Recipes: lemon

This spicy stick-to-your-ribs stew is super versatile. It can be made anything from vegan to omnivore and you have the power to adjust the spicy level to suit your tastes! This protein-rich stew is satisfying on its own for anyone eating low-carb but fresh bread makes a perfect partner too. Or serve it over rice or polenta! No matter what, don't forget the lemon juice at the end!

Hands-down one of my most favorite dishes to make (and EAT) ever. Risotto is always going to be somewhat labor intensive with the constant stirring and ladling of broth but it's a super fun dish to cook with friends hanging out at the kitchen counter while playing music. In my house, we celebrate the Italian tradition of Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve and this is a family favorite. This is comfort food at its finest and the addition of lemon brings some light, high notes to a rich and creamy dish.

In all my years of making pasta, I've never made a proper Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans) because canned cannellini beans are already mushy so adding them to a soup only works when you're going for creamy and not toothsome beans. So I finally bought some proper dried beans and this may be one of the most delicious things I've ever made! WORTH IT.

If you could put all of summer's greatest hits into a single bowl, this would be it. Juicy watermelon meets tangy pineapple meets sweet corn meets creamy avocado all partying together on a bed a hefty romaine lettuce and garbanzos with party favors in the forms of salty pepitas and cilantro leaves. As August slides into September, this is a One Bowl Wonder to celebrate summer's bounty and the delicious things in life.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cloves pressed garlic
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (depending on your love for lemon!)
• 3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt
• 5 cracks of black pepper
• 6 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Helpful Tool:

• Magic Bullet mini blender

Instructions:

1. Put the first 5 ingredients into the magic bullet
2. Whizz for 5 seconds
3. Add 3 Tbsp of EVOO
4. Whizz for 10 seconds
5. Add remaining 3 Tbsp of EVOO
6. Whizz for 15 seconds

Note: You can make this dressing in a bowl with a whisk. Just drizzle the oil in gradually (about 1 Tbsp at a time) and whisk vigorously between drizzles!