Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

Sometimes it takes a little while for me to remake a recipe. And sometimes that little while is ten years, but that’s okay, as long as it means I eventually got back to it. This Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce recipe comes deep from the archives of recipes I printed, made and tucked away in one of my binders.

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

Way back when, I only read a handful of food blogs and one of them was For the Love of Cooking. This recipe is extremely important because it introduced Matt and I to the amazingness that is roasted garlic. How little we knew of life before that moment!

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

We made this pasta dish in Matt’s off-campus apartment the summer after junior year of college and with our limited space and kitchen equipment it was quite the ordeal. The recipe is fairly simple, there’s just a lot of ingredients and most of them require some chopping, shredding or zesting.

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

I love this dish because it’s so fresh, but all the veggies get a nice depth of flavor from being roasted. Asparagus, zucchini and grape tomatoes all get roasted before being tossed with pasta, toasted pine nuts, fresh Parmesan cheese and plenty of fresh herbs. There’s two standout other mix-ins, though. The first is the tender shrimp that get marinated in olive oil, lemon zest, basil parsley and garlic. The second is that zesty roasted garlic lemon sauce that should be used on every pasta, chicken and seafood dish from now until forever.

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

This dish is the perfect example of how some basic ingredients, like lemon, fresh herbs and roasted garlic, can take an ordinary pasta dish to a flavor-packed one that you don’t forget about for ten years. I’m so glad I finally made this dish again and with it fresh on our minds, I’m sure it won’t be another ten years until we have it again!

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce | Lemon & Mocha

Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Veggies in a Garlic Lemon Sauce
 
Print
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
for the shrimp
  • 1½ pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • Salt and pepper
for the pasta
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 8 ounces farfalle pasta
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, ends removed and spears cut into thirds
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • Sal and pepper
Directions
for the shrimp
  1. Combine the shrimp, olive oil, parsley, basil, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl or plastic container. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and put in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
for the pasta
  1. Roast the garlic. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the top of the head of garlic so almost all the cloves are exposed. Place the head of garlic in a little square of aluminum foil and curve up the sides. Lightly drizzle the garlic with some olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Seal up the foil to make a little packet. Roast for 35 minutes then carefully open the foil packet to let cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves.
  2. When the garlic has 15 minutes left, start the onions. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, lightly season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Remove the onions to a large serving bowl then sear the shrimp in the same skillet, trying not to get too much of the marinade in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent. Remove from the pan and add to the serving bowl.
  3. While the onions are cooking, start boiling the water for the pasta. Cook the farfalle according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and add to the large serving bowl.
  4. On a large baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil, spread out the zucchini, asparagus and grape tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 of the teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When you take the garlic out of the oven, add the baking sheet of veggies and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and add to the serving bowl.
  5. While the vegetables are roasting, roughly chop the roasted garlic cloves that you squeezed out of the skin. Combine in a small bowl with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Pour into the serving bowl.
  6. When the onions, pasta, shrimp, veggies and roasted garlic lemon sauce have all been cooked and added to the serving bowl, toss to combine along with the Parmesan, parsley, basil and toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with more Parmesan on top, if desired.

Recipe from For the Love of Cooking.

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes 2 Comments

Nutella S’mores Bars

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

Nutella. S’mores. Bars. Yes, you read that correctly. Graham blondies, Nutella and melted marshmallows combine together for the ultimate on-the-go s’mores treat. Also, tomorrow is National S’mores Day. Not like you need another reason to make these Nutella S’mores Bars as soon as possible.

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

I made these bars for family visiting last summer and they were such a big hit that I look for any excuse to make them now. The graham blondie is made with all brown sugar so it’s perfectly chewy. Layered on top of that is Nutella and then gooey marshmallows. The original recipe calls for marshmallow fluff and I’ve made them both ways. I personally prefer the mini marshmallows because it’s easier to just sprinkle them all over the Nutella layer instead of trying to spread sticky fluff on top of Nutella.

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

Speaking of the Nutella, if you wanted to make these, but someone has a nut allergy, there is a note in the recipe below for swapping it out with chocolate. If no one has a nut allergy then definitely load up on that creamy chocolate hazelnut spread!

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

Finally, a second layer of the graham blondie gets put on top and it gets the slightest bit crunchy in the oven. Chewy, gooey and crunchy – yes, please!

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

Not that you will have any leftover, but these bars do freeze well. I know this because Matt and I have tried putting some in the freezer to avoid eating them all right away, which has only ever resulted in us each eating them out of the freezer every single day after I’ve frozen them until they’re gone. Hmm, I guess that trick doesn’t work well for us, but at least now I know they taste fine after being frozen! I know you all will love these bars just as much as we do – enjoy!

Nutella S'mores Bars | Lemon & Mocha

Nutella S'mores Bars
 
Print
Yield: 12 bars
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup marshmallow fluff or 1½ cups mini marshmallows (enough to form a single layer)
  • ⅓ cup Nutella (see note)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. I find it easier to line if I crumple the parchment paper first.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda and salt.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg, beat until combined. Add the graham mixture and beat on low until just combined.
  4. Spread out half the dough into the prepared baking sheet. Spread the Nutella on top of the dough then top with the fluff or mini marshmallows. Place pieces of the remaining dough on top, lightly pressing down, to form the top crust.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute the Nutella with a single layer of chocolate chips or Hershey bar squares.

Recipe from Buns in My Oven.

Brownies & Bars, Dessert, Recipes 2 Comments

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

Sometimes I see a recipe and I need to scrap all my existing food plans and make the new recipe immediately. That is exactly what happened with these Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits and I’m so happy I did. The biscuits are buttery, tender and savory from the cheddar, asiago and Parmesan cheeses. Just like the Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, you don’t taste the zucchini in these biscuits, they just add some moisture. Also how good do all the little flecks of green make them look?

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

These are drop biscuits, which means you just drop the biscuit dough on your baking pan – no rolling out or cutting involved. Drop biscuits have a rustic and rocky looking exterior providing plenty of crispy nooks and crannies on the outside. I love making drop biscuits because you can make them so quickly, but they taste like such a special treat. The batter gets mixed together in one bowl and then they only have to bake in the oven for about twelve minutes after being dropped onto your baking sheet.

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

In fact, they’re easy enough for weeknights, but since they are so flaky and delicious, aka addictive, the last thing Matt and I need are daily biscuits! So we savored them while we had them. And by savor them I mean we snarfed them down in like three days tops. They of course taste so good when they’re hot and cheesy right out of the oven, but they also taste good at room temperature or – even better – reheated in the toaster oven.

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

I initially stumbled on this recipe because I was looking for recipes that would use up my zucchini that I thought I was going to have this summer. Thought is the key word because as usual I overloaded our vegetable planter and we haven’t even been able to pick a single zucchini yet. I’m already determined that next summer I’m going to figure out the perfect ratio of things to plant in the planter! We might just need a second larger ground planter for the veggies and keep our raised planter for herbs and maybe one cherry tomato plant. Oh well, I’m glad I found this recipe, even if I couldn’t use our homegrown zucchinis for it, because it is now on our must-make-at-least-once-a-summer rotation!

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

Oh, also, today is National Zucchini Day! So now you definitely need to make these biscuits tonight! Enjoy!

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits | Lemon & Mocha

Three Cheese Zucchini Biscuits
 
Print
Yield: 12 biscuits
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar
  • ¼ cup shredded asiago
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
  • ¾ cup grated zucchini (about ½ large zucchini), excess water removed (see note)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted, for brushing
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the cubed butter then use your hands to mix until you have what resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Stir in the cheddar, asiago and Parmesan. Stir in the grated zucchini. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined. Drop small handfuls of dough on the parchment sheet so you have 12 biscuits. It’s okay if they are close together because the biscuits don’t spread a lot during baking. Brush the tops with the melted butter then bake until slightly golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire cooling rack so the bottoms remain crispy then eat warm or let cool.
Notes
To remove excess water from grated zucchini, wring dry in a cheesecloth or several paper towels.
If you don’t have buttermilk just put a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a liquid measuring cup then fill with milk until you reach 1 cup. You can use milk with any fat percentage, even skim, which is what I used. Then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Breads & Rolls, Recipes 2 Comments

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

I have another restaurant inspired dish for you! I say inspired because it is actually quite different from the original. This time it’s from a New England classic – Legal Sea Foods. There’s a few restaurants Matt and I have been to over and over and Legal Sea Foods is definitely in that category. It helps that there’s a lot of them here in Massachusetts and that we’ve always seemed to have one near us, whether it was the one in Chestnut Hill while we were still at Boston College or the one in Harvard Square that we could walk to when we lived in Cambridge.

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

It was at their Harvard Square location that we first tried their Thai style fried calamari. It is described on the menu simply as “Thai style – pineapple and peanuts,” and when it came out we could smell the rich peanut sauce.

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

The crispy fried calamari was smothered in an addictive peanut sauce, scallions, chopped peanuts and pineapple chunks. We were hooked! They are actually pretty spicy and normally I cannot do spice, but I will happily suffer through every time just for some of these saucy, crispy calamari bites!

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

Now if you’re wondering why I’m talking about calamari when this is clearly a shrimp recipe that is a big part of why I’m using the word “inspired.” This Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple can be served as a party appetizer or as a main course alongside some rice and salad.

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

The panko breadcrumbs, which are already crunchy, get pre-baked to ensure they create the crispiest coating for the shrimp. The shredded coconut is another departure from the original, but I love the flavor combination along with the peanut sauce and pineapple. A little savory, a little sweet and a whole lot of deliciousness. I hope you enjoy these Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple!

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple | Lemon & Mocha

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp Topped with Peanut Sauce and Pineapple
 
Print
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
for the shrimp
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (see note)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts
  • ¼ cup sliced scallions
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh pineapple
  • Salt and pepper
for the peanut sauce
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1-2 tablespoons light coconut milk or water (depending on how thick you want your sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
for the shrimp
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the panko and coconut on a baking sheet then bake until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with ½ teaspoon salt.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire cooling rack on top of baking sheet then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set up a breading station for the shrimp with three shallow bowls. Place the flour tossed with salt and pepper in the first one. Add the beaten eggs to the second one and the panko mixture to the third.
  3. Bread the shrimp. Coat with the flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the egg, letting excess drip off. Coat completely in the panko mixture then place on the prepared wire rack. Repeat until all the shrimp are breaded then bake for 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately along with the peanut sauce, chopped peanuts, scallions and pineapple.
for the peanut sauce
  1. Whisk everything together until combined.
Notes
If you don’t want to use coconut, just omit it and add an additional ½ cup of panko.

Baked shrimp recipe from Pinch and Swirl.

Appetizers & Snacks, Fish & Seafood, Main Dishes, Recipes 2 Comments

Plum Pie Cookies

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

There is no time for stories today because we need to start talking about these Plum Pie Cookies now! These are the August Cookies from the Food Network Magazine Calendar of Cookies and they hit a home run with this recipe. Even though they are called cookies, the pie part of the name is much more accurate. Essentially small hand pies, these Plum Pie Cookies are flaky, buttery, tart and dangerously delicious.

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

The cookies are made from a pie crust that has more sugar than normal, which I think Food Network did to try to take them from a pie to cookie category. The perfectly jammy inside is made from tossing some fresh plums with sugar, cinnamon and a little flour. Plums can be a little sweet and a little tart; a winning combination for these cookies.

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

I don’t know if I mentioned it previously or not, but even though Matt is a fan of lots of different types of dessert, his absolute favorite is pie. Specifically cherry pie. However, I kid you not that might have changed with the baking of these Plum Pie Cookies as Matt announced that if these are the pie dessert I choose to make for the rest of eternity he would be ecstatic. Cherry pie recipe search over – Plum Pie Cookies have been crowned the ultimate dessert.

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

Matt is slowly turning me into more of a pie person and I was also quite smitten with these Plum Pie Cookies. I say that so modestly, while the real truth is I ate three the first day I made them and none from this batch made it out of the house or to the freezer. Oops. I’m perfectly fine with these cookies being in the regular dessert rotation, at least during plum season, because although there’s a fair amount of steps the recipe wasn’t complicated.

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

If you’ve worked with pie dough before then you know what to expect; if you haven’t the one thing I would want you to know about pie dough is that it is easier to roll, cut and pick up when it is cold. The original Food Network recipe skipped a lot of nuances when it comes to chilling the dough in a way that keeps the process from getting frustrating so I added in a lot more detail in the recipe below to take you through how I went about making the cookies. When you make these Plum Pie Cookies don’t forget to let me know what you think in the comments!

Plum Pie Cookies | Lemon & Mocha

Plum Pie Cookies
 
Print
Yield: 18 cookies
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 1 beaten egg for brushing
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 small plums
  • Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
  1. In a food processor, pulse 2½ cups of the flour, ½ cup of the sugar and the salt until combined. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the flour mixture looks crumbly. Add 1 beaten egg and pulse until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Work each dough ball into a disk and place each disk on a separate piece of wax or parchment paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top of each and then roll out each into an 11-inch to 12-inch round, about ⅛-inch thick. Place both round sheets in the fridge and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
  2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the first round sheet out of the fridge. Use a circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out 2½-inch rounds as close together as possible. Place the rounds on one of the baking sheets and return to the fridge. Put the scraps aside. Take the second round sheet out of the fridge and repeat the cutting out process. After returning the second baking sheet to the fridge, take all the scraps and shape into a disk before placing on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top then roll into an 11-inch to 12-inch round, about ⅛-inch thick. Place in the fridge.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup sugar, the remaining tablespoon of flour and the cinnamon. Halve, pit and thinly slice the plums. I cut each plum in half then cut each half into 10 thin slices. Then cut each slice in half crosswise. Toss the plum slices in with the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Take one of the baking sheets out of the fridge. Arrange it so you have 9 rounds on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the edges of each of the 9 rounds with the remaining beaten egg. Place 4 plum pieces in the middle of each round then top with a second round of dough (taking more from the second baking sheet in the fridge if you need them). Press the edges to seal them crimp the edges with a fork. Cut 4 small vents on the top of each cookie. Put the baking sheet in the freezer while you work on the second batch.
  5. Take the second baking sheet out of the fridge. Arrange it so you have 9 rounds on the baking sheet. Repeat the steps with the beaten egg and the plums. Top with the rounds you have then take the remaining large round sheet of dough made from the scraps out of the fridge and cut out the remaining rounds. After sealing, crimping and cutting vents remove the first baking sheet from the freezer and replace with this second one.
  6. Lightly brush the cookies with some beaten egg and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Let them cool completely on the pan set on a wire cooling rack. Take the second baking sheet from the freezer and repeat.

 Recipe from January/February 2019 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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Cookies, Dessert, Recipes 2 Comments

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