The EASIEST, best tasting lemon bars you’ve ever tried. Tart, sweet, and oh so pretty!
Well, we’ve finished our first week of January. How is 2016 working out for you? Is it everything you hoped it would be? As of the writing of this, I’m down with one of those awful hacking colds, so I’m hoping week numero uno is not representative of my next 51!
Considering that it’s healthy January, I debated whether or not to post any dessert recipes this month after the glut that was December. January feels much more suited to soups and salads than cupcakes, but I figure that every month deserves a little sweetness, so you’re getting lemon bars!
Lemon bars are actually the perfect dessert for this time of year, because they are utterly satisfying. Their flavor is so sharp and crisp and bracing, you only need one. And at fewer than 200 calories a bar, one’s not hurting anyone.
This is a classic version of the recipe and it’s as simple of a dessert as you can get. The shortbread base comes together in a minute in your food processor with no softening of butter or creaming the ingredients. Then the custard gets whisked together while the base bakes. Simple, yummy, done.
Dust with a little powdered sugar, put the kettle on, and you’re like 95% of the way to a perfect tea party. Just add guests and white gloves.
Ingredients
Base
- ▢ 1/2 cup ( 4 oz) cold butter cut into 1-inch chunks
- ▢ 1 cup ( 140 g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 30 g) powdered sugar + optional extra for dusting
Filling
- ▢ 1 cup ( 200 g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 2 large eggs
- ▢ 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice 1-2 medium lemons
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest about 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan very well with cooking spray.
- In a food processor, mix butter, flour, and powdered sugar until your dough begins to come together. There is probably going to be a minute where it looks like the ingredients aren’t going to form a dough, but just keep mixing. It will. When the dough begins to clump and can be pressed together, dump it out into your greased pan and press into an even layer, all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden.
Custard
- Make the custard while your base is baking. Whisk sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until well combined. Once your crust is lightly golden, open oven and carefully pour lemon mixture into the pan, without removing it from the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes more, until the filling is completely set.
- Allow to cool completely before dusting lightly with powdered sugar (if desired) and cutting.
Notes
Nutritional Information 12 bars Nutritional Information 16 bars Adapted From: Sweet Surrender Bakery via The Bakersfield Californian
Doubling Instructions: To double, cook in a 9 x 13-inch dish for the same amount of time. Halving Instructions: These halve cleanly. You can make a half batch in a 6 x 6-inch pan. Bake at the lower end of the normal baking time for the shortbread base. Cook the custard for 2-3 minutes less than the full-size batch. Keep an eye on the edges, making sure they don’t burn. Freezing Instructions: These freeze exceptionally well. Stack in an air-tight container, with sheets of parchment paper layered between. The custard doesn’t freeze solid, so they are edible right out of the freezer.
My favorite hearty chicken salad, loaded with garlic chicken, tomatoes, bacon, and feta. So good, you won’t mind eating your greens!
How is everyone doing after the holidays? Feeling a little heavier, a little slower? Did you have to loosen your belt buckle a notch or two? No? Just me. Okay. That’s fine. December was a glorious, sweet-filled extravaganza, but we’re in January now. It’s time for salads.
Luckily, I have some great ones for you. Monday, I shared how to cook perfect chicken breasts for salads and sandwiches for just this purpose and for the rest of the month of January, we’ll have a new salad recipe every week, each one healthier and more delicious than the last.
We’re starting off with the heaviest of the four, something to ease us into eating our greens. This is my version of a cobb salad, loaded with garlic-marinated chicken and tomatoes, sprinkled with feta and bacon, and served over a bed of crunchy romaine.
I’m not a blue cheese girl, so that’s why feta is subbing in here instead, but feel free to go classic or use whatever cheese you want. Either way, it’s full of flavor, meaty and tangy. It tastes like you are eating something bad for you, but at under 450 calories, it’s very waist-line friendly!
- Chicken Shawarma Salad
- Asian Chicken Salad
- Chipotle Salad
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Instant-read thermometer
- ▢ Meat mallet
Marinade
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 1oz ) butter melted
- ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- ▢ 2 (about 1 pound) boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
- ▢ 4 slices bacon
- ▢ 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
- ▢ 1 cup ( 4oz ) crumbled feta cheese
- ▢ 2 large tomatoes chopped
Vinaigrette
- ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoons water
- ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon mustard dijon or yellow is fine
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Marinade
- Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken and give it a shake. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes.
While the Chicken is Marinating
- Cook and crumble the bacon or cut into 1/2 inch pieces. My preferred method for cooking bacon is 12-15 minutes in the oven at 400°F on a foil-covered baking sheet.
- Make the vinaigrette by combining dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shaking until well mixed.
Salad
- Take chicken directly from marinade to a hot skillet or grill. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the breasts reads 160°F, 5-8 minutes per side and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into strips.
- Put a quarter of the lettuce on each plate and top with the remaining ingredients.
Notes
Nutritional Information (Salad only, no dressing) Nutritional Information (Dressing, per 2-tablespoon serving) Dressing Adapted From: Saveur
A light and healthy Asian chicken salad. Simple, delicious, yum.
We’re in week two of our January salad series, (did you try last week’s Garlic Chicken Cobb Salad ? It’s sooooo good!) and I’ve got to say, I have a good one for you today. This is the salad that taught me to appreciate a little sweetness with my greens.
Most of my life, every time I saw sweet dressing on a menu, I would ask the universe, WHY WOULD YOU PUT SUGAR ON YOUR LETTUCE?? Then I made this salad and it was a light bulb moment. Oh, because it’s delicious. That’s why.
Healthy (i.e., not smothered in delicious creamy dressings) salads can start to feel a little samey after a while, especially when we’re eating a lot of them. So it’s great to bring in different influences to mix things up.
This one has an Asian flair to it, made with soy sauce, mandarin oranges, fried chow mein noodles, and a sweet dressing made with toasted sesame oil.
The toasted sesame oil gives the dressing a great, deep nutty umami flavor that makes it feel so distinct from your usual simple vinaigrette. And the ginger and garlic marinated chicken paired with the crunchy chow mein noodles and the plump burst of tart sweetness from the mandarins is AMAZING. Whenever I find myself growing tired of salads, I throw this one in the rotation to get me out of my funk!
As written, this Asian Chicken Salad recipe serves 4. To change the recipe yield, hover over the number of servings in the recipe below (or click if you are on mobile) and slide the slider–see recipe notes for further instructions.
Ingredients
Marinade
- ▢ 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil*
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salad
- ▢ 1 pound (about 2 small) boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
- ▢ 1 large head romaine chopped
- ▢ 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges drained
- ▢ 1 cup ( 2 oz) fried chow mein noodles
Dressing
- ▢ 1/2 cup rice vinegar*
- ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Marinade
- Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag and give it a shake. Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes.
Dressing
- While the chicken is marinating, bring vinegar to boil in a small pot. Once the vinegar is boiling, remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and pour into a mason jar. Shake to combine. Set aside to cool.
Salad
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and grease with cooking spray. Add chicken to the pan and cook 5-8 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breasts reads 160°F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
- Serve chicken over romaine, topped with mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, and dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional Information (salad only, no dressing) Nutritional Information (dressing, per 2-tablespoon serving) Adapted From: Iowa Girl Eats
Classic Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Base
- 1/2 cup ( 4 oz) cold butter cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup ( 140 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup ( 30 g) powdered sugar + optional extra for dusting
Filling
- 1 cup ( 200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice 1-2 medium lemons
- 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest about 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan very well with cooking spray.
- In a food processor, mix butter, flour, and powdered sugar until your dough begins to come together. There is probably going to be a minute where it looks like the ingredients aren’t going to form a dough, but just keep mixing. It will. When the dough begins to clump and can be pressed together, dump it out into your greased pan and press into an even layer, all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden.
Custard
- Make the custard while your base is baking. Whisk sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until well combined. Once your crust is lightly golden, open oven and carefully pour lemon mixture into the pan, without removing it from the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes more, until the filling is completely set.
- Allow to cool completely before dusting lightly with powdered sugar (if desired) and cutting.
