The Dish: Cranberry Walnut Meringues

When I got married, one of my showers was hosted by my mom's best friend AH. She has been like an aunt to me my whole life and she throw a beautiful tea for me. At the shower, she served homemade meringues. I've always wanted to make them. So finally after 13 years, I've finally made some. They turned out great and will diffinently make these again and again. BTW, I substituted the walnut and cranberries for the the cherries and pecans in the recipe. I used a recipe out of Everyday Food. I love this magazine.

The Dish: Chicken Potpie

This is from Everyday Foods October 2009

4 TBSP unsalted butter
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice
1 large carrot, cut into medium dice
1/2 all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
course salt and ground pepper
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas ( used fresh green beans)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thymes leaves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
1 large egg yolk

1. In medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until onion softens, about 6 minutes. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; cook stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
2. Whisking constantly, add broth. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Sir in chicken, peas (or green beans) and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Refrigerate until room temperature, about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat over to 375. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry into 1/8 inch thickness. Place pastry on pie. Cut vent holes. Lightly beat one egg yolk and brush on top of pastry. Bake for an hour. Pastry should be golden brown and juices should be bubbling.


I've always wanted to make a pot pie. This was delish! It did take some time, but was totally worth it.

The DISH:Turkey Meatloaf with Fontina and Mushrooms

Turkey Meatloaf with Fontina and Mushrooms

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 small leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced, washed, and dried thoroughly
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cup shredded fontina cheese (4 ounces)
• 1 slice day-old bread, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (93 percent lean)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook mushrooms, stirring once or twice, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes per batch. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Return skillet to medium and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add to bowl with mushrooms and let cool.
3. Add fontina, bread, egg, and sage to bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in turkey, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. On a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, use your hands to form turkey mixture into a 10-inch loaf. Bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

This is from EveryDay Foods mag Sept 2009

This recipe was delish! Super easy. I had never put cheese in a meatloaf, WOW!

the Dish: Tortilla Pie

I made a version of this delicious dish last week and it was easy and yummy. I got a whole turkey breast at Ralph's the other day. While shopping, a group of senoirs were all gathering around a display case of turkey and I over heard them mention that this was the best turkey price they'd seen ever, so I went to investigate. I have a very small freezer, so since I wasn't buying the whole turkey, just the whole turkey breast, I thought I could make some room. I picked out the smallest one and imagined what I could come up with to make. My parents are updating their kitchen at the moment, and are living with only a microwave for a week, so I invited them over for din din. The day before I roasted the turkey in my pampered chef roasting pan with lid (it barely fit and accually stuck to the top a bit). It was great and super juicey. So, I pulled all the meat from the bones and sent one 2 cup bag of turkey to the frig and another one for the freezer. The next day, I followed this recipe from Everyday Food and had a great meal.

Tortilla Pie

12 corn tortillas (6-inch), toasted
2 cups cooked, shredded dark-meat chicken
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups Green or Red Salsa
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (6 ounces)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8-inch square baking dish, layer 4 tortillas, 1 cup chicken, cup chiles, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/3 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat once. Top with remaining tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Bake until top is browned and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.