Lemony Orzo and Shrimp

This dish was an instant hit.  A combination of a few different recipes I've read in recent days.   My addition was to add shrimp to make a complete main course instead of a delectable side.  Its a spin on scampi flavors with a little something extra from the spinach and peas in it.

Lemony Orzo and Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb peeled and deveined 16-20 count shrimp
• 3/4 raw orzo pasta
• 2 strips bacon cut into lardons
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 C frozen peas 
• 1 C frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• zest of one lemon
• juice of two lemons (about 3-4 tablespoons)
• 2 T grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot bring 6 cups water to the boil, salting water well.  Cook orzo to package directions for al dente.  Reserve 1/4 cup hot pasta water,  drain remaining in a colander.  Set aside.

Over medium heat fry up the bacon in the olive oil to get it rendering faster.  When the bacon is browned and starting to get crispy, add the shrimp and garlic.  Cook stirring often 2-4 minutes until shrimp just cooked through.

Add cooked pasta, lemon zest and juice with the peas and spinach.  Cook 2-3 minutes until peas thawed and spinach warmed through.  Add pasta and toss to coat, heat gently until warm about a minute or so.  Add parmesan and toss to combine, if sauce is a bit tight add reserved pasta water to loosen it up and create a thin silky  sauce.   Serve immediately with a nice glass of Tuscan dry white wine such as Villa Antinori.

 

Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

 

Some days I just have to say...DAMN I'M GOOD and be done with it.  By now you know I love the Gooey Butter Cake, but this guy just can't do vanilla.  This is an amazing slice of happiness.  Hit you in the face with lemon flavor but not so lemony as to be acidic.  

Swapping out cake mixes for the bottom layer is easy enough.  For the top layer, the gooey part it took a little of careful thought.  I increased the powdered sugar part of this layer to counteract the extra bit of liquid in the form of lemon juice to amp up the flavor in this layer.  Also adding to the flavor bomb is the generous use of lemon zest.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 8 oz package full fat cream cheese
• 4 1/2 c powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 t vanilla
• zest of one large lemon
• juice of 1/2 large lemon (About 1 tablespoon)

Preheat oven to 350F

In mixer with paddle attachment add the cake mix.  Beat 1 egg.  With mixer on low slowly add egg and melted butter.  Increase speed to medium and beat on medium until egg and butter incorporated into a sticky dough, about 2 minutes.

Grease a 9X13 baking pan with cooking spray.  scoop dough into the prepared pan and press with fingers until level and entire bottom is covered.  Helpful hint...spritz your fingers with cooking spray and the dough won't stick to your hands.

In mixer swap paddle for whisk attachment.  Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.  Cut room temperature cream cheese into cubes and add to powdered sugar.  Add 2 beaten eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, with the pinch of salt to the bowl.  Start mixer on low and increase speed as mixture becomes a loose batter like consistency.  Increase speed to medium and beat 2-3 minutes until all cream cheese is incorporated.  Pour this layer over the cake mix bottom layer.  Smooth with spatula to get it into the corners.

Bake 40-50 minutes until top is a good brown color and there is a visible thin layer of crispy crust on top.  Cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.  Note the cake will fall a little while cooling.  Serve with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Cake base in prepared baking pan.  Note there is a baking sheet under the pan to catch any spills that happen as the cake rises during the baking process.

Top layer on the cake mix base

Cake baked to a perfect brown with crispy crust over the gooey layer.

Lemon Souffle'

I'm beginning to wonder what all the fuss about is with making Souffle'.  This version doesn't have a starch to bind and it still puffed up wonderfully.  Yes, it fell a bit after while cooling but it was still a wonderful puff of marshmallowy lemony goodness.

I cheated here and used a good store bought lemon curd.  Dundee brand if you can find it is the most amazing lemon pucker I've found yet.  Yes, you can fuss and make it at home, but why for the love of gawd when you can get good store bought would you do it?

I use Meyer Lemons, the virtues of which I've extolled in the past.  Suffice it to say its milder with a better flavor than the traditional lemons found in the groc at the corner.  Worth tracking down March-May when they are in season.

Tip: Zest lemon then juice it.  You will never zest a lemon that has been juiced first.

Lemon Souffle'

• Good quality Lemon Curd
• 1 large lemon - zested and juiced
• 3 eggs, separated
• 5 T superfine sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/4 t cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350F

In a 10-12 oz ramekin spoon in 2 heaping tablespoons lemon curd, smooth and level in bottom of ramekin.

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar in copper bowl until soft peaks form.  Sprinkle over 1T superfine sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

Combine egg yolks, sugar, salt, zest and juice.  Whisk until frothy and sugar is dissolved.  Stir in 1/4 of the whipped egg whites to lighten the yolks.  Pour yolk mixture into the egg whites and fold gently until well incorporated and few white streaks remain.

Place ramekins on baking sheet.  Divide souffle' batter evenly between the 3 ramekins.  Bake 17-18 minutes until puffed and golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve.

Candied Lemon Cake

So what do you do when you lack an ingredient for one recipe you really want to do? Short of running to the store for something I won't have much use for with the excess I improvise. Not entirely by the seat of my pants, but with a little research for similar recipes with ingredients I have on hand.

Such is what happened with the Candied Lemon Cake. The idea came from a recipe Martha Stewart's everyday food. I lacked buttermilk and wasn't about to run off to the store for a quart when all I needed was a cup. I had sour cream, but how much to substitute and how was the question. I found a few other recipes with sour cream based cakes and subbed in the amount of sour cream and juice I needed. Voila problem solved and I could use the rest of the recipe as guidance for assembly for the final product.

The cake itself has a nice crumb and a density more like a pound cake than your usual boxed cake. A good thing in my book as it packs more flavor in each bite. The frosting is actually more of a Swiss Meringue as it starts over warm water to dissolved the sugar into the egg whites. That too is a good thing as it is a very light and fluffy frosting and the perfect counterpoint to the dense richly flavored cake. Of course the candied lemons on top are just the perfect pissy touch to make it all edible with your eyes. Presentation is everything.

The one trick I have for you applies to the application of the syrup to the warm cakes. Put the cakes on their cooling rack over a baking sheet to catch the drips and prevent the cakes from sticking to the counter. On the rack lets the syrup run all over as you brush it on without fear of making a bigger mess on the counters, or worse the cake sticking to the counter.

Candied Lemon Cake

• 1 C (2 sticks) room temperature butter plus more for pans
• 2 ½ C flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for pans
• ½ t baking powder
• ½ t baking soda
• 1 ½ c sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)
• 1 T Lemon Zest
• 3/4 C sour cream
• 1/4 C lemon juice
• Whipped Frosting

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 8X2 inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round.

In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks one at a time. Mix together lemon juice and sour cream. Alternately beat in flour mixture and sour cream , beginning and ending with flour mixture, mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32-25 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

While cake bakes bring ½ c sugar and ½ water to boil in a sauce pan. Add one thinly sliced lemon and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer lemon slices to a wax paper lined plate. Stir in ¼ c fresh lemon juice into the syrup. Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup.

Place cake, bottom side up on a cake stand. Tuck strips of parchment paper underneath. Using offset spatula spread top with whipped frosting. Top with remaining cake. Frost top, then sides. Add candied lemon slices to the top of the cake as edible garnish.

Whipped Frosting:

In heat proof bowl over simmering water (not touching) combine 3 large egg whites, ¾ c sugar, pinch of salt and 1/3 c water. Cover over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture registers 150F on instant read thermometer. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium high until glossy, stiff peaks form. Do not over beat, about 3 minutes: reduce speed to low and add 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice and beat until just combined.