Lemon Squares

It's Easter weekend and the weather is warm... Spring calls for lemon... lemon squares...  buttery bites of citrus topped with powdered sugar...

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, ice cold
3/4 cup of confectioner's sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup of whole milk
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13in baking dish and line with waxed paper.
In the bowl of a food processor pulse all the crust ingredients a few times until combined and looks crumbly. It should look kind of dry.

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and using your fingers press the crust evenly onto the bottom of the pan.

Chill crust in freezer 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth.

Stir in lemon juice and milk and whisk until incorporated.

Remove crust from the oven and pour filling mixture over hot crust. Reduce oven to 325F and bake until filling is set and edges are slightly golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Grip paper and lift out dessert. Set on a cutting board. Dust confectioner's sugar and cut into squares. Serve chilled.

Salmon Fillet en Papillote

I just got back from 5 perfect days in NYC. Went to a few great restaurants with lovely food and wine. Thinking about today's meal was very easy, my body was craving something healthy. Went to the local fish shop and the salmon looked the best, then all i needed was some plain white rice to go with it and a vegetable. While getting the meal ready i put a bottle of Trebbiano D'Abruzzo in the fridge, just sounded like the perfect pairing on a 80F day.
I love steaming fish in parchment paper, it keeps the fish so moist.

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 salmon fillets

2 limes or lemons (1 whole, 1 thinly sliced)

12 tarragon leaves

4 teaspoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 square pieces of parchment paper

4 pieces of kitchen twine

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a baking dish in the oven.

Lay all 4 pieces of parchment paper in your kitchen counter. Place each salmon fillet on each square.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and lemon/lime juice all over. Put 1 teaspoon of olive oil on each fillet. Top it with sliced lemon/lime and tarragon leaves.

Pull all 4 corners of the paper up and tie the kitchen twine around it not leaving any openings to ensure that the steam will stay inside the paper.

Place the fish wraps in hot baking dish and cook it for 12 minutes or a little longer if you like your fish well done.