Kitchen Tip Number Six: Get More Juice Outta Those Limes

 

Do you agree with me that sometimes you can't get that much juice out of a lime? It always seems like other citrus fruits tend to give more juice and it takes a lot less effort to squeeze them. Well, here are a couple of tips to getting the maximum amount of juice outs those tiny limes!
First, allow your lime to sit out until room temperature or even a bit warmer before you use it. Heck, if you have the oven on,  place your lime on the stove top to warm up slightly or simply leave it on a sunny window sill for a little while.
Next, put the lime on your cutting board and place the palm of your hand on top of it. With a bit of pressure, roll the lime up and down the board several times until you can feel the lime becoming softer. Don't roll too hard or you'll split the lime!
Lastly, invest in a good juicer! It doesn't have to be electric, just a simple old fashioned bowl juicer or a metal hand held juicer will do! By the way, my hand held dual lime and lemon juicer is one of my favourite kitchen tools! Good luck!

The metal hand held dual lemon and lime juicer is one of my favourite kitchen tools!

 



Ceviche with Ontario Summer Vegetables

"Lime juice makes things taste fresher." Bobby Flay

Please don't judge me, followers! It's the best quote I could find!

Today's recipe is a request for ceviche. For those of you not familiar with this dish, allow me to explain! Ceviche is essentially a salad native of South and Central America, with Peru claiming to be it's nation of origin. The main ingredient in ceviche is fresh, raw fish or seafood which is 'cooked' in lime juice or a combination of other citrus juices.

Now, I must warn you about the risk of ceviche before we go any further! Since the fish is not cooked with heat, any parasites or bacteria will not be killed off because the citric acid is simply firming the up the protein, not actually cooking it. So, this is why it is most important to purchase 'sashimi grade' ocean fish or fish from a reputable fish monger for your ceviche. 'Sashimi grade' fish is what sushi is made from and is a great choice for ceviche as well. Once 'cooked' in the citrus juice, the fish will be firm and appear opaque, just as it would if it were cooked with heat. It is recommended to allow your fish to sit refrigerated in the citrus juice for 1 to 4 hours, depending on how well done you want your fish. Once strained from the 'cooking' liquid, the fish is then combined with different vegetables, fruit and various seasonings, served with corn chips, tostadas or plain crackers. 

It seems to me that there are as many different recipes for ceviche in South and Central America as there are homemade tomato sauce recipes across Italy. In other words, an infinite amount! So, today I am going to add to that number and make up my own ceviche recipe, using some basic ingredients, leaning towards a Mexican style salad. Hope you like it, Catherine!

 

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Ceviche with Ontario Summer Vegetables

(serves 4 to 6 as a main, 8 to 12 as an appetizer)

 

500 gr firm white ocean fish, sashimi grade (I used halibut but red snapper, cod and sea bass are all great choices), small to medium dice, it's up to you

1 1/2 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 8 good sized limes)

1 small onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/4 cucumber, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 to 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, good quality

Sea salt to taste

*optional additions:

- finely chopped manzanilla green olives

- your fave hot sauce

- a splash of tomato or Clamato juice

- ketchup

- a pinch of sugar

- orange juice

- sweet corn

- sweet potatoes

 

In a shallow non-reactive bowl (I prefer glass or stainless steel) combine the fish, onion and lime juice. Cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap and gently press down to make sure all of the air out and the fish is submerged. Place in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours, depending on how 'cooked' you want your fish to be (the longer it sits, the more firm it will become).

Remove from the fridge, pour the contents of the bowl through a fine mesh strainer and place the fish mixture into a clean non-reactive bowl. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, adding as many of the optional ingredients as you wish!

Keep refrigerated until being served.

Serve with your fave corn chips, tostadas or plain crackers. Provecho!

As you can see, ceviche is super easy to make and allows you to get as creative with your ingredients as you want! Perfect for hot summer days, now is the time to present your guests with a large bowl of ceviche, piles of chips on the side and a generous selection of ice cold cervezas to wash it all down with! Does it get any better than that?!

Alrighty followers, just keep enjoying your summer and I'll be back soon with another tasty summertime recipe! Bye for now!

 

Ontario String Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Fresh Basil & Grilled Ontario Corn Salad with Fresh Oregano and Feta

“Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.” Elizabeth David

 

Hiya followers, is that quote ever true! It seems that as soon as one of my vegetables if ready in the garden, it's past it's peak and I'm on to the next one! It's hard to keep up!

Wow, I cannot believe that it's been a month since I did my last blog. It's been one busy summer so far and I don't see it slowing down. Between working, doing my cooking demonstrations out at The Carter Farm in Norval on Tuesday evenings and getting out of town on mini breaks, I really haven't had much time to do some recipe developing.

So, for today's blog I'm sharing with you two no fuss summer salad recipes that I did a couple of seasons ago. It's the perfect time to make either of them with local string beans and corn being available right now. Gotta love fresh Ontario produce!

Okay followers, enough said, get back to enjoying your summer and I'll be back soon! Promise!

 

Ontario String Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Fresh Basil
(serves 4)

4 cups Ontario string beans (any colour)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
handful fresh basil, torn
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Lemon vinaigrette

(makes approx. 200 ml)

1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup lighter tasting oil (I used safflower oil)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar or honey
sea salt, a pinch

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together or place in a jar with a tightly fitted lid and shake.

Either place all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat the veggies or arrange ingredients attractively on a plate and drizzle vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper. Enjoy!

 

 

Ontario Grilled Corn Salad with Fresh Oregano and Feta
(serves 4)

2 corn cobs, grilled and kernels sliced off
1 tin (398 ml or 15 oz) your fave beans (I used giant Lima beans), drained and rinsed
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
handful olives, pits removed (I used French cured, my absolute favourite!)
1 to 2 tbsp fresh oregano, sliced
1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt
salad greens of your choice
handful feta cheese, crumbled

Combine everything in a bowl, except for the greens and feta, taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper.

Place the greens on the bottom of a platter or onto individual plates.

Spoon the corn salad on top of the greens, sprinkle with feta. Enjoy!

 

My Cooking Lessons in Georgetown, Halton Hills, Ontario!

"Cooking is one of the oldest arts and one which has rendered us the most important..." Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

 

Hiya followers and happy summer! Woot woot!

 

Summer is the perfect season to have a new Culinary Adventure and that’s exactly what I’m doing! I have recently started up my own little business of providing fun and insightful cooking demonstrations (specializing in party fare), based out of Georgetown, Ontario! Making appetizers, including canapés and hors d’oeuvres, has always been something I've loved to do and I have gotten a lot of experience over the 18 years of being a chef!

With the demos, I'm showing my guests how to make simple and tasty treats during weekly lessons at The CarterFarm Market, located just outside Georgetown in Norval, ON. Also, I will soon be offering private demos in the comfort of your own home! I will travel anywhere in Halton Hills, Halton, The GTA and The Greater City of Hamilton.

So, gather your friends and family, watch me show you how to make delicious creations and enjoy a laugh or two! Oh yes, I forgot to mention that after each demonstration, the guests will be expected to eat everything that was just prepared and for the private demos, I will be making wine pairing recommendations! 

Check out all of the details and sign up for a demo at: www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com 

Smoked Ontario Trout Paté canapés, served on local cucumber slices and classic croutons.

Canapés and hors d’oeuvres are those delightful little nibbles that are served before dinnertime or presented on their own at a party. Since they are small in size, with one or two bites each, they just have to be bursting with flavour to excite the palate!
 

 Garlic and Chili Shrimp Skewers, with tangy Thai dipping sauce on the side.

 

 

The Carter Farm Market in Norval, Onatrio prides itself on carrying a large variety of local produce, locally made goods and their own honey. Doing cooking demonstrations in such a place is easy, since everything needed is within arm’s reach.

 

Check out all of the details and sign up for a demo at: www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com 

Some of my demos will be held outside on the patio at the farm market!

My lovely assistant Emily on the left and me on the right!

 

My Urban Garden Adventure! Georgetown, Ontario

"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration." Lou Erickson

Hiya followers! If you haven't heard, I've started doing cooking demonstrations! Check out my website to learn more: www.Sarah's Culinary Adventure.com
Well, as you have guessed, I've been busy gardening! And as you can see, I've had to get creative just to fit everything in! I'm sure all you experienced gardeners are cringing just looking at my vegetables. You see, I've kinda ignored the proper spacing and measurement guidelines and have just decided to cram as much in as possible, resorting to pots and buckets in many cases. Right now everything looks neat and today in rows, but I'm sure that in a month, everything will be on top of one another! Ha! Oh well, I just want to get as many veggies as I can! Let's take a closer look!
Oh yeah, if you notice what look like little chives in between everything, they are leeks. I had so many of them, that I just stuck them everywhere I could! Okay, now we're ready to take a closer look!







  Let's start with the pots! In the back I have a large container of mixed lettuces, spinach, two types of Swiss chard, basil, cilantro, strawberries and in the two pots with the bamboo poles, snow peas and green beans (they like to climb). In the big black bucket with holes drilled into it, I have an organic Russet potato with eyes, covered in about 5cm of soil. To learn how to plant your own potatoes in a bucket, just listen to this nifty song! I did!

A close up of the snow peas!

My pot of mixed lettuces. Arugula is my fave and yes, it's in there... Somewhere!

From left to right: Bunching onions, leeks, carrots and beets.

From left to right: Chives, dill (to small to see!), mint, tomatoes (I have no idea what kind, their tag was missing! Ha!), green peppers, broccoli and purple kale.

From left to right: Oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley.