Lemon Basil Shrimp & Pasta

 

I am a huge fan of one-pot meals and this shrimp & pasta dish did not disappoint.

Not only was it delicious, but it also provides about 31 grams of protein.  How cool is that?  Now, it does have capers and that will add to your sodium intake so make adjustments as needed. If you don’t have fresh basil–I had a few tiny leaves left on my plant in the garden–you can also use this.

I’m telling ya, I felt like I was at a restaurant when I served this meal.  The only thing missing was some crusty bread.

Now I need to try a shrimp & pasta recipe with lemon butter sauce…

Lemon Basil Shrimp & Pasta
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 3 quarts water
  2. 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
  3. 1 lb. peeled & deveined extra large shrimp
  4. 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil (I used a combo of fresh and lightly dried)
  5. 3 T. drained capers
  6. 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  7. 2 T. fresh lemon juice
  8. 1/2 t. salt
  9. 2 c. fresh baby spinach
Instructions
  1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot or Dutch oven, adding a little salt, if desired. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes.
  2. Add shrimp to the pot and cook for 3 more minutes or until shrimp is done and pasta is al dente. Drain.
  3. Place pasta in a large bowl and stir in basil, capers, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
  4. Place about 1/2 cup of baby spinach into each serving dish and top with 1 1 /2 cups of pasta mixture.
Adapted from My Recipes
Adapted from My Recipes
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

 

So many of us are looking for healthy DELICIOUS food options these days.  The latest thing I am checking out is the Mediterranean diet–actually I just would like to not call anything a diet, but a lifestyle.  Mediterranean sounds good to me.

I looked up easy Mediterranean recipes and found this one that sounded delicious.  And who doesn’t love using a rotisserie chicken? Am I right?

And you may think, by looking at the photo, that this recipe includes cream. NOT.

I know.  And yet it is so good.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 1 T. olive oil
  2. 3/4 c. cubed carrot
  3. 1/2 c. chopped yellow onion
  4. 2 t. minced fresh garlic
  5. 3/4 t. crushed red pepper (next time I will use 1/2 t.)
  6. 6 c. chicken broth
  7. 1/2 c. uncooked orzo
  8. 3 large eggs
  9. 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
  10. 3 c. chopped baby spinach
  11. 1 1/4 t. kosher salt
  12. 1/2 t. black pepper
  13. 3 T. chopped fresh dill (for garnish)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly.
  2. Add broth to Dutch oven and increase heat to high, bringing broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook, uncovered, until al dente, about 6 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and lemon juice together until frothy. Remove 1 cup of the broth from Dutch oven and add, gradually, to the eggs. Whisk constantly to temper the eggs for about 1 minute. Pour egg mixture into Dutch oven and stir to combine.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in chicken, spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until spinach wilts.
  5. Serve up in 6 bowls and sprinkle with the dill.
Adapted from Cooking Light
Adapted from Cooking Light
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Lemon Chicken

 “Deborah, what do you call this dish?”
“Lemon Chicken. Do ya like it?”
  “It’s delicious. I could eat this every day the rest of my life.”

Hmmmm….if you’re a fan of the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” then you know exactly the episode that I am quoting from.  If you don’t know, then let me catch you up. Raymond is sitting at the kitchen table and Deborah schleps a plate of Lemon Chicken down on the table.  Ray rolls his eyes and acts like he likes it but…We get a flashback to the day that Debra and Raymond first met, when he delivers and sets up her new futon–it was the 8O’s. You can tell they like each other right from the start. Deborah loosens a screw on the futon and calls the store to complain that it is broken so that Raymond will come back and fix it.  Smooth move.  Eventually she invites him to dinner and she serves her signature Lemon Chicken.  The above conversation takes place and the rest is Romano history.

Every time I see this episode–or any of them with the Lemon Chicken–I want to go and make some.  So I found this recipe in Ann Romney’s cookbook.  It is delicious.  I don’t think I would eat it “every day the rest of my life” because then I wouldn’t be trying more recipes to share with you!  Try it tonight and comment below to let me know what you think.

 

 

Lemon Chicken
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Ingredients
  1. 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (uniform size)
  2. 3/4 c. flour
  3. 1 1/2 t. salt
  4. 1/2 t. black pepper
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 1 1/2 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs
  7. 4 T. salted butter
  8. 4 t. olive oil
  9. 1/2 cup chicken stock
  10. 1 T. Capers
  11. juice of 3 lemons
Instructions
  1. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breasts in half, cutting parallel to your cutting board.
  2. Place 2 or 3 pieces of the chicken in a gallon sized zippered plastic bag and close. Flatten chicken with a meat mallet to 1/4 inch thickness. You could also use a rolling pin.
  3. You will need 3 shallow bowls or pans for this next step: Combine flour, salt, and pepper in 1 bowl, beat eggs in another bowl, and then place the bread crumbs in the 3rd bowl.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Dip the chicken in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Melt 1 T. butter with 1 T. olive oil in a cast iron skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat.
  5. Add 2 or 3 chicken breasts to pan and brown nicely on both sides--about 5-6 minutes total time. Continue this process with the remaining chicken until all are done. Add butter and olive oil by tablespoon for each batch.
  6. Place browned chicken in a 9 x 13 glass dish and place in oven for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear.
  7. While chicken is baking, wipe out the skillet and melt 4 T. of butter. Add 1/2 c. of chicken stock, 1 T. capers and the lemon juice. Simmer until sauce thickens. Serve this over your baked chicken.
  8. Optional: garnish with slices of fresh lemon.
Notes
  1. If you like Macaroni Grill's Lemon Chicken, you are going to LOVE this! Trust me, I know.
Adapted from The Romney Family Table
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/