Avgolemono

Hi... it's me.  Remember me?  It's ok if you don't.  I sort of ran away and hid for awhile.  Things were falling and I didn't bother to take the time to pick them back up.  I did come back once simply to tell you I was alive.  Does that count for something?

I hope you haven't completely written me out of your book yet.  I have new things to share, I promise.  Are any of them recipes, you may ask.  Which is a fair question, seeing as this is some sort of an excuse for a cooking blog.  And I'm hear to tell you that at least one of them is!  And it's perfect for right now, when all of us are fighting one type of sickness or another.  Soup.  The only kind of soup you want when you're feeling achy and cold and you have an elephant sitting on your chest.  There is an elephant sitting on your chest too, right?  Or is that just me?

It is chicken soup.  Chicken soup made creamy by the slow addition of an egg and almost impossibly bright by the swirl of fresh lemon.  It is chicken soup that is easy to make, requiring nothing out of the ordinary and no extra work, especially if you have a bag of shredded rotisserie chicken in your freezer.  It is chicken soup that will calm your nerves, warm your tummy, and if we are lucky, help beat up all this icky sickness around us.

This is the way that we're starting a new year.  With a new soup and an easy addition to my big green cookbook.  Oh, and with some other exciting news.  There happens to be this very shiny, very, very pretty ring thingy hanging out on my left hand.  It's a little strange and I'm not quite used to it yet, but it puts a huge smile on my face every time I look at it.  Yes folks, we're engaged.  Things are about to get all sorts of real.

Avgolemono
Adapted from Cooking Light, January 2012

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (~ 2 lemons, depending on their size)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 large egg
2 c. (8 oz) chicken breast, shredded

In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil and heat until it begins to shimmer.  Add chopped onions and garlic.  Saute 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.  Add chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil.  Add in rice and reduce soup to a simmer.  Summer for 16 minutes, or until rice is just a few minutes before done.

Meanwhile, combine lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper and egg.  Whisk together well.  Once soup/rice mixture is ready, very slowly pour lemon juice mixture into soup, gently whisking the entire time.  Be patient and careful, you want the egg to incorporate, not scramble!  Add in chicken and stir.  Let lightly simmer until soup thickens and rice is done, about 305 minutes more.

Lemon and Olive Chicken

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Everybody Loves Raymond.  My love of the reruns is well documented both here and basically every weekday night of my life.  Even typing this, miles away from Ben, I can hear his loudly resounding "duh".  I like to think my love of Everybody Loves Raymond is one of the quality he loves about me...

So when I decided to try this lemon chicken recipe from this year's January Cooking Light issue, I sort of, kind of had a secret day dream that I was making lemon chicken just like Deb.  For those of you not caught up on Everybody Loves Raymond reruns (might I add, what is wrong with you??), the first dish Debra cooked for Ray was lemon chicken.  In fact, really the only dish Deb could really cook was lemon chicken.  I got sort of excited that maybe, just maybe, I had found my version of lemon chicken.

More than likely, what Deb was cooking did not have a Mediterranean riff on it.  I suppose we'll never know.  But mine did, with shallots, olives, rosemary and oregano.  It was yummy.  Ben liked it, thought it was a switch up from a normal baked chicken meal.  I enjoyed it too.  It came together pretty quick, baked while I cleaned up the kitchen and the leftovers heated up fantastically.  Not a keeper though, which may be my fault for not using fresh herbs.  Just a good, solid Wednesday night meal.

Lemon and Olive Chicken
Adapted from CL Jan. 2012

2 tsp. lemon zest (~1 lemon) 
1/4 c. lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
15 oil-cured olives, pitted
1 large shallot, sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper, olive oil to grease

In large bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, olive oil and garlic.  Add chicken, flipping to coat.  Let marinade for 15 minutes, occasionally flipping chicken around in marinade.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Thinly slice shallot and lemon.  Halve olives (or pit them, I usually end up halving when I pit anyways...)  Very lightly grease ceramic baking dish (9x13) with olive oil.  Lay chicken in single layer across bottom.  Pour any remaining marinade over top.  Season with salt, pepper, oregano and rosemary.  Spread lemon slices, shallots and olives evenly over top.

Bake 30 minutes, until chicken is just before done.  Remove from oven and preheat broiler.  Broiler chicken for 5-7 minutes until chicken is browned and cooked through.

We served on a bed of orzo with a side of steamed green beans!

Triple Sec & Lemon Popsicles

I feel like I've been phoning it in.  I am sorry, I actually feel bad about this.  I want to give you my all.  I want to pore over food photography books until my own food photos actually look appetizing.  I want to dig deep into my magazines and not come up again until I have a recipe plan, complete with shopping list and preferably people to help eat the goods.  Most importantly, I want my dinner to not be nachos for 4 week nights in a row and my lunches to not be ham and turkey on wheat bread sandwiches.  And yet...

Alas, all I have to give you are these popsicles.  These alcoholic, tart, pure-citrus popsicles.  I know this is not a bad thing, in fact, it is quite a great thing, it's just not what I thought.  How's that for a Debbie Downer?  Do me a favor and just tune out my complaining about my inability to fulfill these crazy visions I give myself.  It's fruitless as well.  I mentioned alcoholic popsicles and you really shouldn't listen to another word I say, unless it is alcoholic popsicles. 

Here's the break down on the popsicles.  1. Delicious.  2.  Didn't quite freeze all the way, so sticky too.  3.  If you decide to forgo popsicle molds and just drink the concoction over ice, well then my friend, we should hang out soon.  Because, this tart lemon squeeze is fantastic any way you want it: frozen almost solid, slushy, chilled on the rocks.  It just happens to get into your stomach a heck of a lot faster (with much less of a mess too!) without the four hour freezing time.  Basically, after a 10 minute session of making the drink, it's a choose your own adventure situation:  1. Freeze solid for a popsicle.  2. Freeze and fluff for a granita.  3. Pour over ice and drink, NOW!

Personally?  I'll be with the lazy folk in the corner, happily drinking away their popsicle cocktails.

PS - just in case you ever try to make a celebrity couple name out of popsicle and cocktail, just don't.  The first thing  you will say is cock-sicle.  Which is inappropriate, and consequently hilarious.

Triple Sec & Lemon Popsicles
Adapted from Cooking Light, August 2011

I don't think I will make these as popsicles again.  As per above, because they really work quite excellently just over ice.  As a drink?  They are very much fair game.

1 1/4 c. water
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1-2 Tbsp. lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
1/2 c. triple sec

In small sauce pan, whisk together sugar and water.  Over medium high heat, bring to a simmer.  Whisk until sugar has dissolved.  Stir in zest.  Set aside to cool.  Once cool, strain simple syrup and discard zest.  Stir in lemon juice and triple sec.

Here comes decision making time.  Chill and serve over ice?  Or if you have a little more ambition, pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 4 hours, until frozen solid.  Enjoy fast, as they melt!!

Lemony Ricotta Fettuccine

Hey.  How’s it going?  I feel like I’ve been away from you for awhile.  Which isn’t true of course, I was just here last Saturday going on and on about the bliss that is blackberry mojitos.  So, why do I feel like I miss you?  Because last Saturday was also the day my blessed camera-to-computer-cord finally returned to me.  And then it was a day of playing catching up.  And a day of blackberry mojitos.  But now, blackberry mojitos all gone (ssiigghh.....), it’s time to get back into the rhythm of things.  With sensible things, like crisp pancetta, fresh ricotta and early summer time dinner recipes.

So, what have I missed telling you?  The big news it, they built a new grocery store near me.  It’s a Valli Produce.  Totally ok if you have never heard of them, it’s an Illinois thing.  There’s an older one near my work, older being the operative word.  There’s an even older one near Ben, which we avoid unless necessary, aka the need for fresh mozzarella arises.  But this new one?  It’s kinda shiny and big and well-lit.  And not only does it have fresh mozzarella, it also has fresh ricotta, fresh feta and fresh pasta.

So, following suit from CL’s April issue, I bought some fresh pasta.  I doctored up my fresh ricotta with lemon and pepper.  Then I cooked up some bell peppers and shallots and spinach.  I toasted pecans and crisped up leftover pancetta.  Then I got a little crazy.  Pasta and vegetables were tumbled into ricotta.  It got creamy and thick and fabulous.  On top, the crumbled, crisp bits of cured pork deliciousness helped the toasted pecans bring some real crunch.  It was bright and textured and fabulous.  And all that?  It took less then 15 minutes.  That’s less time then it took to write this post.   And let’s face it, there is sun outside.  Let’s not waste it.

Lemony Ricotta Fettuccine
Adapted from CL's April 2012 issue

The best part is that you don’t need a recipe.  Of course, I’m still going to give you one, but you don’t need it.  Take trip through the farmer’s market or produce section.  If asparagus and spring onions are looking like their normal gorgeous selves, grab them and run with it.  If it goes with cheese and lemon, you’re good to go.  By the way, crisp pancetta goes with everything basically, so you’re safe there...

9 oz.. fresh fettuccine
9 oz. ricotta cheese
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. EV olive oil, divided
1 bell pepper (orange or red), diced
1 shallot, diced
1/3 c. pecans
0.75-1 oz. Pancetta, chopped
4 garlic cloves, diced
3 c. baby spinach

Cook pasta.  Reserve a coffee cup-full of pasta water before draining pasta.

Combine lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper with ricotta cheese.  Mix well.

In large skillet, add pecans.  Toast for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.  Remove and roughly chop, set aside.  In same skillet, crisp up Pancetta.  Remove and let drain on paper towel.

In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat.  Add bell pepper and shallot.  Saute about 2 minutes, until bell peppers are soft.  Add garlic and remaining salt, continue to saute 1-2 minutes longer.  Stir in remaining olive oil and lemon juice.  Add cooked pasta and spinach, tossing so veggies and garlic are evenly distributed.  Add pasta water  to desired consistency and cook until spinach wilts, about 1 minute.  (I only added a little less than 1/2 cup).

Top with ricotta mixture and chopped pecans and Pancetta.  If you have leftovers, leave off ricotta, pecans and Pancetta.  Heat pasta then add toppings.

Lemony Slice-and-Bake

Recently, my problem has not been lack of creativity nor an unwillingness to shop and try new recipes.  Rather, it has been the very fast and very unexplainable disappearance of time.  Well that and a dash of laziness.  I actually have several recipes ready to go, pictures and all, but not the time to type them all out.

Between an international long weekend trip, Christmas with the family, moving apartments yet again (fingers crossed, this is the last time!) and a big New Year's Eve party to go to, blogging unfortunately has taken a back seat.  But at least once a week is what I promised you all back in the beginning, and that is what I am going to do.  Thank God for the holidays, otherwise we could be in real trouble here.  Please just excuse me that I'm a little behind on the times, and you're getting Christmas cookies two days after Christmas.  But what else are New  Year's Eve Parties for??

These cookies are quite wonderful, tart in the most delicious and lemony way.  If you are a fan of lemon, these are definitely for you.  I just drizzled them all over with the lemon glaze that Bon Appetit gave with the recipe, but a sprinkle of some raw sugar or decorative sugar would be just the topping these tart babies need.  They mellow out after a day or two and these didn't last beyond that, so I can't tell you where they go from there.

Lemony Slice-And-Bake
Adapted from December 2011's Bon Appetit

These are of the infamous slice and bake variety, so if you want to leave a log frozen in the freezer, ready to go at a moment's notice, go for it!

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon zest (from 2 medium sized lemons)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks

Lemon Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together flour and salt.  In electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks all at once and beat on medium high speed until just incorporated.  Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour in a few batches, mixing until just blended.

Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap.  Turn dough out onto one sheet and divide into two even balls.  Roll each ball into a log, about 1 1/2-inches in diameter.  Wrap each log well in plastic wrap and chill in fridge until firm.  (Can be done up to 2 days in advance, if longer, freeze).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Remove logs from fridge and unwrap.  Working quickly so logs stay chilled, cut into 1/4-inch rounds.  Space out on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.  Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown around the edges and firm.  Remove from oven and let cool on pan for one minute, move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For lemon glaze, whisk all three ingredients, adding more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed for proper consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cookies and let stand until icing sets.

"Do Ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature"

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

Welcome to my Saturday night.  Please try hard not to judge that I am home baking on a Saturday night.  My one defense is that it's been a long rainy South Carolina weekend.  And I just got my May Cooking Light issue yesterday.  And there were muffin recipes.  Does that make me more or less pathetic?

There's not much to report, all went according to recipe.  Mixed the dry ingredients and made a well in the middle.  Whisked together all the wet ones and poured into the well.  Stirred together until just everything gets wet.  Didn't over mix.  Poured into muffin tins with paper cups that have been coated with cooking spray, a step that seemed redundant to me and something I would probably skip if I made it again.  Topped with some Sugar in the Raw (I used 1/2 a tablespoon less than suggested) and popped in the oven. 17 minutes later, out they came. 

Cooking Light promises "tart, rich flavor coming from a favorite Italian combo-olive oil and fresh lemon".  The first warm one I ate out of the oven was good.  Tasty.  Just not as lemony as I expected.  I wanted fresh and zingy and tart and lemon spilling out of the crumbs.  And that just didn't happen, all those flavors were muted.  The aftertaste was pretty good and hinted at lemon, but it just wasn't the lemon muffin I was expecting.  Maybe the lemon I used wasn't fresh enough or lemony enough.  Are lemons even in season right now?  The price at the grocery store seemed to suggest not.  Maybe the freeze down in Florida months ago is to blame.... 

They were easy to make and they still taste good.  They just missed the beat when it came to the lemon I wanted so badly.  I'm hoping it can be chalked up to a not so good lemon; they weren't the prettiest I've ever seen.  I think the recipe deserves at least another chance, although it's only borderline big green cookbook worthy, if the second go round doesn't pick up a hit of lemon.  If you do try them and believe the lemon you used to be a beautiful and worthy specimen, let me know how they taste.  Hopefully you get that fragrant lemony oopmh I was hoping for! 

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

adapted from Cooking Light, May 2010

7.9 ounces all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking Spray
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar (I used less)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 12 muffin cups with muffin-cup liners and coat with cooking spray. 

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt); make a well in the center.  Combine ricotta cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg).  Add ricotta mixture to well in flour mixture.  Mix until just moist.

Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top.  Bake at 375F for 16 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack.