Lime-infused Salt

 The other day while I was watching the baseball game, yelling at the manager (seriously,  I know I could do a better job...sometimes), and sipping a nice glass of freshly brewed iced tea, sweetened, ever so slightly, with Tangerine Sugar,  I started thinking that a Bloody Mary would really taste good. Then I thought, hmmm, if I can make delicious sugar by infusing it with the zest of tangerines, could I do the same with salt by infusing it with the zest of lime?  It turns out, I can!  

A delicious edging to Bloody Marys and margaritas, this lime salt is a cinch to make. You'll not use as much of it as you would sugar, so a half cup of salt (not Kosher) and the zest of one pudgy lime is all it takes.  Fragrant and delicious, this has more uses than you can image.  It was wonderful sprinkled on top of radishes, baked potatoes, and salmon before roasting.  

Don't you just love it when something simple is so much fun?

Lime Salt

1/2 cup salt (not kosher)
1 tablespoon lime zest (please use organic, I use Melissa's)

Mix together and stir well until all of that wonderful zest is fully blended with the salt. 

Use with reckless abandon.

This post is linked to:

Seasonal Sundays

Amaze Me Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Marvelous Mondays

Cherry Limeade Bars

When it comes to my two sons, the apple didn’t fall far from the maternal tree.  They are as adept at cooking and baking as I was at that age.  Lucky them, they live in the age of the Internet where recipes, reviews, and helpful hints are only a few touch strokes away.  My younger son is the guest chef today.  Like his mother he’ll Google ingredients just to see what he comes up with.  He loves maraschino cherries (we could not keep them in the house when he was a kid, though we ended up with loads of jars full of juice and perhaps the remnant of a cherry), and key lime, so Googled those ingredients and found this recipe on the Cheeky Kitchen blog.  He whipped up a batch and brought them over for me to sample and photograph.

Tasty and with a lot of zing from the lime juice, these make a most refreshing summer dessert.

My son, Andrew, who really loves his food!

Cherry Limeade Bars
1 c. flour

½ c. butter, softened
¼ c. powdered sugar
Dash of salt

6 oz. can maraschino cherries, undrained
½ Tbsp. cornstarch

3 eggs
1 ¼ c. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
¼ c. key lime juice

Green Gel Food Coloring

Preheat oven to 350° F.  In a large bowl, combine flour, butter, powdered sugar, salt and flour until well mixed.  Press into the bottom of a 9”×9” baking pan. Pour the entire, undrained can of maraschino cherries into a blender, add cornstarch, and blend until well chopped (but not pureed).  Using a spatula, carefully spread the cherry mixture over the crust mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat together remaining ingredients. Pour over cooked crust and cherry mixture. Return to oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture has set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday

Key Lime Parfaits

Remember all of those key limes that I juiced and zested here?  They came in very handy when I needed a quick, delicious, and seasonal dessert for a summer lunch. It’s times like these when I’m grateful for my husband’s hoarding habits, particularly when it comes to issues of Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appétit.  This recipe hails from the latter and dates back to 1999.  Lime and citrus lovers will go crazy!

Key Lime Parfaits

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Mix in sugar and stir until bubbling, about 1 minute. Mix in crumbs; stir until color deepens, about 3 minutes. Turn out onto plate and cool.

Stir condensed milk, lime juice and lime peel in large bowl to blend (mixture will thicken). Using electric mixer, beat cream in medium bowl until firm peaks form; fold into lime mixture.

Place 1/4 cup lime mousse in each of six 8- to 10-ounce wine goblets. Top each with 1 tablespoon crumb mixture, then 1/4 cup mousse. Top parfaits with remaining crumb mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

NOTE:  I drizzled mine with blackberry syrup and garnished with a spritz of whipped cream, slice of lime, and lime zest.

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Seasonal Sunday