Tag Archives: lemon zest

Cardamom Cake

November 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Cardamom is a great nutty flavored spice that I have just added to more of my meals. It is a great addition to many dishes and this cake just takes such advantage of its distinct and enticing flavor.

10 servings
281 calories per serving

2 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cardamom
1 T grated orange zest
1 T grated lemon zest
¾ c Egg Beaters
¼ c canola oil
1 ½ c no fat plain yogurt
¼ c honey
1 c chopped prunes or raisins
1 c chopped walnuts
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour with baking soda and cardamom. Beat eggs, oil, yogurt, and honey and then stir into the flour mix until smooth. Fold in fruits and nuts. Pour into a bundt pan sprayed with Pam and bake 45 minutes. Eat plain or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Appetizers, Italian, Snacks

Lemon Marinated Antipasto

September 28, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Great as an appetizer, a snack, a lunch side – and this antipasto does not skimp on the ingredients…olives, sausage, cheese, peppers, oh my ! This is very lemony – if you prefer, you can substitute vinegar for the lemon.

12 servings
220 calories per serving

1 lb. spicy turkey sausage
1 T oil
½ c oil
2 t grated lemon zest
½ c lemon juice
2 T chopped basil
½ t oregano flakes
1 t parsley flakes
½ t basil flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. roasted red peppers, drained and cut into small strips
12 oz. mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
1 c pitted kalamata olives

Cook sausage in 1 T oil until done. When cool, cut into slices. Whisk oil, lemon juice and spices with garlic. Layer sausage, pepper strips, cheese and olives in 2 quart size jars and pour over the dressing. Cover and chill 1-2 days. Try to remember to shake the jars a bit each time you open the frig those 1-2 days – that way the lemony marinade coats all the bits of goodness. Let stand at room temp 30 minutes before serving.

(you don’t need the jars – you can do this in a bowl or even a zip loc bag !)

Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Vegetables

Breaded Tomatoes

September 23, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is high cal for a vegetable dish but served as a lunch alongside some tuna sprinkled with lemon, it’s a nice change. You don’t even need to wait for good summer tomatoes, because the cooking brings out the sweetness.

4 servings
285 calories per serving

Pam
1 1/2 c plain breadcrumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 T lemon zest
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with Pam. In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese, zest and oil. Add salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes and arrange in dish. Season with salt and pepper and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

Raspberry Lemon Cream Pie

August 16, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This was a very sweet pie perfect for a hot summer day. I added lots of extra raspberries as a garnish and it really hit the spot !

8 servings
230 calories per serving

8 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
1 small package instant lemon pudding
1 c skim milk
2 t grated lemon zest
2 c Cool Whip, thawed and divided
¼ c raspberry preserves
Low fat graham crust
1 c raspberries + extras for garnish

Beat cream cheese, pudding, milk and lemon with electric beater and then gently stir in 1 c Cool Whip. Spoon preserves on bottom of crust and cover with the pudding mix. Top with the rest of the Cool Whip and the raspberries. Refrigerate 4 hours. Garnish each slice with extra berries.

Chicken, Dinner, Summer

Lemon Pepper Chicken

July 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Lemon Pepper is a great spice for poultry – and when I do a grill basket version of this chicken recipe, I really pour it on !

4 servings
243 calories per serving

12 oz. chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
4 c mix of sliced onion, yellow bell peppers, and halved mushrooms
2 T oil
1 T lemon pepper seasoning
1 t finely shredded lemon zest
Lemon wedges
Pam

Heat grill. Toss shrimp and 1 T oil. Mix veggies and 1 T oil and seasoning.

Spray grill basket with Pam and heat. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add veggies and cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in juice of one lemon. Serve topped with lemon zest.

Dinner, Fish

Lemon and Herb Cod

June 27, 2010 admin 1 Comment

This is a great quick recipe that produces a really moist and flavorful fish fillet. And you even get enough cod broiled to use it in a great chowder recipe that I’ll post in the next day or two 🙂 If you are not going to make the chowder, just reduce the cod to 1 ½ pounds and proceed accordingly.

4 servings (plus leftovers for chowder)
255 calories per serving

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 slices whole wheat bread torn into pieces
2 T parsley leaves
1/2 t lemon zest
2 t oil
2 T plain fat free yogurt
2 t lemon juice
1 3 lb. cod fillet cut into 8 pieces
16 oz. package frozen stir fry vegetables
Pam

Mince garlic in food processor. Add bread and parsley and pulse until crumbs form. Add lemon zest, 1 t oil and 1/8 t salt and pulse to mix. Place in a bowl. Combine yogurt, lemon juice and 1/8 t salt. Preheat broiler and spray the rack of a broiler pan with Pam. Place fish on rack and broil 4 minutes. Turn and broil another 4 minutes or until fish is done.

Take 4 pieces and refrigerate up to 2 days for the New England Chowder recipe. Spread yogurt mix on the other 4 pieces and then sprinkle with the bread crumb mix and press so that the crumbs stick. Spray with Pam and broil 1 minute to brown crumbs. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Heat 1 t oil and add vegetables and stir fry 4-5 minutes. Serve with the fish.

Dinner, Fish, Italian, Summer

Tuna with Gremolata

June 16, 2010 admin 1 Comment

Gremolata is a just a mixture of parsley, lemon, garlic and oil. It is a wonderful condiment that is packed with flavor. Serve with some Roasted Grape Tomatoes for a great meal.

4 servings
170 calories per serving

¼ c chopped parsley
2 T grated lemon zest
1 t oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 4 oz. tuna steaks
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper
Pam

Combine parsley, lemon, oil and garlic and set aside. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Place tuna on sheet and sprinkle with salt. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Alternately spray fish with Pam and grill to desired doneness. Top fish with gremolata during the last minute of broiling.

Leftover tuna makes a GREAT tuna fish salad. Just mix it with mayo and some diced pickles – it is sooo much fresher than the canned stuff and you can really taste the difference.

Chicken, Dinner

Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Spinach

June 8, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This chicken is delightfully lemony while the spinach wilts just the right amount with the addition of the rice and shallots. This is a great quick chicken dinner that is restaurant quality.

4 servings
350 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. chicken tenders
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
1 T water
1 T oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ t rosemary
Pam

8.8 package precooked brown rice
¼ c chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
2 c packed fresh baby spinach, chopped coarsely
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
½ t garlic powder

Heat a grill pan or skillet and spray with Pam and cook chicken 4 minutes per side or until browned and done. Combine lemon zest, water, juice, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary and spoon over chicken then cover and let sit 5 minutes.

Microwave the rice to heat it and keep it warm. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam then cook shallot and garlic 3 minutes or until tender. Put spinach in a bowl and add rice and shallots and mix together so the heat wilts the spinach a little. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic powder. Serve alongside the chicken.

Salads, Sides

Mixed Greens with Avocado Dressing

March 25, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The avocado is unexpected and that makes it twice as good ! Mixed with the lemon and yogurt, this makes a very light yet creamy dressing.

4 servings
106 calories per serving

1 avocado, cut into chunks
¼ c plain low fat yogurt
½ t grated lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1 T water
½ t salt
4 c sliced romaine lettuce
4 c watercress or endive

In a blender mix the avocado chunks, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and 1 T water until smooth. Put dressing in a bowl and add greens and mix well.

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Lemon Cookies

February 1, 2010 admin 1 Comment

So buttery, so lemony, so good ! These are like lemon shortbread and they just melt in your mouth. A little high on the calorie count, but sooooo worth it. And 3 cookies really is enough for a snack – these are so rich !

30 cookies
328 calories for 3 cookies

2 c flour
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 t Kosher salt
1 T plus 1 t lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
1 c sweet butter cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c granulated sugar

Pulse flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add butter and process until coarse like breadcrumbs. Add yolks and lemon juice and process until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and form each into a log. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. If you freeze any longer than 3 hours, these will be too hard to slice and you’ll need to let defrost a bit or microwave for 30 seconds or so.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sugar on a piece of foil and roll logs in the sugar. Cut into 1/4 thick slices and place on baking sheets 1 inch apart as they will spread as they cook. Bake 15 minutes or until edges are browned.