Iced Lemon Cake

My mama loves Starbucks' lemon cake.  I mean she really loves it.  In fact, she'll deny it but, she has been known to make it and a skinny latte dinner. I decided this week to work on a lemon cake recipe so she can get her lemon cake fix anytime she wants. It is so moist and lemony! I think I'll make her a couple of loaves as a spring break surprise!

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature


For the lemon syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

For the icing:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs. whipping cream
2 Tbs. lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 x 4) loaf pans. Cream the butter and two cups  sugar at medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest. Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the flour and yogurt mixtures alternately to the batter, beating at low speed until just blended. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

While the cakes are baking, heat the lemon juice and granulated sugar over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Set aside. Allow cakes to cool 10-15 minutes. Remove from pans. Prick cake tops with a fork. Pour lemon syrup over each cake.  Allow cakes to cool to room temperature. Prepare the icing.  Beat all icing ingredients until incorporated with a whisk. Spoon icing over the tops of both cakes. Allow icing to set.

Cayenne Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Do you have a dish you can make when you are out of ideas or time and need to get dinner on the table quickly? Most people have one of these that winds up in their regular dinner rotation. This happens to be one of mine.  When I am running late or haven't done the dinner prep that I should have, I can always fall back on Cayenne Chicken with Avocado Salsa.  I always have limes, avocados, and chicken on hand, so it's easy to whip up in a hurry.  (And the whole family likes it so everyone eats it with no complaints - Yay!) What is your go-to dish when you haven't planned ahead?

1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks


In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Scones - Project PB& J

Peanut Butter and Jelly Scones! Peanut Butter and Jelly Scones?  Yep, you heard right.  I don't believe I've ever heard of a peanut butter and jelly scone, but I decided to make them come to fruition this week. You see next Monday April 2, is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day and my friends over at Once Upon a Loaf and She Runs, She Eats are celebrating by sponsoring Project PB&J. Project PB&J is a contest where bloggers enter peanut butter and jelly recipes in either the form of  baked goods or a sandwich.  You can find out more information about Project PB&J here. I created this scone recipe for contest! Being a scone lover, I decided to give it a whirl!  My scones incorporate peanut butter into the batter.  Strawberry jam is spooned between the layers of dough and then baked.  The result was oh so good!  Go ahead and pour yourself a glass of cold milk.  Make a batch of these and dig in.  It's a childhood favorite, just a little more refined.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick of cold butter cut into tiny cubes or grated on a grater
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-4 Tbs. Strawberry Jam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Toss the pieces of butter with the flour mixture making sure all of the butter is coated with flour.  (I find it easiest to do this with my hands rather than a spoon.) Heat the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds on high.  Pour the peanut butter into the flour mixture. Add the egg.  Mix all of the ingredients together, until well blended. You may need to add up to a tablespoon of milk to help the mixture come together.  Shape the dough into a ball and divide in half. On a floured surface pat out each half of dough into a circle roughly 7-inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Divide each circle into 8 wedges. Place 8 wedges onto the baking sheet. Top each wedge with strawberry jam.  Spread the jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.  Top each wedge with the remaining 8 wedges. Press the edge of each scone gently to seal and prevent the jam filling from escaping. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with warmed strawberry jam, if desired.

Notes: I used a combination of homemade jam and preserves that I made last summer.  I used jam as the filling because the strawberries were smaller.  I topped the scones with warmed preserves.

Nutella Banana Bread

Who doesn't love Nutella?  I've got a house full of Nutella fans.  Unfortunately for them, their Mama lacks the chocolate gene.  It's not that I don't like chocolate, it's just that it doesn't do anything for me.  Sometimes I even forget about chocolate as a dessert - horrors! It's been a while since I've made anything chocolate related, but I made up for that this weekend.  I had three overripe bananas sitting on my kitchen counter that I desperately needed use.  I started making banana bread. About halfway way through the recipe, I decided to give the chocolate lovers in my house a thrill and throw in some Nutella.  Since the entire loaf was demolished in about 15 minutes, I am going to say it was a success!  How about you?  Do you bake with Nutella or just sneak and eat it straight from the spoon?

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup Nutella, warmed

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the bananas, eggs and sour cream and mix well.  In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the banana mixture.  Stir until just blended.  Butter and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Divide the batter into thirds. Place one-third of the batter in the loaf pan.  Place the next third of batter in a small bowl and mix with the warmed Nutella. Spoon the Nutella batter over top of the banana batter. Top the Nutella batter with the remaining third of banana batter. Run a table knife through the batter to swirl the batters together. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes and remove from pan.  This is scrumptious served warm!

Notes:
You can use 1/2 cup of egg substitute in place of the eggs.

I warmed the Nutella in the microwave for about 25 seconds just to get it to a thick, but pourable consistency to get it to incorporate quickly with the batter.

I used Baker's Joy instead of buttering and flouring my pan.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Mexican bar food.  Buffalo wings meet tacos in a delightful, potentially heart-burning way.  All kidding aside, these are damn good.  Perfect for munching on while watching a little March Madness!

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs, olive oil
1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce
Corn tortillas or taco shells

Toppings: shredded lettuce, avocado chunks, green onions,  blue cheese crumbles, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing

Chop chicken into 1-inch chunks. Heat oil over medium high heat in a skillet.  Stir together the flour, cayenne, black pepper, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Toss chicken in flour mixture until all pieces of chicken are coated.  Cook the chicken over medium high heat until cooked through.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the buffalo sauce. Serve immediately in taco shells with your choice of toppings.

Asian Slaw with Peanut-Ginger Dressing

Hooray! It's the first day of spring!  It's already getting hot here, so I have been working on recipes that are fresh, have an interesting mix of ingredients, and don't heat up the kitchen.  This fits the bill.  It is perfect for any size crowd.  It can be doubled and tripled.  Best of all you can make it ahead of time and it won't get soggy!

Dressing:
¼ cup honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbs. lite soy sauce
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 Tbs. peanut butter
½ tsp. Sriracha sauce  (or substitute ¼  tsp. of red pepper flakes)
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced


Slaw:
4 cups prepared shredded coleslaw
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red pepper, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
1 cup pre-cooked, shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)
2 medium scallions, finely chopped
½ cup salted peanuts
½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro or fresh flat leaf parsley


Combine all dressing ingredients in medium bowl. Stir until peanut butter is combined. Set aside.
Mix all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss well. Let sit at least 10 minutes for flavors to marinate. Serve cold.

Notes:
Save yourself some time by picking up a bag of pre-shredded carrots in the grocery store.  The slaw will come together very quickly!


I paired this with grilled ginger chicken for dinner. The next day, I sliced the leftover chicken and stirred it into the slaw and rolled it up in a whole wheat wrap. Awesome! Just drain the slaw before filling the wrap so it won't be too soggy.

This Week's Menu 3/19/12

Monday - Gingered Beef with Vegetables, Rice

Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Wednesday - Vietnamese Style Chicken Salad

Thursday - Birthday at our house!  Birthday Girl turns 8 and requested dinner out:)

Friday - Garlicky Grilled Tilapia with Couscous

Saturday - Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere Quiche, Fruit Salad

Sunday - Picnic Dinner: Fried Chicken Wraps, Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches, Veggies and Dip, Strawberries, Lemon Bars

Buttermilk-Peach Pie

The second pie in our week of too many pies! Buttermilk-Peach Pie.

1 large can (29 oz) Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup, drained
2 Tbs. all purpose flour
1 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine, Melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 deep dish pie shell, unbaked
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Place peaches in bottom of pie shell.  In a medium bowl,  whisk flour, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir in extracts.  Pour mixture over peaches. Sprinkle cinnamon over pie. Place pie on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for forty minutes, or until the middle doesn't jiggle when moved.

Recipe from Southern Plate.

Notes:

You can use 4 cups of sliced fresh peaches, peeled or 4 cups frozen peaches, thawed and drained in place of the canned peaches.

Too Much Pie! Meyer Lemon Pie

March 14 was Pi day.  At our house it was Pie Day.  Each year, on this day, we have pie in some form. We have had chicken pie, vegetable pie, ice cream pie and even pizza pie! This year I had a sweet pie request from my oldest daughter.  She has been after me to make a lemon pie.  I had a ton of Meyer lemons on hand and thought they'd be the perfect start for a lemon pie! If you haven't tried them,  Meyer lemons are typically sweeter and less acidic than traditional lemons.  You can find them in most grocery stores. For the crust, I went with shortbread crackers.  I like the buttery flavor that they add.  I also added some almonds and culinary lavender to the crust mix.  The crust smells and tastes heavenly.  I was going to stop here for Pie Day.  Then I came across a recipe for Buttermilk -Peach Pie.  I absolutely love plain ole Buttermilk Pie. I figured that a Peach version warranted a try! The Buttermilk-Peach Pie is a snap to pull together. It relies on a store-bought deep dish crust and a handful of ingredients. It makes it very easy to surprise your family with a pie in the middle of the week! (And it makes a darn good breakfast served cold the next morning!) While the pies were scrumptious, two pies in one week was more than enough!  Did you indulge in a delicious pie this week?


Meyer Lemon Pie

1 cup Shortbread Cookies
2 Tbs. Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. Culinary Lavender,finely chopped -  optional
1 cup fresh squeezed Meyer Lemon Juice
6 egg yolks
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Place the shortbread cookies, confectioner's sugar, and almonds in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse the cookie mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and lavender, if using.  Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

Beat the egg yolks with both cans of condensed milk and lemon juice.  Pour into the cooled pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Chill for 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Notes:
I used Pepperidge Farm Shortbread Cookies

Culinary lavender can be found at Whole Foods, Williams Sonoma, and  specialty grocers.  If you cannot find it, just omit it from the recipe.

I used Fat Free Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Spring Leek Hash with Polenta and Goat Cheese

I came across this recipe last month in Vegetarian Times and have been meaning to try it. I finally took the time this past week to give it a whirl.  The recipe looked delicious, but seemed to need a little more zip. I replaced the vegetable broth in the original recipe with chicken stock, and increased the amount of fresh thyme to impart more flavor. I also browned the polenta before topping the hash.  I like the texture better with a sear on it. Overall it was a keeper and was even better the next day spiked with balsamic and served over scrambled eggs for brunch!

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 leeks, chopped (about 6 cups)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 Tbs. fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp. crushed red pepper or sriracha sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16oz.) tube polenta, cut into 12 slices
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Heat the polenta slices for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove polenta from skillet and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add leeks, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons of thyme.  Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and garlic.  Cook an additional 2 minutes. Place polenta slices over leek mixture.  Top each polenta slice with goat cheese. Sprinkle remaining thyme over the goat cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the goat cheese softens.

Notes:
I used basil-garlic flavored polenta.

I had 4 slices of polenta and a cup or so of hash leftover.  I heated the hash the next day with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, topped it with the polenta and served over scrambled eggs for brunch. It was scrumptious!

Vegetarians can use vegetable both in place of the stock.

This Week's Menu 3/12/12

Monday - Potato and Red Pepper Frittata, Salad

Tuesday - Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas, Salad

Wednesday - Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa, Whole Wheat Couscous, Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Thursday - Tuna Quinoa Wraps, Sweet Potato Fries

Friday - Chicken Bianca Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Fontina

Saturday - Guinness-Braised Chuck Steaks with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Sunday - Tuscan Roast Pork with Yellow Potatoes, Fennel, and Parsnips, Artisan Bread


Notes:
For the Tuna Quinoa Wraps:

2 cups Greek Yogurt
4 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
4 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup flaked tuna, drained well
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 Tbs. capers
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 whole wheat tortillas

Combine yogurt, herbs, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread each wrap with 2-3 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture. Top with tuna, beans, quinoa, capers and lemon zest. Roll up and enjoy!

Buttermilk Pimento Cheese Scones

I just relocated back to the Southeast after a 5-year stint in the Southwest.  I've been celebrating coming "home" by indulging in all things Southern.  One of my fondest memories is of eating toasted homemade pimento cheese sandwiches with my brother on our back porch.  I decided to update a childhood favorite in the form  of a scone.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 stick cold butter, cut into pea-sized cubes
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup sharp cheddar, freshly grated
4 tsp. pimento, drained
2 Tbs. milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the first four ingredients.  Cut in the butter until mixture is coarse.  Add buttermilk, cheddar, and pimento.  Stir until combined.  Pat dough into a circle on a floured surface.  Dough should be about 3/4-inch thick.  Cut dough into 8 wedges.  Place wedges onto baking sheet at least two inches apart.  Brush tops of scones with milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream.  Bake 13-15 minutes or until done.  Serve warm.

Notes: 
Cayenne pepper can be omitted if you don't care for a little heat.  You can also increase to 1/4 tsp. if you like the heat.

Keep the butter cold until adding it into the recipe.  I like to cut my butter ahead of time and keep in the freezer until I'm ready to cut it in.

Do not use pre-shredded cheese.

This Week's Menu 3/5/12

Monday: Gnocchi and Peas, Artisan Bread

Tuesday: Lemony Shrimp with Artichoke Hearts, Wholewheat Linguine

Wednesday: Mumbai Sandwich, Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday: Sweet and Sour Asian Meatballs, Brown Rice

Friday: Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Lime

Saturday: Roasted Portabello Mushrooms with Poached Eggs

Sunday: Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Kale, and Sun-dried Tomatoes, Salad