Tag Archives: lemon

Lemon Yellow Summer Squash Bread

29 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Family, Family Favorites, Garden, New Favorite

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When yellow squash and zucchini are plentiful and you’ve made very possible recipe you can think of, I go to the web and try to find something different to make.  This bread was a phenomenal find. I’ve always been fond of lemon cake and this bread is addictive. No, you can’t have just one slice, I guarantee it!

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LEMON YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH BREAD

There is no reason you couldn’t substitute zucchini in this recipe; would be pretty with the green zucchini and yellow lemon zest!  I did not make the Sweet Roasted Lemon Garnish).
Serves: 2 loaves
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups grated summer squash
For the Glaze:
  • 1 Tbsp melted butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Sweet Roasted Lemon Garnish (edible and optional!):
  • 1 lemon, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour 2 regular loaf pans or 4 mini pans.
  3. Mix butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until well blended.
  4. Add eggs one at a time and once all are incorporated beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix thoroughly.
  6. Add squash and stir just to blend.
  7. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for regular size loaf pans.
  8. Allow the pan to cool; remove the bread and place top down on a serving plate (makes for a nice presentation for the glaze and lemons).
Make the Roasted Lemons:
  1. Cook lemon slices in a medium saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes to remove bitterness. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Gently toss lemon slices with sugar, and 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until lemons are no longer wet and only slightly colored, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.
Make the Glaze:
  1. Combine the melted butter and powdered sugar and stir until smooth; add the lemon juice and lemon zest and stir to combine.
  2. Add water or milk if necessary to get the right consistency.
  3. Pour the glaze over the top; covering it completely and letting excess dribble down the sides.
  4. Arranged sweet, roasted lemons on top.
  5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from CreativeCulinary.com

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Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

05 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Fresh fruit salad in winter is a real treat and this recipe is delicious, combining several fruits including apples, kiwi, blackberries, pomegranate, bananas and Mandarin oranges. The dressing is fresh and tasty delivering a nice side to compliment any meal.
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Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Salad

  • 8 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented (I used Cuties)
  • 4 apples, diced
  • 4 ripe kiwis peeled and diced
  • 4 bananas, peeled and diced
  • 1 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (from about 1 large)
  • 1-2 cups blackberries (I added to the recipe)

Combine all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from CookingClassy.com

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

29 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Family, New Favorite

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Two of my favorite flavors…raspberry and lemon…together they are heaven. When we were planning older daughter Megan’s baby shower we made these cupcakes.  The cupcakes (which you cannot see) were divine and the icing tasted wonderful, although it didn’t look as wonderful as I would have liked. The icing had a lumpy look to it but not in taste or texture.

The theme of the shower surrounded children’s books so we purchased edible children’s book toppers on Etsy. Adorable!

I’ll make the cupcakes again but I’ll play with the icing to get it just right!

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Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

Yield: 24 regular cupcakes

For the Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two large lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

For the Frosting:
1/2 to 2/3 cup fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed) (use 2 cups for 1.5x recipe of frosting)
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk, if needed

To Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Position the rack to the center of the oven.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites until well blended.

Place the sugar and lemon zest in a large mixer bowl and rub together with your fingers until the zest has moistened all the sugar.  Use the paddle attachment to beat the butter in at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very light.  Add in the extracts and then one third of the flour mixture, while continuing to beat on medium speed.  Mix in half of the milk-egg mixture, then half of the remaining dry ingredients.  Beat in the rest of the milk and eggs until fully incorporated, then mix in the remaining of the dry ingredients.  Beat at medium speed for a full 2 minutes to aerate.  Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake pans.

Bake for 18-22 minutes (for regular cupcakes) or 10-12 minutes (for miniature cupcakes).  The cupcakes are done when they pass the toothpick test and are springy to the touch.   Cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make the frosting:
Puree the raspberries in a blender and then push through a fine mesh strainer to discard the seeds; set aside. Cream together the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl, with the paddle attachment.  Beat in the vanilla and most of the raspberry puree, until fully combined.

Stir in the sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until reaching desired consistency.  Use more or less sugar as needed, and add more raspberry puree to taste.  If the frosting is too thick, beat in milk one tablespoon at a time.

Source:  My Baking Addiction, originally from Dorie Greenspan and Seeded at the Table 

Cranberry and Mango Quinoa Salad

17 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Gluten Free, Skinny, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Cranberry and Mango Quinoa Salad is a favorite salad shared by friend, Chris, at many of our Book Club and pot luck dinners. Finally, I decided to prepare it and savored every serving.  I’ve also tried adding other ingredients to add variety, including bits of turkey or slices or fresh avocado.
This salad is great for summer meals and gatherings.
Mango Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Mango Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Cranberry and Mango Quinoa Salad

2 cups of water
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup fresh kale or spinach in bite size pieces
1.5 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks (one to two fresh mangos should yield just about 1.5 cups)
1.5 c cubed melon (I used Honeydew)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted/optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
pinch of salt

  • Bring water to boil and cook quinoa per the instructions.  Cool.
  • Add kale (or spinach), mango, melon, almonds, and cranberries to quinoa.
  • Mix together Lemon poppy seed ingredients and pour over quinoa salad.
  • Serving Option:  Slice fresh avocado slices over top of salad.

Recipe adapted from Skinny Minz and Healthy Pursuit

Peach Blueberry Crumble

23 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by in Family, Family Favorites, Gluten Free, New Traditions

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Peaches are in season and I love a peach dessert.  I adapted a recipe from Barefoot Contessa to be gluten-free. It was delicious. The rice flour is lighter, therefore, you need to add about 25% more rice flour that the all-purpose flour called for in a recipe.  I’ve shown the rice flour and the all-purpose flour proportions in the recipe below. I also sprinkled sugar on top of the crumble to give it a little extra sweetness.

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The Crumble served warm with good vanilla ice cream…it’s what I wish I were having for dessert tonight!

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

GF=Gluten-Free

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2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/8 cup rice flour (GF) OR 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (non GF)
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumble:

1.25 cups rice flour (GF) OR 1 cup all-purpose flour (non GF)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into buttered ramekins or baking dish.

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  • For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit.

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  • Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Adapted From Food Network, 2006 Barefoot Contessa

Sangria, Mock and Not

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Family Favorites, New Favorite

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Sangria reminds me of summer, tapas, and good times with friends.  It’s refreshing, light, fruity and delicious.  History states that Sangria was first served at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.  While interesting, I truly expected Sangria to be the drink of Spanish Royalty (or something equally impressive).

Nonetheless, it’s delicioso!  This time, I made a mock Sangria (without alcohol) as well as the real deal.  I enjoyed them both.

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Mock Sangria

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Sangria

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SANGRIA

1.5L of chilled red wine
3 cups prepared lemonade
1 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons brandy
2 cups chilled club soda
sliced oranges, limes, lemons, apples

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, lemonade, and orange juice.  Add the fruit slices and refrigerate until chilled.

When ready to serve, add the club soda.  Garnish glass with slice of lime (or other citrus)

MOCK SANGRIA

2 cups orange juice
1 cup white grape juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 liter bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage
ice cubes
sliced lemons, oranges, limes

  • In a large pitcher, stir the juices together.  Chill.
  • When ready to serve, add the lemon-lime beverage and stir gently. Fill glasses with ice, then sangria then slices of fruit.  Enjoy!

Mock Sangria adapted from BHG.com

Lemon Asparagus…Springtime treat!

05 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in New Favorite, Vegan, Vegetarian

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What is spring without fresh asparagus?  Asparagus and fresh lemon and a drizzle of good olive oil and, voila, you have lemon asparagus!

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Healthy, easy, yummy!

Lemon Asparagus

  • One pound fresh asparagus
  • One lemon
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkle of sea salt

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Thinly slice the lemon.  Arrange in one flat layer on a baking sheet.

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Toss the asparagus with the olive oil until evenly coated.  Arrange asparagus over the lemon slices.  Sprinkle with salt.  Broil for approx 6 minutes (in our oven) or until asparagus spears get a few browned and crispy areas.

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Recipe from two-tarts.com

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Gluten Free, New Favorite, Skinny

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Lemon Rosemary Chicken is a new favorite recipe.  I love rosemary with chicken anyway so I knew this would be a winner!  The potatoes also roasted beautifully and complimented the chicken and sauce nicely.  I served this dish with my slow cooked green beans: http://wp.me/p1okPt-sj

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

The leftovers were wonderful resulting in a fabulous chicken, pesto sandwich (see pesto recipe post of 10/19/12):  http://wp.me/p1okPt-v9.

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 pound potatoes (small red-skinned) or large cubed potatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
1 clove smashed garlic
pinch red pepper flakes
juice of 2 lemons (reserve the squeezed half lemons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water.  Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender; 8-12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the rosemary leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt on a cutting board. Mine and mash the ingredients until a paste-like mixture. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and olive oil. Coat the chicken breasts in this mixture.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken , cover and cook until browned. Turn the chicken and brown the other side. Add the potatoes to the chicken and drizzle with the juice of the 2nd lemon and any remaining paste. Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeeze lemon halve to the skillet.

Place skillet in preheated oven and roast, uncovered until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Adapted from eatyourselfskinny Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

Nicaragua…Introduction to Banana Jam…YUM!

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Nicaragua, Vegetarian

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What a delight to get up in the morning, dress and not worry about applying cosmetics or blow-drying my hair.  At least that is what I thought until I looked at my pictures when I returned home.  YIKES!  That is why you are seeing more photos of food and scenery than of me.

Bananas and Poinsettas growing at FEV

I would wander to the dining area in the morning to enjoy a fresh banana (craving one now) and a hot cup of that coffee!  I take a moment to soak in the beautiful morning view while my travel buddies wander in, one by one to convene for breakfast.

Morning view of the cloud forest from Tucan Lodge

This particular morning, we were served wonderful pancakes with fresh jams.  My absolute favorite was the banana jam.  Again, I wonder how I’ve never tasted banana jam.  Genius!

Pancakes with jams

Banana Jam

When I returned home, I searched for Banana Jam recipes and found the following recipe in the Jamlady’s cookbook.  I made it.  I liked it.  We served it at daughter Sarah’s bridal shower along with scones and clotted cream.  It’s a cherished member of my growing collection of recipes.

Ingredients for Banana Jam

BANANA JAM

3 1/2 pounds of peeled bananas
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

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Cooking Banana Jam

Mash the bananas and cook with the rest of the ingredients for 20 minutes. Stir continuously so the jam does not stick or burn. Cool . Jam with thicken. Optional: use food processor to blend.

I did not freeze or can the jam but ate it all fresh! My next experiment will be to use banana jam in homemade ice cream. YUM!

Banana Jam (upper right) with scone and clotted cream

Recipe adapted from Jamlady, ‘Jellies, Jams, and Preserves’