Flavored Butter 2.0 (Chili Garlic Lime Butter and Maple Brown Sugar Sea Salt Butter)

Happy Holidays, Friends!

   I had the best of intentions of getting this post up last weekend, but the holidays are in full force with cooking and baking and wrapping and events to attend, and when I do get a few free minutes, I spend them on the couch in front of my Christmas Tree with my husband and my kittens, not in front of a computer, and that is as it should be :) But! At long last, here I am, and here you are, and I'm thinking a food-gift post might be in order :)

    Those of you that have been with me for the long haul may remember a flavored butter post from the Holiday Season of 2011 :) That was my first adventure into the world of homemade butters, and the recipes featured there were Orange Marmalade Butter and Cinnamon Honey Butter. I'm happy to say that both of those recipes have withstood the test of time and I've returned to them several times since :) This time we're back with two new flavors that I'm really pleased with, Chili Garlic Lime Butter and Maple Brown Sugar Sea Salt Butter :)

   A few reminders on technique:

   -this could not be simpler, just combine ingredients with softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a large bowl.

    -This can be packaged multiple ways, the first time I did this I packed the butter in small canning jars. This time I wrapped the butter in a layer of parchement paper and then a layer of colored plastic wrap and tied the ends with ribbon.

   -The flavoring quantities listed here are only guidelines. Add as much ot as little as you like :)

   -TASTE!!! The only way to know if your porportions are right!!!

   -These will keep for weeks in the fridge and for months in the freezer.

  -These recipes are scaled to 10 sticks of butter, assuming you'll be making large batches to give as gifts :)

Chili Garlic Lime Butter

-10 sticks butter, softened (it works with salted and unsalted, I used salted, use what you prefer)
-10 cloves garlic, finely minced
-3 tbsp chili powder or to taste (go very slowly with this, I added about a tablespoon at a time, you can always add, but you can't take away!)
-Zest and Juice of 3 Limes
-Pinch of Sea Salt

-Combine all ingredients in stand mixer or in large bowl with hand mixer. Adjust seasonings. Package as desired and chill until needed.

Maple Brown Sugar Sea Salt Butter

-10 sticks butter, softened
-1 cup maple syrup
-1 cup brown sugar
-Sea Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in stand mixer or in large bowl with hand mixer. Adjust seasonings. Package as desired and chill until needed.

Have a beautiful holiday filled with Light and Love :)
xoxo
Lynnie

Lime Tzatziki: Mexico,by way of Greece and India

    Hello My Foodie Friends!!!

     If you've been following along on my other blog, you know that blogging more frequently is a big goal of mine this year. I've been posting most days on my personal blog, but the more I blog there, the more I miss this food blog here, for two reasons. One, I love cooking and I love blogging about cooking. And two, posting with a theme or niche in mind is much easier than just posting about whatever thing happens to be in my head that day. Sometimes I find myself struggling with coming up with interesting content for my personal blog, but a food post? No problem, I could talk about food all day, and um, I kinda do..sort of...*halo*.....

    So! I'm going to make a concerted effort to get this food blog back into a regular posting groove. And actually, there are several improvements I want to make to this blog as well. I want to figure out a way to categorize the recipes and make them searchable and printable, and I want to to make it look less amateur and little more professional. If there's anyone out there in blog land who can teach me how to do this, I would greatly appreciate your help.

   On to the Food!

    I'm sure I'm not the only cook who experiences this, but do you ever start a recipe and then realize you're missing some of the ingredients? Oh, good, I'm glad it's not just me ;) This happened to me last night as I was making tzatziki, possibly my favorite dip/condiment in the history of ever. I'm going along in the recipe, about to add the lemon juice, when I slice into the lemon and realize that it has gone bad on the inside.....boo..... so I rummage a little further into the crisper and I find limes :) Perfect! Crisis averted! I continue with the recipe and I realize I have no dill....so, lacking an acceptable substitute, I just left it out.

   WOW.

   Cool, Tangy, Creamy, Refreshing and So.Very. Dippable.

   Don't get me wrong, I think tzatziki is perfect the way it is and I wasn't necessarily looking to change it, but I worked with what I had and what I got was a three-way meld of Tzatziki (Greece), Raita (India) and Lime Crema (Mexico). So very smooth and silky but made interesting by the lime and the cucumber. Mikey and I cut up come carrots and celery, brined some cucumbers and toasted up some whole wheat pita and went to town. OM NOM NOM. I had this for dinner last night and for lunch again today, licking my plate and the serving spoon clean both times and I'm not ashamed to admit this.

Lime Tzatziki
( based on and adapted from recipes from both The Barefoot Contessa and Smitten Kitchen)

-2 cups (or about 16 oz) STRAINED Greek Yogurt (I used fat free Chobani Brand. *I cannot stress enough how important it is to strain the yogurt first. Straining is your first line of defense against runny, gloppy tzatziki. To that end, see the Notes below.)
-1 English/Seedless Cucumber, unpeeled
-1/4 cup sour cream (I used full fat)
-Juice of one lime (if your lime is being stingy, use 2, or to taste)
-1tbsp. white wine vinegar (cider or distilled may be subbed, depending the level of acidity you like)
-2 cloves minced fresh garlic
-2 tsp. kosher salt


- Place strained yogurt in medium bowl.
- Chop cucumber,or,grate cucumber on a box grater or shred in food processor fitted with shredding disc ( it all depends on how chunky you want the cucumber to be in the final dish). Place the chopped/ grated cucumber in cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel and wring out the excess water.
-Add cucumber to yogurt along with the sour cream, lime juice, vinegar, garlic and salt and stir to combine
-Can be eaten immediately or chilled. Serve with veggies of your choice and grilled pita (or on top of souvlaki/ gyro, etc).

   *NOTE: As I said above, make sure the yogurt has been strained BEFORE you start this recipe, otherwise the tzatziki will be a glopfest (technical term).  May I refer you to my post on Yogurt Cheese for my fave straining method? If you don't feel like clicking through, just take a 32oz tub of Greek yogurt and place it in a sieve/strainer lined with a few layers of cheese cloth or clean paper towels and place the sieve/strainer over a bowl so the excess liquid can drain out. I like to do this the day before I want to make the tzatziki, so the yogurt can drain in the fridge overnight, but if you're pressed for time you can just let it drain for a few hours. If you're using paper towels, you'll have to change them a few times. Overnight, a 32 oz tub of yogurt will have reduced down to about half it's previous volume, which will leave you with the approximate 2 cups/ 16-ish ounces you need for this recipe.

   Not that this was necessarily the objective of this recipe, but it wins major points in the health department. Fat free yogurt as a base, high protein, and only 1/4 cup of sour cream in the  whole thing. But, believe me, there's nothing lacking in the flavor or texture of this tzatziki, it is positively luxurious :)

It's good to be back :)
*hugs*
Lynniebee