Lemon Pudding Cookies

This is a twist off of Symphony Cookies from the Sister's Cafe website. I had a box of lemon pudding and white chocolate and an urge for something sweet and these cookies were the result of my experiment.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 3.5 oz box lemon pudding

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

7-8 oz white chocolate, chopped roughly

Preheat the oven to 350 (176 C). Cream butter and sugar, add in the lemon pudding mix. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt then add to the wet lemon mixture. Fold in the chocolate and spoon into small golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie starts turning golden brown. Let cool for several minutes before serving.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Olives

adapted from Chez Us

The rosemary in this dish has such great flavor and is paired perfectly with the bright, tart lemons and salty olives. This photo doesn't begin to describe how delicious this chicken was.

3-4 chicken thighs

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 jar olives

1 handful of fresh rosemary (I used 1 Tbsp dried)

1 lemon, sliced into rounds

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan and saute onion, garlic (and rosemary if it is dried, not fresh). Wash chicken thighs and pat dry, season with salt and pepper and add legs to the frying pan until they are brown on all sides (about 6-10 minutes).

Put chicken legs in an oven safe dish and pour onion/garlic mixture on top. Add olives, lemon slices and rosemary (if using fresh) on top. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through and the juices run clear.

Tilapia Piccata

Adapted from Closet Cooking

This is a recipe that can be used with any white fish. Piccata refers to cooking with lemon, butter and spices. It is fresh and tangy, a perfect light dinner with lots of flavor.


(serves 2)

2 tilapia fillets (or other white fish)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 + 1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 lemon (juice)
1/2 lemon (cut into slices)
2 Tbsp capers
2 peperocini peppers (finely sliced)
1 Tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a pan, add the fish and fry until golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove fish from heat and cover to keep warm.
In the same pan, pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan (stir up the pan scrapings). Add the lemon juice, lemon slices, capers and peperocinis and simmer to reduce the liquids by half. Stir in the butter and pour sauce over fish, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

adapted from Gluten Free Day


2 lbs of chicken breasts or legs

marinade:
1 lemon, zest and juice
7 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp ground turmeric
6 Tbsp olive oil.

Mix the marinade ingredients together and combine with the chicken.
Sprinkle some salt on the chicken before cooking.
Either cook the chicken with the marinade for approximately 1 hour at 300, or leave it to sit in the marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours and cook it without the marinade for 25 minutes at 500.
Serve with rice or potatoes.

Lemon Chickpea Stir Fry

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ahhh, this stirfry was so light and lemony!  I made enough for 6 and we ate the whole thing, which means Ben definitely liked it.  

8 oz Chicken pieces (may substitute tofu)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
1 small Onion
1 clove Garlic
1 cup cooked Chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans)
1 cup Kale, chopped
1 medium Zuchinni
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
1 Lemon, using the zest and juice

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute chicken until cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside in a large bowl.  Next saute onion and garlic, add a pinch of salt, the lemon pepper and the chickpeas.  Saute until chickpeas are golden and crusty, then add the chopped kale and cook for a minute more.    Remove mixture from heat and combine with chicken in the large bowl.  In the same skillet heat olive oil and saute zucchini for two or three minutes, just until they start to get soft but still have a bite to them.  Add to chicken mixture, stir in lemon juice and zest, and salt (if needed).  Serve with rice.     

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

The broccoli turns out crispy and flavorful, this is a great way to enjoy this vegetable.  

4 lbs broccoli, 2-3 large bunches (fresh is best!)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Pepper

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Red Pepper, diced

1 Lemon, used for zest and the juice

3 Tbsp pine nuts

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 425.  Dry out the broccoli so there is no moisture left on them.  Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle on the minced garlic and diced red pepper and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the tips of some of the florets are turning brown.  Take it out of the oven and grate the lemon zest on top, then squeeze the juice over the broccoli.  Sprinkle the pine nuts, the cheese, and fresh basil on top and serve warm.   

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Bread

adapted from Sister's Cafe, who got it from The Smitten Kitchen, who got it from Barefoot Contessa... the recipe world is a smaller place every day!

1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1 cup Plain Yogurt

1 cup Sugar

3 large Eggs

2 tsp Lemon Zest (about one lemon)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 cups Blueberries (frozen or fresh, thawed and rinsed)

Glaze:

1/3 cup Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a bread pan.  Mix yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest, and fold in the oil.  In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Combine the two mixtures, and lastly gently add the blueberries.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  While the batter is baking, prepare the glaze in a small pan.  Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves.  

Once the cake is done, cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Using a toothpick, poke some small holes to absorb the glaze better.  Drizzle the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.     

This bread turns out very moist and tangy and the flavors go together very nicely.