FOOD: S'mores for TWO

Hi guy! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here. We are in the month of love and Valentines Day is creeping up on us. Today, I wanted to share a version of one of my favorite sweet treats—s’mores! But this time you get to share it with your special someone and get a little messy in the process.

S’more For Two
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Graham crackers for dipping
1 small skillet
 Get this one at Sur La Table or others via Madyson's Marshmallows or (or extra large marshmallows cut in half)
Heart-shaped cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450.
In a small cast iron skillet, add chocolate chips. Take each Maddy Melt and cut into heart shapes or cut the large marshmallows in half and top the chocolate chips with them.
Once the oven is up to temperature, add the skillet to the oven. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until the marshmallows turn golden brown.
Serve with graham crackers for scooping.

-images and recipe by jen costea

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FOOD: ZUCCHINI FRIES

Hi there! Jen from Lemond Drop Love here.  Aren’t zucchini the most versatile veggie?

They substitute pasta and fries (my two favorites) surprisingly well—thank goodness! Being a french fry lover and having a few more pound to shed post pregnancy, I have been trying to eat as healthy as I can without driving myself crazy. These zucchini fries have a lot of flavor plus a really nice crunch and have been able to satisfy my cravings in a big way.  For those of you trying to eat healthy at the start of the New Year, I think you will enjoy these as much as I have.

INGREDIENTS:
Fries
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into skinny sticks
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholula)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray or oil a baking sheet and set aside.
• Cut zucchini into thin slices and set a side. In a dish, combine the Panko, Parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk two eggs.
• Dip the zucchini sticks in the eggs and then into the Panko mixture. Coat evenly.
• Place the coated zucchini sticks onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, turning once about halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
• To make the dipping sauce, place all of the ingredients in a bowl; then whisk until combined.

-photos and post by Jen Costea

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FOOD: Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hey guys! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here and wow it's been a while! Hope you had a nice holiday season. I had a sweet little baby girl in October and cooking has been a struggle in my house since her debut. But today I wanted to kick start the year with a healthy chicken tortilla soup from one of my very favorite chefs, Rick Bayless.

I love all his restaurants and one of them actually catered my wedding, how big of a fan I am of this guy and his food! I have always wanted to cook tortilla soup and I finally got around to it. I'm not sure why I was so intimidated by this dish before, because after making it I realize just how easy and delicious it is. I have a feeling I will be making more and more of this soup until I can get a handle on the kitchen and cooking again. Hope you enjoy!

Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS: (recipe adapted via Rick Bayless)
1 large dried New Mexico chile
One15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, breasts removed and skinned and then shredded
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
4 cups roughly broken tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish



DIRECTIONS:

• Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender along with the tomatoes and their juices. Heat the oil in a large (4 quart) pot over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop the onion and garlic and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.
• Return the pot to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the puree and stir constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6-minutes. Add the broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
• Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Serve and garnish with cheese, avocado, chips and a lime wedge.

-post by jen costea

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FOOD: RUSTIC APPLE TART

Hi there! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here and I wanted to share an easy, but incredibly impressive dessert. This rustic apple tart is perfect for fall and you can eat it warm, at room temperature or cold for breakfast, an afternoon snack or, of course, dessert ( I ate it every which way and it was always delicious). In the past I’ve been a little intimidated by tarts and pies because I never want to mess up the crust recipe, but this little dish is fool proof and I’m looking forward to making this tart again and again with all different types of fruits and berries.

Rustic Apple Tart

INGREDIENTS: (recipe adapted via Ina Garten)
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
For the apples:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 tablespoons water


DIRECTIONS:

• For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 by 14-inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel the apples and remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine!
• When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the water and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature. 

 -post and images bu jen costea

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FOOD: Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Fresh Berries

Hi there! How are you? Jen from Lemon Drop Love here and it’s just about that time for a healthy hassle-free recipe, don’t ya think?

Well, I finally got on the chia seed bandwagon and I think you should too with this recipe. I made the most scrumptious slightly sweet, chia seed, vanilla pudding topped with fresh berries and crunchy granola. Since I made my first batch, I’ve been eating it everyday for breakfast and it has been such a happy and healthy way to start my day that I want to share this recipe with everyone I know. I think after you give this recipe a try, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. Now go make some and let us know what you think.

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Fresh Berries


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• Strawberries and blueberries
• Granola (I used KIND Cinnamon Oat Clusters)

DIRECTIONS:

• In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, maple syrup, the vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt until just blended. Whisk in chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with maple syrup (I made sure to coat them evenly). Mix in the granola.
• Spoon the pudding into small mason jars; mound with berries and granola mixture on top and serve. Or cover with lids and store in the refrigerator for the week.

Note: This recipe makes just about 2-3 small mason jars. If you want a full weeks worth of pudding, be sure to double the recipe.

-post and images by jen costea

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FOOD: Summertime Watermelon Limeade

Hi there guys! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here. Summer is in full swing, it’s hot, and I can’t seem to get enough watermelon these days, so here’s a recipe that will cool you off and make you happy. This concoction is both sweet and sour and is amazingly refreshing on a hot day. It’s delicious on its own, or if you feel like turning your random weeknight into a party (I won’t judge), I suggest adding tequila or vodka−whichever you prefer.

This Watermelon Limeade is incredibly easy to make with only three ingredients needed, and it’s so tasty, two people can finish it off pretty quickly.

Summertime Watermelon Limeade
 
INGREDIENTS:
1 7lb. watermelon, cubed, rind removed (makes 6-cups juice)
½ cup lime juice (need 5-6 limes)
4 tablespoons agave nectar


DIRECTIONS:
Step 1: In two batches, pulse the watermelon cubes in a blender just until it looks like a chunky sauce. Transfer pulp to a colander lined with cheesecloth set over a bowl. Stir occasionally until most of the liquid has dripped through. Transfer juice to a pitcher.
Step 2: Juice limes. Add lime juice and agave nectar to pitcher of watermelon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate until completely cool. Serve in ice-filled glasses, garnish with lime or watermelon slices.

-post and images by jen costea

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FOOD: BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Hello! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here. Today I'm delighted to share a recipe for blueberry muffins. My two favorite muffins on the planet are lemon poppyseed and blueberry. And since I shared a lemon-based recipe last time, I thought I needed to switch it up a bit---and I'm so glad I did! These little gems are sooo tasty.

They have a little crunch on the outside and the perfect combination of sweet and tangy on the inside. After photographing the finished product, I'm not going to lie, I gobbled down two (eek! so good!). Now it's your turn, go and bake these and eat one, two or maybe three!

Blueberry Muffins


INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS: (recipe adapted via Gwyneth Paltrow, My Father's Daughter cook book)

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.
• Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries. Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with a small pinch of sugar (if desired). Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown. 25-30 minutes. Best to eat warm. 

-post by jen costea

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FOOD: Springtime Lemon Cake Roll

Hi guys! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here. Today I'm sharing a recipe that's perfect for Spring! Before making this recipe, I had never made a cake roll and to be honest, after eating it, I think I am officially converted. I say, bring on more cake rolls please! The tart whipped cream snuggled between the spongy lemon cake, makes the perfect bite. I served a slice with berries and a cup of tea and all the flavors went perfectly together. Now it's time for you to try this Lemon Cake Roll....enjoy!

Springtime Lemon Cake Roll
INGREDIENTS:
CAKE
3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice (about 1 medium or 1/2 large)
Zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
Powdered sugar, to aid in rolling
FILLING
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon curd (or add to desired taste)
Powdered sugar, for dusting


DIRECTIONS: (recipe adapted via Crazy for Crust)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll (10x15) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. (Use the spray with flour or actually grease and flour the foil to avoid sticking.)
• Beat eggs at high speed for 2 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
• Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended.
• Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes (mine took 10).
• While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.
• Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour.
• While the cake is chilling, make the filling. Beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the lemon curd. Chill until ready to use.
• When cake is cool, carefully unroll the towel. Spread the lemon whipped cream over the cake. (You might have some whipped cream left over.) Gently but tightly, re-roll the cake and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill until it firms up a bit, at least one hour or overnight. Slice and serve. Cake will last covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

-post by jen costea

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