Lemon Bread

This recipe is a family favorite. My dad has been making it for as long as I can remember, and since I got married I have been making it too. I hope that this recipe becomes a tradition for you too.

Lemon Cake/Bread

One loaf

2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
¼ lb. butter
11/2 cups flour
11/2 tsp. salt
21/2 tsp. Baking powder
¾ cup milk
6 tsp. Grated lemon zest

Glaze
sugar
fresh lemon juice

One standard size loaf pan smeared lightly with butter and with a piece of waxed paper on the bottom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, and eggs until creamy. Add peel and beat into butter mixture. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture. Add a bit of the milk while mixing. Continue until all ingredients are combined. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for at least 40 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick, which should come out clean when done.

While the bread is baking combine add enough sugar to the lemon juice to make the glaze. Add the sugar slowly. The lemon glaze should be pourable.

Take the loaf out of the oven. Place it on a rack to cool. While still hot pour glaze on top.

Notes: If wrapped in plastic and placed in bags after it has cooled the loaf will keep in the freezer at least 4 months. Glaze and peel will keep tightly closed in the refrigerator for a month.

Rainier Cherries, a meal...

When you find Rainier Cherries at $2.88 a pound, you are going to buy them even if you live 4 hours away and are not leaving for another day. By the time the cherries and I got home, they needed to be used. Trying to figure out what to do with 2 pounds of cherries that need to be used and not wanting to make a dessert item gives one a definite challenge. Here is what I came up with....

Rainier Cherry Sauce

3 cups pitted Rainier Cherries

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chopped shallot

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
a pinch of thyme

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Serve over grilled salmon.

Note: I served this with salmon, and will not do so again, this is a perfect pork chop sauce and should be used as such...

Rainier Cherry Salad

1/2 cup of pitted Rainier Cherries

1 package of Arugula or Mixed Greens

1/4 cup of red onion or shallot, sliced thin

1/2 tablespoon of orange muscat vinegar (available from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup of olive oil

a pinch of red pepper flakes

2 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

In a large bowl mix vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, combine until emulsified. Mix in lettuce, coating with dressing, add shallot, and cherries, top with cheese. If on hand add some homemade croutons and serve.

4th of July Breakfast

Happy 4th of July everyone. I hope everyone has plans to enjoy the holiday and eat some great food. This morning I treated the family to a red, white, and blue breakfast. Well I should amend that to a white and blue breakfast but I think that the juice from the blueberries can qualify as red. I made some lemon biscuits with a blueberry sauce. I think everyone enjoyed them as my husband had thirds, my son took seconds, and the baby even ate one. Here is the quick and easy recipe.

For Biscuits:

5 cups of instant pancake mix (see note)

1 1/2 cups of water

1/4 cup of milk

zest from two lemons

For Sauce:

2 cups of clean blueberries

1/2 cup of sugar

juice from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Using a non stick cooking spray, spray cookie sheets, using a tablespoon, spoon dough onto sheet making sure to leave some room between biscuits. Bake in the oven for 8 to 11 minutes. While biscuits are baking, in a medium saucepan cook blueberries, sugar and lemon until the blueberries release their juices, about 7 minutes. Take sauce off of the heat and place in a bowl to serve. When biscuits are done transfer to a large plate and serve with sauce and butter. Enjoy...

Note: Make an instant pancake mix or use something like Bisquick.

For instant pancake mix use Alton Brown's recipe that can be found on the Food Network website.

And now for a little preview of what is coming later...

Perfect Seasonal Side

Rena and I were having a conversation about food, as always, and she mentioned a salad that she had read about that featured peas and asparagus, I thought that sounded great, so armed with no recipe off I went to create a great side dish to feature the local asparagus that I got at Dean and Don's the other day. This is quick and simple and even my five year old liked it.

1 bunch of local asparagus
1/3 cup of frozen peas
2 tablespoons of olive oil
the zest from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to season

Wash asparagus and cut each spear into about 3 pieces. Heat a skillet large enough to fit all of your asparagus on medium high and add oil. When oil is heated add asparagus, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cook stirring regularly until asparagus begins to turn a brighter green, about 3 minutes, at this time add the peas and cook until peas are bright green. Serve on the side of fish, chicken, pork, beef, or eat alone. Enjoy...

Green Bean Salad with Feta

I have started checking out cookbooks from the library to get some inspiration and int he South Beach Diet Cookbook I found a recipe that sounded too good to pass by. It is From the menu of Pacific Time by Chef Johnathan Eismann, Chinese Long Bean Salad with Feta. Here is my version:

For the Salad:

1 pound of green beans, end trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup of crumbled feta

1 cup of mung bean sprouts

1/3 cup of chopped scallions

1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4" cubes

1 red bell pepper julienned

Blanch green beans in boiling water for about 4 minutes, In a large bowl combine beans, sprouts, scallions, cucumber, and bell pepper.

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons of strong brewed black tea

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of lemon zest

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to agitate and combine flavors, pour over salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add feta before serving.