Showing posts with label lemon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lemon. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2015
Linguini with Lemon Cream Sauce Lemon Pepper Shrimp Featuring California Lemons from Limoneira
One of my favorite cooking ingredients is lemon…there’s just something about lemons that works so well in a wide range of recipes! They bring a tart finish to mild seafood, a sunny brightness to veggies, and they cut through the sugary sweetness in all sorts of baked goods. Along with garlic, you’ll never find my kitchen without a couple of lemons waiting to be used! Limoneira, a California-based agribusiness, recently sent me a huge box of lemons in three varieties: California yellow lemons, Meyer lemons, and Variegated Pink lemons – striped on the outside and pretty pink flesh on the the inside! They sent the lemons in conjunction with their new Unleash the Power of Lemons campaign. 
The goal of the campaign is to show how lemons can be used in a variety of ways: forhealth, beauty, cleaning, and food and drink. According to Limoneiras COO Alex Teague, “Lemons are one of the most versatile items in the produce department.” I have to agree! When I cook with lemons, I always put the rinds in the disposal afterward to freshen and clean the inside. But…my favorite thing to do with lemons is use them to create fantastic food and drinks! A few weeks ago, I shared my recipe for delicious Sugar-Free Strawberry Meyer Lemonade using some of the Meyer lemons that I received. The lemonade was perfectly tart-sweet and very refreshing on a warm Texas evening. I also used some of the California yellow lemons to create a fantastic quick pasta dish for our dinner: Linguini with Lemon Cream Sauce & Lemon Pepper Shrimp. By using lemon in both the pasta and the shrimp, its sunny brightness was able to shine through in every bite.
To make this recipe weeknight-friendly, I used Buitoni refrigerated quick-cook pasta and easy-peel shrimp. The sauce came together while the water for the pasta came to a boil. Then, while the pasta cooked, I gave my seasoned shrimp a quick sear in a hot pan. This dish took about 45 minutes to make, start to finish…including the time it took to peel the shrimp. Although cream sauces can be very rich, I opted to use half and half. My sauce was rich and creamy, with less fat and calories than if I had used cream.
Linguini with Lemon Cream Sauce & Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Inspired by Martha Stewart Living
Step 1: Bring a pot of salted water to boil. While the water is boiling, make the sauce. Heat a large non-stick pan over med-high heat. Add 1 tbs. olive oil and 1 finely chopped shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the zest of one lemon and 1 cup half and half. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the juice of one lemon and stir. Reduce heat to med-low.
Step 2: When the water comes to a boil, add an 8-ounce package of refrigerated linguini. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. While the pasta cooks, add 3-4 basil leaves cut in a chiffonade and 1 cup chopped baby tomatoes. I used sweet mini San Marzano tomatoes, which I love. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the cream sauce. Toss to combine the ingredients and turn off the stove.
Step 3: While the pasta rests, quickly remove the shells from 1 lb. easy-peel jumbo shrimp (10-15 count). Rinse well and pat dry, then sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper seasoning and add 1tbs. Worcestershire sauce. Toss to combine and set aside while you prep the rest of the dish. [Note: I used Sugar and Salt Free Lemon & Cracked Pepper seasoning from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun Magic line.] Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt to taste and squeeze half a Limoneira yellow lemon over the shrimp as they cook. Sear shrimp on both sides for approximately 2 minutes, until cooked through.
Step 4: To serve the pasta, use tongs to place some of the pasta on a warmed plate. Top each serving with some of the seared shrimp. Just before serving, sprinkle a bit of parmesan reggiano on top. Garlic bread and a simple tossed salad are the perfect accompaniments to this pasta dish.
This pasta was very good…the lemon flavor really shines through thanks to being prominently featured in both the pasta and the shrimp. The shrimp were quite spicy from the robust Cajun Magic Lemon & Cracked Pepper spice blend, but we thought the spice level paired perfectly with the cream sauce. We loved the hint of sweetness from the San Marzano tomatoes and the herbal freshness of the basil. We liked the texture that the half and half gave the cream sauce, but feel free to use heavy cream if you really want to indulge. We loved the lemons that Lemoneira sent so much that I’m going to be featuring them next month in a very special Lemon Week spotlight. If you love lemons as much as I do, you won’t want to miss this event!
Disclosure: Lemoneira sent me a box of assorted lemons to facilitate this recipe feature. Chef Paul Prudhomme Magic Seasonings also provided me with the seasoning used in this recipe. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Wrapping Up Driscolls Berry Week with Baked Blueberry Lemon Doughnuts and a Giveaway for TWO FREE Driscolls Berry Coupons!!
Its time to wrap up Driscolls Berry Week with a sweet finale! Sunday is also World Baking Day, so the first thing that came to mind to celebrate both of these fun events was to make a batch of baked doughnuts using Driscolls sweet and juicy blueberries! I love my doughnut pan, so Im always looking for fun new ways to use it. When I thought about making blueberry doughnuts, lemon immediately came to mind. Its a perfect combination in my book! I looked around for a recipe that featured light, healthy ingredients and found a great recipe to tweak that features yogurt to keep the doughnuts nice and moist. The glaze combines crushed blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest for a pronounced fruit flavor. These doughnuts were love at first bite for me!
To amp up the blueberry flavor even more, I used Chobani blueberry Greek yogurt. The batter is flavored with both lemon extract and vanilla bean paste from Nielsen-Massey. These gems were literally ready for the oven in about 10 minutes. While they baked, I whipped up the sweet-tart glaze. These can be ready -- start to finish -- in just over 30 minutes. They make a great dessert or evening snack...and theyre also great for a leisurely weekend brunch. If you love blueberries, youll go nuts for these doughnuts. My recipe makes 6 doughnuts, but feel free to double the ingredients to feed a larger crowd.
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To amp up the blueberry flavor even more, I used Chobani blueberry Greek yogurt. The batter is flavored with both lemon extract and vanilla bean paste from Nielsen-Massey. These gems were literally ready for the oven in about 10 minutes. While they baked, I whipped up the sweet-tart glaze. These can be ready -- start to finish -- in just over 30 minutes. They make a great dessert or evening snack...and theyre also great for a leisurely weekend brunch. If you love blueberries, youll go nuts for these doughnuts. My recipe makes 6 doughnuts, but feel free to double the ingredients to feed a larger crowd.
Baked Blueberry-Lemon Doughnuts
adapted from King Arthur Flour
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375, and spray the wells of a doughnut pan with cooking spray. Prepare the batter by adding the following dry ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Whisk to combine and add the following wet ingredients to the bowl: 1 small container Chobani blueberry Greek yogurt, 1 large egg, 2 tsp. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. Nielsen-Massey lemon extract, and 1 tsp. Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract).
Step 2: Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Add 3/4 cup Driscolls blueberries and the zest of one small lemon. Stir gently to combine the zest and berries into the batter, being careful not to break up the berries. Spoon the batter into the doughnut pan and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Step 3: Make the doughnut glaze. Add 1/3 cup blueberries to a small bowl and crush with a fork. Add the juice and from 1 small lemon and enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze. Your mileage may vary, but I added about 1 cup of powdered sugar to get the consistency I was looking for. Its a gorgeous purple-pink color!
Step 4: Let the doughnuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them. This will allow them to release from the pan much easier. These doughnuts are a bit fragile when warm, so I found it easiest to place them on foil and spoon the glaze over the warm doughnuts. Let them cool until the glaze is set, then place on a serving platter.
Mercy, are these a little bite of blueberry heaven! Thanks to blueberries and blueberry yogurt in the batter -- and a healthy dose of blueberries in the glaze -- these doughnuts pack a huge blueberry punch! The lemon stands up to the blueberry quite nicely, but doesnt overpower. The yogurt keeps them moist and delicate, and the fact that theyre baked saves calories and fat over takeout doughnuts. I like knowing exactly what I put into these!
Ive had a blast at Driscolls Berry Week, and I hope youve enjoyed the recipes I featured. Driscolls is giving one of you TWO coupons for free berry products, so make sure to enter by leaving a comment below telling me your favorite way to enjoy berries, along with your e-mail. Ill be picking a winner on Monday, so hurry to enter. Good luck!
Disclosure: Driscolls and Nielsen-Massey gave me coupons for free berries and samples of extracts to facilitate this World Baking Day post. All opinions are mine.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Lemon Yogurt Cake inspired by Ina Garten
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| Lemon Yogurt Cake |
You know that lemon pound cake you get at Starbucks? That luscious, lemony moist hunk of goodness that practically melts in your mouth...well, I think this is as close as it gets AND its been lightened up by using yogurt instead of butter! I have to thank 2 people for this recipe - first the master Ina Garten for creating it and second, my wonderful lemon-dessert-loving friend Evelyn de Souza who told me I should try it.
If youd like to see Inas recipe click here - Lemon Yogurt Cake - and below Ill tell you how I made mine.
I actually made a double recipe - half I baked in a regular loaf pan, and the other half I baked in a 12 cup mini bundt cake pan so that I could package as gifts. Below is the single recipe and just know you can bake it off either way.
Makes 1 loaf (or 12 mini bundt cakes or muffins)
Oven 350 degrees F
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 extra large eggs, room temperature (do not crack eggs until ready to use)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Lemon "Sauce":
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (see Cooks note)
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (use less if youd like a thicker glaze)
Spray 9x5 loaf pan (or mini bundt cake or muffin pan) with cooking oil and then lightly flour. Be sure to get in the corners and crevices.
In bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and then gently fold the vegetable oil into the batter just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes for loaf pan (30 minutes for mini bundt cake or muffin pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the sugar and lemon juice in a small pan on stove top until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
When cake is done, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on cooling rack with a shallow pan underneath. While cake is still warm pour the lemon sauce over it and allow to soak in.
For the glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar and lemon juice together. When cake is completely cooled, pour or spread glaze on top.
Tart, sweet little bundles of joy all packaged up and ready to be given as gifts. I found the liners and boxes at Sur La Table but you can probably find them anywhere they sell Wilton decorating supplies.
Cooks note: I recommend using fresh-squeezed juices whenever possible. And by "fresh-squeezed" I mean, juice the fresh fruit right as youre about to use it. To me, there is no taste comparison and its worth the extra bit of trouble.
Cooks note: I recommend using fresh-squeezed juices whenever possible. And by "fresh-squeezed" I mean, juice the fresh fruit right as youre about to use it. To me, there is no taste comparison and its worth the extra bit of trouble.
Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe
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| Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe |
About a year ago, I tasted some delicious chicken my friend Joe had brought to the office for a luncheon. It was really, really good and so I naturally asked him how he made it.
He kind of rattled off the ingredients for a marinade, estimating the amounts he used, and as soon as I got a chance I jotted it down on a piece of paper.
I have carried that very piece of paper around for an entire year and finally just made it. Its soooo good! (Why in the world did I wait so long?!) I made a couple of edits, like adding crushed red pepper, but aside from that this is the recipe Joe shared with me (or at least its the one I wrote down).
Joe didnt have a name for his recipe so I named it based on my interpretation. As much as Id like to name dishes really clever and cute things, I generally try to stick to the major descriptors so that, at a glance, you have an idea of what youre getting.
A good descriptive name for this dish would have been Joes Really Amazing Lemon Chicken with a Hint of Indian Spice but I figured that was too long, so I went with Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe ;-)
A good descriptive name for this dish would have been Joes Really Amazing Lemon Chicken with a Hint of Indian Spice but I figured that was too long, so I went with Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe ;-)
Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon canola oil for frying
fresh cilantro for garnish
Marinade:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons yogurt (I used Fage Greek yogurt)
juice of one lemon
3-4 large cloves garlic, rough chopped (less if you dont LOVE garlic)
1 medium tomato
Place all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until liquified and well mixed.
Pour the marinade into a large zip top plastic bag, add chicken, seal, and turn to coat. Place bag in refrigerator to marinade several hours or overnight.
After chicken has marinated, heat non-stick skillet to medium - medium-high and add 1 Tablespoon canola oil. Next remove chicken from marinade and place in skillet. Discard marinade.
Cook chicken for approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through and no longer pink inside.
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| left: chicken when first added to the pan (note: I added a little extra crushed red pepper because I like heat) right: after cooking a few minutes, there may be some amount of watery liquid but it will cook away |
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| left: liquid is starting to cook away right: chicken is done |
Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
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| Indian Lemon Chicken a la Joe |
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Lemon Bars
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| Lemon Bars |
Ahhhh...a little plate of sunshine if ever I saw one.
I just love lemon bars. Theres something ethereal about them. Fresh, lemony goodness on a perfectly baked shortbread crust with a gentle dusting of powdered sugar on top.. like fresh fallen snow.
As the winter comes on strong, why not bake your own little plate of sunshine - a sweet reminder that spring is just around the corner.
Please check out my guest post on Chef Dennis blog - More Than a Mount Full - where I share the recipe, the inspiration, and step-by-step photos.
And just in case youve never visited More Than a Mount Full, youre in for a treat. You can thank me later :-)
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| Enjoy! |
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