Lemon

Being sour is not cool, but lemons are awesome !

SERVING SIZE: 1, raw without seeds (108 g)

Nutrient Content
Energy (kilocalories) 22
Water (%) 87
Dietary fiber (grams) 5
Carbohydrate (grams) 12
Protein (grams) 1

Minerals (mg)
Calcium 66
Iron 1
Potassium 157
Magnesium 13
Phosphorus 16

Vitamins (mg)
Vitamin A 3 RE
Vitamin C 83
Thiamin 0.1
Vitamin B6 0.1

Lemons are high in vitamin C and fiber; they also contain bioflavonoids (antioxidants) that may help prevent cancer

*From Encyclopedia of Food

Smoothies

Creamy Lemon-Banana Smoothie
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 banana
1 pear
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp agave nectar (optional)*

Calories: 238 | Fat: 0.7g (grams) | Protein: 4.8g | Carbs: 65g | Calcium: 13% | Vitamin A: 83% | Vitamin C: 142% | * Agave nectar adds 60 calories and 16 grams of carbohydrates.

Lemon-Mint Smoothie
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 cup honeydew melon
1 pear
1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint to taste
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1/2 cup water

Calories: 171 | Fat: 0.6g (grams) | Protein: 3.5g | Carbs: 47.8g | Calcium: 13% | Vitamin A: 189% | Vitamin C: 220%

Strawberry-Lemonade Smoothie
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 lemon, peeled
6 large strawberries
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1 banana
1/2 cup water

Calories: 188 | Fat: 1.1g (grams) | Protein: 5.2g | Carbs: 60g | Calcium: 14% | Vitamin A: 82% | Vitamin C: 271%

Tangy Lemon-Mango Smoothie
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 mango
½ apple
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1/2 cup water

Calories: 224 | Fat: 2.1g (grams) Protein: 4.6g | Carbs: 61g | Calcium: 15% | Vitamin A: 113% | Vitamin C: 238% (taken from incredible smoothies.com)

Lemon recipes

Original recipe makes 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth

• 1 cup red lentils

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

• 1 pinch chili powder

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of chili powder to serve. (From allrecipes.com)

Candied Lemon peels (I had to add this recipe just because I’ve never even seen it !

1. You will need a saucepan for Simple Syrup and one for blanching the fruit. Remove the top and bottom from the lemon (aka the sides)

2. Set the flat end of the lemon on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, slice off the peel, following the curve of the lemon as best you can. Avoid cutting into the flesh of the fruit. It is okay to keep the bitter white pith attached to the rind: the bitterness is tamed by blanching, and the pith becomes translucent and sweet during the candying process.

3. You can either candy the peel as is, for chopping and adding to a recipe, or you can slice it into even strips, about ¼-inch wide, for a more elegant presentation. (Chocolate-dipped candied lemon peel is a treat, and is excellent for gift-giving.) Large peels, such as grapefruit, should be cut into smaller strips for faster, more even cooking.

4. Put the peel into a pot of cool, fresh water. Bring it to a rolling boil. Immediately transfer the fruit to a colander to drain. Repeat, bringing the peel and fresh water to a full boil. For oranges or other sweet-skinned citrus, such as Meyer lemons, you might only need one to three blanchings. For grapefruit, you might need seven or eight. (Cherries and pineapple chunks can go straight to the pot of simple syrup.) Taste the blanched peel: is it tender? Transfer the drained peel to the pot of warm simple syrup. Bring the syrup to a very low simmer.

5. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, depending upon the size of your slices, until the lemon rinds become translucent and the peel tastes sweet and tender.

6. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool. The lemon rind can be chopped and used in recipes, stored in the refrigerator for weeks in its sugar syrup, or drained and rolled in sugar. Sugared lemon rinds will dry out quickly, however, so eat them within a day or two. To keep them fresher longer, dip the drained slices of peel in tempered chocolate. (Taken from allrecipes.com)

Making simple syrup:

1. This sugar-water solution is great for mixed drinks, sweetening iced teas and coffees, and for candying fruits. You can also make a thick simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water), also known as “sorbet syrup,” to use as a base for many flavors of sorbet. It can also used for making old-fashioned rock candy. Here’s how to make a one-to-one simple syrup, with one cup of water and one cup of sugar.

2. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. You don’t have to stir, but it will help the sugar dissolve faster.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly. Depending upon what you’re using it for, you can flavor the syrup:

• Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a basic vanilla syrup.
• Infuse with herbs or spices, if desired; mint and lemon are great for iced tea.
• Brandy and rum are often used for moistening cakes.

Transfer the cooled syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month. (Taken from allrecipes.com)

Whole Roasted Lemon-Herb Chicken on a Bed of Vegetables

6 servings, 3-4 ounces chicken & 2/3 cup vegetables each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 2 1/4 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs, divided
• 2 lemons, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken
• 4 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 3 medium turnips, peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 celeriac roots (1 1/2-2 pounds total), peeled (see Tip) and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (taken from eatingwell.com)

PREPARATION

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400ºF.
2. Chop 8 sage leaves and place in a bowl with 2 teaspoons thyme leaves. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon into the bowl. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Set aside.
3. Pierce the remaining lemon all over with a sharp fork. Cram the lemon, onion and the remaining sage and thyme into the chicken cavity.
4. Place the chicken breast-side up on a cutting board. Use your hands to gently loosen the skin covering the breast, thighs and the top end of the drumsticks. Smear the lemon-herb mixture under the skin, covering as much of the meat as possible.
5. Toss carrots, turnips and celeriac in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper until well coated.
6. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large roasting pan (but not on a rack). Scatter the vegetables around the chicken. Bake, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
7. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer the vegetables from the roasting pan to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, leaving behind as much of the fat as possible. Serve the chicken with the vegetables.

TIPS & NOTES

• Tip: To peel turnips and celeriac (also called celery root), cut off one end of the root to create a flat surface so you can keep it steady on the cutting board. Follow the contour of the vegetable with your knife to remove the skin. Or, if you use a vegetable peeler, be sure to peel around the root at least three times to ensure that all the fibrous skin is removed.

NUTRITION

Per serving (without skin): 308 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 100 mg cholesterol; 21 gcarbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 34 g protein; 5 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 1012 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (162% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Potassium (29% dv), Magnesium (19% dv), Zinc (17% dv), Iron (16% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

 

Lemon-Herb Roasted Beets

4 servings, about 2/3 cup each

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds golden or red beets, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces or wedges
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as marjoram, oregano and/or rosemary
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
2. Combine oil, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add beets; toss to coat with the seasoning mixture.
3. Spread the beets evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the beets are tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Toss the roasted vegetables with lemon juice, if using.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 118 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 5 g fiber; 423 mg sodium; 564 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (46% daily value), Vitamin C (17% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 1/2 Vegetable, 1 Fat (Taken from Eatingwell.com)

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots, (1/4 inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas, (6 ounces), stems and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

PREPARATION

1. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 225 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 3 g fiber; 448 mg sodium; 796 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Potassium (23% dv), Iron (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat (Taken from Allrecipes.com)

Note: My experience with stir frys has been mixed, make some changes to the recipes, add some extra seasonings and spices to make it your own. Give it flavor so it blends well together. Even if you have to saute the veges or do something special with the chicken before you even mix it in, do so. Test this recipe 1st for yourself and then try my suggestion, never know, it may help !

Enjoy !