Quick Lemon Meringue Pie

Crust:

Of course, you can make or buy a traditional pie crust. But to keep it quick (and because Reid doesn't really like pie crust) I just use melted butter and cookie crumbs. Here in Ghana you can buy yummy McVites Digestive Biscuits. They are easy to crumble and are delicious. Graham cracker or other cookie crumbs would work. I just crush about 1/2 or 2/3 cup crumbs (enough to cover the bottom (not sides) of a pie plate. Then I melt enough butter for the crumbs to begin to stick together - maybe about 2 tablespoons. I pat the crumbs in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. This is done quickly and without precision (as you can see). I wonder if you could even use whole cookies cut to fit the bottom of the pie pan. The purpose here is fast and easy!

Lemon Filling:

4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (opt)

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually, 1 whisk-full at a time, add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.

Return egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue (instructions below) while filling is still hot. Make sure meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure pie is cooled completely before slicing.

Meringue Topping:

4 egg whites

1 pinch cream of tartar (opt - can't find it in Ghana)

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Use to top lemon filling.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

I've made this for years - it's always good.

I vary the vegetables depending on what's available. Last night it was cauliflower, zucchini, and carrots.

Vegetable Cheese Soup

1 small bunch broccoli, cut in small pieces

1½ onions, diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery            

2  10 ¾ ounce cans chicken broth (or water and good quality bouillon concentrate)

2 tsp or cubes bouillon (opt)

2 cups milk

¼ cup flour

3 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or less)

1 tsp dry mustard (or 2 tsp dijon mustard)

1/8 tsp cayenne

In a large pan, combine diced vegetables, bouillon and broth (I reserve broccoli tops and add towards the end). Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a medium bowl, mix milk with flour; blend until smooth. Gradually add milk mixture to vegetables, stirring constantly. Add grated cheese, dry mustard and cayenne pepper. Simmer until cheese melts.

I usually double this recipe

Making whey

I did this yesterday and it worked!

The cream cheese was delicious - I added a little salt.

From Wellness Mama

Whey and Cream Cheese Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

How to make whey for fermenting vegetables and other foods and get probiotic cream cheese!

Author: Wellness Mama

Recipe type: Fermented

Serves: 4+

Ingredients

• One 32-ounce container of full fat organic PLAIN yogurt
• Cheesecloth or thin dish towel
• medium-size bowl
• string or rubber bands

Instructions

1. Pour the yogurt into cheesecloth or thin towel. You can pour the whole container, or just use half if you don't need much whey. Make sure the towel is thin, as it will absorb too much of the whey if it is a very absorbent towel.
2. Pull the ends of the towel up and secure with string or a rubber band.
3. Tie the towel with yogurt in it to a cabinet handle above the bowl.
4. Leave it alone overnight to drip.
5. In the morning, if the dripping has stopped, pour the liquid in the bowl (this is the whey... yay!) into a glass jar and store in the fridge for up to six months.
6. The "yogurt" left in the towel is actually cream cheese now. Put in its own container and use as you would store bought cream cheese.
7. Use the whey for homemade salsas, sauerkraut, fermented veggies or pickles and more. (all recipes to come soon.... just waiting on the garden to start producing!)

Fermented Salsa

I'm trying this today!

From Nourishing Days

Lacto-Fermented Salsa

makes 1/2 gallon of salsa

Recipe Notes: I use a food processor because it really speeds things up. You certainly don’t need to – simply chop everything up to your liking and continue with recipe. Also I like to store mine in 1/2 gallon jars instead of quarts to save on refrigerator space. Fermented salsa is salty, so don’t be alarmed. The salt and they whey are what will preserve it and give it those wonderful probiotics.

• 1 large onion or a large bunch of green onions, cut into large chunks
• 3 small bell peppers, cored and cut into large chunks
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves (unchopped)
• 2.5 pounds roma tomatoes, cut into quarters
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons coarse celtic sea salt (I only added 1 Tbs and it seems quite salty)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 cup whey
• 1/4-1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Combine onion, bell peppers, garlic, and cilantro in food processor. Pulse 3-5 times until coarsely chopped. (At this point if the lovely smells coming from this combination don’t make you swoon then I don’t understand you.) Add 1/3 of the tomatoes and pulse 2-3 times until room is made for additional tomatoes. Repeat with another one third of tomatoes. Finally, add the last of the tomatoes and pulse an additional 3-5 times.
2. Pour contents of food processor into large bowl. Add the lemon juice, sea salt, cayenne powder, and whey. Stir well and allow to sit a few minutes while you prep your containers.
3. Wash two quart jars or one 1/2 gallon jar well with soap and hot water. Do the same for a food funnel and jar lids. Ladle the salsa into jars, leaving 2-3 inches of head space. Add water to submerge the salsa.
4. Close lid tightly and leave at room temperature for a few days, until bubbly and fermented. During this process the solid vegetables may separate from the liquid. Simply stir with a wooden or plastic spoon until redisbursed and submerged under the liquid. Transfer to cold storage. Should keep for months.

soft sugar cookies

I made these today, and they were great!


Award winning sugar cookies

recipe from Allrecipes

NGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup shortening 2/3 cup butter 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3.	Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Addictive tomato soup

(I moved this recipe over from my old food blog - sogoodsoeasy.blogspot.com )

"My new favorite addictive taste"

That was Reid's response to this easy soup I put together a few years ago

There's no exact recipe

Here's what I did:

Sauteed in olive oil: half a large onion, a small pepper and three cloves of garlic - all chopped.

While cooking, added hot pepper flakes (generous pinch), dried basil (about 1/2 tsp) and dried oregano (about 1/4 tsp).



Poured in 2 cans chopped tomatoes and 1 can chicken broth





Added pepper to taste plus a couple teaspoons sugar (I used brown)

Simmered 15-20 minutes

Took off heat and stirred in 1/2 cup cream

Simmered 15 to 20 minutes

Perfect with crusty fermented european bread

Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookes

I have made these cookies 2 times already this fall and they are a hit!  They stay soft and make the BEST breakfast the next day!

Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree {canned pumpkin}
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

for the glaze-
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth. Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.

While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.

Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze :)

Pumpkin pie spice Recipe 
(in case you live in Ghana and can't find any)
from the kitchen

How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Makes 2 1/3 tablespoons

Adapted from The Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs & Spices by Tony Hill

What You Need

Ingredients1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Equipment
Measuring spoons, bowl, whisk or spoon

Instructions

1. Measure: Measure out all ingredients in the order listed (to ensure you don't double up or leave one out) into a small bowl.
2. Mix: Whisk or stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year