Lemon Squares

This one is my mom's specialty, and she finally let me in on her (not so) secret recipe. I think I could eat a million of these.

For shortbread crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar

For lemony goodness:
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Powdered sugar (for sprinkling on top).

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by blending together the flour, butter, and sugar for the crust in a food processor. When the ingredients are well combined, press the mixture into a 11x9x2 inch pan. Pop in oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the shortbread is starting to turn slightly brown on top.

Next, mix together the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, flour, and baking powder. Mix well, being sure there are no chunks of flour or sugar remaining. Pour the lemon mixture on top of the hot shortbread. Bake another 25 minutes. Removed from oven and cool thoroughly. Sift powdered sugar in a thin layer over the entire pan. Cut into squares and dive into lemon ecstasy.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

This one was a first for me on a few fronts. My first time grilling and my first time deveining shrimp. The grilling part was fun and I hope to explore it further while it is still the appropriate season. The deveining part was tedious but definitely a good learning experience. After a while it was a somewhat meditative process. After hours of prep work, the shrimp cooked really quickly and were delicious. I will definitely be marinating and grilling again soon.

1 1/2 pounds shrimp
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon rind (finely grated)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt
Pepper

Start by shelling and deveining shrimp. This is the time consuming part, but you can buy shrimp that are already cleaned to make this a whole lot easier.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, chili paste, soy sauce, and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp in the marinade and mix them around to get good coverage. Place in refrigerator and let the shrimp soak in the marinade for about 2 hours.

When ready, heat the grill. Secure shrimp on skewers by poking through each piece twice. Once at the head and once at the tail. Place shrimp on grill. Brush each side with remaining marinade while grilling. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side.

White Bean Dip

This is the easiest recipe yet. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and is so fresh and flavorful that it is hard to resist. You don't even really need a blender, but it makes the process a lot quicker.

1 can white beans
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 a lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Toss the beans, olive oil, whole garlic cloves, and juice from 1/2 a lemon into the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle some rosemary on top and voilà! You have yourself an awesome dip. Great on pita bread.