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I haven’t made these in a while, and the lemons I recently purchased made me think of the yummy, thick custard-like filling on these easy to make bar cookies. The addition of some chopped nuts in the cookie base is a nice touch.

• 2 cubes of butter
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped, skinless almonds
• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• grated rind from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a food mixer place the butter, 2 cups of flour, almonds and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and mix until this forms a ball, scrapping sides as needed to incorporate all. Press this mixture into a 13×9″ pan that has been sprayed with Pam or greased with butter. Form a 1/2″ rim around the edges and bake for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, lemon juice, and lemon rind until smooth. Pour this mixture over the cooked dough and spread to cover completely, staying inside the rim of the cookie dough.

Bake this for another 30 minutes until the filling is set, and the edges are golden brown. Cool completely and then sift the 1/3 cup of powdered sugar evenly over the top. Cut into bars and serve.

Tags: lemon
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I use cornmeal to add a little crunch to the chicken fried steak when breading it, and with the lemon glaze sauce it is a great combination when paired with the cheesy goodness of a rich polenta (recipe to follow).

• 2 breakfast steaks (sirloin), tenderized
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• flour
• cornmeal
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup beef stock

Bread the steaks on each side with the salt & freshly ground black pepper, and generously with the cornmeal and flour. Press this breading firmly into the steaks.

Over medium heat in a large frying pan, add 2 tbsp of the butter and the oil and melt. Fry each steak on one side until crisp and flip to fry the other, several minutes each side until cooked through. Remove from pan, place on a platter and keep in a warmed oven. Add 1 tbsp of flour to the frying pan and add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Add the beef stock and stir quickly to incorporate into a thick sauce. Add the lemon juice and Italian seasoning and let simmer on low for five minutes.

With a sharp knife, cut the steaks lengthwise into several pieces. Drape these on the polenta on an angle and drizzle with lemon glaze sauce.

Polenta (is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal):

• 4 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup medium-grain yellow polenta
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2
• dash of nutmeg

Heat water lightly seasoned with salt to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and quickly whisk in the polenta until fully incorporated. Lower the heat to a low simmer and allow the polenta to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Finish by whisking in the cheeses, heavy cream, nutmeg and salt to taste. For a super smooth texture I place this all in the food processor and blend for a minute.

I have found that just cooking the polenta without adding the cheeses, cream and nutmeg, is a great breakfast too. Pour the polenta into a greased 8″x8″ pan. Place this is the refrigerator to firm. The next morning cut into squares, pan fry in some butter and drizzle with maple syrup, delicious!

Tags: beef, lemon, steak
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This is one of my all-time favorite chicken dishes. It is easy to prepare and the lemon and cilantro add a fresh taste to this steamed dish. There is no saute or frying, this is steamed in a bowl over boiling water. Serve with rice and steamed vegetables for  a healthy, clean meal.

10 chicken tenders, or 4 boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh ground ginger
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cilantro oil (optional)
• pinch of white pepper
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 bunch cilantro

Rinse and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. With a potato peeler, remove just the lemon peel into strips, making sure not to take the white, bitter rind and set aside. Juice the lemon and add it to a mixing bowl along with the lemon peel strips. Add the next 11 ingredients, mix well. Chop the rinsed cilantro (reserve a 1/4 cup) and add to the bowl along with the chopped chicken. Let marinate for 20 minutes.

Start the steamed rice, this should take 20 minutes. Place the chicken mixture in a heat-proof dish and place in steamer. I use a bamboo steamer, that can be stacked and the vegetables placed in the other, purchased from an Asian market. Steam the chicken for 15 minutes, or until the chicken turns white, stir occasionally. Remove the lemon peel strips. Serve chicken and sauce over steamed rice with vegetables of your choice and sprinkle the remaining chopped cilantro over chicken. Serves two people.

Tags: chicken, cilantro, lemon
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