Lemon Cake

I'm sorry for my absence last week! We had house guests (my parents) and things got a bit hectic. My parents have bought a house here in Florida and will finally be moving down! Their new house has a pool so we are all looking forward to a summer of swimming. :) This lemon cake is the perfect kick-off to the warmer weather and will make a great housewarming gift. It's light, fluffy, and the perfect mix of tart and sweet.

You will need:

2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 white sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 egg whites
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1 tsp lemon extract
zest from one lemon (minus 1 tsp)
1/2 cup butter, melted but cool
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1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon zest
milk (amount varies--enough to make thin icing)



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (don't use cooking spray for this cake) two 8-inch round cake pans.

When a cake calls for egg whites (or meringue) I always use All Whites in the little container found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (near the sour cream and cottage cheese). It works perfectly and you don't have to waste a bunch of yolks. Beat the egg whites (the amount is listed on the container) until they start to thicken but are still moist.



Gradually beat in the 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks form. Then set aside.



I really recommend using cake flour, but if you have to substitute use 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour mixed thoroughly with 1/4 cup cornstarch. Sift together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.



Add the milk, lemon extract, zest, and butter to the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes. (About the lemon extract--you can't substitute lemon juice in this recipe. The pure lemon extract adds a punch of lemon flavor but none of the acids from the actual juice.)





Now fold the egg whites into your cake batter. Combine thoroughly, but carefully. You don't want to squash all the air out of the egg whites. Folding them in carefully will give you a light, fluffy cake!



Pour cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans.



Bake for 25 minutes and then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool.



Meanwhile, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, extract, zest, and milk until very thin and runny.



Place one cake onto a cake pedestal or plate and cover with about a third of the icing. You may need a bit more to get it covered.



Place the second cake on top and pour the rest of the icing over the cakes. Use a knife to help the icing run over the sides.



This cake is so amazing. Perfectly light and fluffy and the lemon is refreshing. Cut a nice thick slice because you won't want to stop eating it once you start!



Don't be intimidated by the egg whites. This cake is easy and super impressive. Take it to a picnic or pot luck and then stand back and let everyone rave on about it. You could very easily make cupcakes out of this recipe. Just fill each cup 2/3 of the way full (you'll probably end up with 24) and drizzle on the icing after they are cool.



Enjoy!!

While my parents were visiting I made my spaghetti sauce, roasted green beans, German chocolate cake, dinner rolls, strawberry shortcake, and blueberry muffins.

Creamed Spinach

I have a love affair with spinach. I love it raw in a salad or sandwich, I love it boiled, I love it with cheese, I love it in a lasagna, I just love it. Unfortunately, my family does not share my passion, so like okra (which I love more than spinach) I rarely eat it. And I won't lie to you, my family does not love creamed spinach. But I do! This recipe is so simple and sooooooo good.

You will need:

1 box frozen spinach
1 T butter
1 tsp garlic
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of fresh lemon

Optional: pinch of cayenne pepper



Thaw your spinach and squeeze out the water.



In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter and garlic. Cook over medium heat for one minute, but don't let the garlic color.



Add the spinach...



cream, lemon, salt, and pepper.



Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the spinach is soft and the cream has thickened. It should take about 15 minutes.





That's it! Your spinach is ready to eat.



I ended up eating it all by myself, but I'm not complaining. So tasty!! I served it with some honey baked ham.



Perfection. Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken

Whenever I make this dish I think of Debra Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond. It was a running joke on the show that it was the only food she could make that was halfway decent. It makes me smile to say we are having Lemon Chicken for dinner. This recipe is so simple and can be cooked on the grill, in a pan, or in the oven.

You will need:

2/3 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed or bottled)
1/2 cup oil
2T Dijon mustard
2 tsp garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each cut into thirds)



Add your lemon juice to a bowl...



then add your spicy mustard...



then garlic...



add your oil and mix well.



Pour over your chicken and marinade for at least 20 minutes, an hour is better.



Don't marinade the chicken overnight. Remember that citrus can "cook" fish (called Ceviche) and it reacts similarly with chicken. So, marinade a maximum of two hours. But that's what is so great about this recipe--you do not have to marinate for long. Also, if you like you can reserve some of the marinade for basting.

Fry in a pan with a little oil until no pink remains, bake it at 350 for 25 minutes, or grill it. So simple and sooooo tasty! (When I cook it in a pan I take out the chicken pieces and add them to the pan without all of the extra marinade. You can dump the whole concoction into a pan to bake it, though.)



Debra would be pleased. Enjoy!!