parmigiano & fig grilled cheese

parmigiano & fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

A few weeks ago Whole Foods set out to break the Guinness World Record of number of Parmigiano Reggiano wheels cracked simultaneously. Jack and I were the “official” witnesses of Parmageddon at our Austin store. I know what you might be thinking… how does the lactose intolerant girl get herself into these things?

Well, first of all, Jack will not ever turn down an opportunity for free cheese. And second, in recent years I’ve learned that hard cheeses don’t have very much lactose, and that I don’t have as much of a problem with really high quality cheese. (ie. just say no to the processed Kraft green canister).

parmesan fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

But what’s really special about this freshly cracked parm is that it’s so soft, light and buttery you could eat slivers of it all by itself. Or make fancy grilled cheese out of it like I did. I paired mine with sweet fig jam, a drizzle of balsamic, and some peppery arugula.

parmigiano & fig grilled cheese / loveandlemons.com

600 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano were cracked that day throughout stores in the US, Canada and the UK, so you still have some time to go try it out yourself.

Special thanks to Whole Foods for partnering on this post.

Go to the recipe “parmigiano & fig grilled cheese”…

best of the brunch

best of the brunch // loveandlemons.com
Happy Friday! Here’s a little roundup of my favorite brunch recipes for those of you who might be looking for ideas for your Easter get-together.

Click on the images above to go to the individual recipes.

and in case the above links happen to not work in your browser:
almond coffee cake  /  apple muffins  /  sweet potato & brussels sprout skillet
kale, egg & avocado toast  /  nutella stuffed french toast  /  apple pancake
carrot muffins  /  granola & pomegranate / swiss chard & egg casserole

edamame hummus & radish crostini

edamame hummus & yogurt radish crostini // loveandlemons.com

It’s been snack time around here lately. I don’t know if it’s because spring is in the air, or because our schedules have been irregular lately, but we seem to have traded regular meals for snacky meals.

Here are two variations that we’ve recently called dinner… best served with wine and maybe a light soup or salad.

The snacking continued with the leftovers. The next morning I baked a tortilla until crispy, and topped it with edamame hummus and a fried egg. (New discovery: the breakfast tostada). The rest of the yogurt sauce went on a salad with chopped veggies.

Happy snacking!

Go to the recipe “edamame hummus & radish crostini”…

mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps

mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps / loveandlemons.com mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps / loveandlemons.com

Nutella one day, quinoa the next. This is what I call balance. Tasty balance.

Last week, I had this huge head of red lettuce. After a few days of salads, I worked my way down to the small rounded leaves in the center. I thought they were just too cute to tear apart into another salad, so I thought… lettuce wraps.

This could be a lovely spring appetizer, or a light meal for two. Especially if you’ve been over-indulging lately like we have been.

mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps / loveandlemons.com

Go to the recipe “mushroom & quinoa lettuce wraps”…

nutella stuffed french toast

nutella stuffed french toast / loveandlemons.com

This might be the most unhealthy thing I’ve made for this site thus far. It’s not “surprisingly” vegan or “by the way” gluten free. And I didn’t make my own Nutella, although I thought about it.

But… it’s fast, easy, and super delicious. We’re having some Nutella-loving friends over for Easter brunch next weekend, so I’m thinking this will be sure to impress.

If sweets are too much for you in the morning, this can double as dessert with a scoop of ice cream on top. (If you’re reading between the lines here, yes… we ate these for breakfast and the extras for dessert last night. Today, a good salad is in order).

Go to the recipe “nutella stuffed french toast”…