10 Lip Smacking Lemon Recipes To Kick Off Summer
Nothing says summer like the bright appearance and citrus taste of lemon. Though the thought of lemon probably first brings to mind a delicious glass of lemonade, lemon recipes extend much further than that. Check out these lemon recipes to see how you can add the tart goodness of lemon into your meals.
1. Lemon Gelato
This lemon recipe is sure to cool you down in the heat of summer. By combining whole milk, lemon zest, egg yolks, and sugar, the resulting yummy dessert tastes more like creamy custardy ice cream than like lemon ice. Gelato is an Italian treat that your family and friends will love.
To make this lemon recipe, heat the whole milk and lemon zest until it steams. Remove it from heat, cover, and let it sit for a while. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar, then stir in the cool strained milk and lemon mixture. Heat and stir constantly until a thick custard forms. Cool by placing the pan containing the mixture in cold water, then refrigerate to complete cooling.
Get the full recipe at NY Times
2. Lemon Chicken
If you are looking for an easy and delicious lemon dinner recipe, look no further. For the best flavor, the recipe recommends using the skin on, bone-in chicken legs and thighs, but you can use whatever chicken you prefer. The marinade is a mixture of lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper, filling your kitchen air and your stomach with light summer flavors.
The key to this lemon recipe is to marinate. Cut small slits into one side of the chicken pieces and place the cut sides down in the mixture of lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate to infuse with flavors for a couple hours, then place the chicken pieces in the baking dish, brush with melted butter, and bake. Frequently baste the chicken with the marinade while baking. When the chicken skin is brown, it is done. Save the marinade and serve as a gravy for the chicken.
Get the full recipe at Simply Recipes
3. Lemon Lush
If you want a light lemony dessert for a family picnic or an afternoon treat, this lemon recipe is for you. Sweet meets tart in this dish, and they balance each other out very well. A bottom crust is covered with layers of cream cheese, lemon pudding, and whipped cream, resulting in a plethora of different flavors that complement each other in fantastic ways.
The crust is just a mixture of flour and butter, which is then pressed into the bottom of a baking dish and baked. Next, cream cheese and sugar are blended together and spread over the crust. A pack of lemon pudding mix and milk are then combined and spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Finally, a layer of whipped cream tops off the dessert. You can also add fresh fruit like berries on top of the whipped cream for a little extra something.
Get the full recipe at All Recipes
4. Lemon Yogurt Cake
Lemon lovers everywhere will want this lemon recipe. The yogurt keeps the cake moist and denser, and there is lemon on top of lemon in there. The baked cake contains lemon zest, then after it is baked, a sugary lemon juice concoction is poured over it and soaks in. After that, a lemon glaze tops off the lemon masterpiece. Pucker up!
To make this lemon recipe, mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fold in vegetable oil. While this is baking, cook lemon juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Once the cake is cooked and slightly cooled, pour the lemon and sugar mixture over the cake. After the cake is cooled, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, making a glaze, and drizzle over the cake.
Get the full recipe at Food Network
5. Lemon Blueberry Bars
Fresh blueberries help mellow out the lemon in this lemon recipe. There is lemon zest in the crust, along with flour, powdered sugar, salt, and butter, adding a little surprise zing to the bars. The bar filling gets its lighter gelatinous texture and full flavor by being a combination of sugar, lemon juice, eggs, additional egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, butter, lemon zest, lime zest, and fresh blueberries.
For this recipe, the crust ingredients are combined until crumbly, then pressed into a baking dish and baked. While this is baking, the lemon curd is formed by combining sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt. This is heated until it thickens, then strained. Butter is then stirred in, along with the lemon zest, lime zest, and fresh blueberries. The mixture is poured over the cooked crust, stirred to distribute the blueberries, and baked until the blueberries begin to burst. Cool for several hours before serving.
Get the full recipe at NY Times
6. Lemon Risotto
This zesty rice recipe combines well with a lot of main dishes and helps bring summer to the table. Chicken broth replaces water in this recipe, but the real flavors come from the lemon juice and lemon peel present in this dish. These ingredients along with butter, olive oil, shallots, white wine, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley will take your plain rice to new heights.
To make this lemon recipe, heat the broth in a pot, cover, and set aside. In a saucepan, saute the shallots in butter and oil. Add the rice and stir, then add the wine and stir until it evaporates. Add the broth in increments until the rice is tender and creamy. Then, stir in the cheese, more butter, parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. There you have it! Try pairing with shrimp or chicken, or add vegetables for an even more filling dish.
Get the full recipe at Epicurious
7. Lemon Tartlets
Looking for cute and easy finger foods for your summer evening get together? Make these! This lemon recipe is like bite-sized lemon pies, and they can be made in no time. The crusts are premade at the store, and the lemon curd is just eggs, sugar, butter, and lemon juice. This recipe also gives you an easy recipe for the whipped cream topping, being only made of heavy cream and powdered sugar. How great is that?!
Lemon curd is actually pretty simple to make. While your double boiler is heating up on the stove, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, and lemon juice. Heat using the double boiler until the mixture thickens, then cool in the refrigerator. Whip the heavy cream and sugar until desired texture is reached. Finally, fill the store-bought tartlet crusts with lemon curd and top with whipping cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Get the full recipe at Analida’s Ethnic Spoon
8. Lemon Spaghetti With Spinach
This lemon recipe is pretty cool because you cook the spaghetti in the sauce, so the flavor is very present. Onion, garlic, vegetable broth, lemon juice, and coconut milk form the sauce base that the spaghetti cooks in. Then the dish is heightened by lemon zest, along with spinach for some extra bulk and texture. The result is a creamy zesty vegan meal anyone will love.
For this recipe, start by sautéing the onion and garlic in a little oil. Then, add the uncooked spaghetti, vegetable broth, coconut milk, and lemon juice, and cook until the spaghetti is done. Then, throw in the spinach and lemon zest, cook a few minutes more, and enjoy! If you want, feel free to throw in some seafood or chicken for a heftier dinner.
Get the full recipe at Vegan Heaven
9. Watermelon Lemonade
Well, I couldn’t make a lemon recipe list without at least one lemonade recipe! This lemonade includes another summer favorite treat: watermelon. The result is a refreshing sweet drink that will rehydrate and rejuvenate you.
Since watermelon is so soft already, there really is not much to this lemonade recipe. Simply slice and blend some watermelon. Add water, sugar, and lemon juice to the watermelon juice and blend again. In a jiff, you have lemonade with a twist! This could also be a great mixer for a fruity summer alcoholic beverage.
Get the full recipe at Caroline’s Cooking
10. Lemon Rolls
Wanting a summery breakfast treat? These lemon rolls have the basic structure of cinnamon rolls, a breakfast favorite, but are all lemon. The dough is made of a box of lemon cake mix, yeast, warm water, vanilla, salt, and flour. The filling is a mixture of butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon pudding mix. The icing is made of cream cheese, butter, lemon extract, powdered sugar, and milk. The result: a sweet and zesty decadent breakfast wonder.
This lemon recipe takes some prep time, so make sure you give yourself a big time window. Combine the cake mix, yeast, warm water, vanilla, salt, and flour, then let rise for an hour. Punch this down and let rise again for another hour. Roll dough out, and cover with the filling mixture: butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon pudding mix. Roll up, cut into slices, and place in a baking dish. Cover these and let rise, then bake. Prepare the frosting mixture: cream cheese, butter, lemon extract, powdered sugar, and milk. Spread frosting over warm rolls, and you are all set!
Get the full recipe at Love from the Oven
