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April Menu: Lemon and Lime for Spring

Chicken and salsa, with the best carrot cake ever

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Lemony Asparagus-Dill Soup

From Yankee Magazine

Soups, Stews, Chowders Recipes

Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 2 quarts, 8 to 10 servings

This adaptation of the classic Greek egg-and-lemon soup can be made a day ahead of time and served warm or cold. For this menu, I prefer to serve it warm.

• 3 pounds thin asparagus
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups plus 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped leeks (cleaned well), white parts only
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh dill
• Garnish: dill sprigs and asparagus tips

Wash asparagus. Break off woody ends of asparagus and reserve, then cut tips off asparagus spears and reserve. Cut asparagus stalks into 1-inch pieces. (If you use thick asparagus, peel the bottom 3 inches of the stalk with a vegetable peeler first, then reserve the peels along with the woody ends.) In a saucepan over high heat, place asparagus ends (and peels) and chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and then immediately remove mixture from heat and let rest 15 minutes. Strain broth and reserve. Discard asparagus ends (and peels).

Place 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then blanch the asparagus tips 2 minutes, or until bright green and barely cooked through. Remove tips from hot water and plunge into a bowl of ice water until chilled. Drain and reserve to use as garnish for the soup.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt butter and add chopped celery, onions, and leeks. Saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add asparagus stalk pieces; stir. Add infused chicken broth and 2 cups water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, about 5 minutes, until asparagus is tender. In a blender, puree soup in batches. Return pureed soup to the pot and allow to cool about 5 minutes, or until lukewarm.

In a small bowl that can withstand heat, whisk together eggs and 1/4 cup lemon juice until creamy and well mixed. Slowly add 1 cup of the slightly cooled soup, whisking constantly. Pour egg-soup mixture back into the soup pot, whisking constantly. Cook soup over low heat, whisking constantly, until soup is thickened slightly and the temperature reaches 160 degree on an instant-read thermometer. Do not allow soup to boil. Whisk in snipped dill and additional 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate soup in a covered container up to 24 hours. Reheat gently on low heat before serving. Place asparagus tips and a sprig of dill in the center of each bowl of soup as a garnish.

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Lime Salsa Chicken

From The OFA Recipes for Every Season

Poultry Recipes

Yield: 4 servings

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 4 broiler-fryer chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
• Salsa (recipe below)
• avocado slices
• tortilla chips

In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, make a marinade by combining the lime juice, sherry, oil, oregano, and garlic salt. Remove 3 tablespoons of marinade and set aside for the salsa. Add chicken to the remaining marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place the marinade in a small saucepan. Heat marinade to boiling, and boil for 1 minute. Place the chicken on a grill with the rack about 8 inches from the heat source. Brush marinade over the chicken. Grill, turning and basting frequently with marinade, about 16 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender. Arrange chicken on a platter. Serve with Salsa, and garnish with avocado slices and tortilla chips.

Salsa

• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 3 tablespoons reserved marinade (see above)
• 1 tablespoon seeded, chopped jalapeño
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix together, and chill. Makes 1 cup.

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The Best Carrot Cake Ever

From The OFA Recipes for Every Season

Cakes and Frostings Recipes

Yield: About 24 two-inch squares

Cake

• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
• 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple tidbits, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan. In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, and vanilla just until combined. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the carrots, pineapple, and nuts. Stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, place onto a rack, and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 ounces (2 small packages) softened cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 teaspoon minced orange peel
• 2 to 2-1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

For frosting: Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Adjust the amount of confectioners' sugar, depending on how stiff you like the icing to be.

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