When life gives you lemons...

 

I love lemons...they are awesome in main course dishes, side dishes, drinks, as a garnish, you name it.  Today in the kitchen we are going to sample some of my favorite ways to infuse lemon into your life.  So pucker up buttercup...off we go to explore the wonderful world of lemons.

  

First lets start with a simple drink.  Lemon Drops are one of my favorite shots...

not to mention they make a great body shot if you're interested in that sort of thing {{{wink}}}.

Let's start with some good quality vodka, I prefer Absolut but it's your choice.  I do not recommend drinking cheap vodka.  Next you need some lemon wedges and sugar (sugar packets are perfect for this).

Pour a shot of straight vodka into a shot glass, open a packet of sugar and pour on lemon wedge.  Take the shot, suck the lemon.   Yum!!!

For side dishes such as veggies we can create a wonderful Lemon Butter Sauce. Today we are going to make my favorite, 

Roasted Asparagus With Lemon Butter Sauce 

1 bunch of Asparagus

2 Garlic cloves, finely minced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 stick of Butter

Juice of 1 Fresh Lemon

1 tsp Pink Peppercorns crushed (see note below)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lemon Zest for Garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. 

On a baking sheet, lay down Asparagus and coat with Olive Oil. 

Sprinkle the minced garlic on top. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until garlic turns a slightly light brown color. 

In a separate bowl, melt butter, and add lemon juice and pink peppercorns.

(A nerd girl note on Pink Peppercorns – although called peppercorns they are not true peppercorns and should be crushed gently in a mortar and pestle not in a peppercorn mill)

Pour butter sauce over Asparagus just prior to serving. 

Finish with lemon zest as well as some salt to taste.

For a main course dish I would like to share a 
recipe I came across from a magazine years ago 
and have always enjoyed 
Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup honey
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts

Directions

Preheat a grill for medium heat.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. 
Add the garlic, and cook 1 to 2 minutes. 
Whisk in honey and lemon juice. 
Reserve half for basting, and brush the other half onto the breasts.
Lightly oil the grill grate, and place chicken on the grill. 
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning frequently. 
Baste often during the last 5 minutes. 
Chicken is done when the meat is firm, and juices run clear.

Serve with lemon slices from the other half of the lemon and some fresh rosemary as a garnish if ya feel fancy.

And now for the most important course...desert of course! 

Today we are going to make easy as pie
Mini Lemon Tarts



There are many versions of this recipe on the internet 
but this is by far my favorite. You can find this on relish.com. 
First let me say that I cheat when I make these...
I do not make my own tart shells anymore...
you can purchase them in your local grocery store and 
it is well worth the cost to not have to bake your own...
but if you insist you can find many 
wonderful recipes on the internet.  
Today I'm going to assume you took my advice and bought pre made
shells so we will skip directly to the 
yummy lemon filling...

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 - 4 lemons)
24 packaged sweet ready-to-eat mini tart shells

With a whisk, beat cream cheese, milk and lemon juice until smooth.

Place spoonfuls into tart shells.

Refrigerate.

And the you have it my lovelies...many wonderful recipes to get you in the mood for the lemony goodness of the crops this summer.