Lemon Braised Chicken with Beans and Pesto

This recipe for lemon braised chicken is going to change your life during the summer; not only can you make it in a crockpot, it can also be served cold in its leftover life.  Brilliant!
I tweaked a few little things: soaked my navy beans overnight in the crockpot (thus didn't have to dirty another bowl), added more boiling water than recommended because I wanted it a bit soupy, and used a store-bought basil pesto.  I'm sure the mint is absolutely delicious, though, so certainly make it if you've got the time!  It's great served over white rice.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

I'm back, lovelies!  You'll have to excuse my absence last week, although I certainly appreciate the phone calls from my dad and mom making sure everything was okay throughout the lack of postings.  We finally moved in last Monday, and I spent the rest of the week unpacking boxes.  It's all done now, and looking more like a home than just an empty house.  Yay!  There is so much to share on here, so come back on Friday for a full update on the life of Abbi as a new Georgia girl.
Momentous occasions like the last cardboard box being cleared from the kitchen deserve some sort of celebration.  Yesterday morning, our first Sunday in the house with our copious amounts of stuff, I broke out my favorite pancake recipe.  Of course it comes from Joy the Baker, and is light, fluffy, and delicately flavored with lemon sugar.  These lemon poppy seed pancakes are a perfect foil for lots of syrup and a side of melon.  If you're truly celebrating something, you should probably serve these with a mimosa or bellini; alas, I had just a side of orange juice.  Still delicious!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes from Joy the Baker

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. buttermilk (in a pinch, combine 1 Tbsp. white vinegar with 1 c. milk, stir, and let sit for 10 minutes.  This will give you 1 c. buttermilk)  

2 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Butter or vegetable oil for frying

Maple syrup for serving

1. In a large bowl combine granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until sugar is fragrant.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine.  

2. In a separate bowl (or you can use a large liquid measuring cup), whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients. Add the poppy seeds and stir to combine. If a few lumps remain, that’s no problem.

3. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while the griddle heats.

4. Place a griddle, or a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add a bit of butter or vegetable oil to the pan. A teaspoon of fat will do for a nonstick saute pan, a bit more fat may be necessary for a griddle. 

5. Dollop batter onto hot pan. For small pancakes, I use about 2 tablespoons for each pancake. For larger pancakes, I use about 1/4 cup of batter. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and and bubbling on top. Flip once and cook until golden brown on each side.

6. Place cooked pancakes on an oven-proof plate and place in a warm (about 150 degrees F) oven until all pancakes are cooked and ready to serve. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Winter, you have completely overstayed your welcome.  I realize DC is not NYC, that we haven't  had a blizzard of epic proportions, we haven't even gone into negative temperatures- the fact remains.  Florida girls do not tolerate puffy coats and breath we can see for very long.  Cold weather, I banish you!
Ah, if only I had the power.  Instead, I've found solace in baking brightly flavored breakfast pastries.  Take these muffins, for instance: soft, moist, tangy dough spotted with juice blueberries and topped with a crumble topping that will rock your world.  It takes the muffin from tasty to mmmm...
Lemon and blueberries won't bring me back to the sunshine state.  They may, however, give me hope that spring is just around the corner!

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Muffins (from Joy the Baker)
Makes 12 muffins
(Original recipe calls for 1/3 c. whole milk, but I found my batter was way too thick with that amount.  I added another 1/3 c., and it became much more manageable.)

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 c. whole milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
For the Topping:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a muffins pan with paper or foil liners, set aside.
2. To make the muffins:  Melt butter in a small silver-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Keep an eye on the butter.  It will melt, froth, and begin to crackle; that’s the water cooking out of the butter.  The crackling will subside and butter will begin to brown fairly quickly.  Remove from heat when butter solids become a medium brown color and butter smells slightly nutty.  Immediately pour hot butter into a small bowl, or the butter will continue to cook in the hot pan.  Allow to cool slightly.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add browned butter and whisk to combine.
4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir gently to combine.  Gently but thoroughly fold in the lemon zest, poppy seeds, and blueberries.  Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
5. To make the topping: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and rub together with clean fingertips until crumbly.  Sprinkle topping evenly over the muffin batter in cups.
6. Bake muffins 18 to 20 minutes until golden and crisp and a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool muffins in the pan for 15 minutes before removing.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Piccata

Is there any recipe that involves pounding meat really thin, breading it, and baking or frying it, that is NOT completely delicious?  This recipe from Ina Garten is no exception; the sauce is tart and rich and buttery, and the chicken is fairly easy to get together.  The sauce is definitely the best part, though, and could be used over steamed veggies, fish, or just plain grilled chicken!

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place chicken breasts between parchment paper and SMASH them out flat!  I don't have a tenderizer, so I use my metal ice cream scoop and it works just as well.  Heat up some coconut oil in a pan.  While that's getting good and hot, dip each chicken breast into flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), then egg, then breadcrumbs.

Fry the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side, and then bake them in the oven while you make the delicious, delicious sauce:

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, then add 1 tablespoon of butter, the juice of two lemons, the lemon halves, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of wine here, but I was completely out of wine (tragedy!), and substituted chicken broth.  Season with salt and pepper, and boil until the sauce is reduced by about half.  

Once the sauce is reduced, remove the lemon halves, and remove from heat.  Add in two tablespoons of butter, and swirl it around until it melts.  I served the chicken with whole wheat fettuccine, and a side of steamed green beans, with the sauce all over everything!  Try making this and NOT putting the sauce all over everything--I dare you!

Oh, and if you accidentally spill coconut oil all down the front of your cabinet and onto the floor, don't worry about it.  Layla will take care of it for you.

Lemon-pistachio cake

Are you celebrating with friends today?  Do you need a baked good to bring to a barbecue?  Try this absolutely wonderful pistachio-lemon cake.
A few weeks ago, we celebrated a good friend's birthday, and I brought this cake as a gift.  He loves quirky flavors, and I saw this combination in May's copy of Real Simple.  Man, this was SO GOOD!!  The lemons are sweet and tart, while the pistachios are nutty and add a tasty crunch to the frosting.  There's a layer of lemon curd in there to add some creaminess.  Honestly, I wouldn't have made this cake without a little kick in the flavor department, but I'm so glad I tried it out.  You should too!

Lemint Summer Drink

Last summer, I had the best lemonade EVER.  Baked and Wired in Georgetown took a few mint leaves, muddled them in a glass, and added lemonade.  The mint made the lemonade even more refreshing, and left such a great taste in my mouth!  It was seriously delicious, and it's haunted all of my other summer drinks.
Let's face it: muddling is a huge hassle, and I don't have a muddler.  Instead, I made this quick, easy batch of Lemint Summer Drink (cute, right?) and have decided to keep a pitcher of it in the fridge all summer.  My only question is, what can I add to it to make a cocktail?  Any suggestions?

Lemint Summer Drink
1. Buy lemonade from your grocery store.
2. Boil 4 cups of water,  and pour into a pitcher with 4 peppermint tea bags.
3. Steep tea bags for 3 minutes, then remove.
4. Add lemonade to mint tea, and chill in fridge until ready to drink up!

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil

Pasta is the perfect meal for a weeknight: easy, lots of leftovers for lunch at work during the week, and endlessly versatile.  I love recipes that allow for a lot of servings, because I'm tired of pb&js for lunch.
This meal is great for spring.  Lots of lemon to refresh the palate for spring, Parmesan for creamy saltiness, and I've added some artichoke hearts for some unexpected flavor.  There isn't a lot involved with good recipes; just the perfect mingling of flavors.  Smitten Kitchen nailed it on the head yet again on this one!  To add the artichoke hearts, sautee some frozen hearts until heated through, or just throw them in from a can.  It's a great way to enjoy an extra serving or two of veggies while not taking away from the lightness of the dish. 

 

Green Olive-Lemon Chicken

Okay, I'm going to level with you: I hate cooking meats. Even fish is just too much for me to deal with sometimes. During the process, I'm just sitting there thinking, "This is going to be undercooked and someone is going to get sick and then their stomach will just fall right out and it will be all my fault for not just making a stupid salad!" My man usually has to step up to the plate if we're going to have steak or pork or mahi-mahi. He's a saint for several reasons.

This recipe, though, is soo good, I'm willing to face my fear of cooking chicken. Lemon and green olives are a perfect flavor combination: slightly tart and salty, and the lemon helps detract from some of the bitterness of the olive. Serve over white or brown rice. Trust me. You don't want to waste any of the delicious sauce, full of shallots, white wine and cumin. I'm going to eat leftovers of this meal while typing this post.

I made a couple of changes to the original recipe, but they're small and done because I don't have a zester.

Lemon Chicken with Olives (adapted from Real Simple, here)
2 Tbsp. flour
Juice of 1 lemon*
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1 lb. chicken tenders
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 c. green olives, halved
3/4 c. white wine

1. On a plate, combine the flour, cumin and 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture, tapping off any excess.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plat.
3. Heat remaining oil in skillet, and reduce heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add olives, wine and lemon juice, and bring to a boil.
4. Place chicken back into skillet. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
5. Enjoy!
*When squeezing lemons for their juice, just use a mini-strainer to catch the seeds. Plus, mini things are ridiculously cute, even if they're kitchen utensils.