Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

I'm delighted to have Joanne from Eats Well with Others share with us her delicious lemon poppyseed cookie recipe. Joanne is a busy gal; she's a med student in NYC, a marathoner (just like my brother-in-law) and is an avid (and extraordinarily talented) baker. I feel like I'm repeating myself a lot but I think I've told you on numerous occasions that our family loves sweets. In addition to this, we always have guests over, especially for tea time, so having Joanne guest-post a sweet treat seems doubly fitting!

Confession.

I used to be a Costco muffin inhaler.

Have you ever had one? They're big...huge, really...about the size of your face.

And they're strangely reminiscent of narcotic drugs in their addiction-inducing qualities. I mean, you KNOW you should only have half. But you have a pulse and therefore restraining yourself at all whatsoever is but a mere pipe dream. It's okay. We've all been there.

My favorite flavor was the lemon poppyseed.

It was infused with almond extract and was smothered in tangy sweet lemon glaze.

In fact, I may or may not have chosen which muffin I wanted based on the glaze:muffin top
ratio. Higher OBVIOUSLY being better.

(See ladies, muffin tops don't look good on anyone. Not even muffins.*)

*(Unless they have glaze on them.)

Anyway, eventually I grew up and realized just how much hydrogenated fat was in those muffins and how many miles it would take me to burn off just half of one. And so I gave them up. Cold turkey.

(By which I mean I moved out of my parents' house and had the muffins forcibly pried out of my hands upon exiting. Same thing.)

But a lemon poppyseed-less existence is really just too sad of a thought to entertain for even one second let alone an entire lifetime. Which is where these cookies come in.

They have all the same delicious lemon almond overtones of the muffins. (And the glaze. That heavenly glaze...) But without all the heft and heaviness.

Perfect for getting your Costco muffin fix or, if you weren't previously a lemon poppyseed "user", just for dipping into a warm cup of tea. Win/win no matter what your circumstance is.

Arugula Pesto Pasta Recipe

Good bye 2011, hello 2012! I'd like to wish the happiest of New Years to you and yours. Ours is starting off great with my little baby girl. That also means new resolutions and mine this year is to lose all the baby weight. I'm determined to be healthy after 9 months of indulging in decadent meals. To start off on the right foot, today I made a healthy pesto pasta using arugula, sunflower seeds and Parmesan cheese. I love cooking with arugula; it tastes like a cross between mustard and hazelnut with a hint of pepper. It’s a nutritious meal that is healthy and filling.

For everyone out there starting off the year with a weight-loss resolution, best of luck!

Mache Pesto Pasta Recipe

Fresh pesto is delicious, easy, and bursting with flavor. It’s also incredibly versatile in that you can use many different types of greens to modify the flavor. Today I was so happy my experiment with turning French mâche into delicious Pesto proved to be delightful and nutritious.

To make the pesto, I paired the mâche lettuce (pronounced [mosh]) with champagne pear vinegar because both are so delicate and flavorful. I kept the dish very simple; I tossed pasta with garlic and a little cream. Once the pasta was well coated, I added the mâche pesto and finished the dish with lemon zest and colorful peppercorns.

The flavor combination was inspired by store-bought lemon pepper-flavored pappardelle pasta. I repeated the same flavors using lemons, green, pink and black peppercorns and a touch of champagne pear vinegar (doesn't that sound luxurious?) that I recently received from our friend Jacilyn from Bellindora. This company is four-generation family owned and is located in the heart of California's San Joaquin wine country. I've tried both their premium vinegars (cherry balsamic and champagne vinegar) as well as their fruity extra-virgin olive oil and they make wonderful pestos and salad dressings. If you want to win this trio of bottles, enter today's Bellindora giveaway!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page  or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Champagne Pear & Balsamic Cherry Vinegars + EVOO #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and Bellindora: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Ginger Lemon Cake Recipe (+Giveaway)

I tend to bake a lot more during the holidays. Unlike cooking, where recipes can be loosely interpreted and still come out great, baking is about being accurate and using the precise amount of the specific ingredients called for. That puts even more emphasis on selecting the best of the limited ingredients you have control over, whether it's flour, eggs or butter. To that end, my pantry is always stocked with various Bob's Red Mill products, and today one lucky PhamFatale reader is going to receive a $50 gift certificate from Bob!

Today I made an almond cake flavored with ginger and lemon-flavored white chocolate. The main ingredient is almond meal, which makes the dessert gluten-free. Since it's the holidays, I splurged on more decadent elements by topping the cake with a ginger lemon whipped cream and garnished it with sliced almonds as a reminder of the flavor of the cake. Who am I kidding? If you’re a regular reader you know I don’t need much of an excuse to tend towards the decadent!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Bob's Red Mill, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Bob's Red Mill $50 Gift Certificate #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @Bobs_Red_Mill: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Baked Lemon Chicken Breasts (Healthy Recipe)

After reading through Joy Bauer's new book, "Food cures: Eat Right to Get Healthier, Look Younger, and Add Years to Your Life", it inspired me to  make a healthy chicken dish. To make the dish I used chicken breasts because the meat is leaner. Chicken breasts can taste a little bland, so I added acidic ingredients which both tenderize the meat and enhance the flavor. I used what is currently in season: pomegranate and lemon. I also mixed in capers and kalamata olives for their briny taste. I love how the flavors complement each other; all have acidic notes which make them work well together while keeping the calorie count low.

As usual, olive oil is a great choice for a healthy meal, though as Joy said a little goes a long way!