Nimbu Ka Achar (Indian Lemon Pickle Recipe)

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while but Daddy, my father-in-law, kept telling me to be more patient. We harvested our last batch of Meyer lemons more than a month ago. I preserved them by making all sorts of pickles. The method is pretty much the same regardless of the cuisine type, but the spices differ. 

Today I'm going to show you how to make my family's favorite, called nimbu ka achar. Halved lemons are pickled in a large amount of coarse sea salt, then flavored with baghar, which is a combination of oil, a lot of spices and a few curry leaves. We enjoy it best with simple, plain basmati rice.

Tomatillo Risotto Appetizer Recipe

This is my take on a Mexican-inspired risotto flavored with tomatillo. I prepared salsa verde and added it to creamy risotto. I spooned the risotto onto blue tortilla chips and topped them with salsa verde and crumbled queso fresco as a reminder of the flavor.

I recently received a goodie box of a selection of Queso Del Valle and Karoun cheeses. I’m a huge fan of their products and with Cinco De Mayo just around the corner, I’ll be sharing recipes all week using the cheeses. I’m not a master of authentic Mexican cuisine, but I love Mexican ingredients and flavors and use them often in fusion dishes like this one. 

Meyer Lemon Mousse in Wonton Cups

Don't be intimidated by the photo of today's dessert, because these little dessert cups are so easy to make! As long as you have lemon curd and wonton wrappers, the preparation will take no time.

I've made a lot of jars of Meyer lemon curd over the last few days and I used one of them to create this dessert. I folded in a bit of sweetened whipped cream so the mousse was light and airy and used it to fill the shaped and baked wonton cups. A topping of my citron confit and a dash of powdered sugar made the cutest garnish that also acted as a reminder of the flavors of this elegant dessert.

Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

I've made this cake recipe for years. I think I found the recipe when I was a little girl on the back of vanilla sugar packets that are commonly available in France. I haven't changed the base of the cake batter much since then.

The great part of this recipe is that the measuring tool is the yogurt container. And after making it once, you'll probably never have to refer to the recipe again. Simply remember "1, 2, 3, ½, 3": 1 yogurt, 2 measures of sugar, 3 measures of flour, half a measure of oil (½), 3 eggs, 1 packet of "levure" (baking powder) and 1 packet of vanilla sugar.

Instead of serving the cake plain, which by the way is great with tea, I flavored the cake with Meyer lemon zest and glazed it with a Meyer lemon mascarpone glaze. It was truly fantastic!

Citron Confit Recipe (Candied Lemons)

"Chose promise, chose due!" is a French expression that approximately translates to "promises are made to be kept". And as promised, this is the recipe for the citron confit I served to my family last night as part of the lemon tofu dish. I made it with approximately two pounds of freshly picked Meyer lemons from our garden.

You'll see that a lot of sugar is required to obtain the beautiful candied coating. But fear not, only a few thin slices per serving are necessary to flavor your dishes and the citron confit stores well for months. The one thing to keep in mind is to use organic, pesticide-free lemons, so even the rind is safely edible.