Fruit Dip

From who knows where…
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 seven ounce jar marshmallow fluff
- Juice from one orange (I’ve substituted with limes for a tangier flavor – it’s great both ways)

Take cream cheese out of fridge and let soften. When the cream cheese is soft enough to blend, add the fluff and orange juice and beat the you-know-what out of it. Serve with fruit and prepare to be transported straight to paradise. Strawberries and green grapes are my favorite with this dip, but just about any fruit tastes great!
from this week for dinner

quinoa with sundried tomatoes, chickpeas and lemon

Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) quinoa, uncooked
2 cups (500 ml) water
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, approximately
1/2 cup (125 ml) pinenuts, toasted
4 to 6 sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 125 ml) fresh parmesan or romano cheese, finely grated (add more at the table)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Put quinoa into saucepan or rice cooker and add water to cover. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes. You may omit this step if short on time.

Drain and rinse the quinoa using a strainer/colander, stirring with your fingers as you run the water over the quinoa.

Add the water and quinoa to the rice cooker or saucepan on the stovetop to cook. If using the saucepan, cover, bring the water to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the other ingredients - toast the pinenuts, chop the sundried tomatoes, cucumber and Italian flat-leaf parsley, and rinse and drain the chickpeas.

When the quinoa is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat on the stovetop, or transfer the quinoa from the rice cooker to a bowl, fluff with a fork (if it's a bit sticky you may need to break it up a bit) and let cool.

When cooled, add the pinenuts, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, Italian flat-leaf parsley and chickpeas.

Squeeze half a lemon into a measuring cup or bowl and remove any seeds. Add to the mixture and stir thoroughly.

Add olive oil, cheese (if using) and one or two grinds of pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly. Taste and add more lemon, oil or seasoning to suit your taste.
from teh tastetraveller

Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed well
5 to 7 artichoke hearts, drained and sliced lengthwise (canned or frozen both work fine. I like to rinse the canned ones.)
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used more to taste)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (I used 1 teaspoon dried)

1. Heat oil in a seasoned wok or cast-iron skillet. Add the chickpeas and cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning, until the chickpeas are golden brown all over. When done, put them in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. Add more oil to the pan and cook the sliced artichoke hearts until browned. Add them to the bowl of chickpeas.

3. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet (if desired) and then grind them in a food processor. Add the almonds to the artichokes and chickpeas. Season the salad with lemon juice and salt and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, adjust the seasoning if needed.
from the cooking photographer

Lemony Couscous with Peas and Chicken

1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white or yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 wide strips of lemon peel, plus additional zest for garnish
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Skin and debone 1/2 a rotisserie chicken. Shred meat and set aside. Reserve any drippings from the carton.

Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broth and drippings to pan and bring to boil. Stir in lemon peel and peas and return to a boil. Stir in couscous and stir and add chicken. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for 7 minutes.

Add lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork. Divide into bowls and serve garnished with parsley and additional lemon zest.

Serves 4
Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2010
from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Spicy Edamame

Wok-charred Edamame (from Three Dog Kitchen)
1 pound edamame in the pod
2 TB salt
3 TB sesame oil
2 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
1 TB sugar
1 TB soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp. shichimi (Japanese chili pepper, available at Asian grocery stores)
Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 TB of the oil and toss in the edamame. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until well-coated with the oil.
Make a well in the edamame and add the remaining 1 TB oil, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds, until barely light golden brown, then add the sesame seeds to the well. Stir to mix evenly, coating the edamame. Sprinkle in the sugar and toss several times, allowing the sugar to melt and glaze the edamame. Add the soy sauce, shichimi and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
from Charm and Salt

Quinoa Pilaf

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons olive oil – use divided
½ cup finely minced white or yellow onion (about ½ of a medium onion)
1 cup quinoa
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
¼ cup slivered almond
1 green onion (white and green part) finely minced
¼ cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely minced

Directions:

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced white or yellow onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until the onions are starting to get translucent. Add the quinoa and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. You want the quinoa to lightly toast but you do not want the garlic to get browned. Add the water and salt. Raise heat, bring to a full boil, cover pan with a lid and turn heat down to medium-low. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

While quinoa is simmering toast the almond slivers in a dry skillet over high heat until they are browned and fragrant, stirring often. Watch them carefully so they do not burn. Take off heat and set aside.

When the quinoa is done, remove from heat and let sit in pan covered for about 3 minutes. Put in serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the minced green onion, parsley and toasted almonds. Drizzle with remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and toss. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4 as a side dish.
from Simply Gluten Free

Soy-Maple Salmon

3/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets
coarsely ground black pepper

Mix syrup and soy sauce in plastic bag. Arrange salmon in marinade making sure all fish is covered. Marinate in fridge, turning periodically, 4-48 hours--the longer the better (I generally start marinating the night before). Before grilling, season generously with pepper.

To marinate more fish, no need to double or triple the recipe, just make enough to cover the fish in proportions of 3 parts maple syrup to 1 part soy sauce.

Slow and Low Sweet POtatoes

Really really good!  I liked them with the skin peeled off before cooking, it gave them extra charred area.  -JT
Preheat oven to 350*
Slice sweet potatoes ~1/2” thick
Lightly coat with olive oil + a sprinkling of salt
Bake for 20min [turning once]
Turn heat to 400*
Bake for ~15-20min more [turning once]
Creates slightly crunchy browned skin, the center oozes with creaminess. 
from the edible perspective

Ground Chicken and Chickpea Curry Stew with Yogurt and Cilantro

(Makes 4 servings)

1 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. package ground chicken or turkey
1 large onion, chopped in medium dice
2 T sweet curry powder
1 can petite dice tomatoes with juice (14.5 oz.)
1 can chickpeas (15.5 oz. can)
12 oz. fat free Greek yogurt
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Heat 1 T olive oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan, then add ground chicken or turkey, breaking it apart with the turner and sauteing until it is well cooked and lightly browned. This will take 7-9 minutes, don't rush the browning step.

Push the chicken or turkey to one side of the pan, add the extra tsp. olive oil, then add chopped onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until onions are just starting to get some color. Sprinkle onions with the curry powder and cook about 2 minutes more, turning a few times, then stir the onion mixture into the chicken.

Add tomatoes with juice and drained chickpeas and let simmer about 5 minutes, or until some liquid has evaporated and flavors are well blended. Turn heat to low, stir in yogurt, and simmer about 3 minutes more. (Don't let it come to a boil after the yogurt has been added.)

Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro if desired. This can be served over rice, but I just ate it in a bowl as a stew.

from Kalyn's Kitchen

Tickled Pink Tropical Island tea

Description
This cocktail is pink and pretty and a complete riff on a Long Island Iced Tea. It is tropical because I used spiced rum. It is ticklish because I used club soda. And it is pink, very pink from guava nectar!

Ingredients
1 oz captain morgan’s spiced rum
1 oz gin
1 oz vodka
1 oz tequila
1 oz cointreau or triple sec
2 oz guava nectar (such as kearns)
2 oz club soda (or to taste)
lime wedges as garnish
1 oz fresh lime juice
Instructions
Pour all the ingredients into a large, tall 10-14 oz ice-filled Collins or Chimney style glass. Top with the club soda and gently stir. Garnish with as many fresh lime wedges as you like.

Variations:

Long Island Iced Tea: Replace the spiced rum with white rum and the guava juice with orange juice and the club soda with cola.

Miami Iced Tea: Replace the spiced rum with white rum and the guava juice with orange juice and the club soda with cola and the Cointreau with blue curaçao.

New England Iced Tea: Replace the spiced rum with white rum and the guava juice with orange juice and the club soda with cranberry juice.

from SippitySup

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

1 package (18 ounces) white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 cup of water
1/3 cup, plus 1/4 cup of frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
pink food coloring
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
lemon candies, for decoration

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Beat cake mix, egg whites, water, 1/3 cup concentrate, oil, and a few drops of food coloring in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

To make frosting, beat sugar, butter, and remaining 1/4 cup concentrate in medium bowl with mixer at medium speed. Beat in a few drops food coloring. Frost cupcakes and decorate with lemon candy.

Flourless Lemon Cake

3 large lemons
250 g ground almonds
6 eggs
A pinch of salt
250 g sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cover the lemons with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours. I recommend putting a lid on the pan, because if you’re anything like me you’ll forget the lemons are on the stove, water evaporating away, and 2 hours later you’ll come back to find their dried and possibly charred remains.
Once the lemons have cooked, drain the water off and leave them to cool. When they are at room temperature, cut them open and look for any seeds that might be lurking within, and get rid of those.
Then take all of your ingredients in a food processor and whiz together to form the batter. The lemons go in skin, pith, flesh, and all.
Dump the mix into a lined springform cake pan, and bake at 190C for about 45 minutes, or until cooked in the middle. If it is getting dark on top you can cover it with foil while it finishes baking.
from Nigella via ButtermilkPartyCake

Turkey Black Bean Burgers

(from Simple & Delicious Magazine)

3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg white
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 hamburger buns, split
1 small onion, sliced
4 romaine leaves
In a small bowl coarsely mash beans. Add the egg white, zucchini, red pepper, chili powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.
In a large skillet, cook burgers in oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Serve on buns with onion and lettuce. Yield: 4 servings.
from The Prepared Mama

Stuffed Strawberries with Mint

2 pints strawberries (about 1.5 pounds)
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
4-6 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest from one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
In a medium bowl, use a fork to beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with the petal tip (The star tip makes the filling look pretty, but you have to worry about lemon zest clogging the opening). If you don't have a pastry bag, you can spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag and use scissors to cut off one corner. Rinse the berries in a colander, then pat them dry. Use a small paring knife to cut the hulls out of the berries. Pipe some filling into each strawberry, then garnish with a small mint leaf. Arrange on a plate and serve, or prepare in advance and refrigerate for up to four hours before serving.
from ShiningSpoon

Strawberry Wine Coolers

Simple, Fresh, Southern by Matt and Ted Lee
serves 6

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2 ounces vodka
generous pinch of kosher salt
2 750-mL bottles off-dry white wine, such as an American Reisling, chilled
Keep 6 strawberries for garnish, and combine the rest in a blender with the vodka, salt, and 2 scant cups of the wine.

Puree on the highest setting for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is frothy and smooth.

Strain the puree through a fine-mesh seive into a pitcher (and eat the pulp!), pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours.

To serve, fill wine glasses with ice, and divide the mixture among them, filling each glass about half-full. Top with remaining white wine, and stir. Garnish with the reserved strawberries, and serve.
from PinkParsley

Creamy Lemon Fusilli

Serves 6 (dinner sized portions)
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked fusilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 lemons
1 ¼ cup half-and-half
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups ricotta (I used low fat)
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil , julienned
½ cup grated parmesan
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lb baby spinach, chopped ( 1-6 ounce bag)

Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the half and half, the zest from the lemons, the juice of the lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Whisk in the ricotta when it thickens, right before you add the pasta.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped broccoli to the pot of cooking pasta when the pasta has about 3 minutes left.
*Add enough salt to make it almost as salty as the ocean. This seasons the pasta.
*You can cook the broccoli in a separate pot, but I cook them together to save on dishes.

Drain the pasta/broccoli in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the creamy mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Add all the parmesan, veggies, basil and parsley to the hot pasta and stir together for about 1 minute, until the spinach wilts.

Pour into a large serving dish and serve hot.
from Trapped

"THE BROWNIE"

by: King Arthur Flour

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon espresso powder
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Parchment paper a 9x13 pan.

2. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3. While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips. ( let it cool- it makes presentation even better! )

6. Spoon the batter into a parchment lined (sides and bottom!) 9" x 13" pan.

7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.
from the Indecisive Baker

Portobello/Raspberry Salad

2-4 portobello mushrooms
10-20 asparagus spears
olive oil
strawberry basil balsamic vinegar
dijon mustard
1 pint fresh raspberries
mixed greens
1/2 white onion
watermelon

Clean and prepare mushrooms.  Poke a few times with a fork.  Marinate the mushrooms in 2T olive oil, 1T s-b vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl or dish.  COver and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place on grill or skillet, cover with remaining marinade.  Cook 5-6 minutes on each side.  Cook asparagus (steam, boil, broil, etc.)
While cooking, make dressing:  Whisk together 2T olive oil, 1/2 T s-b balsalmic vinegar, 1T mustard, 3T watermelon puree.
Assemble: greens, mushrooms, slices of onion, asparagus, fresh raspberries, drizzle with dressing.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin and bones removed, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 cup green grapes, cut in half
1 cup red grapes, cut in half
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a large bowl add chicken, celery, green and red grapes, and dried cranberries. For the dressing whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss chicken mixture and dressing together. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Fold in toasted pecans right before serving.
from Susies Kochen

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Cucumbers and Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

JT Notes:  Used only one avocado, added some halved cherry tomatoes, used an english cucumber, did not bother to toss the avocado with extra lime, cooled the cooked quinoa in the fridge, left out vegesal and spike because I have no idea what they are... used kosher salt and pepper instead.  Liked the salad.  Would make ahead a bit, so the dressing can absorb some.  Would reserve some dressing to add right before serving if needed.

1 cup quinoa (rinsed well with cold water)
2 cups water
2 avocados, peeled and diced in 3/4 inch pieces
1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice (for tossing avocado)
1 cup chopped radishes (diced in 1/2 inch pieces)
1 large cucumber (diced in 1/2 inch pieces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Dressing:
3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use other all purpose seasoning blend of your choice)
1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or use 1/4 tsp. sea salt)
2 T extra virgin olive oil


Put 1 cup quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer (or put a paper towel inside your strainer if it's not fine enough to catch the quinoa seeds.) Rinse quinoa well with cold water. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small saucepan, stir in quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, because it may take more or less than 15 minutes, depending on exactly how high you have the heat. You can also cook the quinoa in a rice cooker if you prefer.)

Let the cooked quinoa cool for a few minutes, then place in salad bowl, fluff with a fork and cool until quinoa is room temperature, about 15-30 minutes.

While quinoa cooks and cools, peel avocado, dice into 3/4 inch pieces, place in small bowl, and toss with 1 T fresh-squeezed lime juice. Peel cucumbers, leaving thin green stripes, scrape out seeds, and dice cucumbers into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut off root and stem end of radishes, wash if needed, and dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Thinly slice enough green onions to make 1/4 cup.

In a small bowl, stir together the 3 T lime juice, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal, then whisk in the olive oil.

When quinoa has cooled to room temperature in the salad bowl, stir in the diced radishes, diced cucumbers, and thinly-sliced green onions. (Don't add avocado until the end.) Stir in enough dressing to moisten salad to your liking (you may not need all the dressing.) Gently stir in diced avocado, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

This was okay when I kept it in the fridge overnight, but I don't think it would keep for longer than a day, and it was better freshly made.
from Kalyn's Kitchen

PortabellaPlus Burgers

Portobello Mushroom marinade:
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, and salt with the pineapple juice. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth then cut off the stems of the mushrooms and place upside down on a flat surface Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and let them marinade for at least 2 hours. Grill the portabellas for 14 minutes on one side only. DO not flip -- keep the juices!!!

Burger Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup teryiaki
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
1 1/2 pound ground beef

Directions:
Combine the 1st 8 ingredients together and mix well, then add the meat and mix till all the ingredients are well incorporated. Make patties and grill on Medium heat for 5-8 min on each side.
NOTE: We also grilled some pineapple.
from For the Love of Food

Mushroom Sandwich

For a vegan version I’d substitute olive oil for the butter and hummus for the mayonnaise.

1 large field or portabello mushroom (or 2 medium), stalk trimmed
generous knob butter
1 small clove garlic, finely sliced
mayonnaise
small handful salad greens or baby rocket
2 slices fresh sourdough bread

Preheat oven to 250C or 480F (230C or 440F if using fan forced).

Place mushroom, stalk side up in an oven proof dish to hold it snugly. Sprinkle with garlic, dot with butter and season.

Bake for 10 – 20 minutes or until mushrooms are juicy and soft.

Generously spread mayo on both slices of bread, place the mushroom and it’s juices on one slice, top with leaves and other slice of bread.

from Stone Soup (planning a month of vegetarian posts)

Grilled Lemon and Garlic Artichokes

Ingredients:
3 large, thick stemmed artichokes
1 1/2 small lemons
1 head garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper
cherry tomatoes for garnish

butter or condiment of choice for dipping

Directions:
-Preheat grill.
-Halve and trim artichokes (slice through stem to top of artichoke, scoop out fuzzy center and chop off very top of leaves where sharp)
-Tear off a 12" piece of tin foil and place 2 artichoke halves in center.
-Squeeze over juice of 1/2 lemon, add 3-4 peeled garlic cloves, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
-Wrap artichoke with tin foil, sealing at the top, and repeat with remaining artichokes.
-Place on grill over medium low heat to cook through, about 25-30 minutes.
-Carefully remove from gill, using tongs, unwrap artichokes and place, center down, on grill racks over high heat to obtain grill marks.
-Remove from grill, plate artichokes with grilled garlic and top with fresh cherry tomatoes to serve.

from Good things catered

Perfect Lemon Cupcakes

Made May 1, 2010
I thought the cupcakes were very good.  I was afraid they might be too much like a moist pound cake, but they weren't... nice and fluffy.  The frosting was also good, very lemony.  For me, though, it was a bit too sweet for this cake.  I've never been a big fan of buttercream, might try with cream cheese frosting or just whipped cream.  But everyone else seemed to be happy with the combo.  -jt

Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil (I only used 1/2cup)
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. For 24 cupcakes, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  For regular cake, pour into a greased 9×11 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t over bake!
The cupcakes will fall slightly as they cool -- it just makes more space for frosting!

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
6-8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)

from Real Mom Kitchen