Tag: lemon

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Lemon, dill and parsley orzo

Belinda

This is a great and tangy side dish to fish or chicken.     Serves 2 generously and 4 small portions. (I usually double the recipe for 4 people)

1 cup orzo pasta
2 tbsp each of chopped fresh dill and parsley
3 tbsp chopped scallions (green onions)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tsp grated lemon rind (you may like more)
2 tbsp lemon juice (you may like more)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orzo for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but firm, drain well.
Toss with dill, parsley, onions, oil, lemon rind and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This is best served immediately. For a make-ahead version, make this with rice instead of orzo.

Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Foolproof slow roast chicken

Belinda

“So what’s so special about this recipe?” you may be saying. Well, the chicken is very slowly roasted with wine, stock, potatoes and garlic heads in the bottom of the pan for the long duration of cooking. Stunningly flavorful and moist. Just try it

Serves 4

3 – 4lb chicken
butter, for greasing
2lbs roasting potatoes, peeled and halved or quartered, if large (Yukon Golds are great for this)
2 whole heads of garlic, halved through the middle
4 fl oz white wine
4 fl oz chicken stock
2 large stems fresh rosemary, broken into sprigs
6 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the oven to 275 F . Brush a large roasting pan all over with butter and smear some over the skin of the chicken.

Place the chicken in the tin and arrange the potatoes around it. Put the halved garlic heads in the tin, pour over the white wine and stock, then cover with foil and place in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour then remove the foil and give the potatoes a shake.
Add the herbs and lemon wedges, then cook uncovered for 50 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 425 F. Cook for 30 minutes more, then remove the chicken and potatoes from the pan.
Cover the chicken loosely with foil and leave to rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes before carving.
Keep the potatoes warm.
Serve with any pan juices.

 

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad · Sauces

Best Caesar Salad dressing

Belinda

This recipe is great as it par-cooks the egg for those who are worried about salmonella!

Serves 4 to 6

1 large egg
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp anchovy paste to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Immerse the egg in a small pan of boiling water. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it for 10 minutes.
Remove the egg from the water and let it cool for 10 more minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. While the motor is running, add the lemon juice, anchovy paste and pepper and process to combine.
Crack the egg, then spoon it out of the shell into the food processor feed tube.
Pulse the egg with the other ingredients until combined.
Add the oil in a small steady stream until emulsified.
Whisk in 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese.
Taste for seasoning, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the salad.

Remaining ingredients of a caesar salad 

Chopped Romaine lettuce
Croutons
Grated parmesan cheese

 

Poultry

Easy chicken piccata with lemon and caper sauce

Belinda

I made this again last night and was reminded of the tangy, clean flavors. We had it with green beans tossed in lemon, olive oil and garlic, but it’s also lovely over pasta with the lemony caper sauce coating the pasta.

Serves 4

4 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2″ thickness
salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
All- purpose flour for dredging
4 – 6 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp capers, drained. For a more intense flavor, try mincing half of the capers, leaving the rest whole
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (squeeze 1/2 cup incase you need more)
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 tbsp cold diced butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

After pounding the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness, season them generously with salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour until completely covered, shaking off the excess.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through. Put the chicken on a warm plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm.

Add the capers and wine to the skillet. Turn the heat up to high and boil for  2 to 3 minutes or until the wine has reduced by half. Be sure to use a spatula or spoon to scrape up all the bits stuck on the bottom of the pan as this is where a lot of the flavor is.

Add the lemon juice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken back to the pan.  Toss the chicken in the sauce for a few minutes until heated through. Remove the chicken to a warmed serving platter.

Add the diced cold butter and chopped parsley to the skillet and whisk for 1 minute or until the butter emulsifies into the sauce. Check the seasoning and spoon the hot sauce over the chicken.
Decorate with lemon slices if you like, or just some more parsley and serve immediately

 

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Lemon spaghetti

Belinda

This is so easy, fresh and tangy. It takes no time to put together and is as good at room temperature as it is hot. It can be served as a carb on the side with a broiled fillet of salmon or chicken or as it is on it’s own.
Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis again!

Serves 6

1lb spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaped tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the oil, parmesan cheese and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Toss the pasta with the lemon juice and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil

 

Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Meat

Tonnato sauce (Italian tuna sauce) with sliced pork fillet

Belinda

This is the easiest and most delectable cold sauce to put over thinly sliced pork fillet.
You can also use thinly sliced turkey, chicken, veal and even roasted peppers. It’s so versatile and I highly recommend it.

Serves 4

For the pork
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1lb pork fillet

For the sauce
3.5 oz a good brand of canned tuna in olive oil, drained
2 egg yolks
2 anchovy fillets
8 – 9 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 -2 tbsp capers
freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley to garnish

Pout the stock into a large saucepan and poach the pork fillet for 20 minutes until cooked through. Leave it to cool in the stock.
When the fillet is quite cold, remove them it the stock and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving plate.

Meanwhile, put the drained tuna into a food processor with the egg yolks and anchovy fillets. Turn the motor on and gradually add the olive oil in a very thin trickle.
Add the ground pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Spoon the sauce over the pork and scatter with capers
Garnish with parsley and serve

 

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Pine nut and rosemary shortbread

Belinda

These are fabulous!!   The recipe makes about 24 small cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup natural cane sugar or white sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and loosely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture, nuts and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage and begins to really clump together (don’t over mix but under mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can be difficult to handle) It’s a fine line!
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball (or 2 balls) and flatten into disks about 1 inch thick.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Cut into whatever shapes you desire and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom.
The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less time for smaller ones.

Variations-  Use chopped raw or toasted walnuts and 1 tbsp coarsely ground coffee in place of the lemon, pine nuts and rosemary

 

Dessert · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Icecream

Nigella’s lemon meringue pie ice cream

Belinda

This is outrageous!! It’s like a frozen form of lemon meringue pie but ultra creamy with the crunch of the meringues and no ice cream maker needed.
Thank you to Nigella Lawson
(Apologies, but it’s in grams)


600 ml heavy whipping cream
225g Greek yoghurt
320g lemon curd (Trader Joes sell this above the freezer section)
juice and zest of 2 lemons
6 meringue nests (Trader Joes sell these as “Vanilla Meringues” Use about 2/3 of a 210g container. These are also above the freezer section )

Whip the cream until fairly stiff and fold in the yoghurt.
Add the lemon curd, lemon juice and zest (you will find it easier to stir in the curd if you add the lemon juice to it first) and the meringues, broken up into smallish pieces, but not so small that they dissolve into dust
Put into a container, (it should be a shallow rather than tall container) and freeze.
And thats all there is to it!
Ripen in the fridge for 40 minutes before you want to eat it.
You could also dribble over it some clear honey or some more lemon curd diluted to “runniness” with lemon juice

Fish · Gluten Free

Mustard Roasted Fish

Belinda

Absolutely divine, creamy, tangy and simple.
Thank you Barefoot Contessa for this recipe. I have tweaked it a little, however.

Screen Shot 2015-03-27 at 3.52.48 PM

Serves 4

4 (8 oz) fish fillets such as red snapper, salmon, Chilean sea bass, or whatever is your preference.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz creme fraiche
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp drained capers
Grated rind of 1 large lemon
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish)
Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan/ baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and the grated rind of the lemon.
In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it is barely done.
The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it’s done)
Be sure not to overcook it! Serve it hot or at room temp with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Baking · Do-ahead

Mary Berry’s ultimate lemon tray bake

Belinda2 Comments

This is similar to the previous recipe I posted, but it’s what I call a “one bowl” cake.
Everything is done in one bowl with no whipping of the butter and sugar. If you don’t have much time and want a light, moist tray bake to serve with fresh berries and cream or ice cream, nothing beats this.
This also has the lemon/sugar syrup poured over at the end. It’s more of a tray bake than a cake.

This makes about 30 squares
Ingredients
225 grams butter, softened
225 grams caster (superfine) sugar
275 grams self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 large free range, organic eggs
4 tbsp milk
2 lemons, grated zest only (save the juice for the syrup)
For the crunchy topping
175 grams granulated sugar
2 lemons, juice only
(You can also add the grated rind of 1 large orange to this as an extra touch)
 
Method
Cut a rectangle of non stick baking parchment to fit the base and sides of a 11 by 9 by 1 1/2 inches roasting tin. (approximately, it doesn’t have to be those exact measurements)
Grease the tin with butter and line the tin.
Preheat the oven to 300F
Put all (except the crunchy topping ingredients) the ingredients for the tray bake in a large bowl and beat well for 2 minutes. An electric mixer is best for this.
Empty all the mixture into the prepared tin and level it off with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the middle of the oven for around 40 to 45 minutes until golden and the sponge springs back when lightly pressed.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and remove from the tin using the parchment paper to help.
Carefully remove the paper and allow to cool on a rack.
For the crunchy topping, mix the ingredients together in a measuring jug or small bowl until the sugar dissolves and pour it evenly over the cake while it’s still just warm.
Cut into squares when completely cooled and serve.