In a medium size, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low-heat, whisk together 3/4 cup of lemon juice (I used wonderfully flavorful Meyer lemons), 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, 3/4 cup of sugar and 3 eggs. Cut 1 stick of unsalted butter into small bits and add. Cook stirring very regularly until quite thick like pudding, about 10 - 12 minutes. Resist the urge to raise the heat past medium, you do not want cooked egg in the finished product.I have double this recipe on more than one occasion, substituting some of the juice for orange juice, the same with the zest.You can use the curd to sweeten yogurt, as a decadent treat on toast, in a layer cake or with just a spoon.Time: not more than a half-hourYields: 1 2/3 cup of curdFrom this recipe at Epicurious.
Note: This is my attempt at a pizza that Andy had (and loved) in New Zealand after returning from Antartica in 2003. He can't remember the name of the cafe where he had it but he highly recommends both the pizza and Antarctica.
- Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, saute 1/2 chopped onion till tender, add red pepper flakes* to taste. Add 1 cup of prepared Mango Sauce from Trader Joe's (it can be found with the apple sauce), reduce heat and allow reduce to very thick, 10 - 15 minutes.
- Over medium-high heat in a medium sized skillet, brown 1/2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts. (In lieu of this step, use any cooked chicken on hand). Season with salt, garlic powder and chili powder to taste). Once thoroughly cooked remove and chop into strips. In the same skillet, brown one thinly sliced onion and one thinly sliced red bell pepper for garnish.
-Pre-heat oven to 450 F. The oven should be very hot for a crisp crust.
- Roll out prepared pizza crust (also available at Trader Joe's. You'll find it with the prepared salads and sandwiches). Keep the crust on the thick side (1/4 inch thick or so) to avoid a soggy center. Place on a cookie sheet dusted with coarsely ground cornmeal to avoid stickage.
- Cover the pizza crust with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat mozzarella is fine), a thin layer of mango sauce, chicken, red bell peppers and onions. Finish with a thin layer of cheese.
-Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Allow to sit for a few minutes before cutting.
*In order to balance the sweetness of the mango, you want to add some type of chile to the recipe. This can be in the form of red pepper flakes, chili powder or even actual chiles (fresh or dried and re-hydrated). Feel free to experiment. The mango is very sweet, so you can add quite a bit without burning your tongue!
Time: 45 minutes
Yields: about 3 servings
- Remove the "silver skin" of 2-lbs of pork tenderloin, trim and cut into 1-inch cubes. Into a large zip-top plastic bag place 1/3 cup of flour, salt and pepper (to taste) add pork cubes. Shake to evenly coat cubes.
- Over medium high, heat 2 tablespoons (enough to lightly coat) olive oil a large stockpot. Add pork and brown on all sides. Remove pork from pan, place to side.
- Add to stock pot 3 peeled and chopped onions, and 6-8 crushed garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 bunch of roughly chopped cilantro. If necessary, add 1/4 cup of water to avoid sticking. Allow to soften.
- Add 2-lbs roughly chopped small tomatillos (remove husks prior to chopping, rinse well) and 3-4 Anaheim or poblano chiles (carefully slice through the center, remove seeds and white pith) roughly chopped; saute 8-10 minutes till tender.
- Add pork (and any drippings from plate), 4 cups of water; bring to low simmer. Cook at least 2 hours or until pork is very tender, stirring occasionally. Leave pot uncovered to allow liquid to reduce, once reduced by 1/3 cover. The longer the Verde simmers, they yummier it will be.
- Prior to serving, flavor to taste with salt, pepper, lime juice and/or more cilantro.
Accompany with tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream, jack cheese, lime wedges
Time: 4 - 12 hours (45 minutes active)
Yields: 6 - 8 servings
