These jewel-like cookies are easy-to-make, beautiful and lightly flavored with lemon. They’re one of my favorite Christmas cookies and they get raves every time I make them. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
-Recipe from foodnetwork.com, Emeril Lagasse

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

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Tags: Christmas cookies, Christmas desserts, holiday cookies, holiday desserts, lemon, raspberry, thumbprint cookies, thumbprints

Since we still have a few more prime grilling weeks left before the cooler weather of Autumn sets in, I thought I’d share this recipe for Grilled Buttermilk Chicken. The simple marinade not only tenderizes the meat but gives it a light lemon and dill flavor. Plan ahead so the chicken can marinate for at least a few hours. Serve with Green Bean, Red Onion and Roast Potato Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette or Mediterranean Rice Salad. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Buttermilk Marinade
-recipe from Martha Stewart.com

A shallow, nonreactive dish allows marinade to coat food evenly and is easy to transport to the grill. You can also use a large resealable plastic bag; if marinating meat in the refrigerator, rest the bag on a plate in case of leaks.

Serves 4.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
Buttermilk Marinade (recipe below)
Salt and pepper

Heat grill to medium; oil grates. Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Add Buttermilk Marinade; turn to coat. Cover; marinate 30 minutes at room temperature — or up to overnight in the refrigerator — turning occasionally. (Bring to room temperature before grilling.)

Remove from marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes per side.

Buttermilk Marinade
Instead of dill, try finely chopped chives. Or substitute limes for the lemons. Use with chicken, fish, or other seafood.

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (3 cloves)

In small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Makes enough for about 2 pounds of meat or fish.

Tags: buttermilk, Chicken, fresh dill, garlic, grilled, lemon

As much as I love trying new recipes, there’s a few I make over and over again because they are delicious and reliable. Grilled Citrus Salmon is one of those recipes. It’s simple yet special enough to serve at a dinner party. If you don’t have a grill, no big deal…just bake it in the oven. Enjoy!

p.s. I know it’s not the best photo. We had company over for dinner and I was in a hurry to serve the salmon. As always, the salmon was a hit!

Grilled Citrus Salmon
- recipe from From Portland’s Palate, A Collection of Recipes from the City of Roses
The Junior League of Portland, Oregon

Makes 6 servings.

1 ½ Tbl. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 Tbl. butter
1 Tbl. Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 dashes cayenne pepper
2 dashes salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried dill
2 tsp. capers
3 lbs. fresh salmon fillets

In a small saute pan over medium heat, combine lemon juice, olive oil, butter, mustard, garlic, pepper, salt, basil, dill, and capers. While stirring, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place salmon fillets skin-side down on a piece of heavy-duty foil with edges folded up, to make a pan. Pour sauce evenly over fish.

Place fish on grill and cover with lid.

Barbecue over medium-hot coals for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish will be flaky and light pink in color when cooked.

Note: As an alternative, wrap fish in foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

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Tags: capers, dijon mustard, garlic, Grilling/BBQ, lemon, olive oil, salmon

I took this awesome Greek-inspired salsa to a pool party recently. Dang, it’s good! I chose to make it because it’s super easy and I had all the makings for it. It’s a perfect summertime appetizer!!!

I followed the recipe for the salsa except that I didn’t have the fresh oregano so I used a little extra fresh dill and parsley. I also added some chopped red bell pepper and a few dashes of dried red pepper flakes for some zip. If you want the salsa to have a bit more tang, add a few dashes of red wine vinegar.

The recipe calls for making fresh pita chips but I didn’t feel like turning on the oven so I served it with store-bought pita chips. Next time I’ll make my own, though, because the store-bought kind were too small and fragile to hold much of the salsa. Bigger pita squares or triangles would work much better. Enjoy!

Greek Salad Salsa with Toasted Pita Chips
-recipe from San Francisco Flavors: Favorite Recipes from The Junior League of San Francisco

This zesty blend of feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley is a wonderful alternative to guacamole and chips. If, by chance, there is any left over, pulse it in a blender or food processor and use as a sauce for grilled fish. Serves 6 to 8.

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced, including green portions
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Toasted Pita Chips (recipe follows)

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the pita chips and gently mix.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to one day.

Toasted Pita Chips
You might want to double this recipe — these chips disappear quickly! Make them the night before you plan to serve them, and leave them in the turned-off oven overnight. Makes about 40 chips.

1 package mini pita breads
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Garlic powder, dried
Dill, and paprika to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cut the pita rounds in half. Cut each half again into thirds, then separate each piece to make two bite-sized chips. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each chip with the melted butter.

Lay the chips in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Dust with the garlic powder, dill, and paprika. Place in the oven and turn the oven off. Do not open the oven door until the oven is completely cool and chips are crisp, about 4 hours or overnight. If the chips are still soft, repeat cooking process, preheating oven to 200 degrees F.

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Tags: Appetizer, black olives, cucumber, dill, Feta cheese, lemon, olive oil, oregano, parsley, pita bread, scallions, tomato

Blueberries and lemon…I love the flavor combination! This easy-to-make cake highlights this beautiful summer berry in a delicious way! The addition of cornmeal adds a little texture without making the cake heavy or gritty. I took the Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake to a recent dinner gathering along with a Raspberry-Peach Cake. I guess our friends liked the cakes because there weren’t any pieces left for me to bring home (always a good sign!). I served both cakes with lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream. Delicious!

The recipe calls for finely ground yellow cornmeal, which I couldn’t find so I used Albers Yellow Corn Meal. The box of Albers doesn’t state what grind it is (fine, medium, etc.) but it seemed to be on the finer side so I went with it. The Albers cornmeal worked great.

The recipe also calls for tossing the blueberries with flour and sugar before sprinkling them over the batter. After the cake baked, however, some of the blueberries still had some flour on them. Partially white blueberries was not the look I was going for so I decided to make a quick lemon glaze to brush over the warm cake. I squeezed the juice from half a lemon into a small bowl and added enough sugar (a few tablespoons) until the lemon-sugar mixture was pleasantly sweet-tart. I then added a teaspoon or so of water and microwaved the mixture for a minute or so until the sugar dissolved. Give the syrup a stir then microwave for approximately 30 more seconds if you still see some sugar granules. Keep doing this until you have a clear syrup. Once the lemon syrup was ready, I brushed the cake and the whitish berries to “hide” any spots of flour left on them. My little trick worked like a charm! The syrup masked any leftover flour coating and added an extra hit of lemon flavor to the cake. Sweet!

Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

The combination of cornmeal and buttermilk offers both texture and tang. Serves eight to ten.

6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan
1/4 cup (1-1/2 ounces) finely ground yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature; more for the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk

For the topping:
1 cup (about 5 oz.) fresh blueberries, rinsed and well dried
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350° F. Lightly butter a 9×2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round cut to fit the pan, lightly flour the sides, and tap out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium high until well blended and fluffy, about 3 min. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just blended and adding the lemon juice with the second egg (the batter will appear curdled; don’t worry). Using a wide rubber  spatula, fold in half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 min.

Meanwhile, make the topping.
Combine the blueberries, sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Using a table fork, mix the ingredients, lightly crushing the blueberries and evenly coating them with the flour and sugar. After the cake has baked for 15 min., slide the oven rack out and quickly scatter the blueberries evenly over the top of the cake (discard any flour and sugar that doesn’t adhere to the berries). Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, another 23 to 25 min.

Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 min. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Using a dry dishtowel to protect your hands, lay a rack on top of the cake pan and, holding onto both rack and pan, and invert the cake. Lift the pan from the cake. Peel away the parchment. Lay a flat serving plate on the bottom of the cake and flip the cake one more time so that the blueberries are on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Fine Cooking 80, pp. 69
September 1, 2006

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Tags: Baking, blueberries, butter, buttermilk, cornmeal, lemon

I cooked swordfish last night for the first time in ages. I was recently flipping through Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbookwhen I came across her recipe for Indonesian Grilled Swordfish. I had heard good things about her Indonesian Chicken recipe so I decided to give the swordfish version a try. Boy, am I glad I did! The ginger-lemon-soy marinade gives the firm fish a wonderful flavor…the whole family liked it.

I let the swordfish marinate for about 6 hours before I grilled it. I served the fish with steamed rice and grilled yellow summer squash (marinated in a little olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar). Yumm!

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish
-recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 6 servings.

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil, plus extra for brushing on the grill
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup minced or finely chopped ginger root
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 (8-ounce, 1-inch thick) swordfish steaks
Kosher salt

Combine the soy sauce, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger root, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Pour half the sauce in a low flat dish that’s just large enough to hold the swordfish in one layer. Place the swordfish on top of the sauce and spread the remaining sauce on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Thirty minutes before you’re ready to serve, build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.

When the coals are medium-hot, brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Remove the fish from the marinade, allowing some of the ginger to cling to the fish, and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the fish generously on both sides with salt and place it over the coals. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, just until it’s no longer pink in the middle. Place on a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

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Tags: Asian, dijon mustard, garlic, ginger root, Grilling/BBQ, Indonesian, lemon, Seafood, soy sauce, swordfish

I’m always looking for new and interesting sandwich recipes so I was intrigued when I saw this twist on a roast beef sandwich. There’s lots of flavor going on here: sweet red peppers, tangy feta cheese, earthy cumin and cilantro, and a lemony tahini dressing.

For the bread, I used a pre-cut loaf of ciabatta bread which I thought would be easier to serve and eat. Next time, though, I’ll use a crusty loaf (like the recipe suggests) that will stand up to the tahini dressing better. I served the sandwiches right away instead of refrigerating them for several hours (they would’ve been mushy since I used softer bread). Enjoy!

Roast Beef, Red Pepper, Spinach, and Feta Sandwiches with Tahini Dressing
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Serve with minted iced tea and tabbouleh, then offer baklava and cherries for dessert.

Yield: Makes 8

1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1-pound loaf flat rustic bread such as focaccia or ciabatta, (about 2 1/2 inches high), cut horizontally in half
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

Mix first 6 ingredients and half of garlic in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt. Whisk remaining garlic, tahini, water, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Season tahini dressing to taste with salt. Place bread, cut side up, on work surface. Spread red pepper mixture over both cut sides of bread. Sprinkle cheese over bottom half of loaf. Layer half of roast beef over cheese; drizzle with 1/3 of tahini dressing. Layer remaining roast beef over dressing and drizzle with half of remaining dressing. Top with spinach leaves; drizzle with remaining dressing. Press top half of loaf onto spinach. Cut sandwich lengthwise in half, then crosswise into quarters for a total of 8 sandwiches. Wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

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Tags: ciabatta, cilantro, feta, lemon, roast beef, sandwich, spinach, tahini

There’s nothing like a good, homemade pound cake served with fresh berries.  This recipe for Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake is easy to make, moist and velvety, and has a light lemony flavor. It’s a great dessert for Spring and Summer celebrations and gatherings.

The first time I made the cake, it seemed a bit “eggy” to me so this time I used 5 eggs instead of 6. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter. After I took the cake out of the oven, I went for a run, which meant the cake cooled in the pan on a rack for about an hour. When I tried to turn out the cake, it stuck in a few places. I’m not sure if I didn’t grease the pan good enough or if it sat too long in the pan. Anyway, I didn’t sweat it…I just made a quick glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle on the cake. Not only did the glaze add more lemony flavor but it did a nice job of covering the holes. Serve with fresh berries.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Yield: Serves 12

3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Tags: butter, Dessert, lemon, pound cake, sour cream, sugar

There’s nothing like freshly made pesto! This particular recipe fills your whole kitchen with the wonderful fragrance of basil, garlic, lemon and parsley…Yumm! The pesto only takes a few minutes to make and freezes well (always a bonus!).

I’ve tried this pesto tossed with hot pasta and with grilled chicken…both are excellent! It would also be great in pasta salad (add chopped tomatoes, olives, feta, etc.).  There’s so many other great uses for this pesto, too. Get creative and let me know how you used it!

For more recipes, check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday and Tuesday Tastes.

Basil-Lemon Pesto
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

A light and lemony variation on the traditional pesto, this version combines fresh parsley and basil. Toss with your favorite pasta, or spoon over grilled fish or chicken breasts. To toast the pine nuts, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups.

Tags: basil, garlic, lemon, olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley, pesto, pine nuts