4 Bites: Lemons

Lemons come into season at just the right time to help with our winter wellness.

There are numerous health benefits of including lemons in your diet - they're rich vitamin C, antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes and they aid in digestion. Read more from nutritionist Mikki Williden as she explores the topic of lemons for health.

And here, Warren Elwin shares three recipes using lemon.

Savoury lemon rice

Serves 6-8
1 Tbsp olive oil
1½ cups brown rice
2 lemons, zest of 1-2 and juice of both
1 tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 star anise
3 bay leaves
2½ cups hot chicken stock
Drizzle olive oil
2 cups roast vegetables, chopped (we used eggplant, capsicum, cauliflower and garlic cloves
1 spring onion, chopped
1 handful chopped coriander or parsley
1 handful roasted pumpkin seeds
1 handful dried cranberries or a few dates, chopped (optional)
1 dollop pesto, to serve

1. In a saucepan heat olive oil and add rice, stirring to coat grains well. Add the zest of 1-2 lemons, sea salt, ground turmeric, star anise and bay leaves. Stir until rice is hot, about 3 minutes.
2. Carefully hot chicken stock and the juice of 2 lemons. Simmer, stirring often, until the liquid has all but evaporated. Cover very tightly (using a sheet of foil, and tying a tea towel around the lid if necessary), turn off the heat and leave for 15 minutes.
3. To serve, remove spices and fluff up rice with a fork. Season with pepper, a squeeze of lemon and a big glug of olive oil. Add chopped roasted veges, spring onion, chopped parsley or coriander and some roasted pumpkin seeds. You can also add dried fruit, such as cranberries or chopped dates.
4. Serve with a dollop of pesto.

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Lemon-aid

This winter, shock your immunity into action with this lemon-aid. Its therapeutic value will help you sleep better, flush out toxins, and improve your general wellbeing.

Serves 1
1 lemon, washed and cut into eighths (skin, pips and all)
1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit or orange juice
1 Tbsp cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil

In a blender, blitz lemon with grapefruit or orange juice and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil until smooth. Pass through a sieve and chill. Drink a large shot daily, and feel good!

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Lemon rice pudding

Serves 6
4 cups full-cream milk
⅓ cup caster sugar
½ vanilla bean, split
3 lemons, zested
1¼ cups arborio rice
Freshly grated nutmeg or mace to season
1 cup whipped cream

1. Heat 4 cups full cream milk with caster sugar, the half split vanilla bean pod and the lemon zest. When hot, add rice.
2. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often, until the milk is mostly absorbed and the rice is tender (it should resemble a loose porridge). Remove from heat, season with freshly grated mace or nutmeg, cover and rest 5 minutes.
3. To serve, fold 1 cup whipped cream into the hot rice, spoon into bowls and season with grated lemon zest. You can also top with a syrup such as quince or rhubarb.

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