Warm Octopus, Beans and Fennel Salad

 

Octopus has a unique texture, much “meatier” than that of its’ relative the squid. It requires a longer blanching and cooking time, which is why I don’t often use it.
However, as I’ve read somewhere that when it is blanched, cut into smaller pieces, frozen and thawed, it requires much shorter cooking time – I’ve decided to give this option a try.

Lemony Spaghetti, with Shrimp, Spinach and Grape Tomatoes

 

The combination of butter and lemon is a classic one, and for a good reason. The lemon cuts down the richness of the butter, while adding its pleasant acidity and fresh fragrance to the it. This mix is taken further in many recipes, especially those of fish and seafood, with the addition of garlic. In the following recipe, I’ve used this tasty combination to flavor a dish of spaghetti and shrimp.

Pan Fried Beef, Onion and Parsley Patties, with Agristada Sauce

I’ve posted the recipe for Agristada – a Sephardic lemony sauce – a few years ago. In that post, the sauce was served with fried fish. However, the sauce is traditionally also served with steamed vegetables (such as artichokes or leeks), or with meatballs. When I made the following pan fried meat patties, I’ve decided to serve this tasty sauce with them.

Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemon, Saffron and Capers Sauce

Pairing chicken and lemon is one of my favorite combinations, and I’m always looking for new ways of using both together. This time, I had a creamy chicken dish in mind – one that would be cooked fairly quickly, and served over pasta.

Lemon and Lavender Posset

Reading about Posset – a lemony dessert that is prepared with only three ingredients – I got very curious, and decided to find out more about it. I’ve discovered that there were many versions for this dessert, and that it also had quite an interesting history.

Lemon and Herbs Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Roasted chicken with lemon is a favorite dish, which I make often, while adding different ingredients to the basic combination.

Lemon and Almond Cookies

Lemon cookies are always a delight – not overly sweet, and full of wonderful citrusy aroma. I often add some crunchy ingredients into the dough mix (poppy seeds, or pistachio nuts). This time, I chose to add almond flour to the basic buttery dough, for its creaminess and unique texture.

Hazelnut, Banana and Lemon Muffins

Hazelnuts are a favorite of mine, whether for baking or for savory dishes. Their earthy, somewhat sweetish flavor, and their creamy texture, elevate any dish they are added to. So, it was no wonder I ended up using them when I was preparing to bake some simple banana-lemon muffins, and wanted to give them an interesting twist.

Shrimps with Garlic, Lemon, and Parsley Butter Sauce

One of my favorite ways of cooking shrimps is one of the simplest there are: a bold and tasty combination of very few ingredients – butter, lemon, garlic and parsley – which always works and takes no time to prepare.

Blueberry, Lavender and Lemon Marble Cake

Buying more blueberries than needed, I decided it would be a good idea to bake a cake with them. However, I didn’t want to just add them into a cake batter, but rather, have them in a sort of separate layer in the cake.

Herbed Fishballs with Tomato-Chickpea Sauce

I prepare fried fish patties fairly often, but this time, I’ve decided to try something different; I formed the mixture into balls, and instead of frying them, I placed them over a tomato-chickpea sauce, inspired by the Moroccan-Jewish cuisine.