Roasted Vegetables with Meyer Lemons

Last March, I won a Meyer Lemon Tree in a giveaway sponsored by Simply Citrus Nursery, and it has been an adventure! The lemons are finally ripening, and I am having a blast with all the possibilities! Find the giveaway story in the link above.

Beautiful Meyer Lemons, and they taste delicious!

I decided to start with what I had on hand. I love roasting and caramelizing vegetables in the oven, especially root vegetables! I had carrots, potatoes and onions on hand so I threw in some lemon juice and lemon slices. OMGoodness!!! We already ate one lemon by itself, but roasting the slices and eating them rind, pith and all was more than delicious! My mouth is watering as I think about it!

Roasted Vegetables with Meyer Lemons

Carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks about 2-3 inches
Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Onion sliced thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Dash of pepper
Dried basil, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl add carrots, potatoes and onion.

In a small bowl, add the vinegar, lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil. Whisk until combined.
Pour the vinegar mixture over top of the vegetables. Toss until well coated then pour them onto the cookie sheet.

Place in oven and roast for about 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. I like a good bit of color on my roasted vegetables, as you can see. Remove from oven. Transfer to a bowl. Serve warm.

Served on a pretty platter.

It tastes better than it looks, if that is possible!

Homemade Pretzel Bites

I was looking for some easy recipes for baked goods. I've always said that I'm not a baker. I do bake, but it's not my specialty. I ran across a recipe for pretzel bites from King Arthur Flour. The instructions seemed a little daunting, but they are really easy when you understand the steps. I wasn't aware that boiling the dough for about 30 seconds was the way they achieve their golden-brown color. I really had fun with this recipe. It's easy and really a quick recipe!  Pretty good for my first time, I think.

I love pretzels!

 The dough came together quickly

and needed no adjustments.

I let the dough rest for 30 minutes,

while I prepared the water bath. 

I had to work quick with the boiling water process,

so I didn't get a picture.

Sprinkled with Kosher Salt and then

baked at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.

 They are crunchy on the outside,

and soft on the inside. Delicious!

Pretzel Bites

Dough:
3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water

Water Bath:
1 1/2 to 2 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large baking sheet.

Mix and knead the dough ingredients together. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the water bath. Combine the water, salt, and baking soda in a saucepan. The water should fill the pan at least 1 1/4" deep.

Punch down the dough on a lightly greased work surface, then divide it into 24 pieces. Cover and bring water bath to a boil.

Drop the pretzel bites, about six at a time, into the water bath. Cook for 30 seconds, then return them to the baking sheet using a slotted spoon or spider, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake the pretzel bites for 18 to 22 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove the pretzel bites from the oven, and serve with your favorite mustard, honey mustard or cheese sauce.

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