7-Up Cupcakes

7-Up cake... a classic. You know I had to switch it up a little and make it into cupcakes. Never can just go by the right recipe! Plus you know my cupcake theory: helps with portion control! So I didn't change any of the ingredients, I just made the bundt cake into cupcake form. This recipe is actually pretty big. It made a dozen regular size cupcakes plus 6 more jumbo cupcakes for me, even a little extra to spare. I would up the ingredients in the glaze recipe, maybe even double it. It seemed kind of scarce. And please, please! DO NOT substitute some other lemon-lime soda for 7-Up. This is 7-Up cake folks! Cheers!

7-Up Cupcakes via Food.com:

http://www.food.com/recipe/7-up-bundt-cake-31500

Lemon Roasted Vegetables

I'm always looking for a way to gussy up some normally plain veggies and lemon zest has been on my mind as of late! Perfect pairing. The original recipe for this was just for lemon roasted potatoes, but I thought I would switch it up a bit and add some less starchy items to the mix. I did use some red potatoes, along with red and yellow bell peppers, and leeks. You can stick with just the potatoes like the recipe, or switch it up with your favorite veggies. This is a great pairing for a fish or chicken dish.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes via Bon Appetit:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Roasted-Potatoes-364596

Whole Lemon Bars

So today is my big 26th! I guess this points me in the direction of that scary "3" number. Where does life go?! Unfortunately I have to work tonight, luckily I will get to celebrate at home this weekend in the company of some great friends. I knew I wanted a dessert for my birthday, (dessert is a birthday must), but I haven't been feeling very cakey as of late. I've been wanting to try this recipe since I first saw it, so here was our perfect chance. WHOLE lemon bars! I am such a sucker for a good lemon curd. These are INCREDIBLE, possibly a new favorite all together. Have a safe holiday weekend. Happy Easter & Happy Birthday to me!

Whole Lemon Bars via David Lebovitz:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/02/whole-lemon-bars-recipe/

Spaghetti with Lemon & Olive Oil

I was SO delighted upon my arrival to San Jose to find a Whole Foods right around the corner from my new house! WIN! I had spotted this recipe on Smitten Kitchen a few weeks ago and then saw this fresh lemon pepper linguine at Whole Foods that I decided would be a perfect pasta for this dish. They also had these tequila-marinated shrimp on skewers that I grilled up quickly on the Cuisinart to top this luscious pasta with some protein. AMAZE. I did omit the heavy cream and arugula (didn't have any on hand), but this still turned out wonderful. I am LOVING lemon-carb-like sides lately... see this previous post for an irresistable lemon risotto: http://ovenphilosophy.blogspot.com/2011/02/most-perfect-meal-ever.html

Spaghetti with Lemon & Olive Oil via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/02/spaghetti-with-lemon-and-olive-oil-al-limone/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smittenkitchen+%28smitten+kitchen%29

The Most Perfect Meal EVER

This is the ULTIMATE surf & turf. If you are planning on any kind of celebration feast, this is your meal! Pick your favorite dessert & wine and you are set for the ultimate feast. The flavors in this combination are undeniable. Each component is completely unique, but at the same time pairs together elegantly. Try this out for your next celebration and let me know about your response. Mine was a true crowd pleaser! Happy Valentines Day!

Lemon Risotto via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/06/catch-up-solstice-edition/

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Red Pepper via Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Broccoli-with-Garlic-and-Red-Pepper-351031

Pancetta Wrapped Shrimp via Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/surf-and-turf-for-two-recipe/index.html

Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter via Epicurious (& my previous blog entry)

http://ovenphilosophy.blogspot.com/2010/11/porcini-crusted-filet-mignon-with-fresh.html

Perfect Roast Chicken

The cutest little naked chicken! Everybody always has their different ideas about the perfect roast chicken. This recipe came as a recommendation from two separate sources so I thought I should try it out. Roast chicken is really versatile. There are so many different ways you can dress it up. You can usually find it at the grocery story for fairly cheap, so it can be very budget-friendly as well. This was about a 6 lb. young chicken, for like $3.50. That sounds like a bargain to me. This was really easy, pretty quick, and stayed succulently moist. I do think I might have accidentally used anise instead of fennel... Stater Brothers tricked me! It was great either way. Stay tuned for the perfect side dish: Ranch Mashed Potatoes!

Perfect Roast Chicken via Ina Garten:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html