Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Making homemade applesauce seems a bit daunting, right?  Wrong!  So easy!  And it will make your house smell absolutely heavenly. 

This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman and I basically halved her recipe (it can be very easily doubled).  My husband loves Red Delicious apples, so that's what I usually buy and that's what I used.  We had 3 sitting around just waiting to go bad so that's all that I wrote the recipe for.  

The hardest (and most tedious) part is peeling and slicing the apples.  Then, everything goes into one pot, it stews for about 25 minutes and gets mashed up (or pureed).  Nothing to it!  

I used my potato masher, but at that point, the apples were so soft that a fork would have done the trick as well.  If you want a smoother consistency, just throw the cooked apples into your food processor and puree until you get the consistency you like.  Did I mention that while on the stove your house will smell so good??  Another added benefit to making this!

Serves 6

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes.  Use a potato masher or fork for a chunky consistency or a food processor to puree the applesauce.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

(Source:  Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

One Pot Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Broccoli

I'm obsessed with this pasta!  It tastes amazing, but I LOVE the fact that it's a one pot meal!  So easy!

Cook the pasta and broccoli together, drain, add the rest of the ingredients and...DONE!  Tons of flavor and it takes no time at all.  Make it as spicy (or not spicy) as you like by adding more or less red pepper flakes.  If you salt your pasta water before hand, you may not need the garlic salt.  I usually do salt my boiling water because it's the only time you get to actually flavor the pasta.  I forgot this time, which is why I added garlic salt, so use according to your taste.  

  

I made garlic bread to serve with this - you can find the recipe for that here (also too easy not to make with this dish!).  

Serves 2-3

One Pot Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Broccoli

8 oz dried pasta
3 cups frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring water to boil in a large pot.  Cook pasta, according to package, but about 6 minutes shy of al dente.  Add the broccoli florets and cook pasta and broccoli together until pasta is al dente.  Drain and return to post.  Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper flakes and stir.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir.  Serve topped with more red pepper flakes and Parmesan (optional).

(Source:  Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Any kind of cake or bread that has ricotta immediately makes me think of my grandmother, my Nona.  Specifically around Easter time we always had Ricotta cake, which from what I remember, is just yellow cake with ricotta mixed in and powdered sugar dusted on top.  So good, so Italian.  When I was looking for something to make with the lemons I just picked off my tree (sweet, right?), I came across this Lemon Ricotta Loaf from Alexandra's Kitchen.  

Look at those beautiful lemons!  The tree we had took 3 years to produce any fruit and since then, we've been getting 6-9 lemons each year (it's potted and not a huge tree).  I'm not sure why the loaf sank in the middle so much, but it didn't affect how wonderfully delicious it was! 

It makes one regular loaf or 3 mini loaves - I might double it next time to make two full size loaves.  We devoured one of these in less than a day!  Instead of spraying the loaf pan with non-stick spray, you butter the heck out of it.  It keeps it so moist and gives it that pretty golden color.  

  

Serves 8

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks of butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the pan

1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter (very well) a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. 

Using a mixer, cream butter, ricotta and sugar for about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Mix in the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Add the dry ingredients, slowly, until just incorporated. 

Pour batter into pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.  Check at 40-45 minutes and if the top is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil.  It is done when the cake starts to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for about 15 minutes before turning out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

(Source:  Recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen)

Too Easy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Hands down, one of the easiest recipes you will ever make.  And it's so good (and good for you!).  I've been buying strawberries like they are going out of style lately - my 3 year old is addicted - and thought I'd try a little dessert with them one night.  I started researching recipes for frozen yogurt and found that most had steps like, strain the yogurt 2-4 hours and make a strawberry puree in the food processor.  Don't get me wrong, those things aren't hard...it's just that I wanted dessert like, now.  I'm all about instant gratification!  

So, I took a large tub of low fat Strawberry yogurt that I had in the fridge and dumped it into my ice cream maker!  I let that go for about 15 minutes, then chopped 1 cup of fresh strawberries, tossed them in a little sugar and lemon juice and dumped them in for about the last 5 minutes.  

The result was excellent!  The strawberries froze a bit and the yogurt was creamy with a bit of added sweetness from the lemon juice and sugar.  We ate one of these small tubs immediately (don't laugh - they are the containers that soup from Chinese restaurants come in - I love them!) and put the other in the freezer for later.  Just a heads up, left in the freezer for a couple of days this gets REALLY hard.  I had to put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get it a little softer (or get it out 15 minutes before you want to eat). 

Too Easy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

1 large tub of low fat Strawberry yogurt (32 oz)
1 cup of chopped strawberries
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Turn on ice cream maker and pour yogurt into frozen freezer bowl; let mix for about 15-20 minutes until it gets thickened.  Meanwhile, combine strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice.  Dump the strawberries into the yogurt for the last 5 minutes to combine everything.  The yogurt will be softer if you decide to eat it right away or you can transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.  Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving (or 30 seconds in the microwave).

Lemon Cheesecake

As I'm sitting here typing this recipe, I am able to look out my window and see my lemon tree with about 6 almost full size lemons growing on it (it's a small tree).  We've had this tree for 3 years, but it never produced any lemons until this year.  We were so excited!  I honestly thought we got a defective plant.  

My lemon tree..

So, the lemon for this cheesecake did not come from my tree, but believe me, first chance I get, I'll be sure to use one and let you know.  

I love the buttery, graham cracker crust and the creamy lemon topping.  It's not a super thick cheesecake, in fact, it almost reminds me of more of a tart, but it's really decadent and so tasty.

Makes 1 Cake 

Lemon Cheesecake 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 (8 oz) bars of cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest (1 lemon)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)

Preheat oven to 325 and prepare crust.  In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Stir until moistened.  Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Place the cream cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice; blend until smooth.

Pour mixture over hot crust in pan and bake until set, about 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge.  Serve cold.

 

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

How good is grilled chicken?  I mean, really any kind.  I love a good, crispy, charred piece of chicken breast that is still juicy in the middle and the grill is just excellent for that.  I love summer!  We do tons of grilling.  You will love this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa for lemon chicken - it is just packed full of flavor.  And simple, too, especially if you use boneless, skinless chicken breasts like I did (in her original recipe, Ina used a whole bone in chicken and flattened it - also fantastic, I'm sure). 

I served this with romaine lettuce topped with a Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette adapted from the always fabulous Tyler Florence (it is apparent yet that I watch a lot of Food Network?).  This meal was light and refreshing and I know would be killer for your next grilling party! 

Serves 2-3 

Tuscan Lemon Chicken with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise (or 4 small chicken breasts)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced rosemary (I used dry, Ina used fresh)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon sour cream (Tyler used Creme Fraiche)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper

Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and place in a large plastic storage bag.  Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a small measuring cup.  Pour the marinade into the storage bag over the chicken, seal and squeeze to work the marinade into the chicken. Place bag in a bowl to prevent spills and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.  Squeeze the bag a couple of times to ensure every bit of chicken is getting some of the marinade.

Preheat your grill and pull chicken out of the marinade, gently shaking to remove excess.  Grill each piece for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.  Place the lemon halves on a cooler side of the grill when you put the chicken breasts on.  Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon halves and a nice green salad.

Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette (salt and pepper will be to taste) in a mason jar, put cap on a shake vigorously to emulsify (or whisk everything together in a large measuring cup).  Drizzle over greens and toss well to coat.

(Source:  Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics and Tyler Florence)

Lemony Cream Cheese Cake

This cake is an absolute must try.  It truly is to die for.  And how cute are they?  I did these in mini spring form pans, rather than just one big cake, and I have to tell you all something...I ate a whole one and a half of these myself!!  The day I made them.  I'm not joking.  Probably not something I should admit, but it really is that good.  This recipe comes from Blackjack Bakehouse and I really only changed one thing...instead of lemon extract in the filling, I used lemon juice.  I just don't have lemon extract, but I had lemons!

You can see from this picture that my filling sank all the way to the bottom, forming a very distinct layer of cream cheese and cake.  This didn't really resemble the pictures from the original recipe, but I'm not convinced that it made much of a difference.  I don't think this cake could have tasted any better had it turned out differently!  So either way yours turns out, you will be sure to enjoy it.    

 Makes 1 cake or 3 mini cakes

Cake
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
zest of two lemons

Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease the springform pan(s) with cooking spray.

For the filling:  Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.  Add confectioner's sugar and beat another 2-3 minutes.  Add butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon zest.  Set aside.

For the cake:  In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients until just combined, do not overmix.

Pour cake batter into the springform pan(s).  Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter, to within about a 1/2 inch of the edge of the pan (so the cake batter is visible around the edges).

Bake for 35-40 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes if you are using the mini pans) until the cake has puffed up and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean.

Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove the springform pan.  Transfer to refrigerator and allow to chill completely before serving.  Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

(Source:  Adapted from Blackjack Bakehouse)

Easy Lemon Bars

There is just something so refreshing about a lemon dessert made from fresh lemons.  These lemon bars definitely did not disappoint.  And to make them is a breeze!  No mixing your own dough, just use store bought sugar cookie dough - super simple!!  They were gooey and sticky and I think the ones on the edge were my favorite.  They set just a little more than the ones in the middle and had a nice little crust to them.  These bars make such a nice little treat, especially now that it's getting warmer.  The sweet and sour of the lemons totally reminds me of summer!

Makes 36 bars

1 roll sugar cookie dough

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 13x9 pan, break up the sugar cookie dough and press into the bottom of the pan with your fingers to form the crust.  Bake 15-20 minutes until light golden brown.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, flour and butter until combined.  Stir in the lemon zest and juice.  Pour over warm cookie dough crust and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the bars are set and the edges are a light golden brown.  

Let cool for about 30 minutes and dust with powdered sugar.  Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut bars.  

Lemon Cake

I might be a little obsessed with the Barefoot Contessa (to put it mildly!)...there's something about her food that is so sophisticated and classic, yet simple somehow.  I feel like she's sort of the same way.  I mean her black and pure white kitchen is awesome!  And I love that she doesn't use a lot of specialized equipment - rarely do you see her using something other than her stand mixer or food processor...maybe a food mill, but that's about the extent of it.  So, I've modeled a lot in my own kitchen after hers...those big glass jars that she has for sugar and flour?  Got em'!  That white steel rack that she has in her pantry to store plates, bowls and equipment?  Yup!  Although mine is not nearly as big or as stocked as hers (I'm working on it).  And of course, I own most of her cookbooks.

I came across this recipe for her Lemon Cake and decided to try it.  It sounded too good and it meant that I was stepping out my usual realm of baking with chocolate.  Her recipe called for 2 loaf pans, but I wanted to use a bundt pan because I thought it would be just gorgeous - which it was!  I think I could have put all of the batter into the bundt pan but I didn't know how much it was going to rise.  I put the extra batter into a loaf pan and made a really short cake.  Up to you what you want to do, but either way it was delicious!  Seriously, not only is there a glaze, but there's also a lemon syrup which keeps the cake as moist as it can be.  

How bad can that be?  :) 

 The two cakes with the Lemon syrup, but without the glaze.  See how shiny?  

Makes 1 bundt cake or 2 in loaf pans

2 sticks butter, room temp

2 1/2 cups sugar (divided into 2 cups and 1/2 cup)
3 eggs, room temp

2 tablespoons lemon zest

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon water or milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan.  Cream the butter and 2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, then the lemon zest.  

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add the flour and buttermilk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.  Pour into desired baking pans and tap to release any air bubbles.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.    

For the lemon syrup:  Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Poor over the warm cakes. 

For the glaze:  Combine the confectioner's sugar with the lemon juice and water, whisking until smooth.  Poor over the tops of the cakes and allow to drizzle over the sides.  

(Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Parties!)