Italian Lemon Chicken

 When we travel and stay in condos, we like to cook some of our meals in the condo.  But, without basic supplies, these meals must be very simple.  I came up with this recipe, using those parameters.  It is delicious.  

Italian Lemon Chicken

 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into serving-size pieces

1 bottle Italian Dressing

 2 lemons

 1 gallon Ziplock bag

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and put in the ziplock bag.  Squeeze a lemon over the chicken.  Pour the bottle of dressing into the bag.  Close the bag and knead until ingredients are blended.  Put in the fridge for an hour or more.

Coat a fry pan with oil spray and put in a pat of butter.  Take the chicken out of the marinade and brown on both sides. 

 Pour the marinade over the chicken and add more butter.  Cover and cook until done and you have a nice silky sauce.  Squeeze the other lemon over the chicken.

Serve with rice, potatoes, or as shown here with sweet potatoes.  Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

Patty's Lemon Bars

 My sister, Patty is a magnificent cook.  I recently made her delicious, buttery lemon bars.   

Lemon Bars

Crust

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, cut up

1/2 tsp. salt

Filling

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

4 T. flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 T. lemon peel

6-7 T lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the flour and powdered sugar and salt, then cut in the butter until crumbly (You can use a cutting tool, but I prefer to use my hands.)  Press into a 13 x 9 pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  While baking, mix the filling:

Beat the eggs and sugar until light colored and fluffy.  Stir in the flour, bp, lemon peel, juice and salt.  Pour the filling over the crust and put back in the oven for another 18-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely, then sift powdered sugar over the top.  Cut into squares. 

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Filling
1 cup sugar
3 T. flour
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups blueberries
1 pie shell

Topping
3 T. flour
2 T sugar
2 T cold butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl or in your mixer bowl, beat together sugar and flour.  Then add sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Mix until well blended.

By hand, gently fold in the blueberries.
Pour the filling into a prepared crust.  Bake for 40 minutes.  While it's baking, make the topping by mixing together the flour and sugar, then cutting in the cold butter until crumbly.
Remove pie and sprinkle on topping.
Return pie to oven and bake another 20-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and the pie is set in the center.
Remove pie.  Cool, then chill until well set.

Lemon Cake

My husband and I agree that my best lemon cake recipe is this one, but this one is a close second.  It is tasty and easy.

Lemon Cake
1 box vanilla cake mix
Eggs, oil, and water indicated on the cake mix
1 15 oz can lemon pie filling
1 tub lemon frosting
1 8 oz. cool whip, thawed

Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9 x 13 pan.  Prepare cake mix as directed.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Place spoonfuls of lemon pie filling all over the cake batter.  Take a knife and swirl it around throughout the batter.  Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes until cake no longer jiggles in the center.  Cool completely.
Frosting
Mix together the frosting and the cool whip.  Spread over the cooled cake.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

Ken was looking through a magazine and found this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Pancakes.  While visiting Kristen in Wisconsin, we gave them a try.  They were delicious!

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon flour (we used part white and part wheat, but the recipe called for white)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced (add more juice if the lemon isn't very juicy)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup blueberries
Syrup (Recipe below)

Heat your grill.  In a bowl mix together the milk, lemon, and zest.  Let this mixture sit while you mix together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  After about five minutes, add the egg and vanilla to the wet mixture and mix well.  Pour wet into dry mixture and combine.  Then stir in the butter.  Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Butter the hot skillet and cook the pancakes.  Serve hot with buttermilk syrup.

They turned out even better when I made them at home a few weeks later.

Buttermilk Syrup
3/4 cup buttermilk (can add lemon juice to milk to make buttermilk)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking soda.
In a large saucepan, combine the buttermilk, sugar, and butter.  Bring to a boil and boil one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda.

Lemon Bread

This bread was a hit as refreshments at a recent English Class. 

Lemon Bread

½ cup shortening or ½ cup butter (because I can’t find shortening here)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup milk (You can use part fresh lemon juice if you want.  It makes it more lemony)

1 ½ cup flour

1 teaspoon salt (maybe a scant teaspoon)

1 teaspoon baking powder

Rind of 1 lemon, grated

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients except the lemon juice and ½ cup sugar.  Start by beating the softened butter with the sugar.  Then add the eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy.  Add the milk.  Turn off the beaters and add flour, salt and baking powder.  Slowly beat in the dry ingredients.  Bake at 350 (180 C) for about 45-60 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove from oven and prick top with a fork.  Mix together the lemon juice and ½ cup sugar and pour over the pricks.  It is delicious!

Lemon Meringue Pie

                                               This is my husband's very favorite kind of pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie
1 baked pie shell (click here for recipe or you can buy one ready made)
Separate 3 eggs, putting the whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in a cup or small bowl
Juice 3 lemons, but before you do, zest one of them to get about 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest.  Set the juice and zest aside, ready to go for later.

In a large saucepan, mix:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 Tablespoons flour
Dash salt

Gradually add 1 1/2  cups hot water, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a full boil.  Reduce the heat and cook and stir for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Put a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly to temper the eggs.  Add a little more, then a little more than add all back into the hot mixture and stir well.  Bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add 2 Tablespoons butter and the lemon peel and keep stirring.  Slowly add the lemon juice and mix and mix until well blended.  Pour into the baked pastry shell.
Make the meringue by beating the 3 egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar.  Beat until peaks form.  Gradually add 4 Tablespoons of sugar.  Beat until stiff and glossy and the sugar is dissolved.
Spread the meringue over the hot filling, sealing well on the edges.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.   Cool and let set.  This should set several hours before cutting, so the filling will set up properly.

This stuff is plate lickin' good, as my granddaughter Lily can attest!

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Super flavorful, easy, healthy, and inexpensive . . . I think this is the perfect recipe!  It says it takes 45 minutes, but 30 minutes of that is just letting it simmer. If your local grocery store doesn't carry red lentils on the same aisle as the beans and rice, check the ethnic food section.  I bought mine at Wal Mart, so they should be readily available and easy to find.  I usually double this, just because we love it so much and go through the left-overs really quickly.  According to my cost analysis, one serving costs only $1!  I would highly recommend this one.

Time:  45 minutes

Yield:  4 servings 

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt, more to taste

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Pinch of chili powder or cayenne, more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth 

1 cup red lentils (found at most grocery stores in the dried beans section)

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste (I used concentrated lemon juice, 1 tsp)

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used more to taste b/c we love cilantro)

1.  In a large pot, heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil over high heat until hot and shimmering.  Add onion and garlic, and saute until golden, about 4 minutes.

2.  Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and saute for 2 minutes longer.

3.  Add broth, 1 cup water, lentils and carrot.  Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low.  Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.  Taste and add salt if necessary.

4.  Using an immersion or regular blender or food processor, puree half the soup then add it back to the pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.  (We like our soup chunky, so I skipped this step completely.)

5.  Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro.  Serve soup drizzled with olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Image courtesy of www.figswithbri.com 

Gooey Goldies

These are also known as Lemon Brownies, but since they're not brown, I changed it to "Goldies".  They are VERY gooey and sticky and yummy.  If they were brownies, you would say they are very fudgy.  But since they're lemon, you say they're gooey.

Gooey Goldies
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
10 T. butter, melted and somewhat cooled
3 large eggs
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. packed lemon zest

Heat the oven to 350.  Spray a 13 x 9 pan.

In a microwave safe bowl or large glass measuring cup, melt the butter.  When sort of cooled, add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, zest, and eggs.  Whisk together.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Add the butter mixture and mix well.  Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes until golden.  A toothpick in the center should come out mostly clean.

Let the bars cool slightly.  Then Glaze

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, 3 T. lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest, chopped fine.  Whisk together and pour over the Goldies.  Cool and cut into bars.

Recipe Source:  Allrecipes.com

Lemon (or Lime) Italian Marinade for Grilling

Here's one of those recipes you won't even have to print because it's so simple.  It's a delicious marinade for grilling chicken.
4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1/4- 1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

Mix together the dressing and lemon juice and pour over the chicken in a zipper plastic bag.  Marinade in the fridge for several hours. Grill, brushing the marinade on the chicken.

Lemony Vegetables and Pasta

This is a delicious springtime meal. As I paged through the Taste of Home cookbook Mom sent us, this one caught my eye and got tagged with a special post-it. Yesterday I was craving a veggie pasta dish, so I pulled out the recipe book and miraculously I had all of the ingredients (except my pepper was green instead of red). Man, did I rejoice. I threw in some mushrooms too and enjoyed every bite. Mmm. It was really quite quick though more entailed than I have been doing for dinners recently. It was worth it. (Coincidentally, this recipe was submitted to Taste of Home by someone from Santa Clara, Utah...our old stomping grounds.)

Lemony Vegetables and Pasta

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 15 min. Serves: 7

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (my addition)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4-1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios (Didn't have these. Sad.)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I just used dried and it was great)
• Additional shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, red pepper, onion, mushrooms, oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, garlic and pepper flakes until blended. Whisk in broth until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
• Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and peel; heat through. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add cheese sauce and asparagus mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with pistachios, basil and additional cheese. Yield: 7 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Lemony-Vegetables-and-Pasta

• Prep: 25 min. Cook: 15 min. Yield: 7 Servings

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I think I like Lemon Linguine from Mom's cookbook a little better than this if it had all these yummy grilled veggies. I'm going to try that next.

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

Since we got our ice cream freezer, we've tried several different homemade ice cream recipes. This lemon ice cream was delicious.

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 cups milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup lemon juice

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Using a whisk, gradually add the milk, whisking as you go. On medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add a small amount of the milk mixture into the eggs and temper the eggs. Pour the eggs into the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Cook and stir until the mixture coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from heat and stir in the cream and the lemon juice. Fill your sink with ice and water (or you can use a large bowl.) Put the pan of ice cream in the ice water sink. Stir for a couple of minutes- cooling the mixture. Put some waxed paper or plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream and put in the fridge for several hours.

Pour into your ice cream freezer and freeze according to your freezer's instructions. If you have too much to fit in your ice cream freezer, keep the extra in the fridge until you're ready to freeze it. It will keep several days. Of course, keep the ice cream in the freezer. Enjoy a cool and yummy dessert!

Ken's Luscious Lemon Pie

My husband, Ken doesn't really cook. He makes a few things, but he really isn't a cook- yet. He says when he retires it's something he wants to learn. But, he came home from work one day really excited about a dessert he'd had at an office potluck lunch. He begged the "family recipe" from his employee. She says they have it at every family gathering. He loved it and has made it several times since. I've never made it. I was touched that he made it for a neighbor when she had surgery and took it over to her. I don't think she knew what a treasure that was! I also don't think he told her he made it. Anyway, the recipe is simple and delicious. The original recipe was double this and put in a 13x9 pan with a graham cracker crust. We thought the store-bought crust was easier and a better size for just the two of us.

Luscious Lemon Pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 pint whipping cream whipped, with a little sugar added (or 8 oz. Cool Whip)

1 graham cracker crust

crushed graham crackers for the top

Pour the milk into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Pour the lemon mixture into the crust. Spread the whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the top. Put the plastic top from the crust over the top. Chill for several hours.

Lemon Bars

I've been making lemon bars for years, but recently tried a new recipe I found and adapted on Jamie Cooks It Up blog. I really liked the buttery lemony- ness of this recipe and decided it beats the Martha Stewart version I've made in the past. A word to the wise: Don't inhale while taking a bite!

Crust

1 cup cold butter

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Filling

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup flour

1 few grates of lemon zest

For the crust: Chop the butter into small cubes. In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and flour. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and with a pastry blender or your hands (I've always used my hands- just work fast and don't heat up the butter), combine the ingredients. When they are mixed, press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile: In a mixer bowl, beat the eggs until frothy- at least two minutes. Add sugar, baking powder, salt and flour and mix well. Add the lemon juice and zest. Beat for at least three more minutes. Pour the filling over the hot crust and return it to the oven for another 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let cool completely, then cut into bars.

Lemon Blossoms

This is a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it has to be good. I love these little cupcakes. They are great to serve at a party. I've made this same recipe, substituting the yellow cake mix with chocolate, the pudding with chocolate pudding, and then made the glaze without the lemon, adding vanilla instead. They were as good as the lemon ones.

Ingredients

• 18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix
• 3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons water

Directions

You need a miniature muffin tin for these. Spray your tins with Pam. Preheat the oven to 350. Blend together the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil. Blend well- at least two minutes. Fill each muffin cup about half way. Bake in a 350 oven for 12 minutes.

Mix together the glaze ingredients until there are no lumps. Put a large piece of waxed paper or a sil pat on your counter. Put a wire rack on top of the waxed paper. While the cakes are still warm, using your hands, dip each cake into the glaze and completely coat the little cakes. Let them drip a bit over the bowl, then put them on the wire rack. They will set up. Leave them for at least an hour, then you can store them in an airtight container.

Lemon Drop Cookies

Ready for another of my Top Ten Favorite Cookie recipes? These are so yummy . . lemony, but not too lemony. You use crushed lemon drops (those sugary lemon candies- pictured above) I hope you enjoy!

Lemon Drop Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups butter flavored shortening

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract

4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Zest of one lemon (save the lemon for the frosting)

1 (6 oz.) pkg. lemon drops, crushed in the blender or food processor

Frosting

2 cups (more or less) powdered sugar

Juice of two lemons

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening, and eggs; Add flavorings. Turn off beater and add dry ingredients. Turn on and stir in. Add lemon zest and crushed lemon drops. Mix well. Roll into balls. Flatten slightly and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat (very important as these cookies will stick) I'm thinking waxed paper may work, too. Bake for about 10 minutes. Don't overbake. Let cool slightly, then glaze while still warm. You can use a brush and brush on the glaze. Let cool. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Lemon Onion Chicken

If you watch food network, I'm sure you've heard of Melissa d'Arabian's 4-step chicken. She won food network star last year, and I think it was because of this recipe. It is easy and absolutely delicious. It's one of those recipes that you can substitute what you and your family like, and it turns out great. There's more than one RIGHT way to make it. So here's the link to the original recipe, and posted below is how I make it:

4 chicken breast halves, cut into chunks

2/3 cup (or so) flour

1 tsp. (or so) Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 tsp. (or so) thyme

Olive oil

2 onions, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped (opt)

1 tsp. crushed garlic (more or less to taste)

1 cup chicken broth ( I actually use a little more than this, enough to make a nice gravy)

3 lemons, juiced (you can use less lemon if desired)

zest of 1 lemon

2 T. butter

Spinach bed (boil a bag of spinach with butter and lemon) (opt, but it is yummy and makes it more nutritous)

Cut up the chicken. Put the flour, steak seasoning and thyme in a gallon zip lock bag. Add the chicken pieces. Close the bag and mix well until all the chicken is coated. Let marinate at least while you chop the veggies. I like to put the bag in the fridge for awhile and let the chicken absorb the flavors in the flour mixture.

Put olive oil in a large skillet and heat. Add the chicken and cook until chicken is browned and no longer pink. Put chicken in a dish and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add more olive oil, then add the onions and pepper. Slowly cook the veggies until they caramalize- get browned, but not burned. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the zest of lemon and the lemon juice and the chicken broth. Whisk and cook until pan is deglazed. Whisk in the butter until melted and blended. Add back in the chicken and stir and cook until sauce thickens. Serve over a bed of cooked spinach if desired. Serve with rice cooked in chicken broth(I like to mix brown and white rice.) Good with roasted butternut squash (Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast until tender. Sprinkle with 2 T. Brown sugar when done. Mix well until all the squash is coated and sugar is dissolved and serve.) This is one tasty, yummy dinner!

Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

This is easy, and oh. so. good. And that's from a chocolate lover!

1 pkg. lemon cake mix

1 pkg. (small) lemon instant pudding

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup oil

4 large eggs

Mix all together on low, then turn up speed and mix for about 2 minutes on med. speed. Pour batter into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Don't overbake.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

(this stuff is to die for)

2 sticks butter, softened

6-8 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I've substituted lime and it's also delicious!)

Zest from 1 lemon

1 or 2 drops yellow food color (optional)

Mix the SOFT butter with about half of the sugar. Add juice and zest. Beat well. Add more sugar, one cup at a time until desired consistency. Spread on cake. You can garnish the cake with twisted lemon slices or clear decorator sugar.

This is delicious, but for me, it is a bit sour.  I prefer to use a yellow cake mix, making it less sour.  The frosting make a lot- really enough for two 13x9 cakes.

I make this frequently for gatherings and funeral luncheons.   Everyone loves it.