lemon meringue pie

my dad's favorite and I finally had the cooking confidence to attempt meringue and it was a success!

lemon meringue pie
makes 1 pie

1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 tbsp butter
4 egg yolks beaten
1 (9 in) pie crust, baked
4 egg whites
6 tbsp white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prep ingredients:
Bake pie crust.
Separate egg whites and yolks, putting yolks in a small mixing bowl; whites in a medium-large mixing bowl. Zest and juice your lemons.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, corn starch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring frequently until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry crust.*

In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.*

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then tent with foil and store in the fridge for 6 hours to set.

*For best results, pour filling over a hot pie crust and spread meringue over hot lemon filling to allow all components to set.

5 ingredient baked salmon

Made 3 for the first time for an event, and thank goodness they all came out perfectly!

Easy 5 ingredient baked salmon

1 salmon fillet
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 tbsp dill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 4 sided baking sheet with foil. Place salmon in the middle of the foil.

In a glass measuring cup, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic and dill. Whisk together.

Pour butter mixture directly over the salmon. Pull the sides of the aluminum foil up and pinch together.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

bbq pork spare ribs

falling off the bone yum!

bbq pork spare ribs
makes 6 servings

4 lbs pork spare ribs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (we like Bull's Eye)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Peel off the tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.

Mix together the sugar and spices to make a rub.

Apply rub to ribs on all sides.

Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.

Lay two layers of foil on top and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.

Remove from the oven.

Heat broiler.

Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2-3 ribs.

Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up. Brush on sauce and broil for 1-2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.

Remove from oven, turn ribs over, brush on sauce and broil for another 2-4 minutes, until browned and crisp.

chicken wild rice soup

this was really yummy and excellent with some crusty bread!

chicken wild rice soup

makes 10 servings

1 cup uncooked wild rice

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups mirepoix (chopped celery, carrots and onions

6 cups chicken broth

1 tsp dried thyme and other spices (sage, rosemary?)

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

2 tbsp white wine 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

Place the uncooked wild rice, raw chicken, mirepoix, chicken broth, thyme and garlic in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The chicken should be cooked through and the rice should be soft. 

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and allow to cool slightly. Use two forks to shred the chicken and return to the slow cooker. 

When the rice and chicken are done cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and let the mixture bubble for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk until a thick, creamy mixture forms. Stir in the wine. 

Add the flour mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add extra water or milk to adjust the consistency as you. Stir in the red wine vinegar and season with additional salt and pepper. 

cole slaw

I like how this recipe was called "quick and easy," yet there's about 20 ingredients. Thanks to the blender/food processor, it actually was quick and easy - and really delicious too! We had this alongside some turkey burgers.

cole slaw
8 servings

1 medium head of cabbage, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup onion
1 garlic clove or 1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dried dill
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper (omitted because of kids)

All all ingredients except cabbage to a blender or food processor. Or, whisk ingredients together in a large bowl before combing with cabbage.

Process until blended.

Toss with cabbage.

*You can refrigerate before serving to let the flavors meld, but not necessary.

lamb shoulder chop

roasted lamb shoulder chop
6 servings

1 tbsp thyme, chopped
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 shoulder lamb chops

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush onto lamb chops.

Broil lamb shoulder chops for 5 mins on each side, let rest.

Slice and serve.

Lamb Feta Meat Sauce

I discovered this originally when I had a craving for stuffed eggplants (which were delicious, but the rest of the family doesn't feel the same way about eggplants as I do). The recipe made A LOT of filling, which we've since used to make stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms, and also used as a sort of bolonaise sauce over pasta (the kids' favorite).

Lamb Feta Meat Sauce (can be used for meatballs, stuffed veggies or over pasta/rice)
6 servings

1 lb ground lamb or beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
2 (8 oz) pkgs crumbled feta cheese
4 eggs*, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs or panko

*leave out if using the meat sauce over pasta

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground meat and cook for a few minutes until it begins to crumble. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper.

Cook until the onion has softened and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 mins.

Place the meat mixture into a bowl and stir in the marinara sauce, feta cheese, eggs* (if using) and bread crumbs until well mixed.

Depending on how you're using:

For Stuffed Veggies: Place the meat mixture into a hollowed out veggie of your choice (bell peppers, mushrooms, eggplant), sprinkle a mixture of shredded cheese and bread crumbs over the top, and bake in the oven until set.

For meatballs: Shape into meatballs and bake for 30 mins at 375 degrees.