Lemon Salt, A Super Gift

  Deep in the heart of the tropics, where the jungle meets the sea, there lies a secret retreat just for super heroes. It has all the modern conveniences any super hero could wish for, an invisibility cloak, landing docks, a satellite connection, even a subscription to SHOW, Super Heroes on Watch, a magazine for super heroes. It's a very special place in a secluded, forgotten jungle.
  After another harrowing day battling villains and once again saving the world for impending doom, Enigma decided to find this retreat she read about in SHOW. A retreat sounded like a great idea before her next challenging mission, Christmas Shopping. She easily found the secret hideaway, after having called and made reservations. Before she knew it, a caretaker led her to the spa. A citrus milk and honey face mask and a citrusy coconut exfoliation followed by a soak in a nearby salt water pool left her refreshed and ready to eat.
Dinner was simple. Roasted oregano chicken with a crisp skin and again, a citrusy tang. There seemed to be a reoccurring theme, the bright and zesty lemon scent followed her the entire stay, renewing, refreshing and nourishing. This may be by design, she thought. How brilliant. She had to find out for sure, though.
Creeping down, into the caretakers' quarters,  she heard sounds coming from the kitchen. She peeked around the corner, watching the woman scrub her cast iron skillets...again with a citrus smell brightening the room.

"It's a gift we give to all of our super heroes." the caretaker spoke.
Enigma smiled, realizing she hadn't really been very inconspicuous.
"Really?" she walked up to the woman and was handed a glass bottle.
Little crystals sparkled in the light. Tiny twists of yellow sunshine intertwined with the crystals.
"What is it?"
"It's the salt from the ocean and the zest from a lemon. Combined, they become a fusion fit for a superhero. It is more than it appears to be. It transforms itself and becomes three very different gifts."
"Really? How?" Enigma was intrigued. She may have found the perfect gift for all of her super friends.
"The first wonder power is it's ability to turn an ordinary dish into a bright and savory one. Sprinkle it on salmon, chicken, even roasted vegetables like broccoli or asparagus. It's a wonderful way to finish any dish that needs a little freshening and brightening.
It's second wonder power will help you clean up after itself. You can use it to scrub your cast iron after cooking with it. It's strong enough to clean baked on messes but won't ruin the patina. It's a cleaner fit for a superhero.
When dinner is all said and done, take the salt with you and pamper yourself. It's third wonder power is its use as a spa treatment. Add a little room temperature milk and some honey and you have an exfoliating face mask. Add coconut oil and you have a freshening lemon rub that will leave any superhero's skin soft and glowing."
"This is amazing. It's almost like it does everything. It is truly a gift fit for a superhero."

The Salt

1/2 cup Coarse Sea Salt

The Zest of a Lemon

Combine the two, rubbing the zest into the salt.

.

Let dry a few hours

Store in a glass container. 

Now, what to do with the leftover lemon?

 

Make an easy Lemon Oregano Roast Chicken.

1 Tbsp. Ground Coriander

1 1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp. White Pepper

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Oregano

1 Lemon, Sliced Thin

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Roasting Chicken, quartered

Lemon Salt

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix coriander, paprika, minced garlic, salt and oregano together.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken pieces.
Rub  the spice mixture onto each chicken piece evenly.

On a rimmed baking sheet, cast iron skillet or roasting dish, lay down your lemon slices.
Place the chicken pieces over the lemon slices.
Roast for 30-45 minutes.
The skin should have turned a golden brown and the internal temperature should read 165 degrees.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle lightly with lemon salt.

 

Lemon Salt, transformed...

 

 

The Enhancer

Sprinkle on roasted chicken, fish, vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus.

It's can be used before roasting or cooking but is at its best when used as a finishing salt.

 

 

 

The Cleaner

Rinse your cast iron out with hot water, loosening a freeing any debris.

For stubborn grease and grime, use lemon salt with a little hot water and wash brush or wash cloth.

 

The Mask

Mix a couple tablespoons tepid milk with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon salt.

Apply gently to your face, lightly caressing it on. Let sit about 5 minutes. Gently rinse, letting the salt do the work instead of your fingers.

 

The Exfoliator

Mix equal amounts of coconut oil (softened) and lemon salt.

Gently rub onto dry skin.

Rinse off.

 

What may have seemed like a mild mannered, boring gift is transformed into a magical, and anything but boring super gift for any superhero in your life, whether they need a little pampering or something new to experiment with in the kitchen or just a little earth friendly help cleaning up.

 

 

Now, where did I leave my cape?