Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

TA-DAH!!! How do you like the new look?? I felt it was about time for a teeny bit of sprucing up around here! I have to figure out a way to move my recipe index to one of those tabs, but other than that, it's all ready to go! I love it, it's cleaner and brighter and makes me happy! Plus, I did it ALL by myself! *pat on the back* Code and everything, woohoo! I hope everyone likes it. :) Please leave a comment if you find any errors or malfunctions! Also, I finally joined the social media parade and created a Facebook page for Dimples and Delights, and you can follow it with that cute little red Facebook button in the right column. See you there!

Time for something yummy and sunny, because yet again we're getting dumped on by a snowstorm! Supposedly, we're going to get 8-14 inches, but it's going to have to take it up a notch if we're going to get there. I shall snuggle in and bake some bread (very excited about this recipe!) and try to resist the urge to bake gingerbread (it's just so Christmassy outside!) and pray that this storm doesn't destroy what is left of my poor lilac bush. The last one that we missed while in Utah broke a few crucial branches. Sadness. Oh well!! At least it's still alive! I can't help it, even now, snowstorms are fun. The slushy muddy days after them, not so much, but I'll always be a sucker for snow.

Perfect Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

I've been on a mission. Perfect roast chicken. The criteria: TONS of flavor, and not just on the top quarter inch of meat, juicy, easy, and crispy skin. My favorite chicken recipe of all time is my French Chicken, but I needed a classic too. I tried a few, and each time came a step closer... I combined a few different techniques and finally, success! The best roast chicken I have ever made!! It was so good I literally danced around the kitchen. The Geologist still isn't fully satisfied, he wants me to experiment with injecting... *rolling eyes* but that would defeat the purpose! Say it with me: Simple. Classic. 

Enjoy! We did :)

Creamy Lemon Tart

I have a garden!! My very first garden!! The Geologist came home Friday with a window box for me. Technically it's not a box, but it's exactly what I've always wanted. He knows how to make me happy! A neighbor asked , "Isn't it Father's Day? Why is he buying you presents??" Because he likes me :) Besides, we're celebrating Father's Day next weekend, since I seem to have caught yet another 24 hour bug of some sort. Anyway, of course we had to go out and fill it immediately! I bought:

Two kinds of dahlias,

Lemon Drop Cookies

Today was about as perfect as a day can be. My sweet little boys woke up so happy, got dressed for church all by themselves, then played together nicely until it was time to leave. The Geologist made me breakfast (even if I did have to coach him through it :) while I got my lesson ready. Sunny, warm, blue skies... angel children in church... lunch together after... baked cookies and delivered to a neighbor... had a blast with two of our favorite little girls in the WHOLE world... We went swimming today, which we usually don't do on Sundays, but it was a reward for the boys being such good "men of the house" while The Geologist was gone all those weeks. This is the Man of the House motto:

This is between them and their Dad, and they take their motto very seriously. Anyway, went swimming, lovely, came home, fed kids and off to bed, all as pleasantly as can be! Joe was out like a light in minutes. Then the Geologist and I made our dinner on the porch (it was running late) enjoying the setting sun and perfect temperature as the air cooled. Altogether, a heavenly day!

Blackberry Mint Lemonade

Ugh. This is one of those posts that makes me ashamed of my photography. You've got to go see the original, there's a link below. It would be helpful if I owned a pitcher that wasn't opaque plastic!! I am officially on the hunt for a pretty glass pitcher. A picture of a glass all by itself is just NOT that awesome. Oh well. It's still yummy enough to share immediately, instead of waiting to buy a pitcher and make it again!!

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Last week, while The Geologist was in Houston, my Mom came to visit. Hooray!! It was a great visit, and she definitely helped me survive the week alone. She's a much healthier eater than I am (generally) and often grumbles just a smidge at the smaller percentage of healthy recipes on my blog. I was determined to prove to her that yes!! I DO know how to cook healthy, so there! We made the fish tacos from last week (win!) and this chicken, with the cauliflower I'll share tomorrow. Another win! I successfully proved that I can be healthy and yummy! Then I made biscotti and it all went out the window. Oh well. What can I do? I love to bake!

We're grilling a lot of our meats around here these days. The Geologist loves to grill, and it's a darn healthy cooking method! You can grill this chicken on skewers, pan-"fry" with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, bake it, or broil it, which is how I cooked it this time.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Muffins! And lemons!! Two of my favorite things. I'm pretty much sold on anything involving the words "lemon poppyseed". Although sometimes that can get me in trouble...(grossest muffin ever) I figured I'd be safe with this recipe. My first lemon poppyseed muffin, from the first cookbook I have ever bought for myself! All of my cookbooks until now have been gifts or inherited. This was the first book I ever checked out from the library (I renewed it twice), the first one on my Amazon wish list, the cookbook I have been dreaming of for years. And I finally own it!! *eeeee*

Baked Egg & Asparagus

I'm starting off my birthday menu with a veggie that I still can't convert The Geologist to. Asparagus!! I love asparagus. I even love out-of-season asparagus!! If I could get him to love it, I would cook (and eat) it all the time. I saw this super-simple dish back in February, and have been waiting for an excuse to make it ever since. Enter: Birthday Week!

BTW, thanks for not minding about the page break, it has pretty much eliminated my spam comments! Hooray!

Lemon Rosemary Gruyere Artisan Bread

I finally made it!! Only a day late this week :) That's okay, I'll cheat and schedule it for yesterday. I'm tricky like that! Oh, if you'd like step-by-step pictures, check out the link to Simply So Good below. I forgot to take pictures all the way through, and hers are gorgeous. The ones showing how the dough should look were extremely helpful. Not to mention she has tons of great variations of this bread! I'm trying Cranberry Orange Almond next!

Lemon Poppyseed Yogurt Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

Holidays and vacations call for special breakfasts, don't you think? You can sleep in, get up and make pancakes in your pajamas, lounge around till who knows when... it's perfect. I meant to do this more than twice over spring break, but the best laid plans...! I'm not usually a pancake lover, I prefer waffles. This may have something to do with a family tradition of having a belgian waffle breakfast, where Mom would make homemade berry syrup and we'd drown them in berries and whipped cream... horribly unhealthy, but oh so scrumptious! It was one of the few times we were allowed to be so decadent, and we savored every bite. Since these were a bit labor intensive, only cooking one at a time, you had to be patient, and stick around. Waffles mean holidays to me, because we would all be together in the kitchen, nowhere better to go, be, or rush off to. Just being together, as a family. Somehow in those memories, it's always sunny too.

Turns out I married a pancake lover, who isn't so fond of waffles, so I've had to adapt. Those Buttermilk Whole Wheat Pancakes converted me, and are still my favorite EVER, but I'm all for trying new things!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Something clicked today, and I am so grateful it did. The last few weeks have been pretty rough on our family. Stressed, busy, painful, disappointing, frustrating... with one kid trying out new obnoxious personalities and another reverting to bed-wetting, (Clarification: it's not the bed-wetting I mind, it happens. But it gives him the most horrific rash, and I feel awful for him!) we haven't always been the most peaceful, happy, united family. We've tried, really really hard, but it's been a bit strained. I've been terrified. 4 years ago, after losing Autumn, I hit rock-bottom as a Mom, and ever since then, when I get cranky and easily frustrated, I am so afraid I could end up back there. Logically, I'm pretty sure I won't, but I can't help but fear the worst in me.

Today, somehow, I wasn't angry. I was frustrated, but I didn't snarl at anyone. I was exhausted, sore, sick, overwhelmed, and spent. But I liked my kids again. I let the little battles go. I thought before I spoke, and only raised my voice so Joe could hear me over his own screaming. I don't know how I did it, there was nothing different about today; if anything, it was the perfect excuse of a day to lose it. I could be so proud of myself, and think, "Well! That's the good Mom in me finally resurfacing!" and to a certain extent, I am! But I also know, somehow, that I had help. I didn't ask for it, I didn't even pray or read my scriptures today, yesterday... No one knew about this particular struggle and prayed for me (though I thank all of you for the prayers and good wishes for my wisdom teeth!! They're doing MUCH better!) and yet somehow, my Father knew I needed it. Just a little push to remind me that I can do this, that I do love it, and that I can add another hurt, lonely little soul to this family, and not fail her. He loves me, and her, and my family. And I am grateful.

I am also grateful for cake. :)

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (from Splash of Something)
Printable Recipe

¾ cup olive oil (I used extra-virgin for its fruitiness, but regular olive oil works, too.)
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
5 eggs, separated, reserving 1 white (you’ll only need 4 whites)
¾ cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons sugar

Put oven rack in middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil, then line the bottom with a round of parchment. Oil parchment, too.

Whisk lemon zest together with flour. Reserve juice for later.

Beat together egg yolks and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric or standing mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, drizzle in olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, and beat until just combined. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

Beat eggs whites (from 4 eggs) with ½ teaspoon salt in another bowl with clean beaters until foamy, then add ¼ cup sugar a little at a time while continuing to beat until eggs whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Gently fold one-third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, and then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. (The batter should look like it has about doubled)

Transfer batter to springform pan, and gently tap against work surface a few times to release air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 ½ tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. (Keep an eye on it after 25)

Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges, and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature (takes about an hour), then remove bottom of pan, and peel off parchment. Transfer cake to serving plate. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or with berries and whipped cream, or plain. Your choice!

This is one of those recipes that I would call simple, yet technical. It isn't hard, nor does it take a long time, but you do need to be careful, and pay attention. That said, this is one of our family's new favorites! The boys asked for seconds, The Geologist said, "It's weird... but it's really good."

I think he meant the texture. This cake does not taste like olive oil, I promise. If no one told you there was olive oil in it, you would never know. The texture, on the other hand, is a change for these-here parts. We usually like our cakes moist as can be. This cake is closer to an angel food cake, really! Light as air, yet a bit dense, fluffy, but not at all dry!

It's our new favorite cake to have with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream, which is really our favorite dessert. We have it all the time during the summer! Shortcake, move over, there's a new favorite! (That's a lot of favorites) Speaking of favorites, Splash of Something (where I saw this recipe) is one of my favorite food blogs. My friend Katrina writes it, and she's fabulous. She's one of the people I want to be when I grow up. And she has the most adorable little girl I think I've ever seen!

Basically, it's downright delicious. Yes, I know you have to beat the eggs, separately, and fold things together. It's okay. You can do it. Be brave, and give this one a try! You might just love it. :)

Citrus Streusel Drizzle Cake

It SNOWED!!! Finally it feels like December!! It better stay that way, warm weather this time of years saps a bit of my Christmas cheer! It's just not the same!

Speaking of Christmas cheer, we've had quite the Christmas Tree saga. We found a beautiful, lush, perfect noble fir for our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Our very first real Christmas tree!

Unfortunately, it seems I never paid enough attention to Christmas tree care while growing up... so it dried out completely. When we realized it was dying, we went all out, pulled all the decorations off, cut a few inches off the end, and waited for it to recover...

It did not. Sigh. So what to do?? We COULD dig back through the closet and set up our fake tree... but the Geologist decided he had been too spoiled by the real tree. So we got a baby tree, and set it up on the counter!

I almost like it better.

Citrus Streusel Drizzle Cake (adapted from The English Kitchen)
Printable Recipe

1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup softened butter

heaping 1/2 cup caster/ultrafine sugar
2 heaped Tb of good quality lemon curd
2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon and 1 tsp orange zest
juice of 1/2 lemon

Streusel:

4 Tb granulated sugar
6 Tb flour
2 Tb cold butter
1 Tb orange zest, and zest from 1 lemon
1 TBS chopped candied ginger

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
the juice of 1/2 lemon, plus 1-2 Tb fresh-squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 325. Butter/line a medium sized loaf pan. 

Put all of your streusel ingredients into a food processor. (Or mixer) Blitz until it clumps. Remove and set aside. Wipe out the processor/mixer. Add all of the cake ingredients and blitz for 2 minutes. 

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth over the top. Sprinkle with the streusel. (Easy, huh??)

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the cake is well risen and golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan. Once it is cool, lift out onto a wire rack. Whisk the glaze ingredients together only adding enough juice to give you a drizzle-able consistency. Drizzle this over the top of the cake. Allow to set completely before serving.

Isn't it beautiful?? So easy, and fun to make, and just looks delicious!!

The icing is sweet and tart, the streusel is crunchy and bright, with the ginger bits adding warmth... I never thought, "Oh! There's some ginger!", it just warmed up all the flavors wonderfully.

I love all the spices of this time of year, but isn't it funny that we think of citrus as a summery flavor, when here in North America, they're actually best in winter?? It was time for some lemon around here!

The cake itself is light and fluffy, just moist enough, and sweetly lemony. You can taste both the lemon and orange flavors, and they make a great team! This is a positively delectable cake, and one of the yummiest things I've made in a while!

I wish I could have eaten it all myself, but I gave it to a neighbor. It's probably for the best. I might just have to make another one... It was truly scrumptious!

Shared at The Sunday Showcase, Make the Scene Monday and  On the Menu Monday

French Chicken

Do you have a Dutch oven? No? Well, it's time to get one. Go find a cheap one at Target, or online. (Amazon is great!) Cooks Illustrated has some great reviews, but heck, just grab one anywhere. It's time to join the club. (You might need your husband, older brother, teenage son or significant other to lug it around for you though)

 I love my Dutch oven. Not for it's looks (in fact, it's so chipped it's number one on my "replace" list) but for it's function. Dutch ovens are so useful, and so versatile, and so bombproof, and make FABULOUS food!! I'm more than happy to lend it out, for the making of delicious recipes. Did you know you can make crusty, fluffy, fantastic knead-free artisan bread in these babies? Oh yes. I haven't done it yet, but I will. I have tasted it, and it is gooood. Anything you use a pot for, you can use a Dutch Oven for. To clarify, I'm talking about ceramic coated kitchen dutch ovens, not the black ones you bury in your campfire while camping. Can you use those on a stove? I don't even know.

Back to the recipes. I have made stew, roasts, pasta, fried things, and chicken in my Dutch oven. Today, in honor of YOU who make me SO happy, and my new blog design *eee!* I am sharing my favorite chicken recipe of all time. I learned the method from Cooks Illustrated, the rest is all me :). When Stephen was leaving me all alone every other week for field work, this was my comfort food. It is also my #1 meal for taking to friends and neighbors, because it is so darn easy! And people get sick of lasagna. It is made, of course, in a Dutch oven. If you don't have one, and won't just listen to me and go GET one, and don't have a friend, neighbor, or vague acquaintance to borrow from, I guess you could do the browning in a pan and move the whole thing to a lidded baking dish. But make sure you seal it!!

French Chicken (I also use this recipe for my Chicken Pot Pie)

Printable Recipe

1 chicken (simple enough! Make sure all those yucky little inside bits are removed first. I make Stephen do it. Also, get the highest quality, least-filled-with-additives chicken you can find, just this once. It makes a difference, trust me)

2-3 stalks of celery

2 medium yellow onions or one VERY large onion

4-6 peeled garlic cloves

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

half a lemon

kosher salt (or a coarse salt)

pepper

olive oil

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Season the breast side of the chicken generously with kosher salt and pepper. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in your Dutch oven on medium high heat. Swirl it around a bit to make sure the bottom is coated. When the oil is heated, but not smoking, place the chicken, breast side down, in the Dutch oven. It should sizzle as it hits the oil. Let brown for a few minutes on that side, and salt and pepper the bottom generously too (the side now facing UP). While browning, chop onion and celery into about 1/2-1 inch chunks. Big, coarse chunks. Carefully check the chicken. If the breast side has browned a bit, turn it over. (I find that sticking a wooden spoon into the cavity works best) Dump onions, celery, and garlic into the Dutch oven around the chicken. 

Put the lemon half inside the chicken. Let the chicken and veggies brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If the bottom of the chicken is getting too brown (aka, burning) push some veggies under it. Once the veggies are softened a bit, and the bottom of the chicken is well-browned, add the sprigs of thyme, and place a sheet of foil over the top. Place the lid on top of that, and crumple the sides of the foil around the lid, sealing that gap as much as possible. Put the whole thing in the oven, and let cook for 80-110 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken. (90-100 minutes usually does it for me!) 

Remove from the oven and the Dutch oven and let sit, covered, for 20 minutes. 

While the chicken is resting, pour all the juices and solids left in the Dutch oven through a strainer into a bowl (or large glass measuring cup) Squish all the solids to squeeze every last bit of juice out, especially that lemon!

Best Gravy Ever

2 Tb butter

2 Tb flour

juices from chicken

salt and pepper

Melt butter in a small pot/saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and stir constantly until it darkens a bit and smells toasty. Gradually pour in juices, whisking furiously!! It will thicken up fast, and you don't want chunks. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add a little bit more lemon too! (you can use this same method on any juices from any meat. If you don't have enough, add some chicken or beef broth)

Now, I know these pictures don't look like much. I should have used a darker plate, and made a colorful side-veggie. But I didn't, I just wanted to eat. So you're going to have to use your imaginations. 

Imagine the juiciest, most tender chicken you have ever had. Imagine it is lightly but thoroughly flavored with thyme, lemon, and other savories. This is the chicken that made me love dark meat. 

Now the gravy. People, you could put this gravy on a cardboard box and it would be delish. I adore gravy, and this is quite simply, The Best. It's smooth and savory, deeply flavored with garlic and thyme, and a tang of lemon... It is celestial. 

Together, they are simple chicken perfection. Are you drooling yet?? If not, read it again, because you should be! This is my favorite. Use it well. 

Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Today has been a very, very busy shopping day! We bought pretty things for both bathrooms, (I've never had pretty bathrooms before!!) a computer desk that I am in LOVE with, and random odds and ends. I'm putting the home together, I promise pictures as soon as I'm done!!

Let it be known: I have granite countertops. *swoon*

I'm going to put lots of fun things together tonight for my next few posts, so this one will be short. It's the recipe for the cookies I made to go with the scones for his thesis defense. Lemons and berries are on the way out, but we can hang on to them for a few more weeks, can't we??

Lemon Blueberry Cookies (adapted from Miss Karli Brae)
Printable Recipe

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups blueberries
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla, zest, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Gradually add the dry ingredients into the batter. Carefully fold in berries.

Scoop or roll cookies into about 2 Tb sized balls.  Allow dough balls to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour, up to overnight. When ready to bake, place balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly golden.

Looks like I should have used a colored tablecloth!! Oh well, I'm still learning :)

I love these little cookies. They're like a cross between cake and cookies... not quite as airy as a cake, not quite as dense as a cookie, but with the best bits of both! Plenty of soft, zesty lemon-ness, and pockets of sweet blueberry. I ate three before I knew what I was doing...

And this cookie base is so versatile!! You could do anything with it. Play with different extracts and berries, add chocolate or white chocolate chips... have fun with it! I am pretty sure I will have to try it with raspberries someday...

Scones and cookies, Summer and Fall. I may like Fall better as a season, but goodness knows I dearly love the flavors of both!!

Shared at Foodie Friends Friday

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

Ah, the wonders of Pinterest!! I have finally gotten the hang of it. And it is FUN!! I've already found quite a few fabulous recipes to try from it! This is one, and I encourage you to go check out her pictures of these bars. You will see why I HAD to make them. They literally called my name. By being my favorite color. Whatever, pictures can talk!!

I really like the Improv Kitchen. My favorite part are her suggestions as to how you can "improv" all the recipes!! The ideas for these bars were a perfect example. Pretty much any berry/citrus pairing you can imagine. I can't wait to try blackberry-lime bars and pink grapefruit!! Make these right now, (or at least this week!) with perfect, end of summer raspberries. You won't regret it, I promise!!

Raspberry Lemonade Bars from The Improv Kitchen
Printable Recipe

for the crust:

9 T. (1 stick + 1 T.) butter
¼ c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

for the filling:
12 oz (heaping 2 c.) frozen raspberries thawed (or fresh raspberries!)
¾ c. sugar
⅔ c. lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
2 T. lemon zest (3 lemons worth)
3 egg whites
1 egg
⅔ c. flour
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper AND grease it so you can easily lift the bars out once they've cooled.

Crust First:
Cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in vanilla. Add flour until just incorporated. Dump dough in baking pan and press with your hands until it evenly covers the bottom of the dish. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly golden brown.

Filling Next:
If you, like me didn't have enough time for the raspberries to thaw on their own, place in microwave for 1 minute to soften them up. Then put in a fine mesh sieve and press the berries through (this removes the seeds) into a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to rub the berries through the mesh, scraping the bottom of the strainer often. If you don't mind seeds, you can add them in whole. Or if you don't have a sieve, you can blend them up in a food processor or blender. (I strained mine, and they were a bit soft. maybe next time i will add seeds and see if they are stiffer??) Add sugar, egg whites, egg, lemon juice + zest, flour, and salt to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the crust (don't worry, it's a very loose mixture, it will thicken) and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for at LEAST 4 hours. You can place them in the freezer if you need them sooner, but refrigerator is best. If you let them cool overnight, they're even better!

Isn't that color amazing?! Hers look even better. But looks are only part of these babies.

They TASTE fantastic!! Sweet, of course, but mouth-puckeringly tart. (you can up the sugar to 1 cup if you like) I'll take these over lemon bars any day!!

I tried stacking them all pretty, but they were a bit softer than I expected. The Leaning Tower of Raspberry!

I love the crust too. It's firm and shortbready, with a great "bite". Hard to describe... you'll just have to make them to find out!!

 I have a confession... I gave 6 to our new neighbors... and slowly at all the rest of them myself.

I recommend them for breakfast (before brushing your teeth!)

Pasta with Asparagus and Lemon Cream Sauce

What a great day!! Finally met my dear blogging friend Shaylee in person! And felt very tall. It's been a while. We had a great visit, lots of girl talk, Joe was an angel, and they ate my cake for me! What more could you ask for??

I lost track of time, so had to make dinner fast when I got home. Stephen gets cranky when he's hungry. "So like a man!" (ha, name that quote!) Luckily, I had this simple, quick, delicious pasta recipe that I've been dying to try. I am the only member of my family that likes asparagus, so I usually don't subject them to it, but I told them they could just give me theirs. This is one of my new favorite dinners EVER!!! You must, must try it. Even though there is cream in the sauce, it is light and fresh and summery. The sauce barely coats the pasta, not drenching it in rich creamyness. We're making it again, this time with my meatballs! I'll give you that recipe too, later, they're scrumptious! Until then, at least try this!

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Peas, and Asparagus (adapted from The English Kitchen)
Printable Recipe

8 oz of uncooked twisty or tubular pasta (penne, ziti, fusilli, rotini, etc...)
1/2 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices (I just had a handful)
1 cup frozen green peas
1 Tb butter
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 TBS fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
the finely grated zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper

fresh Parmesan cheese

optional fresh lemon slices

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Place the peas in a colander. Drain the pasta mixture over top of the peas when done. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet/saucepan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant and slightly softened, about one minute. Stir the broth and cornstarch together in a small bowl with a fork, making sure to mix well. Stir broth into the garlic/butter. Bring to a boil while stirring. Cook until thickened a bit, stirring constantly for about one minute. Whisk in the cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook and stir for about one minute to heat through. Toss in the pasta and vegetables, stirring to coat well. (You can also cook the sauce while the pasta is boiling, return pasta and veggies to the pot, and pour sauce over it all.) Garnish with some more freshly ground black pepper if desired and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This was so fast, and so easy, and so GOOD!!

Stephen made some very yummy spice-rubbed chicken to go with it, convinced that it MUST need meat... But even he, a die-hard carnivore, admitted that this pasta didn't need meat! Gasp.

I agree. The peas were kinda mushy, and the asparagus was out of season, but STILL!! I love love love it. And imagine it with fresh peas, and in-season asparagus... and possibly green beans... Sigh.

I'm so happy we have leftovers. Yum Yum YUM!! (Thank you, Marie!)