Spring and Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

Spring is finally coming! It's nearly here - officially it arrives on Sunday.  After a long winter it's a relief to feel a small warmth in the wind.  It doesn't bite through your jacket like it did all through December and January, and February come to think of it. The birds are singing songs in the trees as I walk home from the metro each evening. 
Spring means summer. 
Youpee!
Red Pepper Sauce.
No better way to get ready for summer. It's a brilliantly useful sauce for cooked chicken or lamb.  It's great added to vinaigrette for a salad a bit different.

Lemon Curd

I was inspired by Joy the Bakers gorgeous banana bread. It had nothing to do with the fact she described it along the lines as 'healthy' and 'I'm getting my summer body ready'.  We LOVED the banana bread for breakfast and since we live in Europe we were culturally obligated to eat it with Nutella. I'm pretty sure that cancelled out any low-fat efforts we might have made in making this particularly delicious version of banana bread. But when in Rome....(we're not in Rome by the way, Paris actually, but just to clear things up). If you, like me, were wondering what to do with the 2 egg yolks left over, then make yourself happy with this little gem of recipe for light and zesty lemon curd.  It's perfect to spread on the banana bread, far less fattening than Nutella, and perfect for cheering up a sleepy Monday morning tomorrow. 

Lovely Lemon Curd

makes about 450g

Ingredients

3 lemons

200g castor sugar

115g unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

Wash the lemons, then finely grate the rind into a saucepan. Halve the lemons and juice all 3 lemons, adding the juice to the saucepan. Set over a low heat and add the butter and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted.

Put the egg and yolks together in a bowl and beat together until well mixed. Pour slowly into the lemon mixture, whisking well as you go. 

Stir the mixture constantly over the low heat until the lemon curd lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from the heat and the curd into small, warmed sterilized jars. Cover, seal and label if you can resist not eating straight away.  Store in cool dark place. Use within 3 months. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.