Almond Macaroons

Unlike the popular French macarons appearing in bakeries across the country, this simple recipe makes a delicious cookie, full of almond flavor, with a crunchy exterior and soft interior. 

1 cup whole almonds (preferably blanched)

2/3 cup granulated pure cane sugar + ½ cup for rolling

1 large egg white

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a food processor, pulse almonds and sugar until ground fine. Add egg, almond extract and salt and pulse until combined. Mixture will be sticky. Roll into 16 – 1” balls.  Roll each ball in sugar and space 2" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 mins, until pale. Let cookies sit on the sheet for 10 mins before carefully moving to a cooling rack. 

Recipe courtesy of epicurious.com

Summer Feast for Four

Watermelon Gazpacho, Farmers' Market Panzanella, Yogurt BBQ Chicken Skewers with Minty Lemon Pepper Sauce, Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ricotta Popsicles - a great refreshing summer meal!

Watermelon Gazpacho

1 – ½ pound tomato, seeded & chopped (about ½ cup)

1 ½ pounds seedless watermelon (about 3 cups)

1 – cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced

¼ cup olive oil

10 to 12 mint leaves

2 T fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until a smooth, but slightly chunky consistency.

*Present this soup with a dollop of plain yogurt, splash of lemon olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper – or top with feta and fresh finely chopped mint.

Farmer’s Market Panzanella

4 c of crusty bread in ½” cubes

1/4 c + 1 T  olive oil

½ cup chopped of each: red pepper, baby green zucchini, baby yellow squash, radish, & red onion

2 T fresh orange juice  

2 T white balsamic vinegar

3 to 4 basil leaves, finely chopped

Salt & pepper

2 cups microgreens or mesclun mix (optional)

Toss bread cubes and 1 T olive oil in a medium bowl then spread across a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Broil on low for 3 to 5 min just until bread starts to toast. Cool completely.

In the medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar.  Add vegetables and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

10 mins before serving, toss bread cubes and basil with marinated vegetables.

If desired, serve over a small amount of microgreens or mesclun.

Yogurt BBQ Chicken Skewers w/ Minty Lemon Pepper Yogurt Sauce

Cut 1 lb chicken breast tenders into 1” pieces and marinade, for no less than two hours, in the following mixture:

1 c plain yogurt

¼ cup olive oil

2 T lemon juice

1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 T fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Prepare Sauce by mixing the following:

1 c plain yogurt

2 T sour cream

Zest of two lemons

Juice of one lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T fresh mint, finely chopped

1/2 T black pepper

1 tsp salt

Let chill at least 2 hours

Grill chicken pieces for 2 to 3 mins per side, until juices run clear. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes before skewering several pieces onto a bamboo or metal skewer. Serve with chilled dipping sauce.

For an extra touch, I squeezed some lemon juice over the chicken before serving and put a small dot of sriracha (chili pepper sauce) on the plate for some kick!

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ricotta Popsicles

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese

½ cup mini chocolate chips

¼ cup sugar

1 T fresh lemon juice

Place strawberries, ricotta, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and run for two minutes until mixture is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into ice cream molds and freeze for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Grocery List

1 1-lb package chicken breast tenders

1 loaf crusty bread – such as French or sourdough

16 oz plain yogurt

1- 8oz container sour cream

1- 15oz container ricotta cheese

1 small seedless watermelon

1 pint strawberries

1 large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes

1 baby zucchini (about 5 inches long)

1 baby yellow squash (about 5 inches long)

1 red bell pepper

1 bunch radishes

1 English cucumber

1 small red onion

1 small bag of microgreens or mesclun

1 garlic bulb

3 lemons

1 orange

Fresh Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Mint

1 small bag mini chocolate chips

Olive Oil

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Recipes adapted from: New York Times, Stonyfield Organic, mybakingaddiction.com, and epicurious.com

Limoncello & Lemon Ginger Syrup

Limoncello

5 lemons

2 cups vodka

1 ¾ cup water

1 ¼ cup sugar

Rinse lemons then peel carefully into long strips with a vegetable peeler. Using a sharp knife trim away any white pith from the peels. To a large glass bowl or pitcher, add peels and vodka. Cover with plastic wrap or airtight lid and let steep at room temperature for at least 4 days. Use the leftover lemons to make the Lemon Ginger Simple Syrup below.

After four days, stir water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Cool completely then add to the peel/vodka mixture. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.

Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer, discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to a 1 liter glass bottle and refrigerate until cold. Enjoy for up to 1 month.

Enjoy as a cordial or on ice with a splash of soda water.

Lemon Ginger Simple Syrup

Juice of 5 lemons – about ¾ c

¾  cup water

1 cup pure cane sugar

2 inch section of ginger, peeled and cut into small sticks

In a small sauce pan, boil water, sugar and ginger uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced to about 1 cup, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Strain through a mesh strainer, pressing hard on the ginger to release juices. Pour into a 1 liter glass bottle, cool and chill, covered. Enjoy for up to two weeks.

Great for cocktails, teas, colds, or fresh lemonade…

Lemon Ginger Lemonade

¾ cup water

3 to 4 T lemon ginger syrup

2 T fresh lemon juice

Mix all in a small glass filled with ice. Enjoy!