"In simple humility, let our gardener God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." James 1:21
Tenielle decided a month ago that she wanted a lemon tree. In the past, we have done an amazing job at killing house plants, but we thought we'd give it another shot. We are all about taking risks in life, and when you succeed at killing a cactus which requires virtually no care at all, it is a definite risk to try and maintain something as precious as a lemon tree.
Amazingly though, our friend (Francesca is her name) is thriving! Her branches have filled with beautiful blossoms, filling our home with an unbelievable island, citrus, flowery scent. And she's even produced a little lemon child that we are excited to watch mature into a healthy, normal adult.
Calm down - we don't have kids yet!
Watching things grow is an incredible thing. There's something both human and divine about watching a plant produce flowers and fruit. We can water and tend it, but it's God that brings life to all things. I can't help but be thankful that God does not leave me to take care of myself, but adds His love and power - things that I will never achieve on my own.
Alright, that's enough cheese and corn, I'm making myself sick... Onto the food!
With my house becoming the home of a lemon tree, it seems right to offer up a lemon inspired meal. We've been having some incredible weather here in Central Washington, so I fired up the grill and began playing around with some lemony flavors.
I don't know about you, but when it comes to lemon, I am very picky. I feel like most foods with lemon are either too sweet, or too sour. To be honest, I lean more towards the sour, but I think finding a good balance is really important. More than anything, I want the essence of the lemon to really shine, and I think this meal really hit it on the head. There are two things that I think made this happen - 1, grated lemon peel, and 2, Limoncello.
The grated lemon peel gives you the essence of the lemon without the bitterness of biting right into the lemon. The Limoncello, an Italian liquor, is similar. The peel of the lemon is soaked in alcohol for a long time, releasing all of those beautiful oils into the liquor, and then the peels are discarded. I only added a little of both, to really bring out the flavors of the lemon.
So, without further ado, here is lemon grilled chicken with lemon cream sauce over penne, with grilled zucchini spears. I've broken them down into three separate recipes that you can prepare, and then bring together!
Lemon Grilled Chicken Ingredients:
2 Good Sized Chicken Breast, Pounded Lightly
Marinade:
Juice From Half A Lemon
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Basil
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp. Paprika
Instructions:
Combine the marinade ingredients, mix well, and then pour over your chicken in a sealable bag. Massage the mix into the chicken, and then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
When ready, preheat your grill to medium high. Grill the chicken, keeping a close eye on it, for about 16 minutes - flipping every 4 minutes. I've found that the key to good grilling is keeping an eye on the food - don't leave it! Play on your phone while you wait or something!
After grilling, give the chicken 10 minutes to rest. If you cut it sooner, you risk losing all of the incredible juices that have built up inside, giving you dry grilled chicken. No fun!
Grilled Zucchini Spears
Ingredients:
3 Small to Medium Zucchini
2 Tbl. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Juice From Half A Lemon
Instructions:
Cut the ends off your zucchini, and then slice lengthwise 4 times, to get 4 spears out of each zucchini.
Combine the rest of your ingredients, and then pour over your zucchini, stirring well for coverage. Allow to marinade for 1-2 hours, until ready to grill.
Over a medium high grill, lay down your spears, and don't go anywhere! After a minute, flip the zucchini, and let set for another minute. Do this twice, for a total of 4 minutes. You should have some nice grill marks, but still have a good crunch to the zucchini. You don't want it mushy. If you have to eat vegetables, they should be appealing!
Serve immediately!
Lemon Cream Sauce Over Penne
Ingredients:
1lb. Penne Pasta
4 Tbl. Butter
2 Tbl. Oil
1 Sweet Walla Walla Onion, chopped
Juice of 3 Lemons
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1/4 Cup White Wine
2 Tbl. Limoncello
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Capers
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Lemon Zest, Lemon Slices, and Fresh Grated Parmesan To Garnish
Instructions:
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is translucent (5-7 minutes). Add in the white wine, Limoncello, and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the cream, capers, salt and pepper to taste, and allow to simmer on low until ready to use.Cook your penne in salted boiling water for 11 minutes. Drain and serve with the sauce, garnishing with lemon slices, lemon zest and fresh parmesan. Serve with grilled chicken and grilled zucchini spears!
Because eating good is a calling of it's own!
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