Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Thighs

The best thing to go with the Meditteranean Orzo pasta are these Mediterranean Chicken thighs. Lemony, easy, and delicious! Again, I am a chicken thigh convert. TRY THEM! They turn out juicier and more flavorful and they are cheaper!!! Give them a chance!!

Meditteranean Lemon \Chicken Thighs
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
5 T olive oil
Juice and zest of one lemon
1T red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients together in a zip lock bag. Let the chicken marinate in the bag in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Hea tthe olive oil olive in a large OVEN PROOF skillet over meduim high heat. Coat the chicken with olive oil .  Once the skillet is hot, lay the chicken thighs smooth side down in the pan and cook until golden brown. Turn chicken over and place pan in preheated oven. cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through. Let the meat rest for a couple minutes.  while the meat rests pour the marinade into the skillet and cook over high heat unitl it boils rapidly, about 1-2 minutes. Place the chicken on a serving plate and pour the boiled marinade on top. Sprinkle with oregano, parsley and a squeeze of lemon.  yum yum!

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan

This is one of our new favorite side dishes! My family loved it so much, I had to make it twice in one week! SOOOOO good, and so fresh and summer tasting!!! I served this with lemon chicken!!! This would also be good as a lunch salad with some lemon chicken or shrimp mixed in!!

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan
adapted slightly from Keeping Up Cookbook (keepingupcookbook.com)
2 T. Butter
1/2 C. finely diced onion
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. garlic salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 C. orzo
2 1/2 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. frozen peas, thawed
1 C. grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, cut into thin wedges

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salts. Cook until onion is softened. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the grains are golden, about 5 minutes. DONT SKIP THIS STEP! Toasting the orzo gives it an amazing nutty flavor that makes the whole dish! Carefully stir in the broth, and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo is tender, 15-20 minutes. (Keep heat low or liquid will boil off too quickly). If the orzo is cooked and liquid remains, increase heat until evaporated.
Off the heat stir in the peas and parmesan. Let stand until the peas are warmed thorugh, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges. (I drizzled a little lemon juice over the entire dish first and then covered with lemon wedges.

Creamy Lemon Crumb bars

Lemon is the greatest...Anything lemon rocks. Tangy, refreshing: LOVE IT. So anyways, when I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website, it just was screaming SPRINGTIME. I tried it and was not dissappointed. See the crumbly topping, the creamy lemon center - It is DIVINE ( and very easy to make!!). Thanks Ree for another keeper!

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.
Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

Chicken PIccata

I love this dish! Its one of my favorite things to do with chicken. Lemons just make me happy. This particular recipe came from my "cuisine at home" magazine. Like they say, If you like fresh lemon, tender chicken, and a quick recipe, then this classis italian dish will fit perfectly on your dinner plate..... Chicken Piccata
2 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets ( or breasts cut into cutlets).
Salt and Pepper
All-purpose flour
Nonstick spray
2 T. vegetable oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T. capers, drained
2 T unsalted butter
Fresh lemon slices
Chopped fresh parsley

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, the dust with flour. Coat a saute pan with nonsticck spray, add vegetable oil, and heat over medium high heat. Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side. Flip the cutlets over and saute on the other side 1-2 minutes with the pan covered.Transfer cutlets to a warm platter and pour fat off from the pan. Deglaze pan with the wine and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is slightly brown and most of the liquid is evaporated. Add broth, lemon juice, and caper's. Return the cutlets to the pan can cook on each side for about one minute. Remove cutlets and let sit on a plate. Finish sauce with butter and lemons. Once butter is melted, pour sauce over cutlets and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Lemon Lime Cake with Lemon Lime Drizzle

I made this for a friend brunch we had the other day and it was sooooo good! It is so fresh and just makes you think of summertime!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt

For the drizzle:1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
lemon and lime juice

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add lemon and lime juice and zests, vanilla and almond extract and yogurt. Mix just until combined and then add flour mixture until just combined and creamy. Grease the pan of your choice (cupcake pan, mini muffin pan, cake rounds) and fill the cups half way. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or baked through (less for mini muffins and more for cake pans) and when cooled, transfer to a wire rack. In a small bowl combine the confectioners’ sugar and enough lemon and lime juice to make a nice consistency for the drizzle. Drizzle over the baby cakes and enjoy!

*I used a mini muffin tin in the picture above, to make these delectable bite size morsels. cook time was about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees. just a little fyi.