Baked Tilapia with Lemon, by Cheryl

On my quest to add more fish to my diet that isn't salmon, I found this easy, quick, and healthy recipe! I don't usually cook with a lot of lemon, but it added a refreshing taste to the fish. I served it over farro with a side salad. This dish is light and would be perfect for summer, which is when I'd probably make it next. Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here): 

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced (oops forgot this!)

1 small lemon, thinly sliced into rings

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

salt

4 oz feta cheese

1.5 lbs tilapia

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp drained capers

finely chopped fresh parsley or basil

fresh ground black pepper

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 425. 

2) Place the chopped vegetables and lemon slices in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Mix with 1tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

3) Crumble the feta cheese over the top. 

4) Pat the tilapia dry. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Place on top of other mix in the dish. Sprinkle the tops with black pepper, smoked paprika, and red. pepper flakes. Sprinkle the capers on top. 

5) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve over a grain of your choosing. 

Lemon Almond Flour Pancakes, by Cheryl

It's January.. and you know what that means for me! Whole 30 time! We had a very rough December with a ton of food to go with it so we needed a reset. I also simply needed a different breakfast that didn't include eggs or meat. I love eggs and bacon for breakfast, but I was starting to feel my arteries clog in real time lol. 

These were good. I might make them again. They didn't stick very well so it was hard to flip them. And I desperately needed something sweet to dip them in, but I loaded up on berries with each bite and that was sufficient. The lemon was a nice touch and I wish I had poppy seeds to mix in there. I also had them the next morning with.. eggs! I used the runny parts of the egg as my little sauce, topped with some avocado. These were a solid breakfast, and very filling! Yum!

Ingredients (modified recipe from here)

2 cups almond flour

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp ghee

1.25 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

Directions:

1) Melt the ghee in a small pan. Add the lemon juice and mix. 

2) Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk until halfway combined and then whisk in the lemon butter.

3) Heat a pan with ghee. Drop in 1/4-1/2 cup of the batter and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. 

4) Remove the pancakes and top with fruit! 

Limoncello, by Diane

 

I came across this recipe in the spring and thought it would be the perfect drink for summer! It's incredibly easy to make yourself and looks so pretty! It came out really smooth, and pretty strong. I tried it straight, but am also looking forward to combining it with something fizzy to make as a spritzer and cut the strength too. Overall, indeed this is a wonderful summer drink :)

Ingredients:

750 ml grain alcohol

9 organic lemons, yellow peels only and washed well

1.1 Liter water

2.5 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Combine lemon peels and alcohol in a large glass jar and store in a dark cool place for 30 days.

2. After 30 days, bring a large pot of water and sugar to a gentle warm temperature and stir until combined. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

3. Strain the alcohol mixture and discard the lemon peels. Combine the alcohol with the cooled sugar mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon. The mixture should become cloudy.

4. Store in a glass container for another 30 days in a cool dark place until ready to serve.

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnut and Lemon Zest, by Diane

 

I found this recipe and it seemed like the perfect side dish! The flavors combined really well, but I did make some seasoning modifications as well as a pan sauce to go with it. The beans came out perfectly! I wish I had less hazelnuts in here though, next time!

Ingredients:

1 lb green beans

1/4 cup toasted crushed hazelnuts 

1 shallot, sliced into thin rings 

2 tbsp EVOO

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1 tsp truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add in EVOO. Add in shallots and cook 5 min until golden brown.

2. Add in beans, broth, and salt. Bring to a simmer and cover for 8 minutes. 

3. Uncover and add nuts, zest, and remaining seasonings. Sprinkle on arrowroot powder and stir until pan sauce thickens. 

4. Turn off heat and drizzle truffle oil, adjust seasonings. 

Orechiette with Bacon, Lemon, and Cream, by Cheryl

I was doing was usual grocery shopping online when I began questioning why I was even buying food to begin with. My pantry is overflowing, the freezer is full, and even though the fridge needs a serious clean out it also had plenty of food. So I really took the time to figure out what we already have and try to make some dinners with those ingredients in mind. Less wasteful, more resourceful! I didn't even realize we had orechiette, but there it was in my pantry. I searched for recipes with that and bacon and in comes this lovely dish that was satisfying, comforting, and delicious. I don't know if I'd make it part of my rotation (especially since the kids really didn't like the lemon), but I would definitely make it again if I wanted to spice up pasta night one night. Yum! Ingredients (modified recipe from the Food Network): 12 slices of bacon 1.5 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup sour cream Salt and pepper Grated zest and juice of one lemon 2 tsp Worchester Sauce 1 lb orechiette pasta 1/2 cup minced chives (didn't use this) Directions: 1) Cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. Reserve a little bacon fat. When cool, rip into pieces. 2) In a large skillet, whisk the heavy cream and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the cream mixture over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until it thickens. Add the lemon zest, juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. 3) Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. When done, add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to coat. Stir in the bacon, a little bacon fat, chives, and additional lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Roasted Asparagus and Preserved Lemon Salad, by Diane

Our cooking the countries continues! This weekend our country was Israel, specifically from the Jerusalem area. This was the first dish we made, and it was outstanding. It tasted incredibly fresh and was a great chilled summer salad. I would easily have eaten this as a meal on it's own! Plus it came together really quick, and had minimal cooking which is ideal in this heat. You can use either goat or feta cheese in this dish- although feta may be more traditional the goat cheese got extra creamy when combined with the dressing and it was a definite hit. This dish would also be perfect with chicken or salmon on top.

The twist in this dish was the addition of preserved lemon. To make preserved lemon you simply store lemon slices (peel on) in a mason jar packed with salt and lemon juice. You can make this up to a week ahead of time, but I did it a day ahead and it was fine. For this dish since I only needed a little, I used 1/2 a lemon cut into 3 slices, and made sure to massage the salt into the lemons before I stored it overnight. If you don't want to do this regular lemons will work just fine- or you can cheat and simply rub salt into lemons and use them within a few minutes. If you make the lemons in advance, the salt breaks down the peel and softens it so it's good to eat, so you can eat the whole lemon in this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half
EVOO
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp preserved lemons, rough cut
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
Fresh lemon juice


Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 400, and line a baking tray with parchment paper (mine filled two baking trays since I didn't want to overcrowd the asparagus).

2. Place asparagus and preserved lemons onto the tray(s), drizzle with EVOO, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 7 min and remove from the oven to cool. Save the pan drippings in a bowl for the dressing.

4. While the asparagus and lemon cool, toast the pistachios in a pan until fragrant and set aside.

5. Finish the dressing with some remaining preserved lemon juice, fresh lemon juice, and add extra EVOO, salt or pepper if desired.

6. Toss the cooled asparagus and lemons with the tomatoes, then top with dressing, pistachios, and cheese.

Salmon Patties, by Cheryl

These were really good!!! I'm not the biggest fan of cooked salmon so putting this fish into patties with some yumminess sounded good to me. This recipe is gluten-free and paleo if you happen to be following either of those. I made a couple of substitutions, which probably don't make it paleo anymore, but instead of mayonnaise in the patties and the dip I used Greek yogurt. I used safflower oil instead of olive oil since it has a higher smoke point. I had thought of baking them, but the salmon would have definitely dried out. Fresh dill really made these and the yogurt dip pop. I will definitely be making these again! Yum!

Ingredients (original recipe from here):

1 lb fresh salmon
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 almond flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tbsp mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Lemon Dill sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt)
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-13 minutes or until completely cooked through. Let cool for 5-10 minutes when done.

2) Dice the onion and pepper, and chop the dill and parsley.

3) Saute onion and pepper with some oil.

4) Flake the cooled salmon, removing the skin, into a large mixing bowl. Add all of the ingredients and combine with your hands until well mixed.

5) Form the salmon mixture into patties. Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook the patties for 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.

Mood Changer Juice, by Diane

The local juice shop by me has this delicious juice called the Mood Changer. It has all kinds of ingredients that have mood boosting effects, and it's really good! A few mornings ago, I was prepping to my make typical AM green juice (apple, kale, parsley, lemon, ginger, and cucumber) but I had some strawberries that were about to go bad. I realized that all of the ingredients except the parsley and cucumber were in the Mood Changer juice, so I threw the strawberries into the mix. I kept the parsley and cucumber too, because why mess with perfection and hydration! This combo turned out to be SO good, I will definitely have it on regular rotation now! The apples I've been using are fresh picked from a local orchard, and having them fresh and in season definitely helps as well.

Ingredients:

1 small green or yellow apple, preferably tart or sweet and sour like a Cameo
1 inch ginger (use 1/2 this if you don't like the taste)
10 small-medium strawberries
1 small handful parsley, leaves only
3 large leaves of kale, stalks included
1 small cucumber, peeled
1/2 lemon, rind removed


Directions:

Juice the first three ingredients together, then the greens, then the cucumber and lemon last. Stir and drink immediately!

Peach "Ice Cream", by Cheryl

Okay, it's almost time to stop eating complete junk everyday... almost. The amount of chocolate and sugary drinks and treats that have been consumed in this house the past 6 weeks is crazy. It started with Julia's birthday, then on to Jon's birthday, then Hanukah and all the gelt that comes with it was soon after, and then all the food that comes with holiday parties and Christmas/New Years time... it just won't stop! I hate the cliche that comes with the statement, "After the New Year I'll... " but we have a wedding on New Years Eve so we're going with it this year. Anyway, in comes the peach "ice cream". I need to have some sort of sweet treat at night and this is a healthier alternative to the chemical ice cream dish I've been gorging on. And it's so easy to make too! I made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe - I used one tablespoon of maple syrup and one tablespoon of honey in order to give it more of a natural sweet flavor and to avoid an overpowering flavor from either of those. I also didn't feel that the recipe needed another tablespoon of either of those. I also added in another 1/4 cup of coconut milk since it was too solid. Just blend it all together and voila! If you want a softer consistency eat it right after blending. Otherwise, put it in the freezer for later and just defrost for 10 minutes before diving in. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) bag of frozen peaches
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1) Blend all of the ingredients together. Be sure to scrape down the sides so nothing is missed.

Spicy Green Apple Juice, by Diane

This is the current juice recipe on heavy rotation this summer! It is hydrating, refreshing, and perfect for the heat. Lots of great health benefits in here too! I used red delicious apples here, but any apples would do. If you don't like your juice as spicy, cut back on the amount of ginger. Customize your greens the way you like as well!


Ingredients:

2 small apples
1 1/2 inches ginger
1/2 large cucumber
2 large handfuls of greens (I use a kale spinach blend)
1/2 large lemon, peeled


Directions:

Juice all ingredients in the order listed above and enjoy!

Asian Pear Green Juice, by Diane

This juice was born when I bought a giant crate of asian pears and didn't know what to do with all of them. Asian pears are a cross between an apple and a pear, and are juicy and crunchy and soooo good! I created this recipe to highlight the taste of this amazing fruit, and the result is delicious, slightly sweet, and very hydrating and healthy!

Ingredients:

1 large asian pear
1/2 inch ginger
3 large leaves kale, stems included
3 celery stalks
1/2 lemon, peel removed


Directions:

Juice in the above order and enjoy fresh!

Peruvian Roasted Chicken, by Diane

This recipe is from a newsletter I receive from Whole Foods. It caught my eye because it was different and looked easy to make. Overall, this was just average, but was good served shredded with saffron rice as pictured above.

Recipe here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/peruvian-style-roasted-chicken-sweet-onions


Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoon expeller-pressed canola oil, plus more for oiling the pan
1 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 large sweet onions, thickly sliced
1 chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Oil a large roasting pan and set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar and oil to make a paste. Place onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the paste. Rub chicken pieces with remaining paste and place in prepared pan, then cover with onions, peppers and lemon. 

3. Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Moroccan Chicken with Lemons and Olives

This is one of my most favorite recipes, so much so that it's hard for me to believe I haven't posted this over the years. It's simple, amazingly tasty, and impressive for company. Combined with a bed of couscous and mint tea you really can't go wrong!


Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 chicken breasts, cubed and patted dry
2 tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup water
juice of 1 lemon
2 lemon peels, sliced thinly
1 cup green olives, pitted (reserve 1/2 cup liquid)

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4-1/2 cup dates, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine spices in a large bowl, add in chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for one hour.

2. Heat EVOO in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add in chicken and brown on all sides.

3. Lower heat to medium low, add in garlic and onions, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Add in water, lemon juice, and olive liquid to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen any bits that have browned. Add in remaining ingredients, lower heat to low, cover, and cook another 30 minutes. All liquid should be evaporated, if not cover and cook until liquid is gone.