Broccoli with Lemon~Dijon Pan Sauce and Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs

I cook steamed broccoli for my family a lot.  Surprisingly to me, they like it.  I do not, never have.  I just can't make myself eat it.  I usually put a couple pieces on my plate so it seems like I'm eating it.  Yes, I still behave like a five year old at times.  Of course, it's still sitting there when I'm done.  I can hear my mother's voice in my head telling me to eat it. Taking me back to when I was a kid... the dishes are done everyone else is doing something fun and I'm still sitting at the table (probably crying).

I have grown to appreciate it with some additions.  Give me a cheese sauce like my Grandma used to make.  I'm all over it.  I like Broccoli Cheddar soup.  Brown it and add a lemon mustard sauce and Parmigiano Bread Crumbs.  It may be a contender for my last meal.

The funny thing about this recipe is, I love it.  My husband and kids just wanted their boring steamed broccoli.  Oh well, every once in a while you've got to please yourself.

Recipe from Fast, Fresh and Green by Susie Middleton.  In the recipe, Susie suggests the bread crumbs are optional.  In my opinion, no way.  They are my favorite part! :)  The English muffins are great in this recipe,  They are a heavy crumb that toasts well and really holds up.  It would be great with some bacon cooked in as well.

For the~ Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs ( a couple English muffins torn and processed in a food processor)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano~Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

For the~ Broccoli
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz broccoli florets cut about 2 inches long with one flat side
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

To make the Toasted Bread Crumbs~ Melt the butter over low heat in a small nonstick skillet.  Add the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and stir well.  Raise the heat to medium and cook the crumbs, stirring frequently, until they're toasted and most of them are a light golden brown,  3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a small plate and let them cool.  Combine with the Parmigiano and parsley.

In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium~high heat. wen the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the broccoli and salt and toss with tongs to coat.  Arrange the broccoli with one cut side down and cover.  Cook without stirring until the bottoms are browned, 3 to 4 minutes.  (The browning will be spotty but will be a fairly dark brown color.)  Turn the florets onto another side and cook again without stirring until that side is lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour the broth into the pan (it will sputter), cover, and cook until all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and add the lemon juice, mustard, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter.  Stir well with a silicone spatula as the butter melts and the sauce becomes creamy.  Toss in the parsley, stir, and transfer the broccoli and sauce to a serving platter.  Garnish with the Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs.  Add them immediately before serving to keep them crisp.

Honey Lemon Cookies

I'm not gonna lie, I am a little addicted to these cookies.  You may be sick of hearing how in love I am with anything citrus.  Sorry, I can't help myself :)

These cookies have lemon zest and lemon extract in the cookie dough and lemon juice and more zest in the glaze.  Too much?  Nope!  They are tender, cake~like cookies that you might find yourself eating a ton of.  Light and fresh, tart and sassy!  Perfect!  This is a really simple recipe that takes no time to make, even better.  This recipe was given to me by a sweet friend Jen, years ago.  Thank you!  Thank you!

Makes about 3 dozen.

for the cookie~
7 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

for the glaze~
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar.  Beat in egg.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the honey, yogurt, lemon zest and lemon extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the honey mixture.

On a greased cookie sheet, drop dough by the tablespoon a couple inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  They are better when they don't really brown.  Remove cookies to wire racks.

For the glaze~ In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth.  Brush over the warm cookies.  Let them sit for a few minutes to cool and the glaze to set.

Honeydew Lemonade Smoothie

My friend Camille and I recently taught a smoothie class.  It was so hilarious...but that's a whole other story for another blog!  ;)

This was one of the recipes I shared because it's a little different from the normal fruit smoothies I make.  I usually don't add a lot of sugar or concentrated pre~made anything.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not what I usually do.  The frozen lemonade concentrate is a great balance to the mellow honeydew melon.  My kids love this!  My favorite part might be the crushed lemon candies, they make it fun and add a sweetness that is great.  It's not a big deal to crush up a few candies.  Right?

Smoothie~
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
6 cups honeydew melon chunks, about 1 large melon
4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
2~3 cups ice, depending on how you prefer it

Garnish~ It's not just cute, it adds to the drink!
1 lemon
Crushed lemon candies

Garnish~
Place a handful of lemon candies in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Use whatever gets the job done.  Transfer the crushed candies to a bowl the glass will fit inside with a little extra room on the sides.  Slice the lemon and run a wedge around the rim of the glass, keeping the glass upside down so the juice doesn't drip down (not a big deal, but it will look better).  Place juiced rim in bowl with candies and pull it up.  Set glasses aside while you make the smoothie.

Smoothie~
Blend all ingredients in a blender until ice is crushed.  Pour carefully into sugared glasses.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk and Lemon Scented Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Syrup

My son Cameron wanted me to make this for his birthday breakfast.  He is 12 and completely, without a doubt, my son.  He will sit and watch cooking shows with me into the wee hours of the night, or in the middle of a Saturday.   He has his own list of favorites he likes to Tivo.  Like me, he loves the presentation of his food, (he likes to call it "professional").  It always needs to look professional. ;)  Now, my husband has someone else in the house to roll his eyes at when we want to stick some garnish on a plate.  

I love these pancakes, they are pretty simple and easy to make.  The syrup is even easier, with only two ingredients.  I usually leave the blueberries whole the day I make them.  Whatever is left over I will puree and put through a strainer and keep in the refrigerator.  The flavor is actually better pureed.  

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups light corn syrup

1 cup all~purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon zest

confectioners' sugar

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the blueberries and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes.  Remove from heat and with a potato masher, mash the berries.  Keep warm.  

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and butter until fully incorporated.  Add the sifted ingredients to the milk mixture and whisk until it is slightly smooth, but still has some lumps.  Fold in the lemon zest and allow the batter to rest for a couple minutes. 

Lightly grease a griddle over medium heat.  Cooking in batches, pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake.  Cook for about 2~3 minutes or until the batter bubbles and is golden brown, flip and continue to cook until golden brown.  Remove and stack on serving plates.  Place a pat of butter between each pancake.  Drizzle the pancakes with the syrup and garnish with the confectioners' sugar.  

With the remaining syrup, I puree it and put it through a strainer.  My kids like it better this way.  

Lemon Chicken Scaloppine with Pine Nut~Parmesan Crust

I used to order something like this all the time, at one of my favorite restaurants when I lived in California.  It was totally my usual, I'm not sure I ever ordered anything else.  This is as close as I can get with a few additions that I think make it even better!  So when I am feeling homesick, of course, I'll call my family.  I also might watch Legally Blonde, listen to Ryan Seacrest on the online radio and make this.  :)

The crust is full of flavor, with the lemon zest, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.  Served with the baby arugula salad on the side, perfect.  The peppery arugula with the tomato and balsamic glaze is a great match with the lemon in the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 lemons
3/4 cup grated good quality Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
1/2 cup chopped pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra~virgin olive oil

Place chicken breasts in a large zip lock bag.  Using a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick.  Do a couple at a time in batches.

Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper on a large plate.  Put the eggs on another plate.  On a third plate (you may want to use a larger shallow dish for the crust mixture) combine the panko, zest from 1 lemon (at least 2 teaspoons), 1 teaspoon salt, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and basil.  Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Coat both sides in flour, then eggs (allowing excess to drip off), then panko mixture, pressing lightly.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When pan is hot, add 2 chicken breasts; cook about 3 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through.  Remove and keep warm on a plate tented with foil.  Add more butter and oil to skillet with each batch.  Cut remaining unpeeled lemon into wedges.  Squeeze a couple wedges over the chicken before serving and place remaining lemon on serving platter.

Serve with Baby Arugula Salad.

Baby Arugula Salad with Balsamic Glaze

bunch of baby arugula
tomatoes
balsamic glaze
extra~virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
shavings of Parmesan cheese

Cut tomatoes and mix in a bowl with balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.   Place on top of the arugula.  Garnish with more balsamic glaze and shavings of cheese.

Fresh Lemonade

One of my summertime favorites! It's really easy~ I wonder why I sometimes bother with the powder mixes. My kids love to help make this. It's pretty with some lemon slices in the pitcher and each glass.

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice~ about 6 lemons
3/4 cup superfine sugar~ to taste use a little less or add a little more to your liking
4 cups cold water
1~2 cups ice

Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher. Serve and enjoy!
Or~
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve over ice.

Lemon Basil Pasta with Broccoli

I love fresh herbs! One that I use a lot of is basil. I also love any kind of citrus. I think lemon goes great with basil. I like this pasta because it is a little different than what I normally make. It's also really pretty. I sometimes make this to go along with BBQ chicken. I think I'm trying to make summer come a little sooner with this one!

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound pasta, something that will hold sauce (I used cellentani)
small bunch of fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 1 and a half lemons, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

While sauce is cooking, cook the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This will keep the broccoli very green. Set aside.

Cook the pasta, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium~low heat for about 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed into the pasta. Add the broccoli and combine. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add most of the Parmesan cheese, and most of the basil, cut the remaining lemon into slices and add them to the bowl. Toss well, season to taste, and garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and basil.

Lemon Chicken

This is my son Cameron's favorite dinner right now. It changes, but he always comes back to this. We were watching a cooking show for kids a few years ago, and he thought we should try this recipe. It comes from Sandra Lee. He informed me I should put this on the blog, because he knew I would have to make it and take a photo :) This one is for you Cam!

Served with Apple Rice Pilaf~ recipe under "side dishes"

1 quart buttermilk
zest from 2 lemons
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips~ or just use chicken tenders
2 cups all~purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for frying

For Lemon Sauce~
1 10 ounce jar lemon curd
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Whisk buttermilk and zest together in a medium size bowl. Add chicken and set aside.

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan about 1/2 inch in depth. Heat oil to 365 degrees F. Sift together flour and cornstarch into a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. Fry chicken strips until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with kosher salt.

While chicken is frying, make the sauce (this is something Cameron always does). In a small saucepan over low heat, melt lemon curd, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve.

We always serve this over Apple Rice Pilaf~ recipe under "side dishes"