Lemon Tea Bread

Has anyone ever held a Tea Party?

I've always wanted to either go to or hold my very own Tea Party.  I think it's just something about spring that reminds me of flowers and a nice tea party.  A garden tea party would be my preference.  One with little dainty sandwiches and sweets, and of course some nice English Breakfast tea, Green tea, and I would add another such as a Peach Tea.  I see small little round tables with pretty table cloths and vases full of flowers.  Nice silver and flatware to accompany pretty plates and tea cups.  Sounds perfect doesn't it?

More than likely it might end up like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party!  Just kidding...but who knows, right?

So I decided to have a Tea Party, but since I didn't have a garden to have it in, MGG and I took our party to one.  We wanted to go to a special place to honor my mom.  She always loved Descanso Gardens, in La Canada.  They have a forest of Camelia trees, tulips, daffodils, lilacs, flowers of all kinds.  They also have a Japanese Garden that has a tea house surrounded by Cherry Blossom trees and a quiet brook.  My mom loved to come during the spring when the Camelia trees were in full bloom and wander through the trees.

So I know they have nice tea there, hence the Japanese tea house.  Tea, check!  Garden, check!  Sweets?  That's where I come in.  Since this tea in honor of my mom, and as I posted many, many times, her favorite flavor was lemon.  So I decided to make a Lemon Tea Bread.  Easy to make, easy to transport.  Sweets, check!
 

This tea bread is just perfect.  It's easy to make in a loaf, but is more of a light cake consistency.  It is lightly flavored with lemon, light in texture, just perfect for a tea party.

So we got our tea, headed for the huge Cherry Blossom Tree and had our party on a bench under the pretty pink blossoms.  Then as we were done we noticed they were having an outdoor play, so we watched for a little wile and enjoyed the entertainment.

What a perfect day, and what a perfect Lemon Tea Bread!

Lemon Tea Bread

Adapted from Southern Living OCTOBER 2004

Makes 1 (8-inch) loaf
Time: 1 hr 15min. start to finish

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c Splenda Sugar Blend (or 1 cup granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c 2% milk
1 T lemon zest

Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Spoon the batter into greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour until golden on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the bread cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

I've got a soup to spice up your weekend.

Loving Latin flavors this soup is right up my alley.  If you love them too, you'll just die over this soup.  It's not your typical tortilla soup.  This one, inspired by Paula Deen , is white in color.  Yes, white.  It also has several types of green chilies.  Yum for green chilies.  A mild tart flavor that just calls me.  I think it started in the 80's with Enchiladas Suizas...but I digress.

Oh, and another important 'green' item is tomatillos.  Have you cooked with them yet?  They have the most fabulous flavor!  This is a good way to experiment with them.  The canned variety is used here for ease or making the soup.

Her method is interesting.  She actually poaches the chicken in the soup and then removes it it shred and replaces it back to finish it off.  I was eager to try this, and we were both glad I did.  The end result was a wonderful warming spicy (with flavor, not heat) soup with excellent flavor!  You've gotta try this one.  

Thanks to Paula for the creativeness of this soup!

Chicken Tortilla Verde Soup

adapted from Cooking with Paul Deen January/February 2013

Serves 4 - 6

2 T canola oil, divided
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped poblano pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 c chicken broth
1 28 oz can of tomatillos, drained and chopped
1 T cumin
2 t dried thyme
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
Garnish: fried tortilla strips

In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil.  Add add chicken, and brown both sides, about 6 minutes.  Remove chicken.  Add remaining tablespoon of oil, heat over medium-high heat.  Add onion, poblano, and garlic.  Cook about 7 minutes or until onion has softened.  

Add a couple of tablespoons of the broth and scrape up any browned bits.  Add remaining broth and cumin and thyme.  Add chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.  

Remove chicken from the pot and cool slightly.  Shred meat and return to the pot.  Stir in sour cream and cilantro.  Serve topped with tortilla chips. 

Thyme Pork Chops with Quick Cooked Apples

I'm on a quick meal kick!

I've been rushing home to make a quick dinner so I can go outside and play!  The weather outside is gorgeous right now.  Spring has sprung in Southern California and the evenings are cool and nice.  So what better way to enjoy the extra daylight hours that by going outside and walking.  

I usually take a nice long walk in the park and watch the kids play soccer, dogs chasing balls, and I've even seen some guys practicing fly fishing!  So a quick meal is in order so I can get outside, take in the fresh air, exercise, and discover new sites.

I was inspired to make this meal that I saw in a Clean Eating magazine.  They actually were plugging this dish as a breakfast (southern comfort food) dish, but I spotted pork chops and immediately thought dinner.  Apples and pork go well together, and this version of a semi-steamed apple is just perfect along side some pork chops spiced up with thyme.  Thyme being one of my favorite herbs, I use it quite often.  Fresh thyme is readily available from the store however, in this dish dried thyme works just great. 

The magazine used bone in chops, but use what you have. I used some nice thick boneless pork loin chops, they turned out juicy and tender. For the apples it's best to use a soft apples since it cooks and softens in a short cooking time. Red Delicious apples are a good choice.

This dish can be made in 20 minutes. Love that! More time for me and the great outdoors. It's healthy, tasty, and easy to make. You only need a few ingredient and it satisfies your tummy and your senses. Warm cinnamon anyone? Yum!

Hope you give this a try.  Come back and let me know what you think.

Thyme Pork Chops with Quick Cooked Apples

Adapted from Clean Eating

Serves: 4

Time: 20 minutes

PORK

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 t canola oil

4 boneless pork loin chops

APPLES

2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tsp raisins, cut in half

2 small Red Delicious apples halved, cored and skin pierced several times

1/4 c chopped unsalted pecan pieces

2 t honey

1/2 t vanilla

In a small bowl, combine thyme, onion powder, salt and pepper.   Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Season both sides of pork chops with spice mixture and cook in skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until barely pink in center.

Meanwhile, prepare apples: In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons water and cinnamon and pour into a medium nonstick skillet. Sprinkle raisins evenly over top, then place apples, cut-sides-down, in skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and immediately reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4 minutes or until apples are just tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove only apples from skillet and place, cut-sides-up, on a serving platter. Stir pecans, honey, and vanilla into skillet and spoon mixture over top of each apple half, dividing evenly. Serve with pork chops.