Lemon | Linda in the Kitchen

Tag: Lemon
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
  
  Posted at 1:14 am by lindainthekitchen
  
  Dec 31st
  I must admit, I’ve been in the mood to bake loaves! They’re so easy, so delicious, and there are endless possibilities. While baking at my friend Casey’s house, her mom requested lemon and blueberry. I fell upon this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf and knew it would be perfect!
  
  Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
  
  Recipe adapted from The First Year Blog
  
  Yield: 1 9×5 inch loaf
  
  Ingredients
  
  Loaf
  
  1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  
  2 tsp baking powder
  
  1/2 tsp salt
  
  1 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat greek yogurt)
  
  1 cup granulated sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
  
  3 large eggs at room temperature
  
  2 tsp grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons – I used Meyer lemons picked from my tree)
  
  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
  1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  
  1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed (I used 2 cups fresh blueberries!)
  
  Lemon Glaze
  
  1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
  
  2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
  1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
  
  Directions
  
  Loaf
  1. 1reheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  3. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt; mix and set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil.
  5. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. My loaf took about 53 minutes.
  8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the loaf. Then, take the loaf out of the pan and move it to a wire rack to cool completely.
  Lemon Glaze
  1. After the loaf has cooled completely, make the glaze by combining the lemon juice and confectioners sugar.
  2. Start off with 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, adding more to get your desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable. I made this twice. The first time, I made a thicker glaze with 2 tbsp lemon juice. The second time, I made a thin glaze that seeped into the loaf using 3 tbsp lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. It was very thin and didn’t give the “drizzled” look, but tasted oh-so-lemony!
  3. Drizzle or spoon onto the loaf.
  4. Keep the loaf in the fridge to prevent the glaze from becoming too runny.
  Recipe oringinally from Smitten Kitchen.
  
  Perfect with morning tea/coffee, afternoon tea/coffee and evening tea/coffee.
  
  Let’s be real, it’s perfect anytime of day!
  
  I will be enjoying a slice with friends and family on New Year’s morning, CHEERS!
  
  Made with Love, Linda (and Casey!)
  Posted in Muffins/Breads/Scones | Tagged Blueberry, Glaze, Lemon, Loaf, Yogurt
- Winter Kale Salad
  
  Posted at 11:10 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Dec 30th
  
  Kale salads – YUM! I’ve been eating quite a few lately. I bought fresh kale from the farmer’s market and have been using it in my morning protein shakes and in salads for lunch.
  
  It’s so simple, yet so delicious. Easy, healthy and delicious…my kind of salad!
  
  You will need:
  
  Curly Kale
  Fuji Apple
  Shredded Carrot
  Toasted Almonds, coarsely chopped
  Feta
  Meyer Lemon Juice
  Olive Oil, Salt + Pepper
  
  Squeeze the juice from one meyer lemon (or more if you are making many servings). I used fresh lemons from my parent’s Meyer Lemon tree (YUM!). Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add as much as you prefer, depending on how big of a salad you’re making. Add salt and pepper to taste. If this dressing is too tart for your liking, feel free to add a little bit of honey to sweeten it up!
  
  Break the kale into small pieces. Toss with the dressing and let sit about 15 minutes, letting the kale absorb the dressing and soften. Meanwhile, chop up the fuji apple, shred the carrot, lightly toast the almonds over low heat and crumble the feta.
  
  Toss together and VOILA!
  
  Feel free to add some protein to make it a more substantial meal. Grilled salmon is my favorite addition to kale salads…or to anything really! Grilled tofu or chicken would be delicious as well.
  
  If you don’t have apple, another option is dried cranberries. You can also substitute the almonds with pecans or walnuts, or use goat cheese instead of feta. Endless possibilities!
  
  Made with Love, Linda
  
  Posted in Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged Feta, Kale, Lemon, Salad, vegetarian
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
  
  Posted at 6:30 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Dec 6th
  
  Lemon, lemon, lemon…there’s no such thing as too much lemon! So here we have yet another lemon recipe (I just can’t help myself!). I’m headed to Santa Cruz today to see the Cockerham-Bauhofer bunch – I CANT WAIT! I thought lemon yogurt cake with Limoncello would be the perfect treat (my dad makes homemade Limoncello from our Meyer Lemon tree) to bring.
  
  I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Ina Garten. The Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks are always a go-to! I was excited to make Barefoot Contessa’s Lemon Yogurt Cake (which is really just a loaf).
  
  Lemon Yogurt Cake
  
  Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2 teaspoons baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt)
  1 1/3 cups sugar, divided (I used a bit less sugar than called for)
  3 extra-large eggs
  2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I, of course, doubled the lemon and added 4 teaspoons)
  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1/2 cup vegetable oil
  1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (Again, I used more! About 1/2 cup)
  
  For the glaze:
  
  1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
  Directions
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. I tried to use oil, but I found that it didn’t work quite as well as butter.
  
  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar (I used a little less), the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too brown on top!
  
  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
  
  When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
  
  For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.
  
  For a less sweet option, you could leave off the glaze for more of a lemon loaf. Perfect for morning coffee! Speaking of…while we had the oven on, we decided to continue baking. We being me and my mom – we had a mother-daughter baking night! Homemade granola makes the house smell delicious. We use oats, coconut oil, coconut flakes, honey, pumpkin seeds, pecans, dried cherries…a bunch of good stuff!
  
  My parents are going away for the weekend to spend the weekend at a beach house in Bodega Bay with friends. My mom wanted to make cookies to bring. Again, Barefoot Contessa is the go-to! What could possibly be a better combination than peanut butter and chocolate?! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies, yes please!
  
  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  
  A Barefoot Contessa Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 cup butter
  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  3/4 cup light brown sugar
  2 large eggs
  1 cup smooth peanut butter (We used fresh-made peanut butter from the machine at Whole Foods)
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks (We used 1 bag of 60% Cocoa Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips, yum!)
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  Directions:
  
  Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bow, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients, just to combine. Stir in chocolate. Bake at 350 for 17 minutes. Cookies will seem underdone, but do not let brown on top.
  
  We made the batter and put it in tupperware in the fridge, so she can bake them fresh when she gets to Bodega Bay. So…I only got to taste the batter, but BOY was it delicious!
  
  Meanwhile, my dad was cooking up a storm making Minestrone Soup from the Silver Palate Cookbook. It’s a recipe we’ve made repeatedly over the years, altering it each time depending on what we are in the mood for. Ingredients that you can add or leave out are beans, pasta, potatoes and meat. Beans, any beans! Kidney beans, Great Northern beans, Cannellini beans, etc. are all good choices. Pasta: any type of pasta you prefer, I’ve even added mini cheese raviolis! Also, sometimes I leave out the potato for a healthier soup. Meat: the recipe calls for pork, but we always do vegetarian. A great option for those that eat meat is to roast some chicken and put it on top. This time, we left out the beans and added a shell pasta. Make a fresh mixed greens salad with radicchio and a balsamic vinaigrette and BAM, the perfect dinner, perfect for a cold night!
  
  Made with love, Linda
  
  Posted in Cupcakes/Cake, Muffins/Breads/Scones | Tagged Barefoot Contessa, Chocolate, Ina Garten, Lemon, Meyer Lemon, Peanut Butter, Yogurt Loaf
- Friendsgiving!
  
  Posted at 4:31 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Nov 22nd
  
  My friends Katie and Mike have had quite a year. They had a beautiful wedding in November 2011 featured on Style Me Pretty and they purchased their first home in Napa – congrats! A housewarming was in order…I’m not sure whether she invited me, or if I came up with the idea on my own and invited myself, but nevertheless we decided on a “friendsgiving dinner”. We went grocery shopping and got slightly distracted by these silly animal masks at the checkout stand. Needless to say, we came home with them….We opened some bubbly and started on the Lemon Crinkle Cookies….yes, I know, I make these ALL THE TIME (they’re just too good!)
  
  Meanwhile….Katie got to working on the animal masks!
  
  Appetizers are a must while cooking. Katie loves Italian anything, so I made some bruschetta with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. It’s super easy to make and even more delicious. Slice the baguette, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stick it in the broiler. You can also rub a clove of garlic on the bread for extra flavor. Keep an eye on the bread in the broiler – it will burn if you turn your head for a second too long! Slice the cherry tomatoes in halves/quarters, mix with chopped basil and finely chopped shallots (I’m not a big fan of raw garlic, but go for it if you’re a garlic fan!), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Voila!
  
  Bubbles, check. Cookies, check. Bruschetta, check. Now time for the entrees. Sticking with the Italian theme, Katie picked out a Giada De Laurentiis recipe for Orza with Artichoke Pesto and Grilled Corn. I substituted the garlic with shallots and added 50% more lemon zest (never too much lemon!). I also used much less parmesan cheese than the recipe calls for, but feel free to add as much or as little as you prefer.
  
  I made a simple, easy green salad on the side. I used red leaf and butter lettuces, some halved cherry tomatoes, and made my favorite simple vinaigrette from Barefoot Contessa. To get some greens on the plate, we steamed some broccolini, one of my favorite sides. Katie decorated the table with festive fall pumpkins and we were ready to eat. Bon Appetit!
  
  And then came the after dinner shenanigans….
  
  WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY?!!?!
  
  And last but not least, lemon cookies with raspberry sorbet to top off our first dinner party at the Ryans’ new home!
  
  Yum, yum, yum.
  
  Happy Friendsgiving!
  
  Posted in Main Dishes, Parties | Tagged artichoke, bruschetta, Cherry tomato, Cook, cookies, fall, italian, Lemon, Olive oil, orzo, Pesto, Pine nut, Salad
- Cancer Sucks!
  
  Posted at 11:30 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Nov 20th
  
  As we all know…CANCER SUCKS! My friend, Connor, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. I can’t imagine there being many things worse than this news. Connor is one of the silliest, loving guys I know, and I absolutely love him and his boyfriend and his family – they are the greatest, strongest, most inspirational support team you could possibly imagine.
  
  Hospitals are no fun…and Cancer Sucks…these are two things we can all agree on. I think we can also agree that baked goods can make things a tiny bit better. So, I decided to make some treats to take to the hospital. I made my absolutely FAVORITE Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins from Barefoot Contessa. They’re a hit every time!
  
  The second time I visited Connor, I made the infamous Lemon Crinkle Cookies. Lemon was requested, so I had to make these yummy cookies! I use at least 50% more lemon juice and zest than the recipe calls for…I LOVE LEMON! I knew that his family would need some energy, so I made No Bake Energy Bites from Gimme Some Oven, full of oats, peanut butter, toasted coconut, honey, chocolate chips, flax and chia seeds.
  
  Connor’s mother will be running the Boston 2014 Marathon and has set-up a Fundraiser for the Melanoma Foundation of New England, GO TRACY! Please take a moment to read her story and see how much she’s raised for such a great cause!
  
  Here are some fun pictures of me and Connor in Dubai – see how amazing he is?!
  
  GINGER MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!
  
  Love you Connor xoxxooxo
  
  Posted in Cookies, Muffins/Breads/Scones, Snacks/Sides | Tagged Barefoot Contessa, Blueberry Muffins, chocolate chips, Coconut, Coffee Cake, cookies, Lemon, Oats, Peanut Butter
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- Recent Recipes
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  - Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf December 31, 2013
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  - Almond Milk December 29, 2013
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