Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Green Olives & Capers

Yes, another lemon recipe :)  I'm still picking lemons from my Meyer lemon tree so I'm going to keep finding was to use them.  There are only about six lemons left on the tree, so the bararge of lemon recipes will be over soon.  Maybe good news for y'all, but bad new for me :/

This is a very tasty, quick and easy weeknight dinner.  It's a classic combination of flavors~~lemons, olives, chicken, butter and capers.   I made a few tweaks to the original recipe that I found on Epicurious.com, but the basic recipe is the same.  Try this one, I think even kids will like it!

Chicken with Roasted Lemons, Green Olives and Capers

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used boneless, skinless thighs...to me, more flavor :)

All purpose flour

5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup sliced, pitted, good quality Sicilian olives or other brine cured green olives

2 tablespoons rinsed, drained capers

1-2 cups good quality chicken stock or canned, low sodium chicken broth

1/2 stick butter, cut into 4 pieces (I used 1/2 this amount)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For roasted lemons:
Preheat oven to 325F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sheet.  Brush lemon slices with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with salt.  Roast until slightly dry and beginning to brown around the edges, about 20-25 minutes.  Lemons can be made one day ahead.  Transfer to container; cover and chill.

For the chicken:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess.  Heat five tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in heavy, large skillet over high heat.  Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about five minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Stir in olives and capers and sauté for about 30 seconds.  Add stock and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet.  Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove lid, turn chicken over and reduce liquid for about five minutes.  Add butter, roasted lemon slices, parsley and simmer until butter melts and chicken is cooked through.  Plate and garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired.

This dish is packed with flavor!  And please...eat the lemons!  They are delicious :)

Buon Appetito!

Unique Potato & Lemon Dish

I'm not trying to turn this into a food blog...really, I'm not :)  It's just that there isn't much happening in my garden right now and I still love to cook!

Although this may seem an unusual dish, it's really quite delicious.  It's a unique way to use lemons, which I still have, and red potatoes .  And please, do eat the lemons (including the very tender rind) along with the potatoes for the best flavor.  It's really a great combination.

Red Potato Slices Roasted with Lemon & Olives

2 lb medium or large red potatoes (about 5 medium) scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, more for the pan
1 lemon, very thinly sliced (discard the ends and seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup pitted, oil cured black olives

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425F.  Generously oil a large baking dish (a 9 x 13 inch works well or use an oval gratin dish).  In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, extra virgin olive oil, lemon slices, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.  Toss well.  

Spread the potato mixture in the baking dish making sure the potatoes are evenly layered.  It's OK if it's rustic looking :)

Roast, turning the potatoes with a spatula every 20 minutes or so until most of the potatoes are crisp and golden and the lemon skins are shriveled and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Scatter the olives over the potatoes for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.  Serve hot.  It's really very tasty!

Buon appetito!

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

This is a first for me and it's a huge leap out of my comfort zone in the kitchen...making marmalade.  I've never made marmalade or any type of jelly/jam/preserves before so this a big deal.  At least for me it is :)

The lemons on my tree are very (very) ripe and I need to use them quickly.  Aren't they gorgeous?  And they are huge!

So I searched online for a marmalade recipe that looked quick and easy and I found this one on Epicurious and thought I'd give it a try.  To be honest, I was astonished (and quite proud actually) at my results :)

I made a double batch of this recipe.  I didn't double it; I made 2 separate batches at the same time.  In reading some of the reviews, many said doubling it will turn the mixture dark and cloudy and doubling it throws off the ratios.  So I just did it twice :)

Meyer Lemon Marmalade
6 Meyer lemons (1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar

Special Equipment
Cheesecloth
Kitchen string
12 (1/2 pint) Mason-type jars, sterilized

Halv lemons crosswise and remove seeds.  Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag.  Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice.  Combine with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered at room temperature 24 hours.

Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes.  Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until marmalade measures 212F degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 30 minutes (or could be longer too).

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of top.  Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids.  It was difficult to take pictures during this process...dealing with boiling hot water, scaldingly hot marmalade, very hot, sterilized jars, yadayadayada...you get the point :)

Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot.  Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil.  Boil jars, covered, for 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack.  Cool completely and make sure the jars seal.  You can tell they've sealed if you hear the lid being "sucked" onto the jar or if you see the tiny seal in the center of the lid concave in.  Look at these little jewels!  They made great Christmas presents this year :)

Let cool completely and store in a cool dark place for up to a year.  Refrigerate after opening.  Some ways to use the marmalade:  stir into plain yogurt or oatmeal; spread on good artisan crackers for a quick snack; slather on toast and top with a sliced banana; drizzle it over the top of a lemon cake or my simple favorite:  slather a bunch on good toasted bread :)

 What other ways can you think of to use this golden treat?

Buon Appetito!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup

I just can't seem to get enough of that new Soup Cookbook I bought recently!  Here is another soup I tried that is too good not so share.  In keeping with how I like to cook~~It's easy to make, comes together very quickly, uses seasonal, on-hand ingredients (one of my lemons :), and is hearty enough for dinner served with either cheddar biscuits or a green salad.

I like red lentils better than green or brown, although I do like them too.  According to this book, An ancient preparation~~this is the biblical "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright~~red lentil soup remains common today in Egypt and Lebanon.  Red lentils cook more quickly than other varieties and to me, are easier to digest.  I really like this soup.  Let me know if you do too!

Lemony Red Lentil Soup
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup split red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and well rinsed
1/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of one small lemon or 1/2 of a large lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped.

Combine the cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes and set aside.

Chop the onion and carrots and set aside.

Zest the lemon and freeze zest for later use.  Squeeze juice from lemon.  You should have about 2 Tbsp.

Measure out 1/4 cup diced tomatoes; refrigerate or freeze remainder for another use.

In a large heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils, carrots, tomatoes and broth.  Season with 1 tsp of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the lentils fall apart and the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.  Add the beans and heat through on low, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Using a potato masher or fork, mash the soup to your desired consistency.  I don't like this soup too well pureed, so I leave it kind of chunky.

Add the lemon juice and warm through over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Serve, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

This soup has now been added to my repertoire for quick weeknight suppers.  I hope it makes its way into your kitchen as well :)

Buon Appetito! 

Roasted Lemon Chutney

You all know how prolific my lemon tree is this year and I'm on a constant hunt for ways to use fresh lemons.  My good friend Linda suggested I try this Roasted Lemon Chutney recipe she found on the website, 101 Cookbooks.  It just so happens I have the cookbook that contains this recipe!  The book is All About Roasting by Molly Stevens and it is wonderful!  I have one of Molly's other books, All About Braising, that lives on my counter top during the fall and winter.  It's one of my favorite cookbooks.   So I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  A bit unusual, but it is delicious!

Roasted Lemon Chutney
Adapted from All About Roasting
1/4 cup (1 oz) finely chopped shallots
3 small lemons, washed, and preferably organic; but if not, wash them in warm soapy water to remove any waxy residue.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped bail or mint

Heat oven to 400F with a rack in the center.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Soak the shallots in a small bowl of cold water to reduce their strength a bit.

Set one of the lemons aside to use later.  Slice about 1/4 inch off both ends of the remaining lemons and discard.  This part is mostly pith which can make the chutney too bitter.  Slice the lemon into 1/2 inch rounds and use the tip of a knife to remove any seeds.  Arrange the lemons on the baking sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil.  Turn and coat the second side with oil.

Roast the lemons, turning every 10 minutes, until they are very tender with just a few spots of brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Don't let the lemons crisp and keep and eye on the bottoms, which tend to brown before the tops.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Transfer the lemons to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade.  If there are any juices (not burned or blackened) on the baking sheet, add these.  But there may not be any.  Drain the shallots, shaking off any excess water, and add to the food processor.  Add the honey and pulse several times until the lemons are coarsely chopped.

Add the juice from 1/2 the remaining lemon and the 1/4 cup olive oil.  Continue pulsing until the chutney is fairly smooth and creamy, with just a few lemon chunks.  Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and more lemon juice or honey to taste.

Taste and correct seasonings until it tastes really great to you.  Transfer to a small bowl and let sit for at least two hours to meld flavors.  Just before serving, stir in the mint or basil, making any final tweaks, and serve at room temperature.

Heidi Swanson of the 101 Cookbooks blog suggests these ways to use the chutney:  "A dollop stirred into brown rice, chopped sautéed spinach, topped with a fried or poached egg with a touch of soy sauce"; oe inside a savory crepe.   One of my ideas is to toss it with hot, cooked pasta with lots of fresh herbs and tiny, halved cherry tomatoes.  Another way I've used it is to spread it on a piece of toasted ciabatta bread, topped with a sunny-side up egg.  But probably my favorite way to use this chutney is to stir a little into that Linguine with Tuna and Lemon dish I blogged about a few months ago.  It ups the Yummi factor in this dish tenfold!  Although this recipe is, as I said, a bit unusual, if you are a lover of lemons, I guarantee you'll like this :)

Lemon Tree

I cannot believe how beautiful and prolific my lemon tree is.  It's amazing actually.  I counted 37, yes 37, lemons on this tree.  It has done amazingly well this year and for that, I'm very grateful.  Since we had such an awful, hot, dry summer, I kept a constant drip of water on this tree all summer long and it worked because the tree is thriving and is full of lemons.  And some of them are as big as my fist!  Take a look...

Luckily they are not all ripe and ready to pick at the same time.  Now the challenge...what to do with them!  Not to worry...I've got a few recipes already planned and it'll be fun to research more :)  Stay tuned...