lemon Archives - Ari's Menu

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

June 17, 2014 · by Ari ·

Ultra soft, fluffy and tall bakery style lemon blueberry buttermilk muffins. These muffins are screaming bright, summer flavor, and with their ultra soft and tender crumb, you’d never guess they were healthy and gluten-free!

Okay, so who else is ridiculously excited about season 2 of Orange is the New Black? I feel like I haven’t left the house in two days because all I want to do is stay home and watch it. Plus, I wanted to re-watch the entire first season to refresh and get myself ready for season 2!

I actually juuuussstt finished season 1, and I’m only a couple of episodes into season 2. “I think I’ll Pinterest. I hear that’s a thing.” <—–my favorite part so far. Ummm….yeah. So that’s what’s happening in my life. Also lots of swimming and a whole 13×9 pan of watermelon and tequila in my freezer because these are making a comeback. What can I say? It’s summer. Margaritas and all things citrus must be had. 😉

Something about lemons just scream summer to me. Summer is when I do a lot of my recipe testing/photography because I have some extra time to devote to the blog. Last year the first thing I did when summer vay cay started was buy a crap ton of lemons and make lemon blondies and lemon crinkle cookies. They are still two of my favorite desserts.

The bright, citrusy flavor seems to instantly make desserts more summery. Like I’m cooling off by the pool with a glass of lemonade, while simultaneously eating my weight in big, fluffy muffins. The best of both worlds if you ask me.

I also feel like lemons and blueberries are kindred spirits. Like pb & j, chocolate & hazelnut, goat cheese & my mouth. These muffins are so soft and filled to the brim with blueberries. The lemon glaze is totally optional. There is plenty of lemon flavor already there, but if you want a little extra sweetness, it’s definitely a fantastic addition. Either way, you won’t be able to get enough of these babies!

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Ultra soft, fluffy and tall bakery style lemon blueberry buttermilk muffins. These muffins are screaming bright, summer flavor, and with their ultra soft and tender crumb, you'd never guess they were healthy and gluten-free!

Ingredients

3 cups gluten-free baking blend orwhite whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 small lemon, zest and juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1 and 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (preferably organic)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray, or line with paper liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together baking blend, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, applesauce, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla until combined. Stir in half the dry ingredients, then buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in blueberries.
Evenly divide batter between 12 standard muffin tins. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and continue to bake for an other 17-20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (with just a few crumbs).
Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve or transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle with this lemon glaze if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. For best results do not add glaze until ready to serve.

Notes

The muffins will get quite brown and you will think you have overcooked them. The almond meal and whole grain flours yield a darker muffin. As long as you bake for suggested time and do not over mix, your muffins should come out perfectly baked, soft and tender!

https://arismenu.com/lemon-blueberry-buttermilk-muffins/

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

August 14, 2013 · by Ari ·

I took 5 pictures of artichokes and they all look the same. Forgive me?

Actually, I took more like 20 pictures of artichokes which is surprisingly low for me. Usually I take close to 40 photos per shoot until I’m either 100% positive I got the shot I wanted, or I give in to frustration and call it quits, decide I hate photography and I am going to delete my blog. Sometimes I’m a little dramatic.

And actually, they don’t all look exactly the same. I moved, like, an inch to the right which obviously makes it a completely different photo. Then I just really liked them all, and I couldn’t choose. Usually I show them all to Steve over and over and over until he tells me which one(s) to delete, but he was boycotting. So that’s what you get. Five pictures of artichokes that all look extremely similar.

Grilled artichokes. Uuugghh…you guys. They are THE BEST. I could eat a whole grilled artichoke for dinner and be totally content. They are huge, filling, healthy, and they force you to eat slow and enjoy the experience. They are not an impatient food, which makes it a little strange that I enjoy them so much, because we all know I am an impatient person. They are a process. The cooking part is a piece of cake. Boil, remove the weird hairs (I know…I wish they made hairless artichokes, like pitted dates or hairless cats…), grill, voila! Then you get to take your time. One leaf at a time, until you get to where all the action is–the heart!

Once your artichoke has been cooked, you scrape the inside of each leaf with your teeth, then discard the leaf into a side dish. Repeat with all of the leaves until you get to the heart, then pick that baby up and chow down! If you’ve never tried a whole artichoke, seriously, you must! And the lemon and rosemary?? To die for. A totally impressive meal that is more time consuming to eat than it is to cook!

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 artichoke

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

Ingredients

2 large lemons
2 large artichokes
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Cut off the stems of each artichoke leaving about 1" of stem remaining. Slice off the top quarter of each artichoke to create a flat top. Fill a very large pan or dutch oven with water and juice from one lemon. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Bring water to a boil, and add artichokes. Boil for about 15 minutes, until softened. Remove, and let stand for 5-10 minutes until they have slightly cooled.
Slice each artichoke in half, and use a spoon to remove the choke (the part in the center just about the heart that looks like little hairs--they will scoop right out). Drizzle each half with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, then zest remaining lemon over the artichokes (I used about a tablespoon of zest). Season with rosemary, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Grill artichokes over medium heat until browned and softened, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Notes

Some people wish to trim the spiky leaves on the outside of the artichoke before cooking. You may do this, but I find it to be a waste of time. I find that they soften when cooked, and if they don't I simply discard them after cooking.

Often the first layer or two of the artichoke won't have any of the good stuff. You may with to discard the first several leaves. When you get to the good ones, the "meat" will scrape off easily.

https://arismenu.com/lemon-rosemary-grilled-artichokes/

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

August 7, 2013 · by Ari ·

Hi friends! I can’t believe this week is almost over. It has been a whirlwind over here. I’ve been back in town for just a little over a week, and I’ve started a new job, adjusted to a new 4am alarm, and tried to start setting up a new routine. It has been great, and challenging, but mostly great! Also, yesterday I had the honored of being featured by one of my favorite bloggers. I answered several questions about my weight loss and running journey. Head over and check it out if you want to learn a little more about me. 🙂

Anyway, let’s talk about food! Cookies, specifically. Perfectly tart and sweet, melt-in-your-mouth-soft lemon crinkle cookies. Uggghhhh, you guys…I can’t even explain to you how good these cookies are. They rival those Paradise Bakery gems that I’ve been obsessed with for years. They make you want to convert to lemon desserts forever.

The combination of the lemon Greek yogurt + coconut oil = cookie texture perfection. Thick, soft and lightly chewy–you will never miss the butter!

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash salt
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
5 tbsp nonfat lemon Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Add coconut oil, yogurt, vanilla, egg and lemon juice. Beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Place powdered sugar in a large shallow bowl. Roll dough into approx 1" dough balls. Roll in powdered sugar to coat completely, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges gave just set. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet. Store in a loosely covered container for 5 days.

Notes

Plain yogurt may be substituted if lemon is unavailable.

https://arismenu.com/lemon-crinkle-cookies/

White Chocolate Lemon Blondies

July 18, 2013 · by Ari ·

Before I left for Portland, I made a lot of food. Sometimes, I would spend all day in the kitchen creating recipes, and by the time I left I was pretty sick of the inside of my kitchen. The best day, though? The day I blasted my newly purchased Matilda original cast recording, sang Revolting Children at the top of my lungs and made all lemon desserts. It was literally the best day.

Lemon pastries have always been one of my favorites. The tart lemon pairs perfectly with the sweetness of almost any dessert, but it needs to be a pastry for me. Cookie, cake, blondie, etc. Not lemon creamy things. They don’t do it for me. Lemon bars? Meh, take ’em of leave ’em. I shied away from creating my own because I am so in love with the way lemon and butter taste together. I didn’t think I could recreate a genuinely delicious lemon pastry without rich, flavorful butter. I was wrong. You may want to take note, because I don’t admit to being wrong too often. Just ask my husband.

Maybe it’s the melted white chocolate? Maybe it’s the tiniest bit of butter flavored extract? It’s optional, but when you don’t use butter, I find it can be magical. And that is how I would describe these bars. Magical. I know that’s a bold statement, but when you create a blondie that is ultra soft, gooey, and not the least bit cakey without using even a hint of butter, I call that magic.

These babies are a full on indulgent treat without any of the guilt. They do have quite a bit of sugar that you could absolutely cut down on if you have less of a sweet tooth than me, but other than that, they are 100% whole wheat and fairly low in fat due to the nonfat Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt is a must. It adds the perfect flavor and texture, and I wouldn’t try to sub it out for applesauce or any other type of fat substitute. If you love lemon pastries even half as much as I do, you will not be able to get enough of these blondies!

White Chocolate Lemon Blondies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 16 small, or 9 large blondies

Serving Size: 1 blondie

White Chocolate Lemon Blondies

Ingredients

Zest of one lemon
2/3 cup sugar
5.5 oz white chocolate, melted
1 x 5oz container (or about 1/2 cup) nonfat lemon Greek yogurt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp butter extract (optional)
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9" square pan with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together lemon zest and sugar until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in melted white chocolate, yogurt, and lemon juice. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking until combined. Add vanilla and butter extracts. Gently fold in flour until just combined.
Transfer to prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted about 2" from the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store in a loosely covered container for 5-7 days.

https://arismenu.com/white-chocolate-lemon-blondies/

Drink & Dish: Lemon Almond Meal Scones {with video}

March 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

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So, today is the first day of Passover (it started last night, because we’re weird, and have to start holidays at sundown), and I should be here with a recipe for matzo ball soup, or macaroons, but instead I’m bringing you totally leavened Easter brunch scones. I’m sorry mom and dad.

To be fair, I did eat my fair share of those things last night, and agreed to go over the story of Passover by watching the Rugrats Passover. I much prefer it to the 8 hours Seders we used to have where we never got to eat dinner until, like, 10 p,m. You know me, I get grumpy if you hold out on the food. 😉

Anyway, I’ve been reallllly wanting to make scones, and I’ve had almond meal scones on my recipe ideas list for quite a while now (I keep a running list in the note app on my iPhone–it’s awesome!), and when Nicole and I were deciding what to make for our Easter brunch Drink & Dish, I knew scones were the way to go.

Okay, that’s a lie. I wanted to make bagels from scratch with flavored cream cheese. I was so sure this would be brilliant. Then Nicole reminded me that perhaps trying to cram the entire bagel making process into a 5 minute video was not the best idea. This is why I’m glad I don’t do this alone. Oh, and the drinks. The drinks also make me glad to have the world’s most perfect partner in crime.

PS, did you see that Drink & Dish has its own YouTube channel now? Nicole and I figured rather than both of us sharing it on our channels, it would be easiest if you could get everything in one place, so if you haven’t yet, please take a second and head over to subscribe.

I absolutely LOVED making these scones! In fact, I made them a few times. The first time they came out far too thin and crunchy to be considered a scone. However, my friends loved those crunchy ones! The texture is easy to play with here–they don’t rise very much, so if you want closer to a cookie/biscotti, them leave them thin and let them get nice and browned. However, for scones, I wanted thick and fluffy. Well, the second time was the charm–all I had to do was keep the dough nice and thick, and they baked up perfectly soft, tender and thick. These perfectly tender scones are topped with my favorite part–the sweet, drippy, lemony frosting with tons of vanilla bean specs. They are so pretty!

These scones only require 1 mixing bowl, and they are done start to finish in about 20 minutes. Perfect for a hectic morning brunch! You can make them the night before, or whip them up quickly in the morning. They work for almost all food allergies, and are a nice healthy treat to balance out all of those chocolate eggs.

Don’t forget to watch the video for step-by-step instructions, and some friendly banter. 🙂

Check out Nicole’s delicious sangria recipe!

And for an added bonus, we uploaded one of our sound checks. We always sing when we work together, and have started singing a lot of our sound checks because…ummm I don’t know. We’re weird. But we found this one especially humorous, so we thought we’d share it for your enjoyment.

Lemond Almond Meal Scones

adapted from Elena’s Pantry

yield 8 servings

For the scones:

2 cups almond meal
dash salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn starch
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp honey or agave (or liquid sweetener of your choice)

For the glaze:

Heaping 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 medium lemon)

Directions:

To make the scones, preheat oven to 350. Line a medium baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond meal, salt, baking soda, corn starch, and lemon zest. Add almond milk and liquid sweetened. Mix until combined.
Roll dough into a large ball and press down into a 1-1 1/2″ thick disk. Cut into 8 equal pieces. Do not separate. Bake as if for 9-11 minutes until golden and set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
To make the glaze, place powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add vanilla bean paste. Slowly squeeze in lemon juice mixing constantly until you have reached your desired consistency. Again, make sure to only add a small amount of juice at a time–a little bit goes a long way.
Use a pastry brush to evenly brush glaze over cooled scones. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes {vegan}

January 2, 2013 · by Ari ·

Hi. There’s cupcakes. But first, can we please talk about Les Miserables for a hot minute? My poor, sweet, perfect husband ~~got forced~~ volunteered to go with me to see it. When I first saw the trailer, I was convinced it was going to be horrible, but as time went on, the hype got bigger and bigger, and I started to believe I was actually going to love it.

And I’m really sorry, because if you saw it, I’m sure you probably loved it too. But we walked out and Steve said “My favorite part was when he jumped off the bridge because that meant he couldn’t sing anymore.” Spoiler alert: Javert jumps off a bridge. Spoiler #2: I kind of agree. I don’t want to talk about everything that was wrong with the movie, because flaws and all, I still enjoyed all 2.5 hours of it. Well maybe like 2 of them, but what was sooooo funny was listening to Steve go on and on and ON about it the whole car ride home. I’ve never seen him hate a movie so much!

His other finest quote was “No wonder they couldn’t get anything done in that French revolution! They had to sing about everything first!” If you didn’t love the movie, you should really ask him about it, but if you’re one of the people who cried in the theatre, then it’s probably a subject best left untapped. Okay, musical theatre snobbery is over. Let’s talk about cupcakes!

You guys know how I’m always talking about perfect flavor combinations. I’m not one to just have one flavor. I like variety. I get bored easily, and I need a lot going on in order to stay interested. I hadn’t ever had lemon and coconut together before (that I can remember), but I had a hunch it was going to be pretty great, and it may not be peanut butter and chocolate, but it is definitely a contendor for my secret mental list. 😉

The light, citrusy flavor of the lemon complements the rich, creamy coconut flavor in these soft and fluffy cupcakes. They are definitely dessert, but not too sweet, and that slightly tart lemon glaze is the perfect finishing touch. And I promise, the best part is not when they jump off a bridge. Unless the bridge is your hand and they are jumping into your mouth. Worst joke ever?

Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

yield 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2/3 cups sugar
zest of 1 extra large lemons
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 2/3 cups canned light coconut milk
reduced fat unsweetened shredded coconut and yellow sprinkles for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar
dash lemon extract
1-2 tbs hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Add applesauce and coconut extract and beat until combined. Slowly pour half of the coconut milk and beat until well incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until incorporated, followed by remaining coconut milk. Beat until smooth, then add remaining flour mixture, and continue beating until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Evenly divide batter between cupcake tins (they should be about 2/3 full) and bake for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, in a small-medium mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon extract and 1 tbs hot water. Slowly continue to add more water (and I mean very slowly. A little bit of liquid goes a long way with powdered sugar) until desired drippy consistency. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, and top with sprinkles and coconut if desired.

Skinnified Sunday: White Chocolate Chip Lemon Blondies

October 16, 2011 · by Ari ·

Hi friends! So I actually made these blondies on Monday after feeling like I hardly got to do any of my normal weekend cooking and had the spontaneous urge to bake, although really, when do I not want to bake? I LOVE lemon pastry. The middle layer of our wedding cake was lemon with cream cheese filling. It’s pretty much one of my favorite things on Earth. Also, I find that brownies are REALLY good with yogurt instead of oil. I almost never use real oil anyway and I never really mind, but I find it works especially well in brownies. So here’s what I started with…

White Chocolate Lemon Blondies

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
155 grams white chocolate, chopped (reserve 30 grams)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

My swaps:

Nonfat vanilla yogurt for butter (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories)
Grain sweetened white chocolate chips and way less of them for white chocolate (-sugar, -calories)
Whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose (+fiber, +protein)
5 egg whites for 3 eggs (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar + 1/3 cup Splenda for 1 cup sugar (-sugar, -calories)
1 tsp coconut extract for 1 of the tsps of vanilla (+yum)

Skinnified White Chocolate Chip Lemon Blondies

yeild 20

6 oz non fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
zest of one large lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4-1/3 cup grain sweetened white chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) In an electric mixer, combine yogurt, egg whites, sugar, Splenda, lemon zest, and extracts.

3) Add in baking powder, salt and flour.

4) Pour into a greased 9×9 baking sheet.

5) Evenly distribute white chocolate chips on top.

6) Bake for 30 minutes, until set, but gooey.

7) Enjoy!

I cut them pretty small and they only ended up being about 50 calories a piece, so Steve and I decided two + Cool Whip and sprinkles was the perfect serving size 🙂