Eggs on a Nest

If you have been following this blog, you already know we are “boat people”.  I grew up spending many weekends and vacations on my father’s boat. The freedom and liberty you feel while navigating the ocean is exhilarating as well as therapeutic. There is something about being in contact with nature, on the open water and a weird mix of vulnerability and control that is hard to describe.  If you haven’t had a boat ride up to now, I encourage you to do so and add it to your bucket list, because it is an experience you shouldn’t miss.

With my dad (I am with lifejacket) and my cousins Anibal, Priscilla and Gretchen. Circa 1978

My brothers Joaco and Manolo taking "boat showers". Circa 1992

"Fancy dinner" at Bitter End Marina 1994 with Lupe and Felo

Making guacamole with my brothers on the boat. 1994

As we were growing up, my brothers and I, enjoyed going to the boat a lot mostly because we like water sports and love the beach, but my parents liked it mostly because it was a chance to sequester us and have us all to themselves on the boat with nowhere to go for the whole weekend. Je, je!   Believe it or not, living in a small space with a group of people for many days in a remote bay or beach, help you acquire skills that will be useful in everyday life. You learn to share limited space with others, to be considerate and tolerant, to pick-up after yourself, about engineering and mechanics, improvising, assume roles, be responsible, respect authority (only one captain!), be safe, look after each other, encourage conversation, live in harmony with your surroundings, negotiate, meet new people, be self-sufficient, and help strangers in need.  All of these qualities are strengthened in “boat life”.

Canito, our mate, with my son 2002

2002

2004

2007

2007

Summer 2010

My parents summer 2010

Among the many great memories I have of that period in my childhood and adolescence, I remember we would get up very early while on the boat and, in order to let my parents sleep a bit more, Canito, our beloved mate for over 15 years, would always make these delicious Eggs on a Nest (Huevo al Nido) for breakfast.  Time passed, we grew up and started families of our own. Eventually, and not surprisingly, I married a “boat person” and I have my own “boat family “.  We still go on boat trips with my parents and my brothers, although now we each have our own. I proudly admit we also sequester our kids on boat trips for quality family time and feed them Eggs on a Nest for breakfast.  I guess some things never change…

Enjoy!

Eggs on a Nest (Huevo al Nido)

Ingredients

club sandwich bread (your choice of whole wheat or white)

butter (about 1/2 tsp for each serving)

egg

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1.  Cut out hole in center of bread with a 2 1/2 inch in diameter round cookie or biscuit cutter (for a fun twist, use a heart shaped cookie cutter on Valentine’s day). Save cut-out.

2.  Heat butter in non stick skillet over med-low heat.

3.  Meanwhile, crack egg and pour in a measuring cup or rameking. Set aside.

4.  Once butter is melted and evenly distributed on skillet place bread on skillet and let toast for about a minute.  Pour egg in the center and cover for just 2 minutes.  Flip with a spatula. Cover and let cook for a little under 2 more minutes).

5.  Meanwhile, toast cut-out bread in toaster oven or toaster.

6.  Once ready, season to taste and serve. Dip toasted cut out in middle of egg to eat. Then cut and eat remaining egg and toast as you wish.

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Arroz con Salchichas

My grandmother Ita always says an “arroz guisado” (stewed rice) is as good as the “sofrito” you make.  In Puerto Rico, sofrito refers to a blend of oil, onions, garlic, aji dulce (sweet peppers), bay leaf, tomato sauce, “alcaparrado” (a blend of manzanilla olives and capers), cubanel and bell peppers, culantro (recao) and sometimes, ham, cilantro, oregano, annatto oil and cumin that is sauteed for a prolonged time to create a base for rice, legumes, soup or stews.  Sofrito has its origins in Mediterranean cuisine and is also popular in Greece, Portugal and Spain.  As a result of colonization and the discovery of the new world, many latin american countries have their own variation of sofrito for each specific region.

Arroz con Salchichas is a popular Puertorrican one pot meal that is inexpensive, simple and savory.  It is sometimes called “the hurricane season diet” because it is easy to prepare over a gas stove, feeds a crowd and its ingredients don’t need refrigeration. It is loved by young and old and is a staple dish in traditional Puertorrican families, comfort food for many and an “antojito” (craving) for expatriates.

Enjoy!

Arroz con Salchichas

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola oil (annatto oil can also be used for a deeper red color)

1/4 cup cubanel (pimiento de cocinar) or green pepper finely chopped

1/3 cup yellow onion finely chopped

1 fresh garlic clove minced

1 tbsp red bell pepper finely chopped

2 tsp fine sea salt

2 laurel leaves

1 “recaito ice cube” (about 1 1/2 tbsp store bought recaito)

2 cans vienna sausage coarsely sliced (save brine)

1/4 cup canned sweet corn

2 tbsp alcaparrado (mix of manzanilla spanish olives and capers)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

3 cups medium white rice

3 cups chicken stock

Procedure

1.  Heat oil (med-low) then add green cubanel pepper, onions, garlic and red pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes.

2.  Add rest of ingredients, except chicken broth and rice, and saute in med low for about 7-8 minutes.

3.  Add rice to sofrito and quickly saute to cover all rice with color.  Then add chicken stock and sausage brine and bring heat to medium.  Let cook uncovered until almost all liquid has evaporated and you see bubbles on top of rice.

4.  Bring heat to low.  Stir with a slotted spoon and continue to cook covered, until rice is done (about 10-12 more minutes).

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El Departamento de la Comida

A couple of weeks ago, my good friend Claudia told me she joined a delivery service for organic/local/ecological/artisanal foods.  She sent me the website information and I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, one of the partners of the company is Olga “Bebe” Casellas, a friend from adolescence whom I haven’t seen in a while.  We got in touch and I placed my first order. Like a small child in the wait list of a new toy, I showed up right on time (I was informed in an order-confirmation email, what was my date, place and pick up time, which conveniently is about 3 blocks away from my house!). This was really exciting, because in Puerto Rico organic/natural farmer markets are just starting to become a bit more popular. Local farmers that practice organic/natural/artisanal farming display and sell their goods at designated locations for a few hours a few times a month. Sometimes the time is inconvenient since it is only on weekends or coincides when we have other family or work commitments. In addition to such efforts, I feel little by little we are getting back to our roots by cooking with natural products with iniciatives and services like El Departamento de la Comida (The department of food) (click name to go to site), which acts as an on-line intermediary between small scale sustainable organic local farmers and food artisans and the people that want to get to consume their products in an easy, convenient and affordable way.  It is truly a vehicle to incorporate variety and creativity into our diet and into our lives.

During colonial times and the first half of the 19th century in Puerto Rico, it was the custom for people to go to each town’s “plaza de mercado” to buy fresh ingredients from local farmers, like many places in the world still do. As technology and progress took over our lives, the workday became longer and two income households began to flourish. Convenience, speed and practicality became the priority when it came to our food choices.  Supermarket chains substituted fresh markets to accommodate to the new generation’s wants and needs. Engineered and processed foods found their way into every household.  As a result, disease and obesity became rampant in the United States due to a high fat diet and lack of nutritional value in the foods we chose to eat most of the time. Lately, we have seen a constant shift towards wellness and a growing commitment to buying organic, natural and/or local looking to find a convergence between contributing with the environment and to obtain better quality foods. I must admit that puertorricans have been resilient to frugal life and consuming locally grown foods for a variety of reasons and I, like everyone else, struggle everyday with the choices I have available for me and my family and the time I have to get to them. It is a complex web of criteria, whether to choose local or organic, or to buy or not fruits and vegetables that are imported and not in season, what is the difference between natural and organic, what does artisanal means, etc, etc. Everything so confusing and overwhelming! Evidently,  I don’t always make the best choices!  In a nutshell, for me, the answer is to keep our food choices and cooking techniques as simple and natural as possible for everyday meals and to elaborate, include processed foods and/or a “tasty prohibitive treat” only in special occasions, as a complement to a meal or when there is no other choice. I realize it is sometimes more convenient for us to buy processed foods (between work, school, social and family activities), than to go through the “hassle” of finding good quality local ingredients and cooking them at home . Oh! How I wished we could find a way to meet somewhere in the middle of convenience and quality… until now!

Delicious artisanal local cheese made with raw cow's milk without antibiotics

As we grow more concerned about the quality of the food that we put into our bodies and on our family table, we become more demanding and more curious about by whom/where and how our  food is grown.  The connections from farm to table become part of our daily lives once we include in our lifestyle the elements of nutritional values and harmony with nature.  Local farming also builds a better sense of community by giving us a chance to cook fresh homemade meals to share with others.  From a family point of view, it brings together young and old by gathering around the kitchen to talk about the day and provide a fertile ground for little ones to ask questions, join in and help. Buying what is grown locally connects us with the earth and gives us an opportunity to be what I call “foodieventurous” and to try new recipes with the ingredients that are in season.  To my knowledge, it is a proven fact that consumers are willing to pay more for organic and good quality ingredients from a place they can point to on a map.  Knowing more about the product, its origins and who farmed it becomes a delightful story to tell your children or guests at the dinner table. This trend is not limited to the urban and the young, it covers a wide range of ages, professions and ethnicities.  From college students to Baby Boomers, everyone is becoming focused in a healthier, greener lifestyle and this group is growing by the minute. This culture includes not only the elements of recycling, excersise and meditation, but also nutrition. Home cooked dishes, (yes! even cakes, pommes frites and cookies made from scratch with fresh ingredients), are always a better alternative to take-out and fast food. Of course, they can be time consuming, but the results are definitely better!  (Note: Please, as I have mentioned before in other post, lets include the words moderation and balance in this equation, you can have the occasional Oreo cookie or favorite decadent splurge, but make it the exception and not the rule.) In addition, old fashioned recipes are becoming popular again and regional food is celebrated as you can see in many restaurants, food and lifestyle magazines.  This trend is here to stay and is not going anywhere!

As I picked up my assorted box of natural, organic and artisanal products from El Departamento de la Comida at my assigned pick-up station, I orchestrated this week’s menu in my head.  When I got home, I started to pull out from my box fresh focaccia bread, okra (guingambó, kimbombó), sweet potato, arugula, aji dulce, curry leaves, lemon grass, jicama, papaya, artisanal local cow’s milk cheese (absolutely delicious!) and eggplant which were included in this week’s harvest.  So exciting to create a dish with what is available as opposed to going to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for a recipe…a rare challenge and a gift for a foodie like me!  So this week, I will probably have arugula salad with homemade vinaigrette and papaya slices and cucumber with focaccia croutons, roasted okra, pasta with arugula and butter sauce, jicama oven fries, sauteed eggplant with mashed sweet potato, lemon grass tea (to relieve stress and sleep better)… yummy, recipes coming in the near future, I promise! I still have to figure out what to do with the curry leaves, maybe you can give me some ideas.  Definitely, for breakfast, I will make a papaya smoothie for the kids and some more warm focaccia bread.  I was also pleased to find in my box an information sheet which includes a detailed list of the week’s harvest and what is available in season, of the pick up locations, time and days (covers most of the island), cooking suggestions, general information about the products (fresh artisanal breads and cheeses as well as for the fruits, herbs and vegetables), and a friendly reminder to return your box to your pick up place in order to help the environment and waive a $5.00 charge.  I am looking forward to seeing what next week’s box has to offer to my dinner table and will continue to support what is good and local.  We are all connected in the circle of life, lets each of us do our part in promoting a better and healthier community.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN EXPERT IN AGRICULTURE, ORGANIC FOODS,  NUTRITION, MEDICINE, HISTORY OR ECONOMY. I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID TO WRITE THIS POST. THE CONTENT OF THIS POST IS JUST MY OPINION AND IDEAS THAT ARE IN MY HEAD, INFLUENCED BY WHAT I HAVE READ ABOUT THE SUBJECT IN THE PAST. I AM IN NO WAY OPPOSED TO LARGE SUPERMARKET CHAINS OR TECHNOLOGY, ON THE CONTRARY,  I SUPPORT PROGRESS. I BELIEVE BALANCE IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING.  PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES IF THERE ARE ANY HISTORICAL FACTS THAT MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETELY ACCURATE ( FEEL FREE TO SEND ME A MESSAGE WITH CORRECTIONS) AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE TOLERANT TOWARDS EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH AND CONTINUE TO VISIT ME.  THIS BLOG INCLUDES A BROAD SPECTRUM OF INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD AND COOKING AND I CONSIDERED THIS AND IMPORTANT TOPIC TO DISCUSS.  ALL THE INGREDIENTS I USE IN MY RECIPES ARE NOT ORGANIC/ARTISANAL/LOCAL OR NATURAL,  SOME ARE PROCESSED, IMPORTED OR CANNED FOODS.  HOWEVER, I TRY TO PROMOTE HOMEMADE MEALS WITH INGREDIENTS THAT ARE AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.

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Double Chocolate Brownies

There are so many different recipes for brownies out there that it is a bit overwhelming to look for one in the internet. Everyone claims to have the ultimate brownie recipe. Most people I know are very particular about their standards of what a great brownie should taste like. Some like crumbly, others fudgy, others chewey, others cakey, with nuts, with chocolate chips, with frosting, etc. and the possibilities are endless. Some keep their recipes zealously locked in a “bank safe” so that the “state secret” is not shared with anyone. In conclusion, people are very passionate about brownies! For many years, I have tried hundreds of recipes from books, magazines, friends, tv shows, internet, original experiments I make and I truly think this is one of the best. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in marthastewart.com (chocolate chunk brownies). The original recipe calls for more butter and gives you a choice of various chocolate chunks, but I am a sucker for white chocolate. I admit I haven’t made a boxed brownie mix in probably 10 years. I like to melt the chocolate and the butter and mix with the sugar, eggs and vanilla and finally incorporate the flour. It takes me approximately the same amount of time as with the boxed counterpart. It is pretty easy and fun process which my children love! I always, always, have unsweetened chocolate in my pantry in case I crave homemade brownies on a Sunday afternoon, Je! So I want to share the universal love of brownies with you by posting my version of this delicious recipe.

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 sticks (1/2 pound plus 4 tbsp) unsalted butter cut into small pieces (more for greasing pan)

7 ounces unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped or previously melted unsweetened chocolate pouches

2 3/4 cups of granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chips (small drops)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven 350ºF. Line a 12×17 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and grease with butter or cooking spray, including sides. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in bain-marie or double boiler and remove from heat as soon as they have melted and formed a smooth mixture. Set aside and let cool a little. Then transfer to a bowl and beat with the sugar with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer for about 3 minutes in medium speed. Stop, add vanilla and mix for 1 minute. Continue mixing at medium speed and add eggs, one at a time. Stop, scrape bottom with spatula. Bring speed to low and add flour mixture in small batches just until almost fully incorporated with chocolate mixture (do not over beat!!!!).

3. Fold in white chocolate chips. Pour batter into jelly roll pan and spread evenly with spatula. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes until brownies have just set. Take out of oven and let cool completely before cutting. I cut with metal spatula instead of with knife. I find it makes a nicer and cleaner cut.

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Best Blueberry Pie

Best Blueberry Pie is a crowd pleaser.  Once you try this recipe, oh boy!  you will get hooked.  It truly melts in your mouth and the taste is totally amazing and addictive.  The filling is adapted from a recipe that my friend Cristina’s mother in law, Marisita, gave me a few months ago.  I first tried it at Cristina’s last year birthday celebration where she brought her blueberry pie as a present. I had the privilege of getting a slice and it was absolutely delicious. Later on, Marisita was kind enough to send me her recipe, which I only changed by adding 1 more tbsp cornstarch and butter. Her recipe was inspired by a recipe she found in Marta Sgubin’s cookbook, Cooking for Madam-Recipes and Reminiscences from the home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Marisita is a classy and fun mother of three and grandma to four, who has been very active in philanthropy throughout her life.  A few years ago she founded “Ciudadanos Pro-Defensa de la Belleza de Puerto Rico” (Citizens that protect the beauty of Puerto Rico), a non-profit organization which promotes education and taking action in keeping our resources clean and public spaces without litter.  Also, to create awareness of being proud of the beauty of our island and be responsible citizens by doing our part in keeping it that way.

Is it me, or can you also imagine a chorus of people saying “thank you for sharing Marisita” after they try this recipe, because it is truly the BEST BLUEBERRY PIE!

Enjoy!

Best Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

Sweet Pie Dough Recipe or store bought pie crusts

Filling

1 cup of sugar

4 tablespoons of cornstarch

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

4 cups of fresh blueberries

1/4 stick (2 tbsp) butter, cut into small pieces (a bit more for greasing pie dish)

Procedure

1.  Make Sweet Pie Dough recipe and roll out half to line 9 inch greased pie dish (keep cold).

2.    Preheat oven at 375ºF (for about half hour before baking).  Mix together sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg.  Sprinkle over blueberries and toss until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.  Spoon the filling into the pastry lined pan.  Dot with pieces of butter.

3.  Roll out remaining pastry to cover top of pie (cut with a round serving plate about 11 inches in diameter). Moisten edges with water to seal crusts together and shape rims. Make small hole in middle and slits around to vent. If you choose to use store bought pie crust, follow manufacturer instructions. Bake in lower third of rack (one under middle rack) over a rimmed baking sheet until deep golden for approximately 1 hour (check occasionally that the rims don’t burn). Let cool to room temperature and serve. Do not serve hot because it will be too runny.

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Meat Lasagna

As I have mentioned before, lasagnas are great alternatives for boat and fishing trips.  Last week, it was Club Nautico de San Juan‘s International Billfish Tournament, the longest consecutive fishing tournament in the world (57 years).  Anglers from all over the world come to Puerto Rico to this tag-and-release tournament and its a week full of action, fun and camaraderie. My husband Emilio has been involved in this tournament for over 20 years and is currently a board member.  Actually, I met him during the week of a tournament in August 1997 and we were married by June 1998.  So, I have been a “fishing widow” ever since…Ja!, although I join him fishing once in I while, like I did for Club Deportivo de Mayaguez’s Blue Marlin Tournament in the western part of the island, where I witnessed the most beautiful sunsets in my life and placed 1st in the women’s division and 3rd overall (among 500 fishermen, not bad!!)

This is me fishing at Club Deportivo de Mayaguez Blue Marlin Tournament October 2009

The week of the tournament is filled with fun events like the flag ceremony, excursions for the wives of the anglers, fashion shows, the Billfish Foundation’s Auction and of course the themed party.  This year the theme was Disco Night and I must tell you it has been the best party at the tournament yet!  Some members of the board along with other volunteers did a choreography to Dancing Queen and Fever Night mix which turned out to be spectacular and got everyone in dancing mode! There were also Donna Summer and Boy George impersonators.

The Marlin Dancers (I am the 6th one from the left)

Fishing goes on for 4 days with a rest day in between.  Emilio was assigned to bring lunch for two of the four days of fishing, so for one day I sent my Meat Lasagna with green salad and Amarillos en Almíbar (sweet plantains sauted in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon).  The boys (Frankie, Joe, Emilio and Ricky) loved it and left nothing on the plate!  To comply to their requests, I am posting this recipe today.  Here is my version of Meat Lasagna.

Enjoy!

Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

Picadillo Recipe

Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe (yields 3 cups)

8 ounces ricotta cheese or mascarpone

about 15 pieces of lasagna strips

12 fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped

4 cups of shredded mozzarella

Procedure

top layer has tomato sauce, cheese and basil only

1.  In a 13×9 baking dish, place one layer of lasagna strips. (I use the oven ready strips which do not need to be boiled but you may also use the traditional boiled ones.)  Spread 4 ounces of cheese, half of the picadillo-ground beef recipe (remove excess fat and liquid), 1 cup of basic tomato sauce and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.  Cover again with lasagna strips and repeat procedure.  Place third layer of lasagna strips and cover with remaining cup of tomato sauce, chopped fresh basil and remaining mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes at 390ºF. Uncover and broil until cheese on top is golden (about 7-10 minutes).  Serve with garlic bread, amarillos en almíbar, white rice or salad.

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Basic Tomato Sauce

I use this basic tomato sauce for many dishes including as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks, fried calamari, for meat or eggplant lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, penne all’arrabiatta, vodka sauce, pizza sauce, soups and Mom’s one-pot-spaghetti among others.  It is very simple and versatile, just use your imagination.

Enjoy!

Basic Tomato Sauce

(yields 3 cups)

Ingredients

2  14 1/2 ounce cans of diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano or italian seasoning herb mix

1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (up to 2 tsp if you want)

Procedure

1.  Puree tomatoes in blender or with hand blender. Add to a small saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes in med-low heat with herbs and salt. for a spicy sauce add a generous pinch of peperoncini or red pepper flakes.

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Orzo with Spinach

The word “orzo” in italian means “barley”. Orzo pasta (pasta shaped like rice or grain) is very versatile. It can be boiled, baked, used as a filler in casseroles or when making stuffed peppers.  Also, great in soups. The best orzo is made of durum semolina flour and is very popular in Italy, Greece and other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Countries.  I like this version of orzo pasta because it is very savory and not very heavy. Add as much spinach as you can and by all means… it has to be fresh!  Serve alone or as a side dish.  Orzo with Spinach is also great as a cold salad.  If you are going to serve it as a salad, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil before serving so that it looks shiny and fresh.

Enjoy!

Orzo with Spinach

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oi

3 ounces of thinly sliced pancetta chopped

1/2 cup of yellow or white onions cubed

1/3 cup red bell pepper finely cubed

2 fresh garlic cloves minced

6 cups of fresh spinach (lightly packed)

2 tbsp cold butter

2 tbsp dry white wine

2 tsp fine sea salt

pepper to taste

drizzle of white truffle oil

1 pound of orzo

fresh parmesan cheese

Procedure

1.  In a deep large skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil in medium.  Add pancetta and saute for about 5 minutes until pieces begin to cook. You don’t want pancetta to be crispy or burned. Stir occasionally.

2.  Add onions and red peppers and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and butter and continue to saute for about 1 minute.  Add white wine to deglaze pan. Immediately add spinach and stir until it has wilted.

3.  Meanwhile, in a med sauce pan, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil.  Add a generous pinch of salt and cook orzo according to package instructions.  Once cooked, drain and add to spinach mixture and saute for a few minutes.  Add drizzle of white truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Add freshly grated parmesan cheese once you serve.

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Strawberry Butter

It is no mystery that we like to entertain at home. When we have guests over for dinner, I like to offer at least one thing that they don’t have in their fridge or couldn’t readily buy in the supermarket.  A homemade appetizer, a twist on a traditional dish or something as simple as this Strawberry Butter, is what makes the meal memorable and different.  I have been making this butter for many years with much success and we have close friends that expect it to be at the dinner table when we invite them over (right Bertin!).

I had not prepared it for a while until a few weeks ago, while having lunch at Mariposa Restaurant (Neiman Marcus) with my good friend Carmen in Miami, I was reminded about it since they serve their traditional strawberry butter with popovers. So as soon as I returned home I made sure I had some Strawberry Butter in my fridge.  Hope you make some soon!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Butter

Ingredients

1/4 pound butter (1 stick at room temperature)

3 tbsp good quality strawberry preserves

Procedure

1.  In a small bowl whisk butter until fluffy.

2.  Add strawberry preserves and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.

3.  My favorite way to store it  is by making a “log” of butter and wrap it with clear plastic wrap to store in the fridge (like icebox cookies). Cut rounds when ready to serve. This butter should be served at room temperature. You may also put it a candy mold or piping bag to serve in individual bread plates, in ice cube trays or  in a large butter crock.  Delicious with warm bread or popovers.

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Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie should be creamy and tart, instead of gelatinous and too sweet, at least according to my tastes. Ja!  I have been making this recipe for 20 years now! WOW, I can’t believe I said 20 years.  It is inspired in a recipe from Gourmet Magazine April 1990.  The original recipe calls for key limes, but the taste was too strong for some people (I like it!).  So I have made some changes over the years to find the perfect balance between sweet and sour.  Large yellow lemons work great for this recipe.  This pie is also pretty easy to make.  I  like the fact that the crust is crumbly instead of like cardboard.  Serve with a little raspberry coulis on the side if you can make it.  I also make mini lemon meringue pies in a lined mini muffin pan (always a hit!). Place filling and meringue in piping bags to better handle the smaller portions.  Also, you can use the filling to make mini lemon tartlets (use store bought tartlets). You can make the night before and store in the refrigerator. Here goes the recipe for one of my favorite desserts!

Enjoy!

Click here to print recipe

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cup zweiback or graham crackers crumbs (about 9 honey graham crackers, 5 oz.)

2/3 cup almonds (ground fine in a food processor)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup sugar

Filling

3 egg yolks

14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons )

zest of 1 lemon (about 1/2 tablespoon)

Meringue

3 egg whites (at room temperature)

pinch of salt

1/3 cup of sugar plus 2 tbsp

Procedure

1.  Put crackers and almonds in a food processor and finely ground them.

2.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with sugar and cooled melted butter by folding with a spatula.  It will resemble wet sand.

3.  Press mixture into the bottom and sides of pie dish (9-10 inches).  Bake the shell in middle rack of pre-heated oven at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until browned lightly. Let the shell cool on rack.

4.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat yolks with condensed milk (I use an electric mixer in med-hi for about 2 minutes).  Stir in the lemon juice a little at a time to combine filling well.

5. Spoon the filling into the shell, spreading evenly, and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

6.  When 15 minutes are left in the fridge, pre-heat again oven at 350ºF. Beat egg whites with pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks.  Add the sugar, beating, a tablespoon at a time until it holds stiff peaks.  Spread the meringue over the filling and bake the pie in the middle of rack for 15 minutes, or until it is just golden.  Chill pie for at least 2 hours and serve.

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