Peanut-chicken stir -fry

I am always looking for something new and different and this recipe from the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated fits the bill. My kids really liked this meal, a peanut chicken stir-fry served over fried noodles. My son told me over and over again how good it was. Even my two younger ones ate more than usual. They were a little suspicious of the noodle cake, but loved the stir fry.

Fresh and crunchy celery, apple and pecan salad with lemon Walnut dressing

Today I made the effort to make myself this beautiful lunch. It just made me feel so good to eat something this fresh and healthy. The ham and egg wrap is very basic, just deli fresh ham and scrambled eggs with cilantro (Coriander) and diced tomatoes rolled up in your favorite wrap. It is delicious! The highlight, however, was this celery, apple and pecan salad. It is super crunchy and the dressing is very light and perfectly sweetened. I ate in peace and quiet before picking up my daughter from preschool. I savored every bite. It was a lovely little me-time. So take some time, just for you, and enjoy!

Note! I am giving you the full size salad recipe enough for 4-6 people, but make only as much as you need. I saved the leftover dressing in my fridge for another salad. If you can't find Walnut oil, use regular olive oil.

Celery, Apple and Pecan salad

with lemon walnut dressing

8 stalks of celery, leaves removed

1 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced, chopped or diced Granny Smith apple

Shavings of fresh Parmesan or Manchego

Dressing:

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Cut 3-inch long pieces of celery into thinly julienned strips or whatever shape you prefer. In a mixing bowl, combine the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, then toss with the salad. Sprinkle with cheese shavings.

Recipe adapted from Experience Life magazine, April 2011

Ina Garten's buttermilk cheddar biscuits

Ina Garten's cookbooks are my latest favorites. They are visually very beautiful and the recipes are very simple and so far have turned out really good. These buttermilk biscuits looked so great I just had to try them! These are actually the first biscuits I have ever made and I loved them! They turned out nice and flaky and very moist. No butter needed! I will definitely make these again. They were great with the White bean soup.

Buttermilk cheddar biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and handling dough

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

12 T (1 1/2 stick /170 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken

1 cold extra-large egg

1 cup grated extra-sharp white Cheddar (any cheddar will work)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the cheddar with a small handful of flour, and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Empty out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about six times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 5x10 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut th dough lenghtwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchement paper. Brush the top with the egg wash, sprinkle with additional cheese and sea salt. and bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are browned and the bicuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa, Back to basics.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

Soup season is not winding down here. Just before the weekend we had a typical spring blizzard here in Minnesota. Much of the snow that had melted has now been replenished. If this was in the beginning of December I would have thought it was beautiful, and cozy to stay inside, but at this point it was just depressing. I want spring! On the positive side it was the perfect weather for soup, and the Chicken and White Bean Soup featured in the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine looked very delicious and was the perfect comfort food while we wait for warmer days. I made a recipe and a half to accomodate for my family of six. That made for a slightly thicker soup and it was lighter in color than the picture in the magazine. But it was still a delicious soup that we all enjoyed, especially my husband who loves the darker meat of the chicken. I served Buttermilk cheddar biscuits along side (recipe to come).

Chicken and White Bean soup

2 smoked bacon slices, chopped
12 ounzes skinless, boneless chicken thighs,

trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chopped plum tomato

2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoonchopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook bacon in a large sauce pan over medium heat until crisp (8-10 minutes).Remove from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set bacon aside.
Add chicken to drippings in pan; saute 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, oregano and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return bacon and chicken to pan. Stir in 2 cups water and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Add orzo, and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. Add beans; cook 2 minutes or until heated. Remove from heeat, stir in parsley, vinegar and salt.

Serves 4

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2011

Beautiful strawberry banana cream birthday cake

Today was my oldest daughter Vilde's birthday. She turned 13! That makes for 2 teenagers in our house, with two more to come. Vilde really likes baking and took an active part in designing this cake. She gave me specifics about what she wanted in it and together we decided on how to put it all together. Wow !! It turned out beautiful and incredibly delicious! This is probably the prettiest cake I have ever made.

Sugar snap peas with Toasted sesame seeds

I served these with my chicken satay. They turned out perfectly crisp-tender and were so flavorful. And they come together in a snap!!

Sauteed sugar snap peas with toasted sesame seeds
1 pound (1/2 kg) sugar snap peas, stringed
2 t vegetable oil
1 T toasted sesame seeds (see below)

Perfect color!

1 t sesame oil

Toasting the raw sesame seeds: In a medium, dry skillet, toast over medium- low heat until golden, about 3-4  minutes, shaking pan a few times, remove from heat immediately.

In a large skillet, saute sugar snap peas in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium heat until crisp tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Toss with the toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil.

Sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt.

Gorgeous!

Recipe by, For the love of dinner, 2011

Coconut rice

This rice was perfect with the chicken satay and the sauteed sugar snap peas. Making coconut rice isn't much different from making your usual plain rice. All it entails is to substitute some of the water for light coconut milk. Just for fun I toasted some coconut as a garnish on top.

Coconut rice
2 cups long-grain rice (I used Basmati)
1 can (14 oz/about 4 1/2 dl) light coconut milk (Shake well!)
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
2  T cilantro, roughly chopped

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, let water, coconut milk and cinnamon stick come to a boil. Add rice. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick. Fold in the cilantro.

Recipe by, For the love of dinner, 2011

Yogurt marinated Chicken Satay with peanut sauce

My whole family loves Thai food! We have a favorite Thai restaurant here in Saint Paul, where we order take-out once in a while, but the other day I decided to make my own chicken satays. There are many different recipes out there, but I like Taylor Florence and decided to go with his version.

Onion Tart

The past weekend was filled with good times spent with friends, and lots of cooking and good eating. I always feel like I have to "detox" after the weekend, and I put in some extra time on the treadmill this morning to jump  start my body back to reality. The latest issue of Cooking Light magazine was in  the mailbox on Friday and that is always such a treat for a foodie like me. There are many good-looking recipes in this issue, and some will undoubtedly be featured here. In fact, I immediately fell in love with the Onion tart and decided to try it right away. We had been invited to a dinner party at a friends house and had been asked to bring an appetizer. I had already decided to bring an artichoke dip (recipe to come), but I thought I'd bring both. The feedback was great. Everyone loved it, especially my husband, who asked me to make it again soon. I followed the original recipe which called for feta cheese, but when I make it again I will use goat cheese, which I think will be equally as delicious. I also thought that for serving smaller slices, the crust was a little overloaded with onions, so I have adjusted for that. You can of course serve it as a main dish of larger slices served with a side salad (Cooking light suggests an arugula and walnut mix with a simple red wine vinaigrette). Whatever you choose, I think you are going to love it!


Onion tart
1 T olive oil

Lots and lots of onion!

2 large onions, sliced

2 T chopped fresh thyme

3/4  t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough

(such as Pillsbury)

1/4 cup (1 ounce)

crumbled reduced- fat feta

or goat cheese

1/4 cup (heaping) shredded reduce-fat

Swiss cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, salt and pepper; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roll dough out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle feta (or goat cheese) in center, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border; top with onion. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Fold piecrust border up and over onion mixture, pleating as you go. Combine egg and 2 tablespoons water; brush over dough. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool for 10 minutes. 

Serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course.

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, April 2011)

Kids favorite, Pasta roll-ups

These little pasta rosettes are so fun to make and  to serve. They look so fancy but you will be surprised as to how quick and easy they are to make.

Greens with apples and pomegranate seeds

I served this simple salad alongside yesterday's omelet/frittata. It is sweet and tangy and the pomegranate seeds add so much color and just the right amount of crunchiness. All ingredients to make something simple, wonderful.

Winter wedge salad

Dressing: 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

2 T red wine vinegar

1/2 t soy sauce

Salad:

1 red apple, cored, quartered cut into slices

I head romaine lettuce, torn into large pieces

1 shallot, separated into rings

1/4 cup pomegranate seed

In small bowl, thoroughly combine first 4 ingredients, add apple slices to bowl, stirring to completely coat with dressing. In a large serving bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Top with apples. Drizzle with additional dressing.

Recipe based on idea from Kowalski's magazine, 2011

Deep dish omelet

This deep dish omelet is very similar to what we in the US refer to as Frittata (in our house we refer to it by its Norwegian name, "ostepanne"). It is a great way to empty out your fridge and use leftovers of veggies and cheese. Except for the leek, I had all the ingredients already in my fridge. I make a version of this on a regular basis, and  the beauty of it is that it is always different, depending on what I have available. This is the first time I have put potatoes in it (an idea I got from looking through my Ina Garten cookbook, Back to Basics). I left them unpeeled and it turned out great! My son was lamenting that there was no meat in it, and of course sausage or bacon or ham would be great, but I am staying true to my pledge of having one vegetarian day a week, so I left the meat out (he ended up eating three pieces anyway). As a side I made a really good salad using apples and pomegranate seeds (recipe to come).

Deep dish omelet with potatoes, broccoli and leeks

Lovely veggies!

1 T olive oil

8 large eggs

6 T milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup broccoli florets

1 heaping cup leeks, sliced thin

2 cups grated cheese (I used 1 cup Swiss and 1 cup cheddar)

1 t dried oregano

1 T butter

Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, over medium heat, heat oil and saute potatoes and peppers, until potatoes are tender about 12 minutes. Add broccoli saute another 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, over low heat, melt butter and add egg mixture. Sprinkle cooked vegetables evenly over the eggs. Add leeks and top with cheese. Sprinkle oregano over top. Cook covered, over low heat until egg has set, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Recipe by, For the love of dinner, 2011



Fiesta chicken Chili Bianco

Tired of your usual chili recipe? Try this white version with chicken. This recipe was past on to me by a vendor that visited Cooks where I work. She had adapted it from it's original feature in one of our local newspapers, and I have made my own adaptation as well. More proof that a recipe certainly is a living thing. I used chicken in my version, but turkey (chunks or ground) works well too. I am always looking forward to making and eating this chili. I just know it is so good. In fact, my son asked me recently when I would be making it. So for him and all of you, here it is!

Ingredients:

Fiesta

1 1/2 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 T cumin

1 t oregano

1/4 cup flour

20 oz. low sodium chicken broth

2 cups diced , cooked chicken breast

1 4oz. can chopped mild green chillies

1 large can (14oz) Great Northern beans, rinsed
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Toppings:
Sliced green onions
Minced fresh cilantro

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, saute first 7 ingredients until slightly browned and softened. Dust the flour over the vegetables, stir to incorporate completely.
Slowly add the chicken broth. Continue by adding the chicken and next 3 ingredients. Season to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add cheese and sour cream. Stir until cheese is melted and  chili is heated trough.
Garnish to taste.

I served this with black bean tortilla chips and guacamole on the side.

My favorite toasted sub sandwich

This weekend I made these tasty sub sandwiches for lunch and I just love them so much I wanted to share them with you all.

Tri-color beef stir fry

As with the meal we had yesterday, this beef stir fry is another family favorite and I make it on a regular basis (probably once a month). It has been a family dinner staple since it appeared in Cooking light magazine way back in 2004. I have adapted it slightly to fit the size of my family. This stir fry gets its color and crunch from a variety of bell peppers and sugar snap peas. Serve over rice.

Three-pepper beef

3 t cornstarch, divided

1 1/2 t sugar, divided

1 t salt

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain

1/3 cup low salt beef broth

4 T low sodium soy sauce

1 t freshly ground pepper

1 t vegetable oil

1/2  cup thinly sliced green onions

1 t minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 small red bell pepper, cubed

1 small yellow bell pepper, cubed

1 small green bell pepper, cubed

Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt, and flank steak in a medium bowl, toss to coat, set aside.
Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, broth, soy sauce and black pepper, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, ginger and garlic, sir fry 10 seconds.
Add beef mixture, stir fry about 5 minutes or until done. Remove the beef mixture from the pan, cover and keep warm. Add peas and bell peppers to pan, styr fry 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add beef and broth mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serves 6

Chicken bowtie pasta

I was taking suggestions from my husband as to what he would like for dinner in the coming week. This pasta dish was at the top of his list. This is a recipe past on to me from a friend, who had been served this dish while visiting yet another friend. A great example of how food and recipes connect people in wonderful ways. It is a dish we always come back to as a family favorite. It has been a while since I  made it, but it was a great reunion. This dish never disappoints. It reinforced its status as an all time favorite at our house. My kids are not big fans of olives, so I usually serve them on the side. I splurged on really good hand made pasta this time and a nice Parmigiano Reggiano. M-m-good!

2 cloves garlic

1 4 oz. jar sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned

3-4 chicken breasts (20oz.), cubed
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 extra large chicken bouillon cube (such as Knorr)
(Use 2 if they are the smaller size)
2 t Italian seasoning
1/2 cup sliced  black olives

10 oz. broccoli, steamed

1 pound bow tie pasta, cooked

Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute garlic and sun dried tomatoes in oil from jar (add a little olive oil if you need more), about 1 minute.  Add chicken. When chicken is browned, add broth, bouillon cubes and Italian seasoning. Stir until bouillon cubes have dissolved completely. Next add olives, steamed broccoli and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with shaved parmigiano Reggiano.

Serves 6 well

Taste of Scandinavia vegetable soup

I am really excited about this soup! It is a modified version of a classic Norwegian dish called "Lapskaus" (a vegetable stew with smoked meat and/or sausage). I can get the sausage, called "Middagspølse", at a Scandinavian shop in Minneapolis, but since it isn't readily available for most people in the US I decided to create a version using the exact same vegetables but substituting meatballs for the Norwegian sausage. I also

decided that Swedish meatballs would fit perfectly, but there is no reason you couldn't use Italian style meat balls as well. Most of the vegetables I used are common and available year round. However, some of you may not be all that familiar with the rutabaga. Rutabagas, also commonly referred to as Swede  (in Norwegian "Kålrabi") are not used too much in the US, but I love this rustic root vegetable. It looks like a large turnip with pale yellow flesh. It cooks up nice and sweet. Use any leftover cooked rutabaga mixed into your mashed potatoes. It is wonderful with any kind of meat or sausage. As with all vegetable soup made from scratch the most labor intensive part is the chopping, but most if not all of the vegetables in this soup, except the rutabaga, can be found pre-chopped in your grocers produce section. The rutabaga is especially hard, so make sure you have a solid knife. This is a great winter soup which reminds me of home. Enjoy!



Hearty vegetable soup with Swedish meatballs

6 cups lightly salted water

2 beef bouillon cubes

2 cups rutabaga, diced

4 carrots, sliced

5 potatoes, diced

4 stalks celery, sliced 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 t thyme

1/2 T butter or margarine

2 shallots, chopped small

1 medium leek sliced

1 12 oz. package frozen Swedish meat balls, thawed (cut in half if you prefer).



In a large dutch oven, over medium high heat, whisk the beef bouillon cubes into the water until dissolved. Add next 6 ingredients through thyme. Bring to a boil and cook, covered,  15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute shallots until just soft, 3-4 minutes. Add to vegetables. Reduce heat to lowest setting and add leeks and meat balls. Heat through.

 (This soup is even better on the second or third day when all the flavors have melded together and the soup has thickened sligthly. It freezes well too!)

Serves 6











Side dishes that hold their own.

I served these two sides with my Italian meatloaf, but they could be great as a meal all by themselves. The leftovers made a perfect lunch the next day! Just add some fresh bread and you are good to go. The potatoes can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. Keep covered in the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes before baking.

Baked mashed potatoes
3 lbs. red potatoes (about 9 medium), roughly peeled and cubed

I pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick)  butter, cubed

1/4 cup 2% milk

1 1/2 t onion powder

1 t salt

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t pepper

6 bacon strips, chopped

3/4 cup (4oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan
3 green onions, chopped

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain,  mash potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream and butter. Stir in milk and seasonings.
In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel with a slotted spoon, drain.
Transfer potato mixture to a greased 13x 9 inch baking dish, sprinkle with cheeses, onions and bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 8, well

(Recipes adapted  from Taste of Home, February/March, 2011)


Herbed green beans and carrots

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium carrots julienned
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms (I did not use)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 T minced fresh parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
1/8 t white pepper

Place beans and carrots in a steamer basket: place in a large saucepan over 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover and steam for 7-10 minutes or until crisp- tender. Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt butter. Add mushrooms and onions, saute until tender. Stir in the parsley, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, green beans and carrots, heat through.

Beautiful meat loaf supper

Meat loaf is an American classic. It seems everyone has inherited their mother's meat loaf recipe. For me this is yet another dish  that I did not grow up with but have come to appreciate. I have only made it a few times before with mixed results. This time however, I consulted several different recipes and incorporated the best parts of each, to come up with this delicious version. This is my best meat loaf to date! With winter still holding a tight grip on us, it is the perfect comfort food. I served it with baked mashed potatoes and herbed vegetables (recipes to come). My family gave this meal high marks.

Italian style meat loaf

3/4 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 pounds mild  ground Italian sausage

1 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup pre-shredded fresh parmesan cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

2 large egg whites

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine meats, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients (except cooking spray) in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8x4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over the top of the meat loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into slices.

Serves 4-6

 Quick tip: Line the bottom part of the  broiler pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.



Meringue nests with tropical fruit

This recipe was featured in our local paper recently and I instantly decided to make these meringue nests for my family. They are just so pretty and elegant and gave some much needed relief from the winter blues. They are like small individual tropical pavlovas, filled with lemon curd and whipped cream. They are really easy to make, but plan ahead because they need  long cool down time. Baking the meringue the night before and letting them cool off in the oven over night is ideal. You can use store bought lemon curd or make this easy home made version. You can shape the nests with a spoon or use a pastry bag with a fluted tip like I did. The meringue came out perfectly! It was nice and gooey on the inside. This is the most refreshing and fun dessert I have made in a long time!

Meringue nests with tropical fruit

1 cup plus 2 T superfine sugar

1 T cornstarch

4 eggs, divided, at room temperature

1/2 t cream of tartar

pinch of salt

1 t vanilla

1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream

Lemon curd (see below)

Selection of fruit, such as mango, kiwi, pineapple; papaya, diced

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place rack in middle position. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Separate eggs and set yolks aside. In a large mixing bowl on medium-high speed, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until beater leaves soft tracks in the foam. Begin adding sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, gradually but steadily. Once the sugar has been incorporated, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high until the meringue looks glossy and holds a stiff peak when the beater is lifted.
Drop a large spoonful of meringue onto the parchment paper and shape into a circle with a slightly depressed center. Repeat with the remaining meringue to make 8 shells. Or place meringue in a large pastry bag with a fluted tip and pipe 8 nests onto the paper, working from the center and raising the sides.
Place in the oven. Reduce the heat to 200 degrees. Bake for 1 1/2  hours. Turn off the oven and leave meringues inside to cool completely, another 3 hours or overnight.
To serve, whip cream. Place a spoonful of lemon curd in each shell, then top with whipped cream and fruit.

Homemade lemon curd:
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon, grated
Juice of 2 lemons, strained
6 T butter

In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together yolks and sugar until well combined. Add zest, lemon juice and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. This will happen when the mixture is almost simmering. Watch for bubbles forming around the edge. Remove from the heat immediately; don't let it boil. The curd will thicken more as it cools. Transfer curd to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

(For the complete feature, go to http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/116746279.html)

Pork chops with red onion marmelade

I found this recipe on a Norwegian web site Matprat.no. It looked so easy yet so interesting at the same time. It is amazing how some meals can be so simple and contain so few ingredients and still be so satisfying and flavorful. These pork chops were brought to life with a  red onion marmalade. Simply red onions caramelized with sweet orange marmalade. This meal was a big hit with my entire family, big and small. My 13 year old daughter is my most vocal critic and she loved it. Even the onions! I served it with plain rice and sauteed green beans.

Pork chops with red onion marmalade

6 pork chops

Salt and pepper, to taste

Oil and butter for frying
1 large red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T sweet orange marmalade

Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium High heat, brown pork chops in a combination of oil and butter; about 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the pork chops continue to cook, covered about 5 minutes more.
While pork chops cook, fry onion rings in a skillet over medium heat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Increase heat to high and add red wine vinegar and cook until absorbed completely about 5 minutes. Add sweet orange marmalade and cook until slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes longer.
Top each pork chop with a nice heap of onions.