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 increasingly popular due to its exotic taste and ability to be used in a variety of dishes.
Composition and features of the seasoning
The product is a mixture of aromatic seasonings. The main components included in the composition are:
- black pepper, which adds spiciness to the dish;
- lemon zest or acid.
Additional ingredients in the mixture are: onion, garlic, salt, sugar and turmeric. The composition is balanced in such a way that lemon pepper contains both hot, hot, sour and sweet taste.
In some cases, several varieties of pepper can be used and lemon essential oil can be added.
Also, from some manufacturers you can find a ready-made mixture with different grind sizes of spices. This allows the ingredients to be well distributed during the cooking process.
Uses of lemon pepper
The application of the product is wide and extremely diverse. Lemon pepper goes well with meat and fish dishes.
Salads, vegetable and seafood dishes using a spicy mixture are no less tasty.
Lemon pepper can be added at any stage of cooking: for marinade, immediately before heat treatment, or you can season ready-made food with it.
The seasoning is also used to prepare energy and warming drinks, lemonades and vitamin cocktails.
Useful properties of the product and contraindications for use
In addition to its bright, unusual taste, lemon pepper has beneficial properties:
Attention! Despite the benefits of the product, in some cases you should refrain from using it:
- For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- During pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- If you have allergic reactions to the components of the mixture.
- For acute inflammatory processes or chronic diseases of the urinary tract.
How to make a spice mixture at home
The spice mixture can be purchased ready-made. Or, if you wish, make the product yourself. With the right approach, the quality of the seasoning will not only not suffer, but will also increase.
To prepare lemon pepper you need to prepare:
- Three medium-sized lemons (for lemon zest).
- Black pepper - 3 tablespoons.
- Salt, sugar, turmeric, dried onions and garlic - 1 tablespoon of each ingredient.
Peel the zest from the lemons. You should get about 2 tablespoons of product. Mix it with black pepper and place on parchment paper.
Place the mixture in the oven, preheated to 50 degrees. The zest and pepper must be completely dry. This will take about 30 minutes.
After this, you need to remove the spices from the oven, chop them and mix thoroughly with the remaining ingredients.
The amount of sugar can be reduced, then the seasoning will become sharper. You can also change the lemon pepper recipe to suit your personal preferences. To do this, it is enough to change the proportion of the main components towards a more sour or sharper taste.
The finished seasoning must be placed in an airtight container. Sun rays, foreign odors and moisture are destructive to lemon pepper. It is recommended to store it in a dark, dry place.
Lemon pepper and its main components. Composition and calorie content of the product. The benefits of the mentioned spice with accompanying warnings for 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, and 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 universal additive that can diversify the everyday diet of the common man.
Composition and calorie content of lemon pepper
Some picky eaters refuse many dishes because they find them bland. Lemon pepper can 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 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.
Fatty acids per 100 g:
- Saturated - 0.22 g;
- Monounsaturated - 0.25 g;
- Polyunsaturated - 0.19 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 a flu epidemic. Vitamin A is very important for people's health, as it is responsible for vision and the condition of their skin and nails.
Beneficial properties of lemon pepper
Everyone knows that lemon is an effective natural healer; it has antibacterial and antiviral properties, it contains important vitamins, bioflavonoids, and 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:
- Strengthening the immune system. Lemon, garlic, pepper and onion have antiviral and antibacterial effects on the human body. And in combination they strengthen the functioning of the immune system. Therefore, lemon pepper is known as a natural tonic that can fight sore throats, remove phlegm, and treat colds and flu.
- Normalization of liver function. This spice contains a significant amount of minerals that have a beneficial effect on the liver and remove harmful toxins.
- Improved digestion. Black pepper present in the spice can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and improve processes associated with digestion. Lemon is known as a natural tonic that controls pH in the body.
- Increased blood pressure. In case of hypotension with autonomic disorders, it is necessary to regularly eat the mentioned spice.
- 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.
- Help with weight loss. 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 helps reduce body weight.
- Improving potency. Nutritionists advise all representatives of the stronger sex to include lemon pepper seasoning in their menu. It not only ignites desire, but also improves the quality of intimate life.
Contraindications and harms of lemon pepper
Any seasoning should be used with great care. A healthy person who consumes the spice in moderation does not have to worry about anything; the harm of lemon pepper is reduced to almost a minimum. However, if you have certain health problems, you should limit its use. And since this is a mixture of spices, when using the seasoning it is recommended to take into account contraindications for each component.
If you want to season a dish with lemon pepper, you should take care of your health in case of the following pathologies:
- Acute inflammation of the urinary tract. In case of chronic cystitis, which is often accompanied by relapses of the disease, eating this spice is strictly prohibited.
- Gastrointestinal diseases. If you have ulcerative colitis, gastritis and problems with the gallbladder, this seasoning should be excluded from your diet.
- Allergy. Even if you have a negative reaction to animal hair or household chemicals, it is not recommended to consume any spices without first consulting a gastroenterologist.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. When carrying a baby and after its birth, the mother’s diet should be agreed with the doctor. In most cases, he will not recommend that a woman consume lemon pepper during this period.
How to make lemon pepper
Any spice can be purchased not only in a specialized store, but also in a regular market. It is worth remembering that at home you can actually get the desired product with much higher quality.
To prepare lemon pepper yourself, 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. This usually takes half an hour, after which the mixture must be crushed and mixed with 1 tbsp. salt, turmeric, dried onions and garlic.
To soften the pungent taste of the seasoning, you can add a tablespoon of sugar.
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 go best with meat dishes - fried, baked, grilled.
Thanks to its lemony note, this mixture is used to season different types of fish. In most cases, it is used with pollock and cod. It can be used before heat treatment of the product, as well as for ready-to-eat products. Lemon pepper is well suited for cooking fish in any form - fried or grilled.
Also, a mixture of spices is relevant when preparing soups, for example, from shrimp and squid. Marinades based on this seasoning have become so popular today that they have surpassed traditional spices in the ratings. It can add an interesting taste to familiar ingredients.
Recipes with lemon pepper for various dishes can be presented as follows:
- Popovers. 2 eggs, 200 ml milk, 1 tsp. lemon zest and 50 ml of water must be mixed, and then added to the mass 1 tbsp. butter, 150 g flour and 0.5 tsp. black and lemon pepper. The resulting dough must be distributed among the molds and then baked for 40 minutes.
- Appetizing sandwiches. For a hearty breakfast, add 1 tsp to 1 kg of ground beef. lemon pepper, a pinch of salt and black pepper. To this mixture you need to add Worcestershire sauce based on anchovies, ginger, mustard, cinnamon and cardamom. You need to make small balls from the minced meat. 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.
- 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 using molds will delight both adults and children.
- "Chocolate Paradise" (flan). 150 g of the 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 announced components must be mixed by carefully adding a pinch of lemon pepper and 35 g of cocoa powder. Cookies are baked in buttered molds for 15 minutes.
- Mediterranean soup. 250 g of peeled shrimp should be mixed with one sliced tomato, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves and dill (half a bunch is enough). The announced ingredients must be poured into a liter of water and brought to a boil. After this, 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.
- Fish kebab. 700 g of salmon should be cut into medium-sized pieces and mixed with two chopped onions. The marinade will be 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. In this composition, the fish should be marinated for half an hour. After that, it is strung on skewers (sticks) and fried along with sweet peppers.
- Trout our way. King fish can be cooked quite quickly and without much effort. It is best to bake 450 g of trout whole, because it will be more juicy. In a special baking foil you need 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.
- Meat kebab. To prepare the marinade, you need to 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 such a mixture, soak 2 kg of pork neck, 400 g of onions for 3-4 hours, and then thread the meat onto skewers.
- Chicken zucchini. 500 g of chicken 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 slices and treated with salt. The fried chicken should be wrapped in the seasoned vegetable and secured with toothpicks.
Lemon Pepper Drink Recipes
The usual tea and coffee can be replaced with an equally tasty product. It is possible to diversify your menu 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 in 7 mint leaves. The medicinal liquid should infuse for 10 minutes. Then you need to add a pinch of lemon pepper and coriander, as well as a spoon 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 aromatic liquid, add 3 g (a pinch) of cayenne and lemon pepper. This drink increases energy levels in the body and helps protect it during a flu epidemic.
- Warming drink. In the kettle you need to 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 this 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 prepare ice in molds. The lemon should be cut into slices, 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. In a shaker you need to beat ice cubes, chopped lemon, a pinch of black and lemon pepper. After mixing the ingredients, add 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 to pour it into creamy ice cream.
Lemon pepper is not just a beautiful addition to holiday dishes. This is primarily the taste of the product and its contents. In this case, the voiced seasoning justified itself. Lemon pepper (seasoning)
Lemon pepper (seasoning)
Are you familiar with Lemon Pepper seasoning? Me, no. I saw it in the ingredients of one recipe today and was surprised what it was. I even thought that it was spelled incorrectly, but then I decided to find out about the lemon pepper seasoning. And now I’m sharing with you, maybe some of you also don’t know anything about this seasoning. You can buy it in the store, but it’s better to cook it yourself. It's not difficult, see for yourself by reading the recipe I offer.
Lemon pepper is a spice mixture that consists of salt, black pepper, garlic, onion, lemon zest, sugar and turmeric. And citric acid is added to this mixture as an acidity regulator. Lemon pepper is used 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 also goes well with meat. Dishes using lemon pepper take on the pungency of black pepper and the sour taste of lemon.
Ingredients:
- lemon zest - 1 - 2 tbsp. l. (grate on a fine grater, about 3 lemons)
- freshly ground black pepper - 2 - 3 tbsp. l.
- sea salt - 1 tbsp. l.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to minimum temperature, approximately 50°C.
In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and black pepper.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the pepper and zest mixture in an even layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven and dry the mixture until completely dry, this will take approximately 30 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a bowl. Using the back of a spoon (or in a spice grinder), 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 pronounced lemon flavor, reduce the amount of pepper or add more lemon zest. 
Really big. Although most commonly found in Sichuan cuisine, the spice has such depth and appeal that its use has spread far and wide. This special genus has more than 150 species, many of which are similar in appearance and have the same taste properties. It is especially widely used in Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Nepalese and Thai cuisine.
The branches, bark and trunk of the 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, toothwood, yellowwood, fagara, suterberry.
Fragrant shrub or small tree of the genus Zanthoxylum family Rutaceae, with pinnate leaves, native to China; its related species, which for simplicity are also called, are found in the temperate zones of Japan, in parts of India, in Nepal and other areas of the Himalayas, in parts of Southeast Asia and in 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, does not require much attention when growing. Asian varieties have dark pink fruits with a diameter of up to 5 mm. American varieties have black or blue fruit. When ripe, pepper fruits open to reveal black, shiny seeds. The seeds themselves have no taste, but the aromatic shells of the pepper are useful and valuable; they are used whole for culinary preparations or ground into powder. Szechuan pepper is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and shichimi togarashi, a Japanese seven-flavor seasoning.
Despite appearances Szechuan pepper Not a true pepper, it is in fact closely related to citrus fruits and not the typical black peppercorns as is commonly believed. As a member of the citrus family, Szechuan peppers have a tart, lemony, tangy aroma and, instead of being hot and spicy like black, white or chili peppers, they create a tickling, effervescent sensation on the tongue, a unique tingling sensation, as if stabbed by needles (the scientific name for this property is paresthesia caused by 3% content of the hydroxy-alpha-sansshul molecule in fruit acid).
Any dish that can cause a slight numbness and tingling sensation on your tongue is worth trying. This refers to numbness when your tongue seems to be numb and at the same time mobile. Sichuan peppercorns are not hot or hot. And what they are is a culinary experience like no other. But why is there a desire (albeit mildly) to feel overwhelmed in the mouth? Because, in addition to the first feeling of coolness arising from the tingling of the tongue, the sensation of food seasoned with pepper changes, a wonderful living vibration is added and, subsequently, a warmth like no other. And this tingling sensation is likened to an electric charge.
Some types of culinary Sichuan pepper.
Top left: Nepalese timur (Zanthoxylum alatum); top right: Indonesian andaliman (Z. acanthopodium); lower left: Indian tirfal (Z. rhetsa); lower right: Chinese jiao (Z. piperitum/simulans).
Spice in China "Sichuan pepper" (jiao) obtained 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 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 worse substitutes.
In Chinese cooking, dry roasted Szechuan pepper is often used as a table seasoning, either in its pure form or as a flavored salt. To make this typical Sichuan flavor, coarse salt and dried Sichuan pepper are roasted together until slightly smoky. Once cooled, both are ground together to a coarse powder. This "pepper salt" is a common seasoning in China.
Another type of Sichuan pepper grows wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where it is used as a spice by several ethnic groups. In Indonesian cookbooks, the spice is sometimes called "Indonesian lemon pepper", which is not to be confused with the Western supermarket spice, which is lemon-flavored black pepper. The Indonesian spice known as andaliman is less spicy than other Sichuan peppers and has a more intense lime flavor similar to the Japanese pepper.
Indonesian lemon pepper can be replaced with a mixture of Chinese or Japanese pepper with lemon grass or better lemon myrtle leaves, which have a fresh coolness. Indonesian pepper is most characteristic of the cuisine of the Batak, a people inhabiting a small region in northern Sumatra. Batak food is quite hot and spicy - pieces of pork meat and organs stewed in a thick, spicy sauce containing pork blood. Indonesia's main island of 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 the aroma of coriander, and the shells resemble anise.
Nepalese cuisine uses a local type of pepper as a spice. Sichuan (Z. armatum = Z. alatum). The dark, purple-colored shells of the fruit taste much sharper and sharper than the Chinese ones. Their smell is very strong and very spicy; it is more reminiscent of rose and Chinese cinnamon - cassia than lemon, and is characterized by the absence of any sign of tenderness and softness. Nepalese Szechuan pepper is used in curries and pickles and is one of the most commonly used spices in Nepalese cuisine. Usually used in small quantities to impart flavor rather than overwhelming spiciness to dishes.
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 tirphala in Maharashtra and triphala in Gujarat. The use of this spice is mainly limited to the western coast of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka), where it is used in fish dishes. Unlike normal Indian culinary habits, this pepper is not usually combined 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, Szechuan peppers are roasted before being crushed or ground. This mutes the citrus flavors and enhances the woody notes for a great pairing with the meat. To roast the peppers, add them to a dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir for about one minute or until fragrant. Cool, then grind.
Now that you have roasted the peppers, how can you use them?
Mix with coarse salt and ground black pepper, then use it to rub over the beef.
Mix with salt and add to breadcrumbs to use as a coating for fried chicken.
Season the vegetable oil with roasted and ground Szechuan pepper and it will be flavorful enough to drizzle over roasted vegetables and meats.
Add to mayonnaise and use in tuna salad or turkey and cheese sandwich.
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add ground (pre-roasted) Szechuan pepper and shrimp. Fry until tender, then add (while hot) to a salad of chopped fennel, avocado and diced red onion.
Mix toasted crushed Szechuan pepper with tomato paste, honey, cumin, cinnamon, salt and hot pepper. Fry chicken breast pieces with garlic in olive oil, then stir in a mixture of tomato paste and spices and heat through. Serve the chicken sauce on a bun or top it over pasta or rice.
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