Lemon | Mommie Cooks!

Veggie Ricotta Pasta

March 30, 2011 By Julie 36 Comments

Whether the temperature outside registers it or not, it’s officially springtime across the country. Down here in the South the beginnings of foliage are starting to show and the first flowers of the season are in full bloom.

Spring is my favorite time of year. I love watching life blossom back into view and bring the promise of warmer days. Leaves make themselves visible, flowers open their petals to drink in the springtime sunshine and birds start to look for the perfect nesting area to expand their family. I feel as though we wake up a bit too. We shed our extra layers, spend more time outside enjoying the warming days, and begin to put away our hearty soups and stews in exchange for lighter fare.

This dish was inspired by my adoration of the changing season. With fresh basil, spinach, and tomatoes all present and swirled around the pleasurable taste of ricotta cheese, a bite of this meal makes me instantly blithe to say goodbye to winter and hello to the warmer months ahead.

There are only a few steps involved in making this pasta; another reason I find a smile creeping onto my face when I make it. Start off by dropping in a smattering of ingredients and spices. Think garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and chicken broth to name a few.

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Greek Inspired Slow Cooker Chicken

March 7, 2011 By Julie 60 Comments

As my kids get older, the amount of time I have to cook dinner seems to be less and less. Ok, who am I kidding. It doesn’t seem to be less. It actually is less. A whole lot less. Between Spanish classes, Y-Guides and Faith formation, our afternoons are filled with the kids and me shuttling around in the car, racing to make the next destination on time. Dinner is a far thought in the back of my mind.

I remember the days when I had all afternoon to think about and prepare a tasty meal. I would plan and orchestrate without interruption and the result was usually a masterpiece fit for a king (or at least a family of five). Today I’m lucky if I walk in the door at 5pm and have even had the foresight to pull out a package of meat for that night’s meal. Enter in my trusty slow cooker.

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Chicka Chicka Chickpea Salad

March 2, 2011 By Julie 27 Comments

This past weekend Scott took me out to a nice dinner, just the two of us, to celebrate my birthday. We enjoyed a thoroughly delicious Greek inspired meal, as well as each other, with no kids for the first time since our trip to New York last August.

It’s amazing how when you spend so much time being parents, once you finally are given the opportunity to be a couple again, you’re not quite sure how to handle it. Sometimes finding topics to talk about other than the kids can be a challenge. I, however, being the mom to three boys that I am, quickly remedied that problem with a drink called a cream soda; and no I’m not talking about the old time soda shop cream soda. It was a mixture of Absolut Vanilia and Ginger Ale. And let me tell ya, I’ll take that version of cream soda any day of the week. It was a bit like going back to that fated soda shop only the shop keeper decided to spike my soda with something warm and fuzzy. Thank you very much Mr. shop keeper. Not to mention how adult it is; an absolute reminder that behind that rather expansive curtain of parenthood, Scott and I are indeed still a married couple at heart.

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Indian Butter Chicken

February 16, 2011 By Julie 35 Comments

I was first introduced to Indian butter chicken about six years ago after finishing up a marathon road journey to my dear friend Camilla’s, who was living in Kansas City at the time.

Call me crazy, but I love to drive long distances and am known to throw caution to the wind and just hop in the car at any given moment and go. On this occasion I had been chatting with Camilla over the phone and we decided a get together was long overdue so the following week I popped Nicholas in the toyota, then about 16 months old, and made the eight hour trek from Dallas to Missouri. The drive was probably about one hour longer than a 16 month old had patience for, but we arrived in one piece, none the less for wear, and ready for a hearty dinner.

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Smoked Salmon Dip

April 30, 2010 By Julie 18 Comments

Yep, that’s right, I’m doing an appetizer tonight. Hey, it’s easy and yummy, and a perfect recipe to post after a long day spent on an 8 hour round trip bus ride and zoo trip with 6 different classrooms worth of kindergartners. I’m tired, I’m sore, and I’m mentally spent. Yea, we had a blast.

No really, we did! Nicholas said his favorite part was getting to see the tiger roar. Here is a picture of Nick and his buddy Cole posing on top of a dinosaur. Forgive the picture quality; it was taken from my cell phone. I really wanted to take my good camera, but I figured me wandering off to shoot pictures of the animals and scenery while the kids roamed aimlessly in circles saying “are you done taking pictures yet?” might not go over so well.

Ok, so the salmon dip. This stuff, if you like salmon, if REALLY addicting. I could literally take a box of crackers and a bowl of dip, go hide in a corner, and not come back out until I licked the bowl – CLEAN. It’s so yummy, I’ve been known to hide the crackers in the back of the cupboard just so I don’t have to share. And the best part is, it’s super easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

1 15.75 Oz. Can Salmon
1 8 Oz. Package Cream Cheese, Softened
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/4 Cup Onion, diced
1 tsp Dill (Dried or Fresh Works)
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste

To put this dip together, pull out your food processor and throw in your salmon and cream cheese. Turn it on and mix it until it’s smooth. Now add in your onion, lemon, liquid smoke, garlic, and dill. Process again until smooth. Now all that’s left to do is take a taste and add your salt and pepper according to your liking. And voila. I told you it was simple.

What’s that? You didn’t hear what I said? You’re too busy eating? What do you mean I can’t have a cracker and some of your dip? I see my job here is done. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Smoked Salmon Dip

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 15.75 Oz. Can Salmon
1 8 Oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
1/4 Cup Onion, Diced
1 tsp Dill (Fresh or Dried Works)
2 Cloves Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Pull out your food processor and throw in your salmon and cream cheese. Turn it on and mix it until it's smooth.

Add in your onion, lemon, liquid smoke, garlic, and dill. Process again until smooth.

Salt and pepper according to your liking.

Roasted Lemon Tarragon Chicken

April 23, 2010 By Julie 18 Comments

*Yawn* And a happy Friday to you all. I’m amazed I’m even working on the blog today considering I was out until all hours of the night with my good friend Bon Jovi last night. Yea that’s right. I was rocking out to a little “It’s my life”, “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and “Runaway” of which the latter is still stuck in my head and won’t leave me alone.

A rather large group of my neighbors went together and we all chipped in to rent a really large, really raucous, really black party bus. I haven’t had an experience like that since college. I’m exhausted, I’m tired, and I’m in dire need of a nap, but all that being said, (did I mention I could go to sleep right now and not wake up until the next morning? I’m such an old lady.) it was definitely an experience that was worth the next day hangover that has accompanied it.

Anyway, I’m not here to wax poetic about my love affair with Bon Jovi (ok, well maybe I am just a little bit), I’m here to help you make an amazing lemon tarragon chicken, so we might as well get on with it. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 Whole Chicken
1/4 Cup of White Wine
2 Tbsp of Butter
The Juice of One Lemon plus the lemon carcasses
1 Large Bunch of Fresh Tarragon
1 Small Bunch of Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

The first thing you’ll want to do is cut up your butter into 6-8 small chunks. Then you’ll slide them under the skin on the top and bottom. Make sure to spread them out around the bird so that the butter can cover all the meat. He should look like he just mutated and might sprout an extra wing at any moment. Or maybe that’s just the way I see it when looking at this picture of my bird with his butter bumps.

Next you’ll place the bird in a baking pan and drizzle the olive oil over the outside of him (or her as the case may be). Pour your wine over and finally squeeze your lemon on the top. Stick the used lemon carcasses inside the cavity of your bird. Now salt and pepper on the top and bottom. Chop up about half of your fresh tarragon and put it on top of your bird. Take the other half of the tarragon stems and stuff them into the cavity along with the lemons. Chop up a small handful of parsley and throw that on top as well. Green is good, right? Now he’s ready for the oven. Doesn’t it look delicious already?!

Throw the bird in your oven heated to 375 degrees covered. Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken, but for me I cooked him covered with foil for 1 hour and 20 minutes and then uncovered him for another 30 minutes to get his skin nice and golden, basting once in the last 30 minutes. Your internal temperature should be 180 degrees, so I recommend sticking a meat thermometer in when you uncover him to know for sure when it’s finished. In case you’re not sure where to stick it, a meat thermometer should be stuck right between the thigh and the body where it attaches. That’s the deepest area and the last place to be cooked through.

And, are you ready for this? Here is the finished product:

If that’s not one of the most beautiful pieces of meat you’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is. It takes some time to make this dish, but let me tell ya, it’s worth the effort. The chicken was fall off the bone yummy, and we even had enough left to make loaded burritos the next night (yes, I will post that recipe in the upcoming days).

So in the words of my man Bon Jovi, It’s your life, it’s now or never. Make the chicken man!!

Roasted Lemon Tarragon Chicken

Yield: 1 4-6pd Roasted Chicken

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Butter
1 4-6pd Whole Chicken
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup White Wine
1 Lemon, Juiced (plus the carcasses for stuffing)
1 Bunch Fresh Tarragon
1 Bunch Fresh Parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Cut up the butter into 6-8 small chunks and slide them under the skin of the chicken on the top and bottom. Make sure to spread around the bird so that the butter can cover all the meat.

Place the bird in a baking pan and drizzle the olive oil over the outside.

Pour the wine over and finally squeeze your lemon on the top.

Stick the used lemon carcasses inside the cavity of your bird.

Salt and pepper on the top and bottom.

Chop up about half the fresh tarragon and sprinkle it over the bird.

Take the other half of the tarragon stems and stuff them into the cavity along with the squeezed lemons. Chop up a small handful of parsley and throw that on top as well stuffing the remaining stems into the bird with the tarragon.

Slide the bird into an oven heated to 375 degrees covered with foil. Cook for about an hour and 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees and top turns a crispy golden brown. If the top of your chicken is looking too dark, simply re-tent the chicken with the foil until the desired temperature is achieved.