Lemon & Mocha

Chicken Piccata over Creamy Lemon Orzo

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Dinner has arrived! While not quite as you still need to cook it, but this Chicken Piccata over Creamy Lemon Orzo is the perfect recipe for an easy and cozy meal that everyone will love. We’re sautéing chicken cutlets and coating them with a fresh lemon and caper sauce. The best part is that the juicy chicken cutlets are sitting over a warm orzo and leek dish that’s bursting with lemon flavor.

Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

It’s time for this month’s cheesecake recipe! Of course with Valentine’s Day coming up this Friday it only made sense to bust out this Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake for February. How fun is this cheesecake pattern?

I’ve never made a swirled cheesecake before so I’m definitely going to have to work on my technique. I guess it’s more of a pink velvet swirl cheesecake!

Raspberry Sorbet and Frozen Chocolate Mousse Domes

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Today I am posting the best easy dessert to impress your valentine! Or to impress yourself and feel like you just nailed the confection round of Sugar Rush. Yes, I did use the word ‘easy!’ These Raspberry Sorbet and Frozen Chocolate Mousse Domes look fancy schmancy, but it’s really a few simple steps and the magic of silicone demi sphere molds. The dessert is the perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, decadent and tart. If you didn’t want to use molds you could make a deconstructed version that I’ll get into at the bottom of the post.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Kale

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500

I promised more easy dinners and side dishes in 2020 so here we are with these Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Kale. Even though Matt and I love mashed potatoes (who doesn’t?!), it’s rare that we have them for dinner. I typically don’t want to make something so rich with butter on a regular basis and all the peeling and chopping of the potatoes can be time consuming. These Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Kale solve both those weeknight dilemmas and the first solution is right in the name of the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Cheesecake

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

I’m declaring 2020 the year of cheesecake! Every year the January issue of the Food Network Magazine does a baking calendar article where they post a recipe in a certain category for each month of the year. Last year it was all about the cookies. This year, the recipes were brownies, but although some of them looked good I didn’t feel compelled to participate. So since I’ve been craving cheesecake lately I decided I’m making my own year of cheesecake and posting a special cheesecake recipe for you all each month this year!

Cheesy Baked Prosciutto and Salami Egg Rolls

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

This is a monumental recipe! Not because it tastes amazing (which is does) or because you should make it immediately (which you should), but because it’s the first recipe I’ve made and photographed for the blog since Sam was born. It may have taken two days and gone in and out of the fridge five times while I started and stopped, but here it is! Don’t worry, the recipe is actually super simple and easy so it won’t take you much time at all to whip up, unless you also have a three month old who decides to only take twenty minute naps that day!

Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

The concept of a “clean out the fridge” recipe is an interesting one because everyone has different items in their fridge. So, while this Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips dish helped me clean out my fridge, it’s so delicious that I think it deserves its own trip to the grocery store!

Right before Sam was born I was itching to try a new dinner recipe. I flipped through my recipe binders and came across this weeknight meal from the Food Network Magazine. I had bought pork chops with the intention of making the Skillet Balsamic Peach Pork Chops with Feta and Basil since Matt and I are obsessed, but this recipe for Pork Chops with Baked Apples, Parsnips and Turnips was much more seasonally appropriate. I also had leftover apricot preserves in the fridge from the Grilled Chicken with Apple and Mango Chutney and the Baked Brie Fruit and Nut Tartlets. The pork chops are marinated in the preserves, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings before being broiled.

A Look Back on 2019

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Well, everyone, it’s time to say goodbye to 2019! As I sit here on the eve of a new year I am so grateful to have spent another year sharing my passions for cooking and writing here with you all on Lemon & Mocha. Whether you are a family member, friend, fellow blogger, recipe seeker, Pinterest pro, or all of the above, I am so thankful for your support and presence here! On a personal note, 2019 brought both great highs and deep lows for my family with the birth of our son, Sam (more on that further down!), and on the loss of Diane’s mom (Nina to me) this past fall.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Hi, friends! For those of you that celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I wanted to pop on here real quick to share one final recipe before the end of the year. This simple Roasted Shrimp Cocktail recipe is the perfect party appetizer so I’m sharing it just in time for those of you that have New Year’s celebration plans. For those of you that won’t be cooking party appetizers, this is still a great one to have in your back pocket.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

The day is finally here for the last recipe in our 12 Days of Cookies! These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies are one of the easiest and there is no dough chilling required. Since we’re so close to the holiday and if you’re like me you’re probably busy with a million things while also trying to soak up time with your family so I’ll keep today’s post short and sweet.

Having a go-to peanut butter cookie recipe is a staple and I’ve finally found mine! I find a lot of peanut butter cookies deliver on the peanut butter flavor, but are too crumbly. I prefer a cookie that is soft and chewy. These Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies have brown sugar in the cookie dough, which helps bring that chewy texture.

Cherry Kiss Cookies

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Happy Friday! Here we are at day eleven of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies and I’ve definitely been saving some of the best for last. First of all, let’s just discuss how pretty these Cherry Kiss Cookies are! With their pink hue they certainly would be fitting for Valentine’s Day, but they also add a great pop of color to a Christmas cookie platter.

If there was ever a cookie to be described as melting in your mouth, it would be these pillowy Cherry Kiss Cookies. They are soft, buttery and have just the perfect amount of cherry flavoring. There’s also a chocolate Hershey Kiss in the center of every cookie, which is always a delicious bonus.

Soft Gingerbread M&M Cookies

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

We’re here for day ten of the Lemon & Mocha 12 Days of Cookies! Even though I have three more recipes scheduled to post before the end of 2019, the post for these Soft Gingerbread M&M Cookies that you are reading now is the last one I wrote right before my post-baby blog break started!

The only reason I was shuffling around the kitchen baking these cookies in my compression socks and the last remaining outfit that would fit over my big belly was because I had to wait for the red and green M&M’s to arrive in the stores. I wanted them to look pretty and festive for the photos, especially since the post is so close to Christmas. Usually I’m the first to shake my head when I see grocery stores putting holiday items out months in advance, but of course this time I was actually complaining about them not having Christmas items out early! Go figure.

Chocolate Dipped Espresso Meringue Kisses

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Last holiday season I was experimenting with a bunch of new cookie recipes and I wanted to try something that was a little lighter. I instantly thought of meringue cookies since they are definitely light and have that sort of melt in your mouth texture about them. I didn’t want to just make plain meringue cookies though; what’s the fun in that?!

Even though I don’t drink coffee I like coffee flavored desserts, especially if they’re paired with chocolate, so I went seeking out a coffee flavored meringue recipe. Thankfully it led me to this delicious espresso meringue kiss cookie recipe from King Arthur Flour. So for day nine of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies we have Chocolate Dipped Espresso Meringue Kisses.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Remember the Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies? Of course you do. I shared the recipe three weeks ago and they were fudgey and chocolatey and exceptionally delicious. I made the recipe from my Food52 Genius Desserts cookbook and I figured if the first cookie recipe I tried was that good that I definitely needed to bake another cookie recipe from the cookbook before the cookie season was through.

So, today, on day eight of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies, I’m sharing the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle. This cookie brittle is for all the crispy cookie fans out there. The cookie dough is baked in a half sheet pan and then cracked into pieces once it’s cooled.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

You knew I couldn’t stay away from the chocolate for too long! I’m catching us all up on chocolate by providing double the chocolate today. For day seven of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies I present to you Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies! They should really be called double chocolate double peppermint cookies since, you guessed it, there’s both double the chocolate and double the peppermint, but I figured one “double” would work just as well.

Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Happy December! December is clearly the king of all months when it comes to cookies so it only makes sense to share a royally epic cookie recipe for my first post of the month. Here on day six of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies we’re all about these Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies.

These are my favorite cookies I’ve ever made. I know, I know, such a bold statement! Especially when there’s no chocolate and they’re decorated cookies so you’re probably wondering who I am and what happened to Lauren. However, they are my favorite cookies I’ve ever made because they’re the first cookie where I’ve gone out of the box and truly experimented with flavor – and they turned out amazing. So amazing that I ended up having to make multiple batches of them last holiday season.

Key Lime Crackle Cookies

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

How fun and colorful are these Key Lime Crackle Cookies? Every year Food Network Magazine shares plenty of holiday cookie recipes so a few years ago I dug through my binder collection and picked out a few to try.

Matt and I are both suckers for anything key lime flavored so these immediately made the list. Between the key lime zest and key lime juice, the punchy citrus flavor comes through while being balanced by the sugary coating on the outside of the cookies.

Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Today is a very special day for two reasons! The first reason November 25, 2019 is so incredibly awesome is because I’m sharing these epic Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars with you all. I promise after you try these bars life will soon be B.D.C.P.B. (Before Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars) and A.D.C.P.B. (After Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars).

Gooey, crunchy and loaded with pecans, these bars are really just that good. Plus, they have chocolate chunks in them, which always, always takes pecan pie to the next level. They are like your favorite pecan pie in an easy to eat bar form with a crust made from ground pecans, flour, sugar, salt and butter instead of a pie crust.

Grapefruit Ricotta Cookies

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Happy Friday! Here we are with day three of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies! I’m a chocoholic so when I was coming up with the list for the twelve perfect cookies to share this holiday season I consciously tried to incorporate some balance so it wouldn’t simply be a weeks-long chocolate overload.

Good thing I’m also a cookie-aholic and don’t discriminate with what flavors make a cookie out-of-this-world delicious!

Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to day two of Lemon & Mocha’s 12 Days of Cookies! I’m sharing these Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies well in advance of the holiday cookie swap season because they freeze beautifully. However, if you are like me and have trouble “forgetting” that delicious cookies are sitting in your freezer then making them ahead won’t really help you out at all since they’ll all most definitely be gone by the time December is here.

Orange Pistachio Macaroons

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

I’ve been sharing cookie recipes all year long, thanks to Food Network Magazine’s Calendar of Cookies. While those have been great, most of them were very seasonal specific so they aren’t exactly cookies you would bake up in November or December. With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away I’m going full holiday on you all from now until the rest of the year.

I love cookies around the holidays. That goes for both baking them and eating them. I (usually) find cookie baking to be relaxing and it’s hard to beat a few hours of baking in the kitchen with Christmas music playing while surrounded by Christmas decorations. Our kitchen is completely open into our living room so I get a great view during the holidays! I also love eating cookies, which I don’t need to explain; you all know about the deliciousness of cookies.

Baked Brie Fruit & Nut Tartlets

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes the tastiest recipes are born out of a classic fridge and freezer clean-out. Last month I was trying to clear out our freezer to have space for all the freezer meals I prepped in anticipation of our little guy’s arrival. Side note: I plan to do a detailed freezer meal prep post when I’m back from my maternity leave so stay tuned!

Anyways, the freezer was stuffed with all sorts of odds and ends, one of which was a package of these frozen mini fillo shells. I can’t for the life of me remember why I bought them, but it was clearly for some recipe that never came to be. While I was brainstorming what to stuff the flaky tartlet shells with I thought about how much I love baked brie, especially in the fall when it starts getting chilly outside.

Italian Wedding Soup

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Happy Friday! Today I’m sharing a recipe that will keep you cozy all weekend long. This is another recipe that I’ve been making for a while, but I’m just getting around to sharing it on Lemon & Mocha.

I’m not a big soup person, but when I find one I really love, like the Roast Cauliflower and Garlic Soup or the Healthy Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup, then I just want to eat it all the time. This Italian Wedding Soup is now in my top three along with the two I previously mentioned because it’s packed with hearty flavors.

Freezer Friendly Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0500

This is one of those simple recipes that I make regularly at our house and I’m finally getting around to sharing with you all. Whether you’re a kid or an adult it’s hard to beat a satisfying quick meal of crunchy chicken nuggets!

Although grocery stores are loaded with plenty of chicken nugget options, it’s super easy to make a batch of homemade chicken nuggets to stash in your freezer for quick lunches and weeknight dinners. Baking them ourselves is also healthier and cleaner eating since we’re using just four ingredients (if you don’t count the seasonings).

Olive Oil Rosemary Bread

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Halloween is over, which means I guesssss it’s okay to start planning for the holidays. I hate when Thanksgiving and Christmas prep creeps before Halloween because it feels like everyone’s trying to rush through October. Here in New England, November and December weather is kind of crummy so I don’t know what the rush is!

However, once October is done, I’m perfectly fine with gearing up for the holidays because they’re fun, bright spots during these next dreary couple of months. Matt and I are taking the holiday season one day at a time since it’s right when our little one will be arriving, but just because I’m not planning my own meals doesn’t mean I can’t help you all plan yours!

Halloween Monster Turkey Burger Sliders

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Halloween is tomorrow! Yay! As I’ve mentioned on Lemon & Mocha numerous times before, I love Halloween! I have so many fun childhood memories of Halloween and I can’t wait to start making Halloween memories with our little guy on the way.

We went back and forth on whether we should put up Halloween decorations with me being just a couple weeks away from my due date, but ultimately I just couldn’t not put them up, even though I felt a little crazy for doing it. Do you decorate your house for Halloween?

Roasted Cauliflower Caesar Salad

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

One thing I did not anticipate with my pregnancy was how tricky eating out was going to become. Yes, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to eat raw seafood or cold deli meat, but there were so many other food concerns I was not aware of! I’m sure the list now is different than it was many years ago, but as a fairly adventurous eater there are many foods I’m supposed to avoid. In addition to raw seafood and cold deli meat, there’s also unpasteurized cheeses, smoked fish, pate, fish high in mercury, raw eggs and under-cooked meat. I’m probably even forgetting some!

Peanut Butter S’mores Fudge

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Peanut. Butter. S’mores. Fudge. YES! This, my friends, is what fudge dreams are made of and you can be eating some giddy with delight in no time at all.

I’ve shared the World’s Smoothest Peanut Butter Fudge and the unreal S’mores Fudge, but it was time these two met for an insanely delicious mash-up. I came up with this combination last year when I decided to morph together Matt’s favorite fudge variation, the S’mores Fudge (which is also my favorite), with my second favorite fudge variation, the World’s Smoothest Peanut Butter Fudge. After one bite, and then a second, third, and fourth, etc. just to make sure, I was convinced that peanut butter and s’mores belong together.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Good morning, everyone! Fudge week is continuing here on Lemon & Mocha with this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge. Similar to Monday’s variation, the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge introduces a tart element that pairs extremely well with the rich chocolate.

Sometimes in the fall and winter flavors can become really heavy so I love having a dessert with a bright fruitiness or acidity, which is exactly what we get with this Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge. I’ve taken our classic chocolate fudge base and added raspberry extract before topping it off with some freeze dried raspberries and mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Fudge

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Fudge season is back! I know I posted the Dirt Fudge recipe this summer and talked about how fudge is delicious all year round, which is true, but it still peaks during the holiday season. I have a special 12 Days of Christmas Cookies planned so my holiday post schedule filled up quickly, which is why I’m sharing this Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Fudge recipe with you all when it’s still October.