Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

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Simple grilled lemon pepper chicken is sliced and served over top a lemony cream sauce. This easy dinner is done in less than 30 minutes and is perfect for summer!

Memorial Day unofficially means the start of summer around here - especially since the kids start ending their school year. And summer means fresh produce! Last week when I went grocery shopping, I went a little hog wild in the produce section and am now hurriedly cooking through them before they spoil!


This pasta lets 2 items that you can easily find at the farmers market this summer shine: lemon and basil. They are perfectly matched, aren't they? It's creamy, tart, and flavorful. The grilled chicken is perfect over the light pasta but you could also use shrimp or scallops.

Lemons vary in size and juice amount so it's important to measure the juice or you'll sour the dish. This is a dish for lemon lovers - which we both are - but if you don't love lemon, you won't like this. It's the shining star!

Don't reach for the bottled stuff - you really want fresh lemon juice for this. It's worth it, I promise!

 
Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
1 pound penne pasta
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 3 lemons worth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup half-and-half
1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
20 whole basil leaves, chopped

Preheat the grill to high and lightly oil the grates. Rub the lemon pepper seasoning on all sides of the chicken and place on the grill. Cook, turning as needed, until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side. Remove from grill and allow to rest.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 

Return the now empty pasta pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and whisk together, then add the cream and half-and-half. Continue whisking and add the cheese; whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Check the consistency, adding pasta water to loosen if needed.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and combine. Stir in half of the chopped basil and then pour into a large serving bowl. Thinly slice the grilled chicken and lay on top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining basil over top. Serve hot.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf

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Incredibly moist and bursting with lemon flavor, this easy lemon loaf is whipped up in just 1 bowl!

Cliche as it may be, I'm a Starbucks addict. I'm one of those people who know the staff and they always start my order when they see me walk in. I'm not a $7 drink person; I'm an iced coffee addict and theirs is pretty reasonably priced. Their food, however, is pretty overpriced so I rarely order it. My husband does not do coffee (or really, any drink that Starbucks offers) but he loves their lemon loaf! Occasionally, if he's with me on one of my iced coffee runs, he asks for a slice to go.

Their lemon loaf really is fantastic, but it's pricey! I can make this entire loaf for probably half of a single slice at Starbucks. The ingredient list has nothing weird, you don't need to use every mixing bowl in your cabinet (just 1!), and you don't even need a hand mixer. That's my kind of baking!

The verdict was two thumbs up in this house. It's moist and really loaded with lemon flavor! I think it may even be better than Starbucks... but don't tell my favorite baristas!

Do make sure your extract isn't old (ie: not alcohol-y); I actually had to replace mine before making this recipe because mine was more alcohol than lemon in flavor. The glaze can be thickened to your liking. I like mine thin, drizzly, and really soaked into the loaf so I sliced my cake and then drizzled the glaze so each layer really absorbs the lemon flavor.  

Don't make this right before going to bed. You might find yourself eating a few slices alone in a dark kitchen. Not that that happened to me.

Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf
For the loaf:
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2.5 tablespoons lemon extract, or to taste
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or as needed for consistency

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and yogurt or sour cream. Whisk vigorously until smooth and well combined. Drizzle in the oil and continue whisking until combined. Add the lemon zest and lemon extract; whisk to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to combine but don't overmix. It's okay if there are some lumps present.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes. Carefully pull the pan out and loosely drape a sheet of foil over top to help prevent over browning. Place back in the oven and cook another 10-12 minutes or until the top is domed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl add the confectioners' sugar and slowly drizzle in the lemon juice, whisking as you go. Add juice until it's your desired consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the loaf before serving. As noted above, I like slicing mine before drizzling so that glaze gets in between the slices.

Store airtight at room temp.

Source: Recipe slightly adapted from Averie Cooks

Lemony Spinach and Artichoke Baked Ziti

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If you like spinach & artichoke dip, you'll love it transformed into pasta! Cheesy, creamy, and with 2 green veggies, it totally counts as health food :)

I'm back with yet another pasta dish! I just can't get enough of them - which is probably why I'm no skinny minnie. In this house, we're all about 1 dish meals. Saves on dishes, saves on time, and it's easy to eat sitting in front of the TV. Pasta typically fits the bill, unfortunately (or fortunately for my taste buds!).This was delicious, slightly sinful, and easy enough for a weeknight!

My cast-iron skillet was once again my go-to pan. Using an oven safe skillet will make this recipe super simple and cut down on the dishes. If you don't already own a cast iron pan (or 3), you should. They are cheap, easy to clean, and are a breeze to cook with. I'm up to 8 now and my old Calphalon pans have slowly been pushed to the back of the cabinet. Cast iron is not just for campfires!

Lemony Spinach & Artichoke Baked Ziti

1 lb rigatoni

1 (5 oz) bag baby spinach

For the filling:

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 lb frozen artichoke hearts

¼ cup dry white wine

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 large egg yolks

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

4 tbsp butter

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 cups 2% milk

½ cup ricotta

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 350. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions, adding the baby spinach to the pot in the last minute of cooking. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, for the filling, melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed oven safe skillet (like cast iron) over medium heat and cook until it turns amber. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, followed by the onion, and cook until the onion starts to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook until they are warmed through and softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the artichoke mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add the grated cheese, egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the food processor bowl and pulse until combined, but still coarse. Set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the milk, a little bit at a time, until it is all added and has reached a batterlike consistency. Bring to a simmer and let it thicken, whisking constantly. Whisk in the ricotta, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Season to taste with more lemon juice and/or salt.

In the oven safe skillet you used for the filling, gently mix together the drained pasta and spinach, artichoke filling, and sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. 

Source: adapted from Eats Well With Others

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

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The perfect mix of pudding and cake - served hot! The lemon fan in your house will LOVE this easy dessert!

My husband is a huge lemon fan so I'm always on the hunt for new lemon flavored desserts to try. A friend passed this one on and we've been making it for years! We especially love it during the winter months when a warm dessert is even more appealing. Yeah, it's not the most photogenic dessert but I promise it's absolutely delicious.

This dessert is easy thanks to some store-bought helpers, such as boxed cake mix and packaged lemon pudding mix. Pair those items with some pantry/fridge staples and you can quickly whip it up. It makes an entire 9x13 pan and is very rich so a little goes a long way. This is perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or company!

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix + ingredients needed for cake

2 (1 ounce) boxes instant lemon pudding mix

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

2 cups cold milk

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish.

Prepare cake mix as directed on package and pour the batter into the reserved baking dish.

Pour the milk and water into large bowl. Add the dry pudding mixes and sugar and whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour over the cake batter and gently swirl with a fork mix together a bit.

Place the pan on a rimmed cookie sheet to catch drippings and bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Spoon into serving dishes and serve warm.