Lemon pepper: benefits and harms, a recipe for cooking at home. Lemon pepper (seasoning)

Lemon pepper (seasoning)

Lemon pepper (seasoning)

Are you familiar with Lemon Pepper? Me, no. Today I saw it in the ingredients of one recipe and was surprised what it is. I even thought that it was written incorrectly, but after that I decided to find out about the lemon pepper seasoning. And now I am sharing with you, maybe some of you also do not know anything about this seasoning. You can buy it in the store, but it's better to cook it yourself. It's easy, see for yourself by reading the recipe that I offer.

"Lemon Pepper" is a spicy mixture that consists of salt, black pepper, garlic, onion, lemon peel, sugar and turmeric. And as an acidity regulator, citric acid is added to this mixture. Apply lemon pepper as a seasoning for fish dishes. It can be used at different stages of cooking, both at the beginning of cooking and added to the finished dish). Lemon pepper goes well with meat. Dishes using lemon pepper take on the sharpness of black pepper and the sour taste of lemon.

Ingredients:

- lemon zest - 1 - 2 tbsp. l. (finely grated, about 3 lemons)

- freshly ground black pepper - 2 - 3 tbsp. l.

- sea salt - 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, approximately 50°C.

In a large bowl, mix the lemon zest and black pepper.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet, spread the pepper and zest mixture in an even layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and dry the mixture until completely dry, this will take about 30 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a bowl. Use the back of a spoon (or in a spice grinder) to grind the mixture to the desired grind. Stir the mixture with 1 tsp. salt or to taste.

The seasoning can be stored in an airtight container for several months.

PS: if you want the seasoning to have a more lemon flavor, reduce the amount of pepper or add more lemon zest.

Spices can change the taste of any familiar dish. Especially if these are unusual flavor combinations, such as lemon pepper seasoning. This spice blend is becoming more and more popular due to its exotic taste and its ability to be used in a variety of dishes.

Composition and features of seasoning

The product is a mixture of aromatic spices. The main components included in the composition are:

• black pepper, which gives the dish a sharpness;
• lemon peel or acid.

Additional ingredients in the mixture are: onion, garlic, salt, sugar and turmeric. The composition is balanced in such a way that in lemon pepper there is simultaneously a sharp, burning, sour and sweet taste.

In some cases, several varieties of pepper can be used, lemon essential oil can be added.

Also, from some manufacturers you can find a ready-made mixture with different sizes of grinding spices. This allows the components to be well distributed during the cooking process.

The use of lemon pepper

The application of the product is wide and extremely varied. Lemon pepper goes well with meat and fish dishes.

No less tasty are salads, vegetable and seafood dishes using a spicy mixture.

Lemon pepper can be added at any stage of cooking: for marinade, immediately before heat treatment, or you can season it with cooked food.

Seasoning is also used to prepare energy, warming drinks, lemonades and vitamin cocktails.

Useful properties of the product and contraindications for use

In addition to the bright unusual taste, lemon pepper has useful properties:

Attention! Despite the benefits of the product, in some cases you should refrain from using it:

• In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• During pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• In the presence of allergic reactions to the components of the mixture.
• In acute inflammatory processes or chronic diseases of the urinary tract.

How to make spice mix at home

A mixture of spices can be purchased ready-made. Or if you want to make a product yourself. With the right approach, the quality of the seasoning will not only not suffer, but will also grow.

To prepare lemon pepper, you need to prepare:

• 3 medium sized lemons (for lemon zest)
• Black pepper - 3 tablespoons.
• Salt, sugar, turmeric, dried onion and garlic - 1 tablespoon of each ingredient.

Peel the zest from the lemons. You should get about 2 tablespoons of the product. Mix it with black pepper and put it on parchment paper.

Place the mixture in the oven, preheated to 50 degrees. The zest and pepper should be completely dry. This will take about 30 minutes.

After that, you need to remove the spices from the oven, chop them and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.

The amount of sugar can be reduced, then the seasoning will become more spicy. Also, the recipe for lemon pepper can be changed, taking into account personal preferences. To do this, it is enough to change the proportion of the main components towards a more sour or more spicy taste.

The finished seasoning must be placed in an airtight container. Sunlight, foreign odors and moisture are detrimental to lemon pepper. It is recommended to store it in a dark, dry place.

Really big. Though most commonly found in Szechuan cuisine, the spice has such depth and appeal that its use has spread to the furthest distances. This special genus has more than 150 species, many of which are similar in appearance and taste. Especially widely used in Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Nepalese and Thai cuisines.

The branches, bark and trunk of Sichuan pepper are covered with prickly thorns.

Other names for Sichuan pepper are Chinese pepper, Japanese pepper, Indonesian lemon pepper (the name comes from where it grows), anise pepper, dentifrice, yellow tree, fagara, suterberry.

Fragrant shrub or small tree of the genus Zanthoxylum family Rutovye, with feathery leaves, a native of China; its related species, also named for simplicity, are found in the temperate regions of Japan, parts of India, Nepal and other parts of the Himalayas, parts of Southeast Asia, and North America. The branches, bark and trunk are covered with prickly thorns. The tree mostly grows in the wild, usually in forests with moist soils.

Very unpretentious, when growing does not require much attention. Asian varieties have dark pink fruits up to 5 mm in diameter. American varieties have black or blue fruits. Pepper fruits open when ripe and reveal black, shiny seeds. The seeds themselves have no taste, but the fragrant shells of pepper are useful and valuable, they are used for culinary preparations whole, or ground into powder. Szechuan pepper is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and shichimi togarashi, a seven-flavor Japanese seasoning.

Despite the appearance Sichuan pepper not a real pepper, in fact it is closely related to citrus fruits, and not to typical black peppercorns, as is commonly believed. As a member of the citrus family, Sichuan peppers have a tart, lemony, tangy flavor and instead of being hot and pungent like black, white or chili peppers, they create a tickling, effervescent sensation on the tongue, a unique tingling sensation, as if staggered by needles (the scientific name for this property is paresthesia caused by 3% hydroxy-alpha-sanschul molecule in fruit acid).

Any dish that can cause a slight numbness and tingling on your tongue is worth a try. This refers to such numbness, when your tongue seems to be numb and at the same time mobile. Sichuan peppercorns are neither hot nor hot. And for what they are, they are a culinary experience like no other. But why is there a desire (albeit mildly) to feel the numbness in the mouth? Because, in addition to the first feeling of coolness that occurs due to the tingling of the tongue, the sensation of food seasoned with pepper changes, a beautiful live vibration is added and, subsequently, warmth unlike anything else. And this tingling is likened to an electric charge.

Some types of culinary Sichuan peppers.

Top left: Nepalese timur (Zanthoxylum alatum); upper right: Indonesian andaliman (Z. acanthopodium); lower left: Indian tirfal (Z. rhetsa); lower right: Chinese jiao (Z. piperitum/simulans).

Spice in China "Sichuan Pepper" (jiao) derived from several local species Zanthoxylum, and therefore the properties of the spice vary depending on the region. Although it is often stated that Z. piperitum is the canonical beginning of the Sichuan pepper, but is actually the most commonly used Z. bungeanum, Z. simulans, Z. planispinum And Z. armatum. According to traditional Chinese medicine, Z. bungeanum is the most valuable of those listed, the rest are considered inferior substitutes.

In Chinese cooking, dry roasted Sichuan peppers are often used as a table condiment, either neat or as a flavored salt. To make this typical Sichuan flavor, coarse salt and dried Sichuan peppers are roasted together until slightly hazy. After cooling, both are ground together to a coarse powder. This "pepper salt" is a common seasoning in China.

Another type of Szechuan pepper grows wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where it is used as a spice by several ethnic groups. In Indonesian cookbooks, this spice is sometimes referred to as "Indonesian Lemon Pepper", which should not be confused with the western supermarket condiment, which is black pepper flavored with lemon flavor. The Indonesian spice known as andaliman is less spicy than other Sichuan peppers and has a more intense lime flavor similar to Japanese peppers.

Indonesian lemon pepper can be substituted for a mixture of Chinese or Japanese pepper with lemongrass, or preferably lemon myrtle leaves, which have a fresh coolness. Indonesian pepper is most characteristic of the cuisine of the Batak, a people inhabiting a small area in the northern part of Sumatra. Batak food is quite spicy and spicy - pieces of pork meat and internal organs stewed in a thick, spicy sauce containing pig blood. Indonesia's main island, Java, has another local Sichuan pepper for culinary use: Z. avicennae, also known as karangeang in West Java. According to very rare literary sources, the leaves have a coriander aroma, and the shells resemble anise.

Nepalese cuisine uses a local type of pepper as a spice. Sichuan (Z. armatum = Z. alatum). Dark, purple-colored fruit shells taste much sharper and sharper than Chinese ones. Their smell is very strong and very spicy; it is more reminiscent of rose and Chinese cinnamon - cassia than lemon, characterized by the absence of any sign of tenderness and softness. Nepalese Sichuan pepper is used for curries and pickles and is one of the most commonly used spices in Nepalese cuisine. It is usually used in small amounts so that the aroma is transferred to the dishes, and not the overwhelming sharpness.

In Western and Southwestern India, cooks sometimes use another relative of the Sichuan pepper with slightly larger shells. (Z. rhetsa = Z. limonella). It is called tirfal in Maharashtra and triphala in Gujarat. The use of this spice is mostly limited to the western coast of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka) where it is used for fish dishes. Unlike common Indian culinary habits, this pepper is not usually paired with other spices as its flavor is considered delicate and easily lost among other spices.

Korean Z. schinifolium- the only species that has aromatic seeds, which are more preferable for use than the shells, which have a less pronounced aroma.

In Chinese cuisine, Sichuan peppers are roasted before being crushed or ground. It mutes citrus flavors and enhances woody notes for an excellent pairing with meat. To roast peppers, add them to a dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir for approximately one minute or until fragrant. Cool, then grind.

Now that you've roasted the pepper, how can you use it?

Mix with coarse salt and ground black pepper, then use it to rub the beef.

Mix with salt, add to breadcrumbs to use as a breading for fried chicken.

Season vegetable oil with roasted and ground Sichuan pepper, it will be aromatic enough to drizzle fried vegetables and meat with it.

Add to mayonnaise and use to make a tuna salad or turkey cheese sandwich.

Melt butter in a frying pan, add ground (pre-roasted) Sichuan pepper and shrimp. Saute until tender, then add (hot) to a salad of chopped fennel, avocado, and diced red onion.

Mix roasted crushed Sichuan pepper with tomato paste, honey, cumin, cinnamon, salt and hot pepper. Sauté chicken breast pieces with garlic in olive oil, then toss in the tomato-spice mixture and heat through. Serve the sauce with chicken meat on a bun or put it on top of pasta or rice.

Lemon pepper and its main components. The composition and calorie content of the product. Benefits of voiced spice with accompanying warnings on its use. Original dishes with this seasoning.

The content of the article:

Lemon pepper is a spice that includes a set of components such as citric acid and zest, black pepper, garlic, onion, turmeric, sugar, salt. A similar seasoning for meat and fish dishes has become increasingly popular in the domestic market. An interesting combination of different spices makes lemon pepper a versatile supplement that can diversify the everyday diet of a simple man in the street.

Composition and calorie content of lemon pepper

Some fastidious people refuse many dishes because they seem insipid to them. Lemon pepper is able to add zest to the diet of such people, because it perfectly complements fish and meat products.

The calorie content of lemon pepper per 100 g of the product is 95 kcal, of which:

• Proteins - 20.9 g;
• Fats - 0.69 g;
• Carbohydrates - 1.31 g;
• Water - 73.5 g;
• Inorganic substances - 3.6 g.

Of the minerals in lemon pepper, sodium is present in the amount of 1160 mg per 100 g.

Fatty acids per 100 g:

• Saturated - 0.22 g;
• Monounsaturated - 0.25 g;
• Polyunsaturated - 0.19 g.

Cholesterol was found in the spice - 48 mg per 100 g.

The composition of lemon pepper is valuable because it contains vitamin A and ascorbic acid. It is vitamin C that improves a person's immunity and allows him to resist infection attacks during an influenza epidemic. Vitamin A is very important for people's health, as it is responsible for vision and the condition of their skin and nails.

Health Benefits of Lemon Pepper

Everyone knows that lemon is an effective natural healer, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties, it contains important vitamins, bioflavonoids, limonene. Therefore, it is able to normalize digestion, cleanse the body of toxins, and cure viral and infectious diseases. When black pepper, onion, garlic and turmeric are added to the seasoning, its properties increase.

The benefits of lemon pepper are as follows:

1. Strengthening immunity. Lemon, garlic, pepper and onion have antiviral and antibacterial effects on the human body. Together they enhance the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, lemon pepper is known as a natural tonic that can fight inflammation of the throat, remove phlegm, and treat colds and flu.
2. Normalization of the liver. This spice contains a significant amount of minerals that have a beneficial effect on the liver, remove harmful toxins.
3. Improving digestion. Black pepper, present in the spice, is able to improve the functioning of the digestive tract and improve the processes associated with digestion. Lemon is known as a natural tonic that controls the pH in the body.
4. Increase in blood pressure. With hypotension with vegetative disorders, it is necessary to regularly eat the voiced spice.
5. Normalization of sleep. If a person cannot rest peacefully at night, then he should drink a glass of warm milk with a pinch of cinnamon and lemon pepper.
6. Help in losing weight. Lemon can reduce cravings for sweets, which helps control appetite, and therefore reduce portions and prevent overeating during the day. Black pepper speeds up metabolism, which in turn contributes to weight loss.
7. Potency improvement. Nutritionists advise all representatives of the stronger sex to include lemon pepper seasoning in their menu. It not only kindles desire, but also improves the quality of intimate life.

The spice mix is ​​high in vitamin C, which is an effective compound in treating gum disease and preventing the spread of bacteria in the mouth.

Contraindications and harm of lemon pepper

The use of any seasoning should be treated with great care. A healthy person who uses spice in moderation should not beware of anything, the harm of lemon pepper is reduced to a minimum. However, in the presence of certain health problems, it is necessary to limit its use. And since this is a mixture of spices, when using seasoning, it is recommended to take into account contraindications to its each component.

If you want to season the dish with lemon pepper, you should take care of your health with such pathologies:

• Acute inflammation of the urinary tract. In chronic cystitis, which is often accompanied by relapses of the disease, it is strictly forbidden to eat this spice.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. With ulcerative colitis, gastritis and problems with the gallbladder, the voiced seasoning should be excluded from your diet.
• Allergy. Even with a negative reaction to animal hair or household chemicals, it is not recommended to use any spices without first consulting a gastroenterologist.
• Pregnancy and lactation. When carrying a baby and after his birth, the diet of the mother should be agreed with the doctor. In most cases, he will not recommend a woman to use lemon pepper during this period.

The warnings voiced include only a certain life span or serious pathologies.

How to cook lemon pepper

Any spice can be purchased not only in a specialized store, but also in a regular market. At the same time, it is worth remembering that at home it is really possible to get the desired product with a much higher quality.

To prepare lemon pepper on your own, you need to preheat the oven to a temperature of 50 degrees. Two tablespoons of zest (you will need to use three lemons) should be mixed with three tablespoons of black pepper.

On a baking sheet, you need to place parchment paper on which the future spice will be baked. Place the zest and black pepper on it so that they dry completely in the oven. For this, half an hour is usually enough, after which the mixture must be crushed and mixed with 1 tbsp. salt, turmeric, dried onion and garlic.

To soften the spicy taste of the seasoning, you can add a tablespoon of sugar to it.

If you want to get exactly lemon seasoning, then it is recommended to reduce the amount of black pepper and increase the amount of zest added.

Lemon Pepper Recipes

This is a seasoning that combines hot and sour spices that are best combined with meat dishes - fried, baked, grilled.

Due to the lemon note, this mixture is seasoned with different types of fish. In most cases, it is used with pollock and cod. It can be used before the heat treatment of the product, as well as for ready-to-eat. Lemon pepper is good for cooking fish in any form - for fried or grilled.

Also, a mixture of spices is relevant in the preparation of soups, for example, from shrimp and squid. Marinades based on this seasoning have become so popular today that they have bypassed traditional spices in the rating. It can add an interesting taste to familiar ingredients.

Recipes with lemon pepper for different dishes can be represented as follows:

1. Popovers. 2 eggs, 200 ml milk, 1 tsp. lemon zest and 50 ml of water must be mixed, and then added to the mass of 1 tbsp. butter, 150 g flour and 0.5 tsp. black and lemon pepper. The resulting dough must be distributed in molds and then baked for 40 minutes.
2. Appetizing sandwiches. For a hearty breakfast, add 1 tsp to 1 kg of ground beef. lemon pepper, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Worcestershire sauce based on anchovies, ginger, mustard, cinnamon and cardamom must be added to such a mixture. From minced meat you need to make small balls. 8 pieces of bacon should be cut in half and wrapped around the meat base. After frying it, you need to place the meat in a bun along with cheese.
3. Interesting cookies. The dough for it is prepared from 250 g of flour, 4 tbsp. starch, 1 tsp lemon pepper, zest from one lemon, baking powder and a pinch of vanilla sugar. The figures cut out with the help of molds will please both adults and children.
4. "Chocolate Paradise" (flan). 150 g of a sweet product must be melted in a water bath with 80 g of butter. Seven proteins should be mixed with 1 tsp. vanilla, and beat the yolks with 100 g of sugar. The voiced components must be mixed by gently introducing a pinch of lemon pepper and 35 g of cocoa powder into them. Cookies are baked in molds greased with butter for 15 minutes.
5. mediterranean soup. 250 g of peeled shrimp should be mixed with one sliced ​​\u200b\u200btomato, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and dill (half a bunch is enough). The voiced ingredients must be poured with a liter of water and brought to a boil. After that, you need to finely chop the onion, fry it in butter and send it to the shrimp along with 1 tbsp. tomato paste. The next step is to add finely chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp. rice. The soup must be simmered over low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Fish kebab. 700 g of salmon should be cut into medium-sized pieces and mixed with two chopped onions. As a marinade, 250 ml of dry white wine, the juice of one lemon, 4 g of cumin, 1 g of salt, 5 g of dried sage and a pinch of lemon pepper will be used. In a similar composition, the fish should be marinated for half an hour. After that, it is strung on skewers (sticks) and fried together with sweet pepper.
7. Trout our way. Royal fish can be cooked quite quickly and without much effort. 450 g of trout is best baked whole, because it will be more juicy. In a special foil for baking it is necessary to place the fish, which is stuffed with a mixture of 20 ml of olive oil, 5 g of dried thyme, 5 g of lemon pepper and 2 g of ground white pepper.
8. Meat kebab. To prepare the marinade, mix 300 ml of pomegranate juice with 50 ml of lemon juice, 5 g of hot ground red pepper, 50 ml of soy sauce, 50 g of chopped garlic and a pinch of lemon pepper. In a similar mixture, soak 2 kg of pork neck, 400 g of onions for 3-4 hours, and then string the meat on skewers.
9. chicken zucchini. 500 g of voiced bird breast should be marinated in the following composition: 200 g of chopped zest, 50 g of chili, 100 ml of vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and lemon pepper, 50 g of honey and 25 g of coriander. 700 g of zucchini should be cut into thin plates and treated with salt. Wrap the fried chicken with the sounded vegetable and fix it with toothpicks.

Lemon pepper drink recipes

Familiar to all tea and coffee can be replaced with an equally tasty product. Diversify your menu really with the help of natural energy drinks, cocktails, fruit drinks, compotes and juices.

Lemon Pepper Drink Recipes:

• Vitamin infusion. Boil 400 ml of water and pour 7 mint leaves. Within 10 minutes, the medicinal liquid should be infused. Then you need to add a pinch of lemon pepper and coriander, as well as a spoonful of honey.
• Energy drink. To prepare it, you need to take 200 ml of water (one glass) and squeeze 10 g of lemon into it (approximately a couple of slices). To the resulting fragrant liquid, add 3 g (pinch) of cayenne and lemon pepper. Such a drink increases the energy level in the body and helps protect it during a flu epidemic.
• Warming drink. In the teapot, place 2 g of black tea (a pinch), 200 ml of boiling water, 1 g of cinnamon, 1 g of lemon pepper, tangerine zest and 1 g of ground red pepper. Infuse such a drink for 20 minutes, then add sugar to taste.
• Lemonade. 2 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp. maple syrup and a pinch of lemon pepper must be dissolved in 250 ml of water. This combination of products is usually used with a lemonade diet for 5-6 days.
• Juice with alcohol. First of all, you need to make ice in molds. Lemon should be cut into circles, one of which is recommended to be left as a decoration. 100 g of vodka (it is advisable to take a drink with the lowest degrees of alcohol) should be poured into two glasses. It is recommended to add 175 g of cranberry juice to it. Shake ice cubes, chopped lemon, a pinch of black and lemon pepper in a shaker. After mixing the ingredients, pour a little cold sparkling water into the glasses.
• "New Year's Drive". This drink is appropriate not only on the eve of the announced date. To prepare it, you need to add a pinch of lemon pepper and coriander to 200 liters of champagne (martini). Many gourmets prefer not to drink this combination of products, but pour it into creamy ice cream.

Watch the video about lemon pepper:

Lemon pepper is not just a beautiful addition to dishes for the festive table. This is primarily the taste of the product and its contents. In this case, the voiced seasoning justified itself.