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Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon

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Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon|eatentions

Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon|eatentions

Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon|eatentions

It’s hot. 100 degrees plus, to be exact, and we are scheduled for an outdoor lunch party. What sounds good in 100-degree weather other than a siesta and a glass of rose? Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, the afternoon was committed to viewing 2 Italian films where siesta’s and rose are what we watch, not what we do.

As I pondered, I began to pull from my travel memory bank and back to Capri, Italy on a hot summer afternoon. While sitting on our terrace made of white stucco and trimmed in bright blue we watched the sailboats dance on the ocean water. As I fell into a semi-hypnotic state, I stared as the ocean became the canvas for the vast array of colors from the individual sails. As the moments slipped by, I sipped on my chilled glass of rose and pondered what beautiful dish would satisfy my quench of hunger.

I don’t know how much time went by before I heard the gentle knock at our crooked wooden door, which was carefully etched into the architecture of the wall and pulled me back into the realization of the moment.

Gabrielle, son of the proprietor, must have read my mind as he stood in the doorway holding 2 antique ceramic pasta bowls that coddled a nest of freshly made pasta tossed in a light white wine sauce and topped with butter braised sea bass caught earlier that morning. He spoke to me with his beautiful Italian accent, “Signora, may I offer you something light to eat while you enjoy your view?” I quickly stepped aside as I responded, “per favore, grazie Gabrielle e grazie alla tua mamma”. He looked down at the wooden floor and smiled.

We positioned ourselves underneath the small, sun-bleached umbrella as a light breeze relieved us from the afternoon sun. We both glanced at the masterpiece in front of us and admired the simple elegance of the dish. We swirled our forks in unison as the aromas of lemon, dill, and garlic filled our senses and tempted our pallets. One bite was all it took as we savored delicious flavors and the perfect texture of the pasta. We breathed a sigh of culinary joy and realized the mastery we had both just experienced. We remained silent as we solely communicated through the pleasure on our faces…..surely there couldn’t be a more perfect culinary culmination…..

Here’s to my best afternoon on Capri and my best effort at recreation…Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon

Buon Appetito!

 
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Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • For Pasta, (Can use store bought lemon pasta or regular pasta):
  • 3 cups pasta flour
  • 5 eggs
  • salt
  • lemon oil, to taste
  • For Salmon:
  • 6 pieces of center cut salmon
  • 2 lemon
  • butter for brushing
  • salt and pepper
  • For Sauce:
  • 1 stick butter
  • ⅛ cup olive oil
  • 8-10 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 cup white wine
  • chicken broth, if needed
  • red pepper flake
  • juice of 1 lemon and zest
  • salt and pepper
  • dill, for garnish
  • ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano plus more for serving
Instructions
  1. For Pasta:
  2. Make a well inside the flour, add a dash of salt, the eggs, and ¼ tsp lemon oil (more if needed). Mix together until combined. Knead dough for 10 minutes and set aside.
  3. With a kitchen aide attachment or hand crank, start with widest setting. Cut pasta into quarters. Cover the other pieces with saran wrap. Run the dough through and fold and run through (do this 3 times). Run through 4 times on widest setting. Change setting and run through 2 times, change setting and run through 2 times, change setting and run through 2 times, change setting (should be #5 or 3rd from last setting) and run through once. Repeat with remaining dough.
  4. With wide cutter, cut each sheet and place on a cookie sheet lined with semolina flour and dry a bit.
  5. For Sauce:
  6. On stove in large sauté pan, add oil and butter and melt. Add all ingredients, garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add wine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon, red pepper, salt, and pepper and a little chicken broth. Turn heat down and set it simmer, covered. Adjust seasonings and add a little more butter, if out of balance.
  7. For Salmon:
  8. Turn oven on broil on low. On a broiler sheet, line with foil. Put pieces of salmon and season with butter, salt, and pepper. Place 2 pieces of lemon on each piece.
  9. Broil for 13-14 minutes or until done. Break into large pieces.
  10. When ready to cook, boil a large pot and salt water. Put in pasta and cook 2-3 minutes, or until al dente (or by package instructions). Drain and add to sauce with ½ cup of reserved pasta water, toss with ½ cup parmigiano cheese. Put in a bowl, add dill and arrange salmon and lemon pieces.

Lemon Pasta with Broiled Salmon and Charred Lemon|eatentions

 

 

 

Lemon Chicken with Leek-Pea Sauce

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You know those weekdays when it just seems daunting to THINK about cooking a meal much less actually doing it? Yep, I thought so…..

Lemon Chicken with Leek-Pea Sauce

We cook a whole chicken almost weekly but it takes a while and some nights we aren’t home until late but I still find myself craving that roasted chicken….it’s such a great comfort food and is super delicious with ANY veggie that is in season. Change up the herbs, grill it, roast it, BBQ it…..the possibilities are endless.

So my solution on those late weeknights and cravings….lemon chicken with leek-pea sauce. Chicken thighs are my favorite part of the chicken because of the flavor and ANY time of year they sound delicious. They cook relatively quickly, stay moist, and if I just have time for a salad to accompany, that works out but if I can, I like to roast some baby potatoes along side……the cool thing about chicken is you can pair almost anything for a side that sounds yummy so get those creative juices flowing!

Now for the sauce, I mean seriously, it is SO good!  I use it on my fresh pasta and almost any of my pork recipes and WHENEVER I serve it at a dinner party, my guests think I am just amazing, thats how good it is….

There really isn’t any trick to this recipe EXCEPT make sure and crisp up those chicken thighs, it makes ALL the difference and I personally use a cast iron skillet because I love how hot it gets and how beautifully it sears the chicken. If you don’t have one, any pan will do but just remember it will splatter so, be careful!

My hope is  this recipe works for you on those weekdays when you feel daunted or even when you don’t, I promise, it’s delish!

Lemon Chicken with Leek-Pea Sauce

Lemon Chicken with Leek-Pea Sauce
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • For the Chicken Thighs:
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 rounds
  • For the Leek-Pea Sauce:
  • 3 large leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch piece
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
  • One 10-ounce package frozen baby peas, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • ½ cup crème fraîche
Instructions
  1. For the Chicken Thighs:
  2. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F
  3. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Tuck a few leaves of parsley and a sliver of butter under the chicken skin.
  4. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the fat has rendered and the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer, skin side up, to a plate.
  5. Pour off the excess fat from the pan. Return the chicken, skin side up, to the pan and scatter the lemon slices on top. Transfer to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, registers 170°F (77°C), 25-30 minutes.
  6. Scatter an additional 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with leek-pea sauce underneath or on the side.
  7. For Leek-Pea Sauce:
  8. In the other skillet, heat olive oil and cook the leeks over high heat until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and vinegar and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
  9. While chicken is resting, add the peas, parsley and crème fraîche and simmer until the sauce is hot and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Lemon Chicken with Leek-Pea Sauce

 

Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs

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Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs 1

You know those weekdays when it just seems daunting to THINK about cooking a meal much less actually doing it? Yep, I thought so…..

We cook a whole chicken almost weekly but it takes a while and some nights we aren’t home until later but I still find myself craving that roasted chicken….it’s such a great comfort food.

My solution on those late weeknights and cravings….baked crispy chicken thighs! They are my favorite part of the chicken because of the flavor and ANY time of year they sound delicious. They cook relatively quickly and if I just have time for a salad to accompany, that works out but if I can, I like to roast some baby potatoes along side……the cool thing about chicken is you can pair almost anything for a side that sounds yummy to you so, go big!

This baked crispy chicken thigh dish is adapted from my whole roasted chicken recipe but you can change up the herbs and use thyme, rosemary, or tarragon, they are ALL good.

I hope this recipe works for you on those weekdays when you feel daunted or even when you don’t, I promise, it’s delish!

Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs 3

Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs
 
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This is a PERFECT quick, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner! Serve with potatoes and a salad!
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 rounds
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F
  2. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. Tuck a few leaves of parsley and a sliver of butter under the chicken skin.
  3. Heat the tablespoon of butter in a large ovenproof skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the fat has rendered and the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer, skin side up, to a plate.
  4. Pour off the excess fat from the pan. Return the chicken, skin side up, to the pan and scatter the lemon slices on top. Transfer to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, registers 170°F (77°C), 25-30 minutes.
  5. Scatter an additional 2-3 tablespoons of fresh herbs on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Greek Lamb Shanks

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Greek-Lamb-Shanks-with-Cipollini-and-Potatoes

Greek-Lamb-Shanks-with-Cipollini-and-Potatoes

Whenever I ask Enrique what special meal he wants on a Sunday, 9 times out of 10 he asks for this recipe. It really is quite the marriage of flavors and couple that with “fall off the bone tenderness” and you truly have a magical experience.

Since I know how often the request for this recipe is coming, I always have some shanks in my freezer. I have an awesome local source that makes this dish that much more amazing; gotta love these farmers and purveyors!

Another special element that highlights this dish is when I remember all the amazing lamb dishes we have had when we travel. I could eat lamb everyday and in everyway but infused with lemon, white wine, and fresh herbs is probably one of my most favorite preparations. I think for both of us, some of this fondness comes from our 8th anniversary spent in Greece.

We were on the Island of Santorini for 1 of the 2 weeks we spent in this amazing country. If you haven’t been to Santorini, you need to put it on your bucket list immediately! If you have been to Santorini, you already know how completely enchanting this island is so you won’t be surprised that we had a delightful anniversary dinner in a small, local restaurant on the second floor with our own balcony overlooking the sea. I probably could have been fed rocks and dirt and been in bliss completely due to the ambience…. but top it off with a delicious Grecian dinner and I think we probably were transported to Heaven’s main gate; in fact, I am positive we were.

The evening began with 2 appetizers of various fresh fishes, simply prepared both fried and grilled and combined with fresh herbs and local olive oil. Next was a simple salad topped with grilled Mediterranean vegetables and fresh lemon juice. I couldn’t have imagined anything could get better until they served us the lamb shank prepared in the outside wood burning oven with herbs, white wine, lemon, and olive oil. It was succulent, rich, and decadent. Dessert was fresh fruit and local cheeses. Simply divine and one of the best anniversary dinners we ever had…..

So this recipe is my interpretation of that memorable lamb dish overlooking the sea in Santorini…..try this for Valentine’s Day and transport yourself….

Greek-Lamb-Shanks-with-Cipollini-and-Potatoes

Greek-Lamb-Shanks-with-Cipollini-and-Potatoes

 

Greek Lamb Shanks
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 Lamb Shanks (each about 1¼ lbs., 1 shank is a portion)
  • Parsley Leaves, lightly packed
  • 4 T Dried Oregano
  • 8 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 4 Lemons, juiced
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Cup White Wine
  • Chicken Stock
  • 1 lb. Small Potatoes
  • 12 Cippolini Onions or 4 Sweet Onions, quartered
Instructions
  1. Squeeze lemon should be about ½ cup total
  2. In a food processor, add ½ garlic, 2 T oregano, bunch of parsley and a little oil, blend together. Rub lamb shanks with mixture, set aside.
  3. In same food processor, repeat process above. In a bowl, add onion and potatoes and toss with mixture. Add salt and pepper and set aside.
  4. Heat oven to 375
  5. Heat dutch oven and salt and pepper the shanks and then brown all over med-high heat. Add lemon juice and white wine, reduce by half.
  6. Add back shanks and add chicken broth until ½ way up sides of meat and add bay leaf. Put in oven for 1½ hours. After 1½ hours, reduce oven to 350 for another 30 minutes.
  7. Remove shanks from oven and pull out of dutch oven. Add potato onion, juices, salt, and pepper. Add back shanks and more chicken broth, if needed. Reduce heat to 325 and cook for another 1½ hours.
  8. Serve with naan and a greek salad