Lemon Scones

I know that posting a scone recipe is no surprise for me.  However this is one of my tricks, I really believe that you don't need a million different recipes, just a few that you can alter each season or occasion.  These scones are the simplest that I make (except maybe vanilla?).  Just a basic recipe with a little lemon zest, then smothered in a buttery lemon glaze.  

Do you want to know the best way to enjoy this?  Before you put the glaze on, slice it in half and smear blackberry or strawberry jam, then put the top back on then top with the glaze... great for dessert.  

Lemon Scones

8 scones 

2 cups plus 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, small diced
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
.....1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
fresh lemon juice

In a mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt using the paddle attachment.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas.  

In a separate bowl, mix together eggs whipping cream and lemon zest with a fork.  

Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture.  Turn off the mixer once combined - don't overmix. 

Put some flour on the counter.  Turn the dough out onto the floured surface.  Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a large circle - about 7-8 inches in diameter.  Cut the disk into 6-8 pieces like a pie.  

You can bake right away or keep in the freezer in a zipper bag.  Freezer Baking directions below.

Line a Large Baking Sheet (for baking 6-8) or a Small Baking Sheet (for baking 2-4) with a sheet of Parchment Paper.  I used Natural Parchment here.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-16 minutes.  

To make the glaze, melt butter.  Add powdered sugar.  Squeeze in lemon juice.  I use a Small Mesh Strainer to catch the seeds and pulp.  It should be thin enough to pour, but not too thick to run everywhere.    Thicker the better - the warm scones will melt it a little.  Drizzle the glaze over the warm scones.  

3" Small Mesh Strainer 

This is something I've always watched The Barefoot Contessa use, and for some reason never picked on up.  Each time I made a simple lemon vinaigrette or glaze, I found myself picking out the lemon seeds or trying to strain it though my fingers.  Since I got this a couple of weeks ago, I've used it several times - makes the task that much easier.  While I don't like too many specialty items, this is a simple tool that seems to be worth it.

Here I've used the Small Sheet Pan to bake just 4 for us.  

Freezer Tips : The rest are in the freezer waiting for the next time we need a quick and homemade breakfast.   From the freezer, bake them for 16-18 minutes.

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Chicken Piccata with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes & Angel Hair

Chicken Piccata with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes & Angel Hair

We have this for dinner probably about once a week - one of everyone's favorites.  It is one of my very favorites because it takes 20 minutes to make (seriously - I timed myself!) and everyone in our family loves it.  It is fairly healthy with lots of spinach, chicken and tomatoes and not too much pasta.  It also feels light, but still filling and very flavorful.  I love that I can stop by the store and have this on the table so quickly and everyone is excited about dinner.

I haven't done a new dinner recipe in a while - a really long time.  I think I've fallen into the same trap of most moms... feeding people every single day.  Emma's tastes are simpler than ours, and though she is a fairly good eater, she doesn't want to try something new every night and, frankly, neither do I.  We take comfort in our favorites - pasta, tacos, burgers, roasted chicken, soup, etc.  So, when I realized this "favorite" of ours wasn't on the blog, I thought it was a good one to add.

I've resolved not to cook quite as much this year - ha!  We eat at home probably 5-6 night a week, which is a lot.  And while I still love cooking, I find myself a burnt out when I have extra time to make something fun, because I've spent the entire week making basic simple kid-friendly dinners.  My goal is to do more like 4 nights a week at home, 1 night easy takeout (pizza, sushi...) and two nights out.  

I would say I'm also going to "resolve" to do more recipe posts, but no promises ; )   It is always my intention, but creating new products for the store has become my new job (instead of writing blog posts), and after working all day, I don't always want to share what we have for dinner.  Like you, I want to turn off "work" and just enjoy family time.  I do miss writing and sharing our days here.  I found it therapeutic, almost, to create this little utopia of living well.  Emma has become very interested in baking lately and has really started to experiment in the kitchen.  I'm not talking cake mixes and decorating cupcakes, but things like pate a choux and sponge cakes thanks to our new favorite show, The British Baking Show.  So, you can look forward to new inspiration from that : )

With all of that said, the store and the School House has become so much more streamlined than it has been in the past.  My helpers are so good at taking responsibility off of my shoulders that I'm finding myself with more free time, so I do hope to be here more often to share.     I also have big garden plans I'm already working on for this spring.  The best part of being a gardener is dreaming and planning in the winter!

Chicken Piccata with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes & Angel Hair

4 chicken breasts (about 1 medium per person)
Garlic Salt
2/3 pounds of angel hair pasta
Sea Salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup of capers
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
5 oz box of baby spinach
6 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of cream



Start a pot of salted water to boil.  When water boils, add pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes, then strain and give a quick rinse with cold water.*

*We've all been taught to not rinse pasta lately and to put it directly into the sauce, so it can absorb the sauce and flavor.   However, I've learned that with this super light sauce, it seems to all disappear into the pasta and then there is nothing to enjoy with the chicken.  So, when I started rinsing with cold water, this recipe became so much better, but do what you want : )



Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them down the side, leaving the center intact.  Our grocery store does this for me.

Generously sprinkle garlic salt on one both sides of the chicken breasts.  In a saute pan, heat the olive oil.  After about 1 minute, add the chicken.  Cook on medium for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked all the way through.





Add the butter, cream and lemon juice the the saute pan.  Add the spinach, tomatoes and capers.



Toss everything together until the spinach cooks and wilts down - it can be easier to take the chicken out during this part if your pan is too full.  



Add the pasta and toss it all together, making sure the pasta gets reheated from the sauce.  Taste for seasoning - add more butter or lemon, if needed.

Spring Bucatini Pasta | Asparagus, Spinach, Mushrooms & Chicken in a Lemon Cream

You all know that I love pasta so much.  I try to limit ourselves to just a couple of a pasta dinners per week.  One is usually a red sauce - spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, ragu or bolognese - and one is usually a buttery lemon sauce with chicken or shrimp.  I'm the only one in our family that goes crazy for shrimp, so usually it is chicken.  Emma absolutely loves anything with lemon and chicken, so this dinner was a big hit.  We'll do variations on this all year long, but this one felt particularly springy.  

I always try to add some green veggies for dinner and being seasonal is even better.  The asparagus, mushrooms and spinach help stretch the pasta and give this so much more nutritional heft and flavor and make this feel like spring.  I used bucatini, which is a spaghetti shape but that has a hole down the center, like a tube.  It makes it sort of extra chewy and thick.  You could use any shape - bowtie, penne, angel hair or linguine.  

Lemon Cream sauce may seem complex, but it is just butter, lemon juice and cream.  The prep for the chicken is very simple - just olive oil and garlic salt then grilled or roasted in the oven.   Could not be easier.   I top the entire thing with thick slices of burrata cheese to really put it over the top.  You can stir the cold burrata into the warm lemon-y cream if you want, but I sort of like to savor it little by little with each bite.

Did you notice the new blue check and the green block print linens?  The new collection (Summer Garden) will launch on Thursday morning.

Spring Bucatini Pasta
Asparagus, Spinach, Mushrooms & Chicken in a Lemon Cream

4 small chicken breasts
olive oil
garlic salt
....
1 pound of pasta (bucatini)
....
4 tablespoons of butter
1 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup of cream
sea salt
....
burrata cheese (or fresh mozzarella or parmesan)

Chicken :
Preheat the grill or oven.  Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic salt.  Grill for 5 minutes on each side or roast for 18-20 minutes until meat thermometer reads 140 degrees.  Let rest covered, then slice just before serving.

Cook Pasta* :
Cook pasta in salted boiling water for less than two minutes than directed on the package.  You want it to be slightly chewy.  ***Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce.

  Veggies & Sauce : 

Melt the butter on low in a large sauce or saute pan (it should be large enough to hold all of the pasta, too).  Cook asparagus on medium for about 5 minutes until tender.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until cooked through.  Add sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to low, then squeeze in lemon juice and stir in cream.  Add sea salt to taste.  Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water, then let simmer until bubbling lightly.  Add spinach and toss it with sauce.

When the pasta is ready add it directly from the boiling water to the sauce with tongs.  Toss with the sauce and let it simmer on low for a minute or two.  Add more pasta water if the sauce seems to thick.  Remove from the heat and add sliced chicken and thick slices of burrata.  Top with parmesan if you'd like.

This is how the sauce looks before the spinach.

You can add lots and lots of spinach - it cooks down to nothing!

Allowing the pasta to cook in the sauce a little helps it to absorb the flavors.

yum!!  this was so, so good.

Oh, that burrata.

This is what dinner typically looks like for us - sort of one pot, but not really.  I always love to hear what you're making for dinner, too... gives me new ideas from the typical spaghetti, tacos, burgers, pizza rotation : )

Lemon Butter Cake | Embracing Citrus Season

What is it about January and citrus?!  I know that it is actually citrus season, but could that really make me crave it so intensely?  I've been thinking about this lemon cake for about 4 days when I picked up a bag of Meyer Lemons at the store.  While they are becoming easier to get during the entire year, I'm making a real effort to eat seasonally.  I feel like there is so much more to look forward to each season when we wait for seasonal foods and focus on what is best and fresh.  So, no heirloom tomato salads for me in February, and no strawberries until at least until late spring... or until we dip them in chocolate for Valentine's Day ; )  But, gosh, won't they taste good when we do have them.

It is January, and we will be making Lemon Cake (actually on the to-do list for today), Crispy Lemon Chicken, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Lemony Shrimp Scampi and Lemon Mousse.  Hopefully that extra hit of Vitaman C will help cure us of our sniffles, too.  Maybe that is why January is citrus season?

.....

This post was written about 2 years ago during "citrus" season... or around it.

Lemon Butter Cake

makes 1 medium loaf size cake 

New! Printable Recipes, here.

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

2 lemons, zested & juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla

.......

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Cream together butter and sugar for 3 minutes.  Add eggs.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  In another separate bowl, combine milk, lemon juice, zest and vanilla.  Add half of the wet ingredients to the butter sugar mixture, mix for 5 seconds, then add half of the dry and mix for 5 seconds.  Repeat with second half, ending with dry ingredients.  Pour batter into loaf pan - I like to line mine with parchment paper (you can find here).  Bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

For glaze, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Pour over slightly warm cake.  Top with lemon zest.

I made some cupcakes for Emma - she helped with the glaze and did the sprinkles all by herself.

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli | Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes

This is one of my all time favorite 'restaurant' recipes.  Anytime I go to a restaurant and I see grilled artichokes on the menu, I order them.  I've found that I like them best when simply grilled with a little bit of seasoning and a great dipping sauce.  I used to be intimidated by making a dipping sauce- especially those named 'aioli' until I discovered that 'aioli' is mayonnaise...  Now I use mayonnaise as a base to make all kinds of great dipping sauces- this lemon and caper is one of my favorites.  It is great with grilled shrimp, too- a favorite from my catering days.

Grilled Artichokes
with a Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli

3 artichokes, quartered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of sea salt + 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper

for the aioli:
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 lemon, the juice of
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of capers (or more, if you'd like)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Combine olive oil and 1 clove of garlic cut in slices.  Let the garlic infuse into the oil while you are preparing the artichokes.

Cut the artichokes in quarters, lengthwise.  Fill a medium saucepan with water with 1 tablespoon of sea salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add artichoke quarters and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Remove from water and let them cool on a baking sheet.  If you are preparing these ahead of time, you can refrigerate them at this point up to over night.

Before grilling, brush the garlic infused olive oil onto all sides of the artichoke hearts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until there is a nice char on the leaves.

For the sauce, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic capers, salt and pepper.   Add more lemon, salt and/or pepper to taste.

The grilled artichokes are the perfect compliment to Grilled Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella toasts.