dinner with lemon

While the husband is away the rest of us will play......  Husband had a work dinner meeting tonight so the kids and I decided to cook something that we know he wouldn't like.  SALMON!  My oldest loves it and the two little ones will eat it from time to time.

The cook book I decided to use tonight was a magazine devoted to food.  "Everyday Food" from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living, Issue #10, March 2004.  I started buying the magazine a few years ago and now have amassed to more than 50 of them.  They are easy to use, have great ideas and the pictures are great. The showcase for tonights dinner just happened to be lemons.  We brought the cookbook to the store so we wouldn't forget any of the ingredients and found the dessert recipe in the back.   The recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of salmon fillets, but I only used a little over a pound because I knew the youngest wouldn't eat that much.  You could probably get away with using much less because you break up the fillets with the pasta.
Everybody seemed to enjoy it.  Including the cat.

Dinner wasn't the only thing grand.  Dessert blew everyone away!  Lemon custard cake was a hit!  I found it in the same cookbook.  It was a new technique for me but I think it turned out really well!  It is more like a souffle than a cake and the bottom of the cake was soft and custardy.  The kids loved it.  We ate the whole pan and they wanted more!  It may have been better with the powdered sugar on top, but they still gobbled it down.

Farfalle with Salmon, Mint, and Peas.

1 1/2 lbs skinless salmon fillet
1/4 cup chopped fesh mint, plus more for serving
1 package (10oz) frozen peas
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 tbs butter
1 lb box farfalle pasta

Cook one pound box farfalle, reserving 1 cup pasta water; return pasta to pot.  Meanwhile, season salmon with salt and pepper; place in a large skillet.  Add 1/4 cup water and lemon juice and zest.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover; steam 10 minutes .  Add frozen peas; steam, covered, until tender and salmon is opaque, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer to pot with pasta.  Add butter and mint.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss gently flaking fish and adding reserved pasta water as desired.  Serve immediately sprinkled with more mint.  Serves 6

Lemon Custard Cakes (or cake)

Butter for greasing the cups or pan

3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 to 3 tsps grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
powder sugar for dusting.

Note:  I used whole milk and I forgot to dust the top.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree.  Boil water in a pot.  Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place them in a roasting pan or baking dish lined with a kitchen towel.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar until mixture is light; whisk in flour.  Gradually whisk in lemon zest and juice, then whisk in milk.
3.  With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.  Add to lemon mixture; gently fold in with a whisk (batter will be thin)
4.   Divide batter among prepared cups.  Place pan in oven, and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups.  Bake until puddings are puffed and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.

I used 2-quart baking dish and up the baking time to 33 minutes.