Lime and Blackberry Meringue Pie

From Bon Appétit magazine, August 2011

LIME CURD

1 cup fresh lime juice

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ tsp. unflavored gelatin

¾ cup chilled heavy cream

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE

1 cup fruity red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon

½ cup sugar

3 cups blackberries (about 1 1/2 pints)

1 Blind-Baked Pie Crust in a 9” deep-dish glass or metal pie pan (see Master Pie Crust recipe)

MERANGUE

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. corn syrup

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup blackberries (about ½ pint)

LIME CURD set a strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Stir lime juice, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together in another medium bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of gently simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture has thickened, the whisk leaves a path when lifted from curd, and an instant-read thermometer registers 175° (80 C), about 15 minutes. Add butter to curd, one Tbsp. at a time, whisking to blend between additions. Strain curd into prepared bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate curd. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; let stand until gelatin is soft, about 10 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add gelatin mixture; continue beating cream until just before firm peaks form. Fold whipped cream into lime curd. Cover; chill.

BLACKBERRY COMPOTE   bring red wine sugar, and ½ cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to ½ cup, 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Add 3 cups berries; fold gently to coat. Spread compote in an even layer over baked crust. Spoon lime curd over berries smooth top, and chill for 1 hour.

MERINGUE if toasting meringue in oven, preheat oven to 450°(200 C). Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, until thermometer registers 238°(soft ball stage, 115 C), 6-8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, beat whites in mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in salt. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup down side of bowl into whites and beat until meringue is firm and glossy. Continue beating until cool, about 4 minutes. Spoon meringue over lime curd, leaving a 1” plain border, and sculpt decoratively. Tuck 1 cup berries in and around meringue.

Bake pie until meringue is toasted in spots, 3-5 minutes. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Pie can be made 3 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Worcestershire Sauce

(MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS)

 Saveur magazine, January/February 2009

 

2 cups distilled white vinegar

½ cup molasses

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup tamarind concentrate

3 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds

3 tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. whole black peppercorns

1 tsp. whole cloves

½ tsp. curry powder

5 cardamom pods, smashed

4 chiles de àrbol, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1- 1” (2.54 cm) stick cinnamon

1 anchovy chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 ½ piece ginger, peeled and crushed

½ cup sugar

Combine all ingredients except the sugar in a 2-qt. saucepan (above right, top and middle); boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook sugar in a skillet over medium-high heat until it becomes dark amber and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add caramelized sugar to vinegar mixture and whisk to combine; cook sauce for 5 minutes; transfer sauce to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 weeks; strain to remove solids (above right, bottom); return to jar. Refrigerate for up to 8 months.

Hot Spinach Dip

Martha Stewart Recipes

2 teaspoons olive oil, I use more

1 medium onion, diced

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds spinach, 1 kilo, cleaned trimmed and coarsely chopped

½ cup milk

6 ounces cream cheese

3 plus dashes Worcestershire sauce

3 dashes plus tobasco sauce

(The Worcestershire and tobacco can be substituted with good Turkish spices and maybe soy sauce or a little rice vinegar).

¾ cup shredded mozzarella (I use stronger cheese)

Course salt and ground pepper

Baguette slices, breadsticks or crackers for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 F (200 C). In a large wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach in two additions, allowing the first batch to wilt before adding the second batch. Cook until completely wilted. Transfer to a colander and drain, and press out excess liquid.

In the same wok, warm the milk over high heat, add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Add the spinach, Worcestershire, tobasco and ¼ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Put in a lightly greased pan and sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top.

Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

From the Joy of Cooking

Prepare for cooking:

½ pound (250 grams) mushrooms with stems

Sauté lightly in

2 tablespoons butter (1 ounce or 25 grams)

Add them to:

 2 cups stock

 ½ cup chopped celery (or celeriac)
 ¼ cup chopped onion (I use more)
 2 tablespoons shredded parsley

Simmer covered 20 minutes. Drain the vegetables, keep the liquid, and put the vegetables through the food processor.
(I put all of it through the blender).

Make a white sauce (or béchamel sauce- see below for instructions)

Pour the liquid slowly into the white sauce, cook and stir until the sauce almost reaches a boil, add the vegetables (I just put it all into together). Heat but DO NOT BOIL.

Season the soup with:

½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika (I use more and Turkish spices)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
3 tablespoon dry white wine (optional)

Garnish with paprika and chopped chives

 White Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons flour

1 cup warm milk

Melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and blend for 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the warm milk. Cook and stir the sauce with a wire whisk until thickened and smooth. (If you get a thick sauce with lumps you can try putting it through the blender to see if that helps).

Zucchini Fritters- Kabak Mϋcveri

I have modified this recipe a little. One of my students posted a recipe for the fritters and I decided to combine the two recipes and am quite happy with the results.

1 ½ pounds small firm zucchini (courgette), grated (4 cups)

2 carrots, grated
1 bunch scallions trimmed and finely chopped (or if you do not have enough, grate some onion or add anyway)
1 red or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
3 eggs
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces (250 grams) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup flour
Vegetable oil for frying

 Combine grated zucchini and carrots in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let it drain at least 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess juice and place mixture in a large bowl, add onion, bell pepper, dill, parsley, eggs, and paprika-mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in feta cheese and flour a little at a time and incorporate them well.

 Heat oil in a skillet. Scoop out tablespoonfuls of the mixture and gently drop into the hot oil. (Do not crowd them in the skillet). Fry them all over until they are golden brown, about five minutes. Drain on paper towel.

Sausage and Cheese Kolaches- from Dave's Blog

I worked on a recipe from Dave's blog, Kolaches. They are great. So I thought I would share the link!
The International Texican, plus there are more good recipes there.
Yum!! Made Eggs Benedict and placed them on top of the Kolaches!

Lamb Shanks

This is one of Kelani’s favorite dishes. I have made some adjustments to the original recipe as I do not have the proper pots/pans.

4 lamb shanks
Flour, salt and spices for dipping the shanks in (I like the smoked red pepper flakes)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of scallion, green onion chopped (including some of the green)
3 tomatoes cleaned and coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons red pepper paste
1 cup red wine
4 cups water (or lamb stock or beef stock)
2 carrots, diced
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat oven to 375F, 190 C.

Dip the shanks in the flour mixture. Quickly fry them in the olive oil until lightly browned on all sides. Place shanks on a plate. Pour off excess oil and add the butter to the pan to melt. Cook garlic and scallions for about a minute stirring until soft but not browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper paste, oregano, wine and water, I also add the leftover flour mixture but this is optional. Bring liquid to a boil.

Place lamb shanks in a 9 X 13 pan, pour the hot liquid over them. Cover tightly with foil and place in oven for 1 hour. After an hour, add the chopped carrots and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove from oven add the parsley and serve. I like to use a bowl and put mashed potatoes or baked French fries in the bottom before placing meat and sauce.