Raspberry Shortcake with Lemon Curd

Our Easter this year was a more quiet celebration--but no less fun or tasty.  For dinner, I roasted a chicken with some oranges and scallions.  There was also sauteed tofu with ginger and honey, mashed potatoes, carrots, deviled eggs, and a spinach salad.  And then for dessert, mostly after finding what are apparently elusive at Whole Foods this week--fresh raspberries (though clearly I've bought a lot lately)--I made raspberry shortcakes with lemon curd.  Flaky, slightly sweet biscuits were layered with chantilly cream, lemon curd, and then piled with raspberries.  It's hard to go wrong with that combination really.

Lemony Layer Cake

I've been wanting to make this cake for a long time, but somehow other cakes kept jumping the line. The opportunity finally presented itself, though, and I'm very happy I made it. As is my usual way, I didn't follow one particular recipe but combined parts of ones I liked, with a few twists. The two cake layers are filled with a tart, tangy lemon curd, which I also folded into the frosting.


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Lemon Orzotto

Orzotto is like risotto, but it uses orzo pasta instead of rice. Because of this, the dish is ready sooner, as orzo doesn't take very long to cook. I cooked this just like I would risotto--with onions, white wine, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and a little butter--though I subbed vegetable broth for my usual chicken. I added the liquid slowly at first, and then poured the rest in and put the lid on for about 8 min. This makes a nice side, or it could be a main dish with more vegetables or protein added in. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ultra Lemon Bars

Its hard to imagine, but not every dessert has to include chocolate. Tart and creamy, these lemon bars totally hit the spot today. I used the juice of seven average-size lemons for this (enough to make a cup), along with most of the zest (a very generous 2 tablespoons) -- it's a lot of flavor. The lemon curd bakes on the par-baked crust, and then all you have to do is (patiently) wait til the bars cool. Lemon Bars (based on the Barefoot Contessa) Crust: 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1/2 c sugar 2 c flour pinch of salt 1/4-1/2 tsp lemon zest Filling: 6 eggs 3 c sugar zest of the lemons (at least 2 Tbs, more if you want extra flavor) 1 c fresh lemon juice (4-8 lemons, depending) 1 c flour Confectioner's sugar, for dusting on top 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until light, and then add the flour, salt, and zest til just mixed. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and then press into a 9x13-inch pan (I like to line mine with foil, for easier cleanup). 3. Bake crust until light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. 4. Meanwhile, whisk together the five filling ingredients. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 minutes or so, til the filling is set. Remove from the oven and cool. Then dust with confectioner's sugar and slice. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Smoky Mediterranean Chicken

Sometimes I have absolutely no idea what to make for dinner. And not all my last-minute creations are successful; however, this dish was a big hit--and the bonus is that it's both super flavorful and easy too. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish I mixed one package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.25 lbs) with four Yukon gold potatoes and a can of artichoke hearts. I cut the potatoes in four to six pieces, depending on the potato, and the artichoke hearts were drained and then cut in half. To that, I added the zest of one lemon, four whole cloves of garlic, about a tablespoon of smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and maybe a tablespoon of olive oil. I tossed everything together and then baked it at 350 degrees for an hour or so (or you could do a higher temp for less time.) When done, the chicken was sweet from the lemon and paprika, with a little hint of spice, while the potatoes were crusty on the outside and tender within.

Mediterranean Chicken Stew

When it's gloomy and cold outside, this is the dish to make. Chicken thighs are braised with artichoke hearts, capers, green olives, and lemon zest and juice--all strong flavors, but they blend together perfectly, and the juices flavor the potatoes as they cook. Eating this, you can almost imagine yourself in a sunny town in the Mediterranean, glass of wine in hand. Mediterranean Chicken Stew 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry and cut into 2-3 pieces each 2 Tbs flour 1 tsp each salt and pepper 2 Tbs olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs capers, drained and minced Grated zest and juice of one lemon 1/2 c dry white wine 1 3/4 c chicken broth 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 package (8-9 oz) thawed frozen artichoke hearts (quartered, if they aren't already) 1 c finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 c pitted green olives, chopped coarsely lemon wedges, optional

1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, close the bag, and shake to coat.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken (without the extra flour) in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned, 4-5 min. total. Remove to a plate.

3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, capers, and lemon zest and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by half, about 2 min. Add the broth, potatoes, and chicken and return to a simmer. Lower the heat slightly to keep simmering, cover, and cook 10 min.

4. Add the artichokes and stir. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 8 to 10 min. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice to taste, and olives. Serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Lemon Linguine with Roasted Shrimp

This recipe, from Nigella, is quick and easy, but it doesn't taste that way. There's a lot to be said for that--as well as that everyone here loves it. Hot linguine is tossed with a sauce made of lemon juice and zest, an egg yolk, a little cream, parmesan, and salt and pepper. I also roasted some shrimp with lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil, while the vegetarians had cannellini beans instead.

Christmas Cookies, Day 2

Not that I really needed more, but I finished the Christmas cookies yesterday. I made almond buttercrunch (above), lemon-glazed lemon cookies, and meringue kisses. Lemon-glazed lemon cookies, from Carole Walters' Great Cookies. Meringue kisses: light and airy meringue mixed with toasted pecans and unsweetened coconut. Also from Carole Walters' Great Cookies.

Lemon Layer Cake

Happy birthday to my favorite (and only) sister! The cake is lemon ... the filling is lemon curd ... and the icing was described as tasting like lemon sorbet--light and tangy and sweet. Just not as cold. I mixed up a regular recipe of the cake batter, but I put it in two 6x2-inch pans. I made one small cake for today, and now have a second one all ready to go in the freezer.

Just a slice ...

Almond Biscotti

For the knit-knit ladies, I baked almond biscotti (above) and more lemon cookies. The recipes are from Dorie Greenspan's Baking cookbook. The biscotti are both soft and crunchy (which is how I described the asparagus tonight too, actually ... in a good way.) The lemon cookies are sandy, with a bright, lemony flavor and a light coating of sparkling sugar around the edges.

Stirring once, stirring twice ... Avgolemono

Tonight I made avgolemono, a Greek soup flavored with lemons and rice. It's deceptively simple and so good on a cold, blustery night. For quick reference I based my recipe on the one from the Silver Palate, but I made a few changes, adding chicken and baby spinach for a little more balance. I cooked bone-in chicken in the broth to give it a bit more flavor, then shredded them, and added the meat back to the pot. I served this with toasted French bread lightly spread with feta. Here's my version:

Avgolemono

8 c chicken broth
4-5 bone-in chicken thighs (leftover chicken would work too)
1/2 c uncooked long-grain rice (could use a bit more)
4 egg yolks
1/3-1/2 c lemon juice
1 c raw baby spinach, approx.

parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste (may not need/want any)

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the chicken thighs, turn the heat down to a simmer, and then let cook til done. Then take the chicken out of the broth, let cool slightly so it can be shredded, and set aside the shredded meat. Add the rice to the broth and let cook for about 25 min. In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and the lemon juice in a bowl. When the rice is cooked, add two ladlesful of broth to the egg/lemon mixture and whisk it in quickly. Then add all of it to the pot and stir it in completely. Add the chicken and spinach to the pot and let heat through. Adjust with salt and pepper, if desired, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Chicken with lemon and oregano

Playing catch-up here, but I made this last week and it was delicious. Quick, too. Chicken thighs marinated in lemon juice/zest, garlic, fresh Greek oregano, and olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees, with slices of lemon on top of each piece, for 30 min. or so til done. I served this on top of a lemony risotto made with pearl couscous, fresh feta, and asparagus.

Cookies!

Just a few sweets for my uncle's pottery show this weekend. From left to right: soft but crisp lemony cookies with lemon icing, outrageous brownie triangles, chocolate-vanilla pinwheels, and meringue kisses--my favorite of the group, and the easiest, made with toasted pecans and unsweetened coconut.

Meringue Kisses
(from Carole Walter's Great Cookies)

These are fabulous cookies and very easy to make, usually. Meringues are tempermental, so don't try these when it's humid or if you're in a hurry. In the past week I've made four batches of these: the first took forever to get crisp, the second produced perfect clouds, the third was tossed out due to operator error, and the last batch, made yesterday, was good but not as great as the second batch. They still taste good, but they don't have the creamy fluffiness of the others. The weather's been back and forth lately, and I was impatient--all of which are factors, but you should still make these because they're just that good.

Ingredients:

1 c pecans, lightly toasted and chopped (small to med. pieces)
3 Tbs unsweetened, flaked coconut
1/3 c plus 2 Tbs superfine sugar, divided (I use regular white sugar)
2 large egg whites, at room temp.
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tarter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the pecans, coconut, and 2 Tbs sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites on medium until frothy. Add the salt and cream of tarter. Increase the speed to med-high and beat until firm peaks form. Add the remaining 1/3 c sugar, 1 tsp at a time, taking about 2 minutes in all. Then add the vanilla.

Gently fold the coconut-pecan mixture into the meringue. Drop the batter from the tip of a teaspoon onto the cookie sheets (you might want to use two spoons to get the batter off easily.)

Bake the meringues for 50-60 minutes, or until they can be lifted off of the parchment without sticking. Rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back toward the end of baking time. Let the meringues stand in the turned-off oven to dry for 15 min., then transfer them to cooling racks. Note: If it's humid outside, the meringues will take longer to bake. You'll be able to tell when they're done when they come off the sheets easily. I left mine to cool in the turned-off oven overnight.

Optional: Lightly dust the tops of the meringues with unsweetened cocoa powder, sifting it through a fine strainer.


Glazed Lemon Cookies
(also from Carole Walter's Great Cookies)

1 3/4 c flour
1 c cake flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsalted butter, slightly firm
2 Tbs lemon zest
1 1/2 c sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/4 c lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

2 c strained confectioners' sugar
2-3 Tbs hot lemon juice, plus extra if needed
1 Tbs light corn syrup
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, cake flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt together three times. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and lemon zest on medium-low til creamy and lighter in color, about 2 min. Add the sugar and mix for another 1-2 min. Then add the egg yolks, mixing for up to a minute, then add in the lemon juice and vanilla. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing til just blended. Put dough in a clean bowl, cover, and let chill for 60 min.

The original recipe makes just 16 big cookies, but instead I formed the dough into 1 Tbs-sized balls, put them on parchment-lined cookie sheets, evenly spaced, and then flatten them somewhat with the palm of my hand. Bake for 12-15 min., and then start checking for doneness; the edges of the cookies should be lightly brown. When done, remove the cookies from the oven and let stand for about 5 min. and then transfer to wire racks set over wax or parchment paper. Glaze the cookies while still warm.

For the glaze: Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add the lemon juice, corn syrup and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Add extra lemon juice to thin, but you want the glaze to pour from a spoon in a steady stream. Using a small spoon, spread the glaze thinly over the surface of the entire cookie and then let air-dry til the surface has set.

Happy Passover

For Passover dessert this year I made a lemon meringue tart. The filling and design idea came from Saveur, but the crust--using almond paste, toasted ground almonds, and matzoh meal--is one I've made over the years, as you can't use flour during Passover.

Pancake Tuesday

In honor of National Pancake Day, I made lemon-poppyseed pancakes for dinner last night. The recipe is based on one from King Arthur (Lemon Zephyr pancakes), and it includes both oatmeal and grated apple, so you can even call them healthy. But they don't taste like they have oatmeal in them (not that oatmeal is bad), nor can you tell that they contain apple. The pancakes aren't too sweet on their own (having only the apple as sweetener), so I topped them with a little butter and warm maple syrup. I also made a citrus salad (blood oranges, navel oranges, and pink grapefruit) and a strawberry-feta-almond salad on baby romaine. This feta btw is one from Blue Ridge Dairy that we bought at the farmer's market on Sunday, and it's just fabulous. I've added it to as many things as possible, including just nibbling on it by itself as a snack.

Lemon-poppyseed pancakes
Makes about 10 four-inch pancakes

1/2 c oatmeal
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I use soured milk - milk with lemon juice or apple cider added)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon (can use in the soured milk or in addition to that)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 c flour
1 egg
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp poppy seeds

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats and the buttermilk/soured milk. While they soak, zest the lemon and peel and grate the apple. In a small bowl, combine the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour; set aside. To the oat mixture, add the egg, butter, apple, lemon zest, lemon juice (if using extra), nutmeg, and poppy seeds. Then add the flour mixture and mix well. Cook the pancakes on a preheated, greased griddle, using 1/4-cupfuls of batter per each pancake. Serve with warm syrup or jam.

Cookies! Clockwise, from the top: lemon flowers, meringues with pecans and coconut and dusted with cocoa, raspberry and apricot thumbprints, shortbread with chocolate ganache and toasted pecans, and sesame cookies. The lemon flowers are from Martha, and the rest are from Carol Walters' Great Cookies. 

Lemony Asparagus

Asparagus with lots of lemon zest and olive oil

Lemon Flowers

Lemon flower cookies, from Martha's Holiday Collection. The recipe is for lime cookies, but I'm in a lemon mode.

Lots of Lemons

Lemons! Doing lots of lemony things these days as I bought a bag of organic lemons, and they just don't last that long. And then I bought more today ...

Lemon Bars

Lemon bars from the Barefoot C., made with white and kamut flours.