ITALIAN SAUSAGES al FORNO and SAUTEED GREENS

This old recipe for Italian sausages suddenly came to mind while I was trying to think of something to make which would be compatible with my sauteed greens. 

Thirty odd years ago I interviewed a Sicilian woman in Gloucester, MA to get some perspective and  recipes for the traditional foods prepared for the Festival of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph's Day, March 19) for an article I was writing. Since there are many Sicilian and Portuguese families in Gloucester, their traditional European Holidays play a prominent role in the life of the city.

Frances K. invited me into her home, fed me lavishly, and held me rapt with stories from the past. Her husband, Lebanese, had become fluent in the Sicilian dialect and helped so many in the community during difficult times that he was much revered and earned the name, "San Antonio". 
She also told me how the women covered their furniture with clean, white sheets in order to make room to dry the traditional pasta served to all on St. Joseph's Day. Those stories and the pasta will be the subject of a later tale, but for now, back to the sausages.

Frances took me under her wing, (I had, afterall, been to Sicily and was in love with all things Italian). "When the fuss about "fiesta" is over, this is what I feed my family and they love it!" (her Sicilian dialect pronounces "festa" as "fiesta" and pasta as "baista").


She then gave me the following recipe for Italian Sausages. She, of course, made her own sausages, but the rest of us were not at a disadvantage. There were (and I hope still are) several local Italian food shops with homemade sausages, breads, etc. Trupiano's, Virgilio's and Cafe Sicilia come to mind. One more aside, the Semolina Bread at Cafe Sicilia was the best I have ever tasted and, of course, very popular. The owner was like the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld. He would sell you the bread if he liked you, and  if you were there when he decided it would be available!

FRANCES' ITALIAN SAUSAGE AL FORNO
1 pound Italian sausages*
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced in strips**
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 large potato, thinly sliced
1 8 ounce tin San Marzano whole tomatoes, or chopped fresh plum tomatoes
olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano


Cook sausages in skillet with a little water. Prick to release fats. Remove and slice into 1 inch pieces. Place on a baking sheet.
Add potato slices, onion, peppers and mushrooms, and toss with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Crush tomatoes over sausages and add a pinch of oregano. Bake at 400 degrees for about 1/2 hour until potatoes are done. 

I love this recipe. Simple, and the entire house has the magic aroma of an Italian restaurant while it cooks!

 * I now use Publix Greenwise Chicken Italian Sausages, healthier but still flavorful and moist.
**A combination of Green, Red, Yellow or Orange Peppers make this really attractive and adds the sweetness of the colorful peppers.

I had some dandelion greens, arugula and spinach left after making a few salads, so decided to make sauteed greens or Verdura Mista.

SAUTEED GREENS
Wash, stem and cut any combination of greens you have. A mix of bitter and sweet greens works best. 
Boil them in a little water until slightly wilted, 5 minutes or so, drain.
Heat olive oil and a large clove of garlic put through a press and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes in a skillet. Add the greens and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until softened. Serve with some grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon. Heaven!!

 The photo does not do this meal justice. You must imagine the aroma of garlic, olive oil, herbs, sausage, peppers and the greens!

Buon' appetito!! and Thank you Frances!

OH, OH, POMPANO! AND MESSY MAHI TOSTADAS

These meals go from heaven and then back to earth, and both delightful!
We were lucky to find some fresh Pompano. My Dad was an avid sports fisherman and dedicated himself to Striped Bass on Cape Ann. We often enjoyed "tinker" mackeral and flounder when in season, only moments off the boat. When Dad went to Florida, though, only Pomano would do. It is delicate and delicious and, I understand, the most expensive Gulf fish to purchase. 

My favorite treatment of a delicate, exquisite fish, is to adorn it with Beurre Blanc. Sometimes, fish such as Dover Sole, needs only butter and lemon, but I love playing with the variations of a Beurre Blanc.

For this one, I used white wine, shallots, white wine vinegar and tarragon. I have never had a recipe for Beurre Blanc, but have never failed using this process:
Reduce white wine with shallots and/or herbs to about  1/4 cup in the pan. Start with at least 1 cup.
Remove from heat or lower to minimum and add 1 tablespoon of butter at a time whisking constantly until smooth and thickened to consistency desired. (you don't want a watery sauce, just unctuous)
Some people add cream and you can add flavors with orange, lemon or grapefruit juice.


Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper or maybe a seafood rub.
Saute them in butter or olive oil until browned and flaky.
Ladle with sauce.


Pompano, Flounder, Halibut, Orange Roughy or any delicate non-oily fish is superb with this sauce.

I have been fortunate enough to find a source of local organic produce delivered to my home, suncoastorganics.net, so rounding out the meal is now easy. I love it! The produce changes weekly, so you can organize menus around the selections, or just create as you go along. ( you also have the option of choosing a la carte, but I like the challenge of having to figure out what to do with what you get!)


For this meal, I added some wild rice cooked in chicken broth and a salad of arugula, dandelion greens, cucumber and tomatoes in a red wine vinaigrette.


Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil whisked in 

Then for dessert, I mixed the wonderful berries received in the order, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries with some triple sec and whipped cream.


Simple, simple, simple, divine, divine , divine!

Now for the Mahi Tostadas

Season Mahi fillets with a seafood rub such as Old Bay or Paul Prudhomme
Saute in an oiled skillet until just done (flaky)


Fry corn tortillas in oil until crispy (or if you can find tostada shells without hydrogentated oil, USE THEM!)


Spread tartar sauce on the tortillas, top with lettuce and tomato and then the Mahi fillets, add some hot sauce or salsa or more tartar sauce. Serve. Picking them up in your fingers works best. They are messy, but good!!

I served them with some sauteed zucchini, colorful peppers, red onion and oregano.  Good meal, had to share!

THE CASE OF THE MISSING EGG: SOLVED

My catering partner and I entered the lovely waterfront home of our new client to inspect the kitchen and lay out of the party area.  This home was meticulous in every detail, not a wrinkle, nor a speck of dust nor a misaligned object was visible.

The phone rang and our client excused herself to another room giving us permission to inspect everything in the kitchen. We opened the refrigerator door to check on the space and configuration and, oops! an egg dropped out  onto the brick floor and shattered.

Surprised, we looked at each other and then down at the gooey mess and began searching frantically for paper towels, napkins or anything capable of removing the offending mess. All we could see were crisp linen towels, neatly folded and carefully positioned. It was obvious that not much cooking went on in this pristine room!

Fortunately, my partner had some tissues in her purse and we hastily scooped and wiped and cleared the sticky mess, but where would we deposit the evidence. The glistening trash receptacle was not an option! So, you guessed it, with a grimace, we stuffed the refuse into our purses.

When the client returned, we smiled and continued the tour of the entertaining space with no mention of the egg. "Catering must be so much fun!" she said as we left.


Often we wondered what thoughts went through her mind when she discovered the obvious empty spot on the egg rack..could she have possibly overlooked some detail..a mystery indeed! 


The secret is now revealed..the Happy Cookers strike again!


My thoughts always turn to Spanish cuisine when eggs are mentioned. They are one of the "Threads of Gold" in Spanish, Portuguese and Sicilian cooking, golden hued ingredients prominent and common to all three. They are not "breakfast" food as they are in our culture, but used as entrees, tapas, picnic food, stuffed into meat pies as a surprise, mixed into soups and placed on salads, stews, and breads.

Almost a national dish, Tortilla Espanola, or Tortilla de Patata, is beloved by the Spaniards. The ingredients are few and simple, but when you use the best quality, it becomes a special dish, a work of art.

A Lladro Pitcher is also a work of art

This tortilla has nothing to do with the Mexican tortilla. It is basically an omelet, but it is to an omelet what risotto is to rice. The method of preparation makes it unique.

TORTILLA ESPANOLA

This is an adaptation of the Tortilla De Patata Jose Luis in Penelope Casas wonderful tome on regional Spanish cuisine, Delicioso!

1/4 Cup good fruity olive oil (from Spain if possible)
1 medium Spanish Onion ( I used a red onion because that is what I had!) chopped or sliced thin
2 baking  potatoes or 4 smaller Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin 
Kosher or  Sea Salt
4 Organic, Free Range eggs
Black Pepper (optional)

Simple Ingredients

Heat the oil in a 9-10 inch skillet. Add the potato slices one at a time making layers and salting. Add the onion. Cook over low heat very slowly and gently until the potatoes are tender. You do NOT want to brown them. Lift and turn them gently while they cook. Drain them on paper towels. Leave some oil in the pan.

Beat the eggs in a bowl large enough to accommodate the potatoes and onions. Add some salt (and pepper if using).

Put the potatoes into the bowl and press them into the egg. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. 

 Heat the oil remaining in the skillet and carefully add the potato/egg mixture. Keep the heat about medium hot. Spread the mixture to fit the pan and brown on one side, pressing to cook and shaking it constantly.
Slide the tortilla onto a plate and cover with a second plate. Invert the tortilla. Add more oil to the skillet if necessary and slide the tortilla into the pan to cook the other side As before.


Here the recipe calls for turning the edges of the tortilla under to make it smooth and round and turning it twice more. I say, "don't press your luck"! If you were successful at moving it onto a plate and inverting it once, be happy and serve it!! An imperfect shape does not affect a perfect taste

Delicioso!

There are variations on the classic recipe some call for the addition of Serrano Ham or red peppers. You can get creative, but the basic is so good, you may want to save the extras for another recipe, such as the one which follows.

BAKED VEGETABLE  AND POTATO TORTILLA

2 Tablespoons good Olive oil

1 spanish onion or red onion thinly sliced

2 potatoes thinly sliced

zucchini, roasted red pepper, yellow tomato (or other vegetables of your choice)

Salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese

4-5  eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oil in a round baking dish or quiche pan and cover with onions and potato slices, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.

I like salt in some of these simple recipes and use French Grey Sea Salt

 

 Slice the vegetables into strips and arrange over the potatoes in a decorative design. Pour beaten eggs over all. Season with salt and pepper and toss on grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake loosely covered for about 10-15 minutes. Remove cover for last few minutes to brown top a little. Let cool slightly and cut into wedges to serve.

This is pretty, delicious and healthy. It makes a great brunch dish, a supper or appetizer or box lunch. 

Note: Although this is prettier and probably more healthy, I personally prefer the classic Spanish version. It brings the exquisite flavor and passion of Spain to your table!

 

LOW OR LITTLE ENERGY DINNERS

There's no story here, just the some truths about cooking: sometimes we can't. I always want to cook, but when my energy ebbs after a long day, I wish I were a genie and could make a wonderful dinner appear.

So now I must confess...my apologies to my students at North Shore Community College and those of you who learned how to make home-made pasta and scrumptious sauces in my kitchen while sipping wine..I have and do occasionally open a jar of pasta sauce, use frozen pasta and other prepared foods...mea culpa!

Look for foods which are passably healthy and have, for the most part, ingredients which one can pronounce without too much effort. 
After all, saving energy is the point here.

Here are a couple of my more recent low-energy dinners which we have enjoyed and one, moderate energy meal devoured on a better night.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND ARTICHOKE HEART RAVIOLI WITH ROASTED PEPPER GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

Doesn't that sound good! you could make all this, but..

Monterey Pasta Smoked Mozzarella and Artichoke Heart Ravioli

1 1/2 cups Roasted Pepper Alfredo Sauce (Classico)

1 large clove garlic, crushed in a press or minced

2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, chopped

olive oil, wine, basil and some chopped artichoke hearts if you have them

Grated Parmesan or Asiago, optional

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic, sun drieds and artichoke hearts if using.

Add splash white wine and then the Alfredo Sauce. Stir in basil.

Heat and stir to blend flavors.

Boil water for pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and cover with sauce. Garnish with grated cheese and basil if desired. Serves 2

You could substitute red peppers or fresh tomatoes or mushrooms for the sun drieds. The idea is to add some veggies to the sauce to make it more nutritious; it's all delicious!

Yes, this sauce can be used for fettuccine or other dried pasta, and yes, I do remember teaching you all that a true alfredo is just butter, cream and cheese..so why not use that instead of  a jarred sauce? Believe it or not, the jarred sauce has less fat and calories than the authentic version. When I need to save time and energy, I like to save food energy, calories, too! Save the calories for a really sumptuous homemade meal.

FUN FAUX ASIAN

When I make rice, I usually make more than what we need and freeze the rest for beans and rice or soup or some other meal. Last week I found myself with  Jasmine Rice and 2 leftover egg rolls in the freezer as well as a Ginger Honey salad dressing in the fridge...bought a package of Thai Tiger Shrimp Tempura, heated the rice and egg rolls, added some Thai Chili Sauce for dipping and made a salad of greens with cucumber, red pepper, carrots, red onion and sesame seeds with the dressing...Voila! a delicious Asian style meal with little effort and not a lot of fat. Even without the  rice,  the greens, the shrimp and the egg roll would make a nice meal.

Grilling a chicken breast or pork chop or pork tenderloin, takes little time and effort. Adding a delicious sauce is often the energy and time killer. Next time try this when fresh figs are in season. 

Black Mission Figs Ready to Roast

ROASTED FIGS

4 or more fresh figs, black mission preferably

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup red wine

1 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400

Cut figs in quarters 3/4 through so they still hold together and stand on the base

Place in a baking dish along with remaining ingredients

Bake for about 30 minutes until liquid is syrupy and figs soften and fall apart.

Roasted Figs and ...

Use on grilled or roasted meat or poultry.

I used this on Pork Rib Chops grilled with a BBQ rub and Worcestershire sauce. 

Pork Chops with Roasted Figs

Ok, I had more energy that night, so I pureed Yukon Gold potatoes with Rutabaga and Celery Root and made a Broccoli Feta Salad, with Chick Peas, but a simple salad and baked potato would complete the meal just as well.

Fresh Pineapple or Berries could also be substituted for the figs if they are not available. 

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD: FRANGO PIRI PIRI !!

Some Beautiful Traditional Portuguese Tableware

We love Portuguese food and used to frequent a small neighborhood restaurant, O'Fado, to enjoy it frequently. As the platters of clams, redolent of garlic and wine, linguica flaming in brandy and bacalao, glistening with fruity olive oil were served, we sipped our vinho verde and were in food heaven! On weekends there were live Portuguese singers, and entire families with babies falling asleep on nana's lap listened, and sang and talked (in Portuguese, of coarse) and ate...and this transport into another culture required no passport!

Eventually we took a trip to Albufeira on the Portuguese Algarve and discovered that, yes, our food at O'Fado was indeed authentic Curiously, one dish missing from the repertoire was Frango Piri Piri. There were signs for it everywhere, some handwritten, some in blazing neon, some highlighted on menus. It seems to be one of the most popular dishes, (along with Cataplana which deserves it own post later), so, we of course planned to sample it during our stay.

There is a lot of confusion about just where and when the Piri Piri came into European/Portuguese cooking. It is the African word for "Pepper-pepper" specifically referring to the "African Bird's Eye Pepper", very hot!
In a nutshell, the Portuguese spearheaded navigational exploration in the 15th century. All one needs to do is stand on the precipice at Cabo Sao Vicente, "the end of the world" where the European continent meets the Atlantic to see from whence the inspiration came, and appreciate the fearlessness of those early explorers! Africa was one of the principal places explored and colonized by the Portuguese.
"Piri-piri" dishes came from Mozambique and Angola, Portuguese colonies, and became part of Portuguese cuisine, although the pepper was introduced to Africa by the Portuguese after they honed in on the Arab Spice Trade. Maybe this was too confusing, so O'Fado left Piri-Piri off the menu!

With the popularity of Frango Piri Piri in mind, I am going to tell this story...it may be a "you had to be there" type of tale, but here it is nevertheless.

One day, on our vacation in the Algarve, we decided to visit some of the hilly towns above the coast for a change of scenery. Since we like to take roads which are off the beaten track, sometimes we get into trouble or encounter interesting dilemmas. These will serve other tales for other times.
This time, a bunch of chickens in the middle of the road impeded our progress. Steep slopes on either side of the road made swerving around them impossible. So we did the next best thing; loudly honked the horn of the car. The chickens glanced at us and went right back to cackling and whatever it was that they were doing. Next, we got out of the car and yelled and stomped on the ground. It startled them, but they continued occupying the road and ignoring us. Finally, my husband decided to "charge" them with the car, not before I angrily threatened, "FRANGO PIRI PIRI", and miraculously, they scattered to the side of the road and we continued our journey in peace.

Of course, we dined on, you know, FPP that night...with gusto!

YUM!!!

You may not be able to find Piri Piri peppers, but any hot chile will be an acceptable substitute or even red pepper flakes. HEAT is the point.

Recipes vary for the sauce. There are as many as there are cooks most likely, but they all include olive oil or butter, lemon juice and/ or vinegar, garlic and of course, lots of hot peppers.

Here's mine for marinating 2 chicken breasts and a little extra for an unctuous sauce after grilling.

PIRI PIRI MARINADE
Nando's and Vervacious are good brands of Piri Piri Sauce

PIRI PIRI MARINADE
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic or 2 very large cloves, minced
salt and pepper
piri piri sauce or chili flakes to taste, at least 1 tablespoon

Whisk ingredients together and marinate chicken at least for 4 hours, the longer the better.
Reserve a little for later or double the recipe.

Grill Bone-in Chicken Pieces with Skin on a hot grill, basting with sauce as needed. I use breasts because that is what we like, but they need the bone and skin for flavor and moisture.

This marinade is used for shrimp as well. One would think the shrimp would be the more popular dish especially on the Algarve, but chicken dominates the scene. Perhaps they don't need to "threaten" the shrimp, so it can be offered more quietly...

Marinate for at least 4 hours

Once again, YUM!

"CURRY" FAVOR WITH A MINTY MELON SUMMER SOUP

Preparing to Make the Summer Soup

When it's too hot to cook, it often feels too hot to EAT! Sometimes a plump, juicy, dripping summer peach is all you want..but unfortunately, need more.

Cold soups are a great antidote to enervating summer heat. Asparagus with Dill, Minted Pea and Sour Cream, Classic Vichyssoise...tempting? Gazpacho, too, with it's savory tomato base and crunchy vegetables can enliven a hot and humid mealtime. Yet even these delicious, nutritious soups, some made with cream and Classic Andalusian Gazpacho, made with bread, can be heavy on the palate.

Minty Melon Summer Soup, an adaptation of a recipe from the New England Culinary Institute, is the answer for times like these. It is cool, crisp and refreshing. The mellow colors soothe, and the tangy, not too sweet, liquid hydrates. Enjoy alone, or as a prelude to a chicken or seafood salad.

MINTY MELON SUMMER SOUP

2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
2 cups watermelon cubes, seedless

Pulse these in the food processor or blender.

Dice nicely and add:
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red onion

Chop and add:
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
2 tablespoons mint
1 tablespoons cilantro

Add:
grated zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup champagne vinegar or mild white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sauce or to taste

Chill thoroughly (best in the freezer for 5-10 minutes) and serve.

Of course, this brings to mind another Melon Soup and another Happy Cookers tale.

IT was a wedding reception in the bride's summer home, a "cottage" on the waterfront, you know, the type which seats 80 for lunch in the living room and adjacent wrap around porch.
The scene is set.

We served a sit down, plated luncheon beginning with a chilled Curried Melon Soup. It was a classic, with Granny Smith apples and Persian Melons pureed with chicken stock, cream and bright yellow curry spices, garnished with pistachios and garlic chives, beautiful to see.

After lunch had been served, I believed without a hitch, I noticed a tall, rather imposing figure dressed in a white tuxedo heading towards me. He had a determined gait and matching countenance. Was that a scowl? "Oh, no, I thought, what went wrong with lunch?" I was fearful.
He did not greet me, just pointed to a large yellow stain on his tuxedo repeating several times, "Do you see this?!" I stuttered, "Yes, Sir, I am so sor..." He interrupted, "That soup was so grand, it was worth THIS! Thank you!"

Sigh...another happy ending.

Some other suggestions for hot weather meals...

Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad

A grilled Swordfish, or Tuna or Salmon on a bed of greens with green beans, olives, potatoes and other veggies in a French Dijon Vinaigrette, always welcome. Add grilled bread and/or hard boiled egg quarters for heartier version.

Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Salad

Fresh summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and a lemony pesto dressing on greens, a meal in itself or add chicken or shrimp from the grill...no hot kitchen involved.

MY FIRST AND LAST MERCEDES and LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAVES

I'm not sure why this story has been on my mind lately, perhaps because it is summer, and it occurred in July, or perhaps because we are contemplating purchasing another car...hope you enjoy one of the MISadventures from the archives of The Happy Cookers!

It was a stressful time in my life. I had just purchased a restaurant as chef/owner in the midst of a busy tourist season and was struggling with the adjustment and financial strain, as well as juggling a husband, three daughters and a catering business. I was barely balancing when the ball dropped... my car developed a fatal flaw. I worried, "How was I going to manage?" On my mind especially was an important catering consult the next day for an upcoming event which was going to improve our cash flow and promote the restaurant and catering businesses.

Lo and behold, my husband to the rescue! An almost new, blueberry blue, Mercedes sedan, registered and with a full tank of gas showed up in the driveway the next day. PERFECT, I could relax, get started on all my errands, keep the all important catering appointment, and...oh no! The car had a manual transmission, stick shift; my only experience was with an automatic.

After some quick instruction, I chugged and bumped and gasped up and down hills all day until finally I arrived at the coveted appointment, hastily parked the car and briefly met with my partner before going in to inspect the hall and meet with the client.
It was a lovely location on the waterfront with boats tied up along the granite pier. All went well and we left with a hefty cash deposit to secure the event and a sense of relief. Having to buy a new car along with incurring all the unexpected expenses of operating a restaurant was wreaking havoc with our finances. Oh yes, the catering job was going to help without a doubt!

Heading back to the parking lot,I looked for my car and had a sense of foreboding when none of them looked familiar, until I remembered that I was looking for a new, blue car, NOT the old grey one... then, suddenly I saw it... hanging precariously on a rock, headed into the harbor. People had started to gather around at the curiosity. One of them hailed a crane driving by from a nearby construction site.
Before I knew what was going on, my car was being lifted from its dangerous perch and plunked down on the gravel. I was handing over the entire cash deposit to the crane driver and waiting for a tow truck to haul away the blue Mercedes.

My hasty instructions on manual transmissions did not include how to park. I had left it in neutral gear and there was a slight incline and, as they say, "the rest is history".

The car never truly recovered. The front end was realigned, but it was never the same. We had a very stormy relationship(the car and I, that is), and my husband finally got rid of it and I lived happily thereafter with a nice little BMW with an automatic transmission.

Epilogue:
A subsequent BMW had a manual transmission and I took several lessons and we coexisted nicely.

The Blue Mercedes showed up in our driveway for one repeat performance as a "loaner" when my husband's car was being fixed. He was the only driver.

The following recipe is a tea bread which became the brunch signature bread of my White Rainbow Restaurant, the blueberries a commemorative touch for the Mercedes.

LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAVES

1 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 lemons, grated rind and juice, separated
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries, tiny wild if possible*
1/2 cup additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease of spray 2 loaf pans
Mix oil, eggs, lemon rind, milk, flour, baking powder and salt and 1/2 cup sugar together
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Fold in blueberries
Pour into loaf pans and bake for 1 hour
Mix remaining lemon juice with sugar to dissolve sugar
Pour over loaves when they are still warm. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

*is using frozen berries toss them with some flour