Things to Make with Lemons

What do you do when life gives you lemons? Rustle up a delicious, zesty, slimming-friendly recipe of course! The zingy citrus fruit is a surprisingly versatile ingredient, and it can add a flavour boost to sweet and savoury dishes alike. 

Whether you add a little zest, squeeze in some juice, or finely slice a lemon as a garnish, there are few recipes that can’t be livened up with a lemony twist.

So, if your fruit bowl is overflowing with fresh yellow fruit, why not pick something from this list of things to make with lemons? 

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Drinks

Before we get started, you’ll want to pour yourself an ice cold glass of refreshing Homemade Lemonade to sip on. The classic chilled drink might just be the ultimate lemon recipe, and our version is slimming friendly and even more delicious than a shop-bought bottle.

It’s really easy to make, with all that lovely lemony flavour coming from a simple syrup of lemon peel and sweetener, mixed with freshly-squeezed lemon juice. 

To make life even easier, you can pour any extra syrup into an ice cube tray and freeze it for a taste of sunshine on a rainy day – simply defrost it and top it up with water anytime you need a sip of something refreshing. 

If lemons alone aren’t quite fruity enough for you, our Pink Lemonade is an eye-catching, ice-cold beverage with a raspberry-twist. It’s just as easy to make as our traditional lemony drink – except we’ve added an extra step to include making a berry-sweet raspberry puree. 

Mixed in with the lemon syrup, it gives the drink a gorgeous rosy colour that’s a welcome sight in any season. 

Lunch

Treat yourself to a lemony lunch and rustle up this Courgette Ribbon, Lemon and Feta Salad next time you’re in the mood for something light and zingy. It can easily be a main meal or a side dish, depending on the serving size, and it always looks super impressive, despite being low-effort to make. 

Curly peelings of courgette make up the base of the salad, giving each bite a nice, satisfying crunch. Add in tomatoes, feta and parsley, before pouring over that all-important citrus-y lemon juice to bring the flavours to life. 

When you need a lunch that’s a little more warming, our Creamy Chicken and Lemon Noodle Soup couldn’t be more wholesome. Proper, hearty comfort food, it’s a bowl of goodness that’ll brighten up any day. 

The lemony flavour cuts through the creamy broth, adding a twist of unexpected flavour that keeps your taste buds guessing. At only 250 calories per serving, it’s perfect for pouring into a soup flask and taking out on-the-go with you. 

This recipe can only be found in the Pinch of Nom Family Meal Planner. You can order a copy here, if you don’t have one already. 

Sharp, zingy lemon is the perfect ingredient to cut through the creaminess of the sauce in this Lemon Chicken and Spinach Pasta recipe. Despite being a pasta dish with an incredibly indulgent taste, each serving works out at only 26 calories – making this light enough for lunch, and filling enough to keep you going right through to dinner. 

The juice of two whole lemons goes into this one, and you won’t want to skimp on that lovely zestiness. As well as enhancing the flavour of the sauce, you’ll find it helps to keep the chicken really juicy too. 

Dinner

One of the best things to do when life gives you lemons is have a good old fashioned fakeaway night! Nothing makes us happier than when this Lemon Chicken is on the menu. Our slimming-friendly take on the Chinese-inspired dish is low on effort and big on flavour – exactly what you want at the end of a busy day. 

We’ve doubled up on lemons to get a really intense citrus taste, using lemon squash as well as slices of fresh lemon. The end result is a sweet, sticky sauce that tastes even better than the takeaway version (even if we do say so ourselves). 

When it comes to easy midweek meals, they don’t come simpler or more delicious than this Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Cumin. Ready in half an hour, we’ve roasted wedges of lemon alongside juicy chicken thighs until everything is golden and irresistible. 

The only question is what to serve it with – because this zingy chicken goes with everything! Spoon on some Savoury Rice, add your favourite steamed veggies, pasta, potatoes or salad. 

If you want to go all in on lemony flavour, dish up these Roasted Potatoes with Herbs and Lemon with your dinner. They’re a nice change to your usual roasties, with a fluffier taste and a softer bite.

To infuse them with zesty flavour all the way through, we’ve roasted our spuds in a herby garlic and lemon stock, giving them plenty of chance to soak in all the citrus-y goodness. Once the stock is all absorbed and you can spot a few crispy edges, you’ll know your potatoes are perfectly cooked and ready to be served. 

Dessert

Even when you haven’t left much room for dessert, something lemony and light always goes down a treat. At just 77 calories per square, it’d almost be rude to turn down a piece of this Lemon Sponge Traybake. The retro-style pud makes the most of the yellow citrus fruit, with zest baked into the sponge, a generous layer of lemon curd, and sliced lemons arranged on top to finish it off. 

This teatime treat is all you need with a cuppa (although it’s extra-delicious if you serve it warm with a dollop of Custard too).

We can’t talk about lemon-themed sweet treats without mentioning an all-time classic. Our Lemon Drizzle Cake is a fluffy, easy-to-make dream, that only calls for a handful of ingredients. 

It uses both the zest and the juice of the lemons to give the zingiest possible taste, with a final drizzle of sweetened lemon juice to top it all off. Since each slimming-friendly slice comes in at just 73 calories, we wouldn’t tell anyone if you went back for a second helping!

You’ll need a loaf tin for this recipe, if you don’t have one already. This 2-piece Dessyz Bread and Loaf Tins for Baking includes two different sizes of non-stick tins for every kind of loaf. 

Need a lemony dessert in a hurry? It takes just 15 minutes to whip up these Lemon Lava Cakes (or half that time if you want to make them in the microwave). They’re ideal when you can’t choose between light, airy cake and something more indulgent – each one has a gooey, lemon curd centre.  

Pick up a set of 4 microwave and oven-safe ramekins for this recipe. They’ll come in so handy for single-serve puddings and sweet treats. 

You can bake and serve these lava cakes in the ramekins, which means more time to sit and enjoy the zest flavour, and less time washing up afterwards. Win win!

What are your favourite things to make with lemons?

We’d love to hear what dishes you’ll be rustling up the next time life gives you a few too many lemons. Upload your photos to the Pinch of Nom Gallery, or pop on over to our Facebook group to share them with us! 

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