Lemon Spaghetti

Just when I think the busiest part of summer is behind me, a new week starts.  And with that new week usually comes a fresh batch of activities, events, visits from friends, more visits to family, festival season... and the list goes on.  Oy!

Honestly, I think it's harder to keep a family well-fed during these busy summer months than the fall and winter.  We are so busy with soaking in every ounce of the good weather while we can, that food can often take a back seat.  And normally Wisconsin doesn't get too insanely hot.  Not this year though.  It. Is. HOT.

Ugh.

Anyway, when it gets this hot, the LAST thing I want to do is heat up my kitchen with my oven, or even using the stove top for too long.  Rob isn't too thrilled about firing up the grill either.  What's a Family Cook to do in this kind of situation?

Make this, that's what.

Lemon Spaghetti
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3-2/3 cup grated Parmesan [NOTE: Use more Parmesan if you're not using another cheese in this]
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil OR 1 tsp dried basil
1 wedge of Laughing Cow Garlic-Herb cheese, optional
1 tbsp lemon zest

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  If you are using dried basil, add it now.  Set aside to let the flavors combine while you cook the pasta; you can also make this up to 8 hours ahead of time. 

Yes, you really should make this while sipping some wine.  ;)

2.  Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

3.  Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, along with the wedge of cheese, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped fresh basil, if using instead of dried.

Keep tossing the hot pasta around until it soaks up all that sauce.  Add hot pasta water if it gets too dry.

I loooooove this dish, and for so many reasons!  Oh where to begin...

• Gotta love a No-Cook sauce!  The only cooking involved is the mere minutes it takes to boil water and cook pasta; about 10-15 minutes total.
• Making the sauce in the same dish I'm serving the pasta in just makes me do a little "Less Dishes to Wash Happy Dance."
• I have an obsession with intense lemon flavors.  I find that tart flavor immensely refreshing and satisfying.
• As much as I adore fresh basil, there's no shame in using a good quality dried basil.  Using dried herbs means I could also make this any time of the year I want to.  
• Who says I have to use basil?  Thyme, rosemary, oregano...fresh or dried, whatever floats my boat that day!
• This is tasty hot or room temperature.  
• Oh the leftover options!!  Add whatever protein sounds good (roasted shrimp, grilled chicken, flaked tuna), maybe toss in a few veggies (carrots, red pepper, broccoli) and voila! A one-dish lunch or dinner!

Garden Vegetable Soup

This is a Mad Soup.

And now you're probably wondering what on EARTH makes this a Mad Soup.  And is there really such a thing as a "Mad Soup"??  Oh yes, yes there is.

I could go with the obvious and say that eating this soothing soup will make all intense emotions mellow out and float away.  I could also say that the aromas of all the vegetables simmering away in the rich broth will smooth out that furrow of frustration on your forehead.

But let's be honest here...  this is a Mad Soup because you get to chop stuff.  A lot of stuff.  And since beating up on meat isn't really my thing, I prefer to work out my frustrations by cutting up vegetables.

Garden Vegetable Soup
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown

4 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds 
2 peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup chopped celery, with leafy tops
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup-ish white wine [get one of those mini bottles and pour into a 4-cup measuring cup.  Fill the rest of the way with water]
3 cups-ish water
1 quart bag of roasted tomatoes, chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 tsp lemon juice

1.  Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, green beans, and celery and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season again with salt.

Some of the veggies that felt the wrath of my knife.

2.  Add the wine, water, and stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, broccoli, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice (do NOT leave these out!!). Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately with some hot, crusty bread.

All those gorgeous COLORS!!

Couple things to point out here, aside from the obvious satisfaction I derived from chopping up all these great veggies.  Usually when recipes call for a lot of oil or butter, I cut it back or out altogether.  However there is no meat in this to generate any additional fat so you really do need 4 tbsp of oil to get everything working.  Also, don't be afraid to season each layer of ingredients that you add to the pot.  Again, there's no meat or cheese in this, and vegetables can be pretty bland unless seasoned properly.  Be sure to taste this before serving to make any seasoning adjustments.

One of the cool things about this soup is that it's a great base to do whatever you like to it.  Have a diehard Carnivore in your house who's giving you the stink eye for making something vegetarian?  Toss in some shredded chicken or turkey.  Make this more of a tomato-y soup by replacing the wine/water with tomato juice.  Add some whole wheat pasta to this, or barley, or rice, or beans.  Do whatever you like!!  That's the beauty of soups like this one.

Chicken Piccata

It's been a long day.  Tired. Getting hungry.  Not much in the fridge.  Man, even leftovers sound daunting and that's pretty bad.  I need something fast, easy, something that's going to perk me up a bit.  Yep, chicken piccata can do that.

My prep space.  Yes, I have an app to let me access recipes on my phone.

What is chicken piccata?  It's a lightly breaded chicken breast cooked in a lemon sauce.  Now, you're probably thinking "Wait Jeanna, breaded??  I thought you said easy!  Breading means flour and eggs and breadcrumbs and goopy fingers and mess!!"  Hang on, I promised fast and easy right?  Trust me.  You'll be making this the next time you've had a long, exhausting day.

Chicken Piccata
I think I got this from Family Circle

4 chicken breast cutlets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped [Note: if you don't keep shallot on hand, finely chop half a small onion]
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1.  If you don't normally keep chicken cutlets on hand (I don't), no need to rush to the store.  Take 2 chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise so they're about half the thickness. 

2.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken through the flour, shaking off the excess. (See? I told you they were only lightly breaded)

Ignore the singed edges.  I'm terrible at thawing chicken ahead of time.

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat; melt butter.  Add the chicken and brown on each side.  Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside, covered, to keep warm.

4.  Add the shallot (or onion) to the pan and cook a minute or two to soften.  Pour in the wine, lemon juice, and capers and stir to combine.  Be sure to gently scrape up any browned bits from browning the chicken earlier.  Bring to a simmer.

If you're distracted and add the wine first, just soften onions quick in a second pan.

5.  Add chicken back to the pan and spoon a little sauce on top.  Partially cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Add parsley to the dish just before serving if you have it.  If you don't? Not the end of the world.

I. Love. This. Dish.  It is fast.  It is easy. And between the lemon juice and wine it has this bright, sunshiney flavor that's impossible to be sad in the face of.  The capers bring this kind of mustardy tang to the dish, toning down that intense lemon experience just a bit.  What's even better is that the leftover chicken?  Yeah, cut that up and use on top of a fresh spinach salad.  YUMMY!!  This is a really great dish for anyone super busy but still wants a homemade dinner at the end of the day.  I kid you not, this comes together in about 20 minutes.  Wahoo!!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, even Gavin liked this.  But then, he also likes to eat lemons.  Yeah, I know, weird. ;)