5 Refreshing Citrus Recipes

When life hands you lemons … it’s time to get cooking! Nothing makes a recipe taste fresher than a sprinkle of citrus zest.

1. Lemon loaf with lemon glaze

Take a big inhale. Yes, that’s right. In aromatherapy, lemon lifts your mood and calms your stress. So let’s take this balm of serenity out of the realm of wind chimes and Enya tunes and onto a plate – one bite of this zesty lemon loaf, drizzled with tart lemon glaze, will have you downright chilled.

Ingredients

Lemon Loaf

1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Glaze

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3) In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. On low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with the flour. Stir in lemon zest.

4) Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-48 minutes or until golden around the edges and just cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

5) For the glaze, in a small bowl, stir together lemon juice and sugar. Gently pierce the top of the loaf several times with a fork and pour glaze over.

Yield: 12-14 slices

2. Mediterranean couscous salad

If you’re looking for the perfect big bite, you’ve found it with each forkful of this lemony Israeli couscous salad. A super-easy recipe, this satisfying salad combines tender Israeli couscous (aka pearl couscous) with roasted red peppers, arugula, mozzarella and basil.

Ingredients

Lemon Dijon Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Couscous Salad

2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¾ cups Israeli (aka pearl) couscous
1 tsp lemon zest
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup roasted red peppers, diced
2 cups lightly packed baby arugula, chopped
¾ cups fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Lemon slices, for garnish

Directions

1) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper set aside.

2) For the salad, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add couscous and lemon zest, cooking 3 minutes, until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until couscous is tender. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl, allowing to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in peppers, arugula, mozzarella and basil. Toss well and garnish with lemon slices.

Serves 6

 

3. Guacamole with spiced pita chips

Holy Guacamole! This recipe for zesty guac and homemade spiced pita chips is unbelievably easy and delicious.

Ingredients

Pita Chips

2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 (6-inch) pita breads

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados
2 tbsp chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder

Cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1) For the pita chips preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and cayenne pepper. Brush both sides of each pita with the olive oil mixture. Cut each pita bread into 8 triangles. Place on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes, flip and bake 5-6 minutes more, until golden and crispy.

2) For the guacamole, mash avocados in a bowl and stir in red onions, cilantro, lemon juice, halved tomatoes, salt, cumin and chili powder. Serve with pita chips and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6

4. Pasta salad with vegetables and herbs

Lisa knows how to make us all look good. In between critiquing my rouge application (“Like a clown”) and my dance skills (“Spaz!”), she has found the time to make us all chefs. If you can boil water, thanks to this quick and easy recipe, you can be Master of the Pasta Salad. With a few chops here and a slice and shake there, this fresh vegetable and herb-loaded pasta salad is tossed in a zesty lemon Dijon dressing in no time at all. You can thank her later, after she has corrected your pronunciation (“It’s PAH-stuh, not PAW-stah”) and posture.

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

1 lb fusilli pasta
2 small carrots, peeled, sliced diagonally
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped, unpeeled cucumber
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Lemon Dijon Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and place in a large mixing bowl.

2) Add carrots, celery, red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, oregano, parsley and basil to pasta. Toss to combine.

3) For the dressing, in a small jar, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, whole grain Dijon, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Shake well and pour over pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss well to coat.

Serves 6-8

5. Mom’s famous lemon chicken

This lemon chicken recipe is, much like our Mom, the hands-down best. Why is it among our most-requested recipes? Perhaps it’s because the chicken is marinated in white wine and lemon juice, or that it’s topped with a sprinkle of brown sugar or, it could be because it’s baked in a citrus broth mixture to juicy perfection. You better stock up on lemons because this lemon chicken is going to become a weeknight staple.

Ingredients

Lemon marinade

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil, divided in half
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 lemon slices

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for topping

Directions

1) Combine lemon juice, olive oil, white wine and chicken breasts in a large glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

2) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3) In a medium bowl, combine flour, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade (discard remaining marinade) and lightly coat in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

4) In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add half the chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer browned chicken to the prepared baking dish and repeat with remaining 2 tbsp oil and chicken, adding to baking dish in a single layer.

5) Sprinkle brown sugar over chicken breasts. Pour chicken broth and lemon juice around chicken. Top each breast with a lemon slice and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 6

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.