lime – Oven Love

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

Natalie — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 22:18:01 +0000

Popsicles, again?
Yes, always.

Orange popsicles, that is, since I apparently that’s my specialty. (See these creamsicles and mango yogurt pops for the proof.)

While cleaning out the fridge last week, I came upon half a papaya that needed some love (aka I didn’t have the heart to throw it out.) Usually I buy papaya strictly for juices (it’s anti-inflammatory and ya’ll know I need some of that!) but it looked past it’s juicing prime. So popsicles seemed the obvious choice in the heat of summer and because for some reason I couldn’t just cut it up and eat it like a normal person.

I could have made them straight papaya, but I love to add a bit of creaminess to my pops. I was out of any useful coconut products, so I used the cream from the top of the raw milk jar. It was a wise choice, believe you me. A little bit of lime, vanilla and honey and BAM- papaya pops comin’ at ya.

Next time you have half a papaya sitting alone in your fridge, this recipe can be your go-to. I assume that probably won’t happen to most of you, but a girl can dream.. someone out there thinks my blog is useful and actually makes my recipes, right? haha

Really, though- I love you guys. Thanks for reading my crazy popsicle posts and sticking around Oven Love for all these years. You’re the bees.

1.0 from 1 reviews

Papaya Cream Popsicles (Papaya Paletas)

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles and 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your mold.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Serves: 4-12

Ingredients

½ large ripe red papaya, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup heavy cream, coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk (or omit all together, if you like)
juice of one lime
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons raw honey (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour into popsicle molds and add popsicle sticks.
Freeze for 3-5 hours or until firm. Run warm water over the mold if the popsicles don’t come right out. Serve immediately.

Mango Swirl Popsicles

Natalie — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:21:53 +0000

Can we all agree that popsicles are having a moment?

Maybe it’s the summer heat + all the gorgeous Pinterest inspiration, but I’ve had popsicles on the brain. When I saw a bag of ripe mangos in the Kroger dollar produce bin, my brain immediately said, “Popsicles. Probably with a yogurt swirl. Let’s do this.”

And here we are with mango swirl popsicles. Thank you, internal grocery store monologue.

Not much work to be done for these bad boys. Puree your mango with some lime juice, swirl with vanilla yogurt and freeze. Then try to forget they’re in the freezer for a few hours so you’re surprised when you remember you have popsicles waiting for you. I love knowing there’s a little treatsie in the freezer with my name on it, don’t you?

If you are a popsicle lover, check out my orange creamsicles and raspberry ice pops as well. Make them all, throw a popsicle party and then invite me to it, pleaseandthankyou.

Also, you should definitely eat any extra mango yogurt with a spoon. You’re welcome.

Mango Swirl Popsicles

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 15 mins

This recipe will make 4-6 large popsicles or 8-12 small popsicles, depending on the size of your molds. There will be about 4 cups total of your popsicle mixture. Any extra is delicious eaten straight from a spoon!

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 ripe mangos (makes about 2 cups puree)
juice of ½ lime
2 cups plain yogurt (make homemade raw milk yogurt for GAPS or coconut yogurt for Dairy-Free/Vegan/Paleo)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can omit this if you’re using yogurt that’s already flavored with vanilla)
1-2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Instructions

Cut around the pit of your mango and scoop the flesh out of the skin and into a blender. Try to get as much of the mango flesh as possible off of the pit (this is easier when the mangos are really ripe, so look for soft ones). Add the lime juice and puree until smooth.
In a medium bowl, mix your yogurt and vanilla extract (and honey, if using).
Spoon the mango puree on top of the yogurt and gently fold the puree with just a few strokes. Try not to overmix- it will still taste great, but you’ll lose the “swirl” look if you mix it too much.
Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze for about 30 minutes, add the sticks, and then freeze for 1-2 more hours or until firm.
When ready to serve, run the molds under warm water until the popsicles come loose and serve immediately.

Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup

Natalie — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:45:00 +0000

I’ve got a thing for soup lately.

Maybe because it’s getting cooler, maybe because I’m trying to include more bone broth in my diet, maybe because you can just throw anything you want into a pot and call it soup.

And this soup is really about just that- throwing a bunch of semi-related ingredients into a pot and waiting until they magically melt together into something delicious. How does it happen?? You wouldn’t think all of this stuff would go together, but it does. It really does.

If you set out to make this, I beg you- please put your thinking cap/game face on at the grocery store and DO NOT forget the naan. It is essential. You will be super sad if you forget it which will put you in no mood to whip up some naan from scratch. Trust me.

Get the naan and make your soup. And then save me a bowl.

Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

adapted from Scaling Back and 101 Cookbooks

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into ½ inch dice
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds (I used just ½ to keep the spice down)
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced/grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
⅓ cup tomato paste
7 cups chicken stock
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (or about 2 cups pre-soaked)
2 cups lentils (preferably red; I used green, which is what I had on hand)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Heat the coconut oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color.
Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, chicken, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how soft you like your lentils.
At the end of cooking, add the lime juice to taste and adjust with more salt if desired. Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.

Thai Chicken Taquitos

Natalie — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:00:00 +0000

I felt like a real genius with this one, you guys.

This crazy Thai/Mexican fusion taquito idea just popped into my brain and would not leave until I made it happen. All I could think about was peanut sauce for days. Days! Then another idea called Chicken Satay Lettuce Wraps became best friends with the taquito idea and I had no choice but to go full force with it.

Here’s how it’s gonna go down.

You’re going to put some chicken in a crockpot with some coconut milk and forget it. Then you’re going to remember it, shred it, mix it up with some other goodies and stuff it into some lettuce and then into your face. And you’re going to have to set aside half of the filling before you dig in because you will probably eat it all without thinking about it, then be super-bummed when you remember the whole taquito thing. So set it aside, for the love! Then the next day, remember it again, roll it up in some tortillas and dip those gems into the peanut sauce.

Go visit MPMK for the Lettuce Wraps and Peanut Sauce recipes.

This is a double duty crockpot dinner, people! You don’t want to miss it.

Thai Chicken Taquitos

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

These taquitos are part of a double duty dinner! The filling is made with leftovers from my Crockpot Chicken Satay Lettuce Cups.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main, Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Thai

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

½ recipe of Chicken Satay Lettuce Wrap filling*
12-14 corn tortillas
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt
Peanut Sauce, for dipping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Microwave 2 tortillas at a time for about 15 seconds or until warm and pliable. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of filling and roll tightly. Place on the baking sheet with the open seam down, cover with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat until your filling is gone.
Bake the taquitos for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. If you’d like them to get even crispier, turn on the broiler for a few minutes (but watch them closely so they don’t burn). Remove from the oven and serve hot with peanut sauce for dipping.

Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps

Natalie — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Here are some things I’d like to say about this heat wave.

Something is not right when your properly-working-AC is chugging along 24/7 just to keep your house under 82 degrees.
RIP to four of our chickens. Four! 108 degrees is brutal. And sorry to whatever poor garbage man has to pick up our trash tomorrow.. ugh.
Yesterday was the first time I swam in a lukewarm pool. And it was before 10AM. And it was refreshing.

It is madness!

Thank goodness for the brilliant JTB for coming up with this gem of an idea. It’s actually very similar to this Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad I made last summer, but is has bacon. Which in my book is light years ahead of crab on the deliciousness scale (which is definitely a real thing). After an hour in our outdoor bath (I can hardly call that thing a pool. I mean really), this was the most refreshing plate imaginable.

I am usually not a big fan of lettuce cups (so messy and usually filled with disappointing ground meat of some kind), but it was the perfect way to serve this salad. There was something great in each bite- sweet corn, creamy avocado, savory bacon- all wrapped up in the cool, crisp crunch of a lettuce leaf. I would eat this anytime, but it would be particularly wonderful to serve in a picnic setting or after some kind of hot, summer activity.

If this heat wave continues, I am stocking up on bacon, lettuce, tomato and corn and not coming out of the house until it’s below 90 degrees.

(So I guess I’ll see you in September!)

Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

Find the original recipe at http://joythebaker.com/2012/06/blt-corn-salad-wraps/

Author: Joy the Baker

Recipe type: Appetizer, Main

Ingredients

3 ears of corn, shucked (she charred hers, I did not)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup chopped green onions (I used white onion here)
1 avocado, diced
3 sliced crisp cooked bacon, diced
juice of 1 lime
about 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used roasted garlic grapeseed oil- YUM)
salt and pepper to taste
a good sprinkling of chili powder and smokey paprika
butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce leaves
hot sauce and sour cream for topping

Instructions

Shuck corn on the cob of all their husks and strings. Over a gas burner, or on the flame grill, char raw corn. Rotate corn until cob is charred on all sides. Allow corn to cool before slicing corn kernels from the cob. This invariably creates corn shrapnel all over the kitchen counter.
Add corn kernels to a medium bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, green onion, diced avocado, and diced bacon. Squeeze in lime juice. Top with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices. Stir to combine. Taste and re-season accordingly.
Rinse and clean individual lettuce leaves. Serve alongside a bowl of corn salad to serve. To enjoy, scoop corn salad into lettuce leaves, top with hot sauce, sour cream, fold up like a taco and eat em up!

Make-Ahead Mango & Raspberry Margaritas

Natalie — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Long day at work? Rough day with the kids? Hot outside? Just really need a drink?

These little margaritas are just the ticket.

Good, cold, relaxing things come in small, glass, ready-made packages.

I love this recipe! I love that you can make these hours, days or even weeks ahead of your next big party. I love that they are ready to drink just minutes after you pull them out of the freezer. And I really love that I have a few single serve margaritas left waiting for the next time a margarita mood strikes. No need to pull out the blender for just one drink. And no awkward shouting to your guests over a loud blender while you’re entertaining. Bonus!

Do not be fooled by their size- these margaritas pack a punch! Feel free to reduce the amount of alcohol to your liking- there’s around a shot and a half in each of these drinks (10 oz total alcohol goes into 6-7 drinks).

My Cinco de Mayo guests enjoyed the mango and raspberry flavors, but I am dying to try out some other fresh fruit combinations. I’m thinking blackberry, watermelon, blood orange.. almost any fruit will do. This recipe is great for big groups and for small groups- you can easily multiply it and freeze ahead for a crowd; or you can make a batch for one or two people, drink a few fresh, and then freeze the rest for later.

Give yourself a break and add this to your list of must-make summer drinks.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Make Ahead Frozen Mango Margaritas

adapted from The Yummy Life- http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/06/204/Make-Ahead+Frozen+Margaritas+-+blended,+frozen+in+mason+jars,+ready+to+serve+

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Drinks

Ingredients

1 mango, cored, peeled and chopped
1 12 oz. can of frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup tequila
¼ cup triple sec
juice of 1 lime
3-5 cups ice
lime slices and coarse salt, for serving

Instructions

Combine chopped mango, limeade concentrate, tequila, triple sec and lime juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice until the blender is full. Blend until smooth.
Pour into small mason jars, screw on lids and freeze.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the margaritas from the freezer. If you’re using salt, dip the rim into the salt first, then use a straw or fork to stir up the margarita mixture. Add a lime slice and serve.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Make-Ahead Frozen Raspberry Margaritas

adapted from The Yummy Life- http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2011/06/204/Make-Ahead+Frozen+Margaritas+-+blended,+frozen+in+mason+jars,+ready+to+serve+

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Drinks

Ingredients

1 small container of raspberries
1 12 oz. can of frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup tequila
¼ cup triple sec
juice of 1 lime
3-5 cups ice
lime slices and coarse salt, for serving

Instructions

Place raspberries in a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture through a mesh strainer over a small bowl to remove seeds and return the raspberry puree to the blender. Add limeade concentrate, tequila, triple sec and lime juice and blend until smooth. Add ice until the blender is full, and again blend until smooth.
Pour into small mason jars, screw on lids and freeze.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the margaritas from the freezer. If you’re using salt, dip the rim into the salt first, then use a straw or fork to stir up the margarita mixture. Add a lime slice and serve.