Light Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Sweet Treats

A few of my Twentysomething and the City followers requested a light dessert recipe for the summer. You ask, I deliver. Ever since I was a kid, I've had a love affair with glazed lemon poppy seed muffins (Gelson's muffin tops to be more specific)...

Whoever invented the muffin top is a genius.

...so when I stumbled upon this heavenly Lemon Poppy Seed Cake recipe, I nearly fainted. After baking this amazing, light, and "sweet-but-not-too-sweet" cake, I ate it for breakfast and dessert.

Ingredients:

*I halved the following recipe to make 1, 9-inch round cake

**8 servings, 250 calories/serving

• Cake
• 3 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose flour and it turned out great)
• 1 & 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 & 1/4 cups reduced fat buttermilk
• 5 egg whites
• Lemon Glaze
• 1/3 cup water
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour your cake pan(s).

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds in a mixing bowl:

3. Add butter and most of the buttermilk (set aside a few tablespoons of buttermilk). Mix until fully incorporated by beating for 1-2 minutes:

4. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining buttermilk with the egg whites. Gradually pour this egg mixture into the batter and mix until combined. Pour the batter into your baking pan(s) and bake for roughly 25 minutes (do not overbake - immediately remove from the oven when inserted knife comes out clean):

5. While cake cools, mix the water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, continue to boil, then reduce down until the glaze appears to thicken up and reduce in volume:

6. Brush the hot syrup over the cake and let it cool completely before serving. The cake will last (in an airtight container) for a few days and is even tastier once the syrup fully soaks into the cake! Enjoy!

This cake is essentially Angel Food Cake (my favorite, yum) with poppy seeds and a hint of lemon flavor. It is moist, fluffy, and to die for. I know this is extremely hard to believe, but if you halve the recipe and make one single-layer cake with glaze, a slice (1/8th of the cake) is only 250 calories!!! Quite a light dessert if you can stop yourself after one slice...

Recipe to print:

Light & Fresh Citrus Shrimp Ceviche

Savory Eats

The perfect summer dish: shrimp ceviche. After searching for a somewhat simple ceviche recipe I stumbled on Emeril's Citrus Ceviche and it was del-i-cious...

The ultimate summer side dish

If you like shellfish, avocado, citrus, a kick of chiles, or a combination of the four, you will go nuts for this shrimp ceviche...

Ingredients:

*4 large servings

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 oranges, juiced
• 1 cup peeled cucumbers, diced
• 1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped
• 2 Serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup kosher salt

Ceviche-ngredients

Recipe:

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and season with 1/4 cup salt. Once water is boiling, add the shrimp to the pot and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp sit until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from water and place on a sheet pan to cool:

Trader Joe's Wild Blue Shrimp (thawed) worked great...but I would use fresh shrimp if you have it available.

2. Once the shrimp are cooled, chop them into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon, lime, and orange juices:

3. Stir in the chopped cucumber, red onion, and Serrano chiles. Refrigerate for 1 hour:

4. Stir the tomato, avocado, cilantro, and olive oil into the shrimp mixture. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes so the flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper:

5. Serve in small bowls (with a side of tortilla chips or tostones). Yum!

Recipe to print:

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and season with 1/4 cup salt. Once water is boiling, add the shrimp to the pot and immediately turn off the heat. Let the shrimp sit until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from water and place on a sheet pan to cool.
2. Once the shrimp are cooled, chop them into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon, lime, and orange juices.
3. Stir in the chopped cucumber, red onion, and Serrano chiles. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Stir the tomato, avocado, cilantro, and olive oil into the shrimp mixture. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes so the flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve in small bowls (with a side of tortilla chips or tostones). Yum!

Flex Mussels: NYC

Big Apple Bites

Yet another incredible, unique, scrumptious, fun restaurant in NYC. Flex Mussels, with locations in the Upper East Side and West Village, blew it out of the water with their ginormous pots of mussels. With a name as clever as Flex Mussels, the restaurant is bound to be amazing...

174 East 82nd & 154 West 13th

This seafood joint is perfect for all occasions: night out with friends, date night, visitors in NYC, family-style meal...and as the name suggests, the extensive menu of mussels is quite memorable. I could eat at Flex Mussels once a week and never get sick of it. What did we order?

Truffle fries, duh.

Fra Diavolo

San marzano tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, red pepper, and garlic. Amazing.

San Daniele

Prosciutto, caramelized onions, white white, garlic. Decadent.

Thai

Curry coconut broth, lemongrass, kaffir lime, coriander, lime, ginger, garlic. A Flex specialty.

Round of applause for Flex Mussels, incredible meal. Apparently they have a great donuts dessert, but we were already in food comas after the entree.

Sexy Spring Rolls

Savory Eats

Memorial Day marks the commencement of summer. That means it's time to fit into our swimsuits. I can help with that by loading up on some healthy recipes. These Sexy Spring Rolls are straight up fresh and delicious. Also, they're perfect for lunch or dinner and are easy once you get the hang of it...

Thanks Sarah (My New Roots blog) for this delicious, healthy recipe!

Ingredients:

• Spring Rolls
• Sexy sauteed ginger carrots (*ingredients below*)
• Sprouts
• Avocado
• Sweet bell pepper
• Cabbage
• Cucumber
• Mint
• Slivered almonds
• Sexy Sauteed Ginger Carrots
• 2 medium carrots
• 3 Tbs sesame seeds
• Splash of cooking oil
• 2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbs agave nectar
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Almond Butter Dipping Sauce
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbs agave nectar
• 2 Tbs water
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce

Recipe:

1. Start by making the sexy sauteed ginger carrots. Begin by toasting the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop and turn light brown. Remove from heat:

2. Julienne the carrots as thin as you can make them:

3. Put the oil, minced ginger, and agave nectar in the skillet with the carrots and cook slightly for 4-5 minutes. You don't really want to cook the vegetables, just take the raw edge off. Remove from heat, squeeze some lemon, and set aside:

4. Now, slice up all your vegetables and herbs into thin pieces (avocado, bell pepper, cabbage, sprouts, mint, cucumber, etc.). Set aside:

5. Make your almond butter dipping sauce by whisking almond butter, minced garlic, soy sauce, agave nectar, water, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside:

6. Find a shallow dish - a little larger than your rice paper wrappers - and fill it with room temperature water. Place one wrap in the water until it becomes soft and pliable (about 1 minute):

7. Transfer the wrap to a clean working surface. Place all your julienned ingredients in the center of the wrap. Top with a little bit of almond butter sauce:

8. Fold the top half of the wrap over the fillings. Fold both sides of the wrap in. Roll the spring roll to fold the bottom half of the wrap up to seal. If the wrap rips a little, don't worry!

9. Repeat with the rest of your ingredients and ENJOY with some of your almond butter dipping sauce! You will feel healthy and sexy after munching on these amazing spring rolls:

My scrumptious lunch at work today!

Recipe to print:

1. Start by making the sexy sauteed ginger carrots. Begin by toasting the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop and turn light brown. Remove from heat.
2. Julienne the carrots as thin as you can make them.
3. Put the oil, minced ginger, and agave nectar in the skillet with the carrots and cook slightly for 4-5 minutes. You don't really want to cook the vegetables, just take the raw edge off.
4. Remove from heat, squeeze a little lemon juice, and set aside.
5. Now, slice up all your vegetables and herbs into thin pieces (avocado, bell pepper, cabbage, sprouts, mint, cucumber, etc.). Set aside.
6. Make your almond butter dipping sauce by whisking almond butter, minced garlic, soy sauce, agave nectar, water, lime juice, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Set aside.
7. Find a shallow dish - a little larger than your rice paper wrappers - and fill it with room temperature water. Place one wrap in the water until it becomes soft and pliable (about 1 minute).
8. Transfer the wrap to a clean working surface. Place all your julienned ingredients in the center of the wrap. Top with a little bit of almond butter sauce.
9. Fold the top half of the wrap over the fillings. Fold both sides of the wrap in. Roll the spring roll to fold the bottom half of the wrap up to seal. If the wrap rips a little, don't worry!
10. Repeat with the rest of your ingredients and ENJOY with some of your almond butter dipping sauce! You will feel healthy and sexy after munching on these amazing spring rolls.

Za'atar Roasted (or Grilled) Chicken

Savory Eats

Arabic food...enough said. The thought of a Lebanese, Syrian, or Turkish meal makes me salivate. What's so special about Arabic cuisine? The herbs and spices: mint, thyme, oregano (in a mix often called za'atar) plus sesame, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, sumac, etc...The amount and types of spices vary from region to region, but in Middle Eastern cooking, you will taste a lot of flavor consistency...

Now onto the recipe for today: Za'atar Chicken. Za'atar spice is generally prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or a similar combination, mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt. The best part about za'atar? It can be used on everything.

My dad sends me za'atar from an Arabic market at home, but you can get it at any Arabic food store.

This chicken is healthy, fresh, flavorful, juicy, versatile, and easy. What more could you want?

Ingredients:

*For about 6 people

• 2.5 pounds chicken breast, pounded flat
• 3/4 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Roughly 1/3 cup za'atar spice (I never do exact measurements)
• 6 fresh lemons, juiced
• 1 fresh lemon, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Recipe:

ONE DAY IN ADVANCE:

the chicken needs to sit in za'atar marinade for 24 hours

1. Pound your raw chicken breasts so they are thin and the same thickness. Place the chicken breast into a baking dish. Cover with a healthy amount of salt (1-2 teaspoons) and some garlic powder:

2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, some salt, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, and 5 cloves minced garlic. Set aside:

3. Cover the chicken with za'atar spice (3-4 tablespoons) and make sure you rub za'atar over all surfaces of each breast (get your hands dirty!):

4. Pour the olive oil mixture onto the chicken. Again, make sure all surfaces of the chicken are covered in oil:

5. Juice 6 lemons onto the chicken. Your chicken should be swimming in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours:

 Lemon...

...and more lemon.

THE DAY OF:

Note: I don't have a grill. If I did, I would grill this chicken by laying it on a HOT grill for 15 minutes and turning it over for an additional 10 minutes. But, it tastes great in the oven as well.

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Remove chicken, piece by piece, from the baking dish and place onto a greased baking sheet (make sure your baking sheet has tall edges so excess olive oil doesn't spill over the edges while baking):

3. Cover the chicken with more za'atar rub (roughly 3 more tablespoons):

4. Cut thin slices of lemon and place on top of the chicken:

5. Bake the chicken with an aluminum foil cover at 425F for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for ~15 more minutes.

6. Make sure to cut open the thickest slice of chicken (after about 40 minutes of baking) to make sure it isn't pink inside. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN. You want it to be juicy and just right. Serve with some couscous, roasted veggies, hummus, and pita bread:

Served with fresh veggies, pita chips, & hummus and some za'atar roasted broccoli, onions, & fennel.

Recipe to print:

ONE DAY IN ADVANCE:

the chicken needs to sit in za'atar marinade for 24 hours

1. Pound your raw chicken breasts so they are thin and roughly the same thickness. Place the chicken breast into a baking dish. Cover with a healthy amount of salt (1-2 teaspoons) and some garlic powder.
2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, some salt, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, and 5 cloves minced garlic. Set aside.
3. Cover the chicken with za'atar spice (3-4 tablespoons) and make sure you rub za'atar over all surfaces of each breast (get your hands dirty!)
4. Pour the olive oil mixture onto the chicken. Again, make sure all surfaces of the chicken are covered in oil.
5. Juice 6 lemons onto the chicken. Your chicken should be swimming in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

THE DAY OF:

Note: I don't have a grill. If I did, I would grill this chicken by laying it on a HOT grill for 15 minutes and turning it over for an additional 10 minutes. But, it tastes great in the oven as well.

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Remove chicken, piece by piece, from the baking dish and place onto a greased baking sheet (make sure your baking sheet has tall edges so excess olive oil doesn't spill over the edges while baking).
3. Cover the chicken with more za'atar rub (roughly 3 more tablespoons).
4. Cut thin slices of lemon and place on top of the chicken.
5. Bake the chicken with an aluminum foil cover at 425F for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
6. Make sure to cut open the thickest slice of chicken (after about 40 minutes of baking) to make sure it is not pink inside. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN. You want it to be juicy and just right. Serve with some couscous, roasted veggies, hummus, and pita bread.