger
1 lime, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

Procedure

1. Cut watermelon pulp from rind, leaving thin layer of pink on rind (reserve pulp for another use). Cut green outer skin from rind; discard. Cut enough rind into 1 x 1/2-inch pieces to measure 4 cups. Combine 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large pot; bring to boil. Add rind pieces and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain. Transfer rinds to large metal bowl.

2. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, sugar and next 8 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over watermelon rinds in bowl. Place plate atop rinds to keep rinds submerged in pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. 

3. Strain liquid from rinds into saucepan; bring to boil. Pour over rinds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Repeat straining and boiling of liquid and pour over rinds 1 more time. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in covered jars.)

Colombian Coconut Limeade

I recently posted a fabulous recipe for Brazilian lemonade, but I just found a Colombian variation that is just as delicious for coconut lovers. Cream of coconut can be found in liquor stores or the liquor aisle of your grocery store, either in liquid or powdered form. You can also substitute: sweetened condensed milk with added coconut extract to taste; 1 cup top layer of canned coconut milk (not low fat) - do not shake or stir can before skimming; or 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%) plus 1/2 cup coconut cream powder.

Limonada de Coco

Ingredients

1 cup cream of coconut
2 1/2 cups crushed ice
Juice of 3 limes
2 tablespoons of sugar or to your taste

Procedure

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Brazilian Lemonade by Our Best Bites

Now that we are getting into the heat of summer, so to speak, it's time to bring out a refreshing lemonade recipe. But not just any old lemonade recipe! Brazilian lemonade is actually made with fresh limes, water, sugar, and--of all things--sweetened condensed milk. It sounds like a really strange combination, but this is one of the best summer drinks ever.


Brazilian Lemonade by Our Best Bites
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/05/brazilian-lemonade/

Ingredients

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Procedure

1. Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

2. Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

3. Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

4. Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

5. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Easy Thai Coconut Soup by Our Best Bites

I'm subscribed to this great cooking blog called Our Best Bites, and they have some pretty fun recipes sometimes. Their latest recipe is called, "Quick and Easy Thai Coconut Soup." I really love Thai food, so this recipe sounds great, and it's not as crazy as Thai recipes usually are. The sad thing is that even though it's "quick and easy," I still don't have ginger, lime, or jalapenos just lying around, to say nothing of rotisserie chickens. Oh, and we're fresh out of Ramen. Bleh. But maybe I'll still give it whirl sometime later when I can spare five bucks on dinner. :)

Easy Thai Coconut Soup
Recipe by Ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced ginger, or 1 ½ teaspoons ground dry ginger
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk or light coconut  milk (about —cups)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 packages ramen noodes (discard seasoning packet)
optional: ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 cup diced or shredded cooked chicken
toppings:  additional chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and lime wedges

Procedure:
1. Heat medium sized pot to medium-high heat on stove top.  Add olive oil, jalapeno, and ginger (if using fresh.)  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until jalapeno and ginger are softened and fragrant.  If using ground ginger, add now and stir.

2. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and add noodles (note: you will discard seasoning packet that comes with noodles.)  Simmer 3-5 minutes, until noodles are softened.

3. If using mushrooms, add them in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking the noodles.  Add chicken and simmer for about 30 seconds to heat through.

4. Remove pot from heat and stir in lime juice, chicken, and cilantro.   Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges if desired.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Note #1:  This type of noodle absorbs liquid exceptionally fast, so you should serve the soup immediately.  If you know you need to keep the soup warm for a while before serving, wait to add the noodles until a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.

Note #2: "Light coconut milk works great, and remember you can buy coconut milk in cartons by the dairy milk as well, and it’s much cheaper per ounce there than it is for a can.  At my store it was .05 cents per ounce, which would make the equivalent can about .67 cents.  Generally a can of coconut milk $2- $3 a can so the carton is a great deal comparatively.  The cartons are lower in calories and fat and have a consistency similar to the light coconut milk (which is thinner than full fat coconut milk).  For some recipes I prefer canned coconut milk, but for this soup, either will work just fine."

Lemon or Lime Curd

A fun and tangy alternative to butter or jam, lemon or lime curd is absolutely delicious on scones.

Ingredients

Zest and juice from 2 lemons

     Note: For Lime Curd, substitute equal amount of lime zest and juice.

1 scant cup sugar

¾ cup butter

2 eggs, beaten

Procedure

1. Grate lemon zest, squeeze lemon juice into glass or metal  bowl, stir in sugar.

2. Cut butter into small pieces and add to bowl.

3. Set bowl over a saucepan ¼ filled with simmering water, stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add eggs.

4. Cook gently, stirring 10-15 minutes, until mixture is thick and creamy.

5. Pour into clean warm jars and seal while hot. Keep in the refrigerator.

Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo! In celebration, here are two mouth-watering recipes from the Mexican Yucatan, around Merida.

Xnipek Salsa (Dog's Snout Salsa)

Pronounced roughly "schnee-peck," this salsa supposedly gets its name because it's so hot that it can make your nose run like a dog's snout. This fresh, fiery hot salsa or a close variation appears on most Yucatecan dining tables. Its flavor is best if eaten on the same day that it is prepared.  This salsa will keep for two to three days, if the cilantro is added at the time you serve the salsa.

Ingredients
2 fresh habanero chiles, stem and seeds removed, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, either purple or white, chopped
1/3 cup bitter orange juice (see recipe below) or substitute 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure
Combine all of the ingredients except the cilantro in a food processor and pulse. Set aside for a couple of hours to blend the flavors. Add the cilantro before serving.

Yield: 2 cups
Heat Scale: Hot

Pollo Pibil (Chicken Cooked in the Pibil Method)

This uniquely Yucatecan dish is available in nearly every restaurant that features local cuisine. Originally cooked over coals in pits dug in the ground, pollo pibil is most often baked in ovens these days. Some people have had great success in duplicating the pit method by using an inexpensive backyard smoker. Don't add any wood chips for smoke, but use a pan of water between the coals and the wrapped chicken to keep the chicken juicy.

Look for xcatic chiles, guero chiles and epazote at Latin markets or Internet retailers. The bitter orange is a rough skinned Yucatecan fruit that tastes somewhat like grapefruit with a hint of orange. A suitable substitute can be made by using this recipe. I find that using fresh squeezed juices produces the best results.  

Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

Recado Rojo (Red Seasoning Paste)
1/8 cup ground annatto seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
5 whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick canela (about 1/2")
2 whole cloves
1 whole allspice berry
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Bitter Orange Juice Substitute
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice

Pollo Pibil
1 recipe Recado Rojo
1/2 cup bitter orange juice or substitute
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
1 medium onion, sliced
3 fresh xcatic chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped or substitute fresh banana or guero chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Banana leaves or aluminum foil
4 sprigs fresh epazote or substitute 1 tablespoon dried epazote

Procedure 

Recado Rojo (Red Seasoning Paste)
1. Place the annatto, oregano, peppercorns, salt, canela, cloves, allspice and cumin in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and process to a fine powder. Add the remaining ingredients and grind to a thick paste, adding a little water if the mixture is too thick.
2. Allow the mixture to sit for an hour or overnight to blend the flavors.

Bitter Orange Juice
1. Mix all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Use within 24 hours.

Pollo Pibil
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix the Recado Rojo with 1/2 cup of the bitter orange juice in a bowl. Prick the chicken breasts with a fork and pour the marinade over the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
3. Saute the onion and chiles in the oil until soft.
4. Line a roasting pan with the banana leaves, place the chicken on the leaves, pour over the remaining marinade, and top with the onions and chiles. Place a little epazote on each breast.
5. Fold the leaves over, cover the pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. Serve this dish black beans and Xnipek (habanero salsa) for a truly authentic meal.

Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Mild