The Lemon Book - Natural Recipes and Preparations (5 page)

After refrigeration, remove the zucchini, pour the marinade into a saucepan and heat. Add the zucchini and cook on a high heat for a few minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve.

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VINAIGRETTE WITH ESSENTIAL OILS

To season raw or steamed vegetables, try this mixture:

50ml olive oil

4 drops of essential lemon oil

3 drops of essential basil oil

It's really practical, especially in winter!

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SWEET DISHES

VEGAN LEMON MOUSSE

This dessert, containing neither animal protein nor sugar, is quick and easy to prepare.

Ideal after a summer dinner.

½ l organic apple juice

the juice of 1 lemon

its grated zest

a pinch of salt

2 soup-spoonfuls of agar-agar flakes

1 tea-spoonful of white almond cream

In a saucepan, dissolve the agar-agar in the apple juice.

Slowly bring to the boil, add the salt and allow it to cook for five minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and grated zest.

Pour the liquid into a glass terrine and leave to cool.

Mix with the almond cream and serve this smooth, white cream in dessert glasses.

Optional: decorate with strawberries, mint, or other seasonal fruit.

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LEMON CUSTARD

Sweet memories of childhood and grandmothers...

200ml fresh whole milk

5 eggs

80g sugar

80g plain wheat flour

2 lemons

80g butter

1 vanilla pod

a pinch of salt

Boil the milk with the vanilla, then leave the pod to infuse for 10 minutes before removing it.

In the meantime, soften the butter and mix it with the sieved flour and a little milk to obtain a thin batter.

Add the rest of the hot milk and a pinch of salt, return to the heat and boil while stirring.

Add the sugar and the finely-grated zest of the two lemons.

Turn off the heat and leave to cool. Fold in the beaten egg yolks and the whipped egg whites.

Pour the mixture into a greased mould and sprinkle with sugar, cook in a bain-marie in the oven on a medium heat for a good half an hour.

Allow to cool before turning it out of the mould.

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LEMON TART RECONSIDERED

A classic, but here with no butter or milk.

For the traditional recipe, replace the almond milk with cows' milk and the white almond purée with butter.

For the filling:

4 egg yolks

200g cane sugar

400ml almond milk

100ml lemon juice

40g potato flour

the grated zest of a lemon

the whole zest of a lemon

For the crust:

200g plain wheat flour

100g potato flour

100g cane sugar

150g white almond purée

2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg

the grated zest of half a lemon

a few drops of organic vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Start by preparing the pastry.

Heap the two kinds of flour together and make a hollow in the centre. Put the sugar, grated zest, salt and vanilla extract into the hollow, and start mixing with your hands.

Add the white almond purée and work all the ingredients together with your fingers until you have a crumbly, shortcrust pastry.

Heap this into a pile with a hollow in the centre and break the eggs into it. Keep kneading the pastry until the eggs are completely absorbed.

Roll the pastry into a ball, cover with cling-film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.

During this time, prepare the lemon filling.

Pour the almond milk into a saucepan, add the whole lemon zest and heat.

In a separate saucepan, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until you have a pale mousse.

Add the potato flour and keep mixing.

Add the almond milk while it is very hot, mixing with a hand whisk to blend thoroughly. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly.

Once the mix has thickened up, add the lemon juice, continue to cook for another couple of minutes, then turn off the heat.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and leave it to cool, covering it to prevent skin from forming.

Roll out ¾ of the pastry with a rolling pin to a thickness of half a centimetre.

Grease and flour a pie tin and lay the pastry in it.

Even up the edges with a spatula, and prick the pastry with a fork.

Pour the cooled lemon filling into it.

Use the rest of the pastry to make lattice strips to decorate the tart.

Place in the oven at 170°C for about 40 minutes.

Optional: dust with icing sugar before serving.

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VEGAN LEMON BISCUITS

Light, fragrant biscuits, with no butter or eggs.

400g flour

1 lemon

4 soup-spoonfuls of barley malt

a few drops of organic vanilla extract

half a glass of apple juice

extra-virgin olive oil

a pinch of salt

In a large mixing bowl (or on the work surface, if you work in the traditional way), mix the flour and a pinch of salt.

Dissolve the malt in a little apple juice, pour into the flour along with the lemon juice and grated zest, 2 soup-spoonfuls of oil and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Mix well until you have a flexible, homogeneous pastry which pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Roll it into a ball and let it rest for an hour in a cool, dark place.

Roll out the pastry using a rolling pin to about half a centimetre thick.

Using pastry-cutters or a knife, cut out the biscuits to the desired shape.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, then cook the biscuits on a lightly greased baking tray.

Keep an eye on the biscuits, removing them from the oven when they are golden, and leave to cool.

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LEMON SHORTBREAD

A traditional recipe made with organic ingredients. Perfect for tea-time or as a snack for the children, the whole family will love these biscuits!

Very easy to make and quick to cook.

260g plain organic flour

175g butter

100g sugar

1 whole egg + 1 yolk

the grated zest of 2 untreated lemons

a pinch of salt

In a large mixing bowl, whip together the eggs , the sugar and the lemon zest.

Add all the flour, the softened butter and a pinch of salt, and knead together gently.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Shape the biscuits as desired, making them at least a centimetre thick.

Place in the oven on a greased baking tray for about 15 minutes.