The Main Squeeze

By Staff
Lemons – the color of sunshine and the flavor of a summer day
They are bright, shiny and irresistibly sour. Lemons – very few foods in the world are as versatile or as tasty. Lemons add that extra touch in lots of recipes, as well having several uses around the home.
For example, try dropping a few lemon slices in your garbage disposal to keep it fresh. Or, in the winter, toss some lemon peel into your fireplace for a fresh aroma.
Of course, lemons are best used with other foods. If you are making a sandwich with canned tuna, shrimp or chicken, rinse the meat in cold water and then squeeze some lemon juice on it. Toss well and let it set for a few minutes. The lemon juice will help remove the "canned" flavor from the meat.
Here are some other recipes for all the lemon lovers:
Lemon Grilled Chicken
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cups lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs. dried rosemary
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 (2 1/2 – 3 lbs.) chickens, quartered and skinned
Combine all ingredients except chickens in an electric blender or food processor and process mixture until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Pour oil mixture over chicken. Seal bag and marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least eight hours. When ready to grill chicken, drain chicken and discard marinade. On a grill (gas or charcoal) with medium-hot coals or about 350-400 degrees, cook the chicken for about 35 minutes, turning once. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to check the doneness of chicken. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. The chicken is done when the thermometer shows 180 degree.
Lemon Garlic Pasta
2 tbs. butter
4 tbs. olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and minced garlic. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and pour mixture over pasta. Add parsley, toss gently and serve immediately.
Lemon-Parsley Baked Salmon
2 salmon fillets, 1 1/2 pounds each and 1 inch thick
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
4 lemons, thinly sliced
2 tsp. finely julienned lemon zest for garnish
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease it well with vegetable oil. Generously oil the salmon skin. Place fish skin side down on the foil. Run your fingers over the fleshy side of the salmon. If you feel any bones, remove them with tweezers. Lightly salt and pepper the fillets. Combine the parsley and scallions and spread the mixture over the salmon. Arrange lemon slices, slightly overlapping, over the parsley mixture. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the fish is opaque, about 14 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven, remove the lemon slices and scrape off the parsley mixture. Place on a serving platter, garnish with lemon zest and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Lemon Meringue Pie
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest of one lemon
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbs. butter
Pinch of salt
2 large egg yolks
1 pre-baked pie crust
Meringue ingredients
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin making the filling by mixing together the sugar, cold water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to stir until the filling is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks until they are fluffy. Whisking constantly, pour the hot mixture into the yolks and mix well. Allow the filling to cool for a few minutes. Pour the filling into the pre-baked, warmed pie shell. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Slowly pour in the sugar and cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites stand in stiff peaks. Pile the meringue on the pie, making sure it touches the pie crust all around and completely covers the pie. Bake until the meringue is golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before serving.
Lemon Glazed Lemon Sponge Cake
1 1/4 cups egg whites, at room temperature (about 9 large eggs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp lemon oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted sugar
1 cup cake flour, sifted three times
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
2-3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. finely grated lemon zest
Preheat oven to 325. Beat egg whites until frothy; add salt, cream of tartar and lemon oil and vanilla extract.
Continue beating until they form stiff but not dry peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Using the same rubber spatula, gradually fold in the flour, one quarter at a time.
Pour batter into an ungreased, 9-inch angel food cake pan. Bake one hour or until top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from pan sides. Remove cake from oven . Cool in the pan 10 minutes and then invert pan and let cake stand upside down for an hour or until cooled.
While cake is cooling prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Let stand 10 minutes before glazing the cake as it thickens a little. Serve immediately.