Lemon Meringue Pie to cheer us up!

I just want to give a shout out to all of you who are following my blog...for example the Aunties in Ottawa, Erin M in New York City, my homies in Vancouver, Kelowna and Vernon not to mention the kids and family in Calgary loving my recipes ...just to mention a few.  I hope this helps to bring a smile to your day as we are all isolating ourselves to do our part.

This is a delicious recipe that is easy to make and really cheered us up at dinner time. Click here for my never-fail pastry recipe. The pie needs a blind-baked pie shell (see pic below) to pour the semi cooled lemon filling into. Good luck with this and if you have questions please email me anytime (mlborys@telus.net).  Thanks for joining me and stay safe everyone.

3 cups sugar

160ml corn starch
1 tsp. salt
zest of 2 lemons (wash lemons carefully first and very finely zest lemons but only the most yellow part) 
1  cup lemon juice (4 large lemons)
1 cup water


6 egg yolks (separate the eggs and save the egg whites for the meringue topping)

2 cups boiling water

4 tbsp. butter  (save and put butter in at the very end)

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt in a heavy pot. Whisk the dry ingredients first and then add lemon juice, zest and 1 cup of water.  Continue to whisk to combine. Turn on the heat, add the beaten egg yolks and whisk to combine  and bring this mixture to a boil,  stirring constantly. When it comes up to the boiling point slowly incorporate the boiling water (slowly because you will find that the mixture boils over if not done slowly and a little at a time) Continue to cook until the mixture boils. Remove from the heat and add the butter and allow it to melt. Stir well.

The butter gives the lemon filling a glossy look and a great taste. Pour lemon filling into a bowl to semi-set and cover with saran wrap (see pic) to prevent a skim from forming on the top of the lemon filling.

Pour the semi-cooled lemon filling into a blind-baked pie shell (see pic below)
Allow to set in the fridge. Don't forget to cover the filling with plastic wrap before going into the fridge.

line the pie plate with pastry and weigh it down for baking.
You see above that I used parchment paper over the pie dough,
and a wire rack, then a heavy glass loaf pan to ensure that the pastry doesn't puff up while baking

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Top with meringue and grill in a hot oven for 2 minutes to slightly brown the meringue tips. I find this recipe from Better Homes & Garden is a great demonstration on how to make meringue.  Please follow this link.  Ingredients:  egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and sugar.

Perfect blind baked pie shell

Pastry - Never Fail

this is considered 'mealy' when the shortening is cut up into the flour so the shortening is dime size

This is a fail proof recipe for pastry that I originally copied from my Mom, Eileen the 1st.  If you are making pastry for a savory dish leave out the brown sugar.

Approximate Yield
1/2 recipe  - 1 large double crust 
full recipe - enough for 3 small double crust pies

PASTRY

Full recipe                                           

1 lb. shortening or lard                                               

5 cups all-purpose flour                                         
1 tsp. salt                                                                   
1 tsp. baking powder                                                 

1 large egg
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar ( any type of vinegar will do)                                                     1  cup + ice water

Half recipe
1/2 lb. shortening or lard
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 small egg
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup + of ice cold water 
Add all the liquids together to get 1 cup of liquid.  YOu may not use the entire cup but depending on your flour & shortening you might.

   

1.    Cut up shortening into smaller cubes and press in a large mixing bowl.
2.  Add dry  ingredients.
3.  Cut shortening up into the flour mixture until the shortening has been almost completely incorporated.

3.    Combine vinegar and egg in a liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork. Add required amount of cold water to vinegar and egg.  Whisk well to blend.

4. Add egg liquid to the flour/shortening and combine with a fork.  Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will become tough. Gently form into a ball with your hands. If you find it too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water at a time until the pastry comes together and has formed into a ball.  

5.     Press dough into a flat disc and wrap in parchment paper and store in the fridge until needed.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for days in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. If not being used it is convenient to freeze the pastry for future use. Also, after making your pie freeze the remaining pastry for later use.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ If using a stand mixer in pastry making do not multi task. Stay at the mixer and pulse the machine on and off until the flour and shortening are slightly mixed but not totally combined. There should still be big size chunks of shortening (mealy) showing and plenty of loose flour. Do not try to incorporate every bit of flour as you may end up over working the pastry and it will be tough and not flaky.

Carrot Cake with Devon

Today would have been Carl's 77th birthday and I always like to bake (for anyone who wants to share) his favorite cake. Thankfully, in this crazy-upside-down world in the midst of the  Covid-19 pandemic, I am safe in Kelowna with Devon and Gary. We will celebrate and enjoy this delicious cake in memory of Carl.  

For the original video recipe please go to my YouTube video here Carrot Cake with Almond Milk & Chia seeds (please click on this link to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

By: Miriam Borys Busby

Servings: 1  rectangular cake pan

Ingredients:
2 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2  tsp. baking soda
1  1/2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 eggs (small)

1 cup white sugar

2 tbsp. vanilla

1 cup almond milk (dairy milk can be used if almond milk is not available)
2 tsp. lemon juice (add this to the almond milk)

½ cup olive oil

2 ½ cup grated carrots (loosely packed)

½ cup crushed pineapple (drained)

Spray baking spray onto all sides of the cake pan. Use 3 tbsp. flour to dust the greased surfaces of the cake pan. Discard flour.

Mix together in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

With a hand mixer or by hand, beat eggs with sugar until light and fluffy. Then add oil, almond milk, and vanilla and beat eat until smooth.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until blended. Remove from the mixer and fold in carrots and drained pineapple. Mix so that all the shredded carrot is coated with cake batter. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into the cake pan. 
Bake at 350° for approximately 40+ minutes until the cake springs back when pressed or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Cool on wire rack. 

Ice with a Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing (see below).

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (makes enough to ice a double or triple layer cake)
1 pkg. (250g)of cream cheese
4 oz. butter
4 cups icing (sifted)
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon

Tortilla Egg Cups

We happened to have mini tortillas in the fridge, so to use them up I decided that they would make a great base for egg bites.
As it turned out they are delicious and the cleanup is so much easier having lined the muffin pan with the mini tortillas first (see pic below). I sprayed the pan first with baking spray so they don't stick and it worked perfectly.
Also, the convenient part about serving eggs this way is that you can use whatever you have in the fridge to add flavor, nutrition and texture.
Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients used today:

7 eggs
1/3 cup cottage cheese
3 tbsp. cheese whiz (I know...don't turn up your nose at this time tested ingredient, Kelsey & I happen to love it)
parmesan cheese - approx. 1 tbsp. in each cup
left over broccoli (broccoli left over from last nights dinner)- cut up into bite size pieces.
ham - 1/2 to 3/4 cup - cut up into bite size pieces.
'Franks' hot sauce - to taste
worcestershire sauce - 1-2 tbsp.


Method:
Spray the 12 cup muffin tin (non stick is better)
Press into each cup one mini tortillas
Carefully press tortillas into the bottom edges without tearing holes in them
Crack eggs into a bowl, add cottage cheese, cheese whiz (or cheese of choice), hot sauce. Whisk until well blended.
To each tortillas lined cup add parm cheese, 2-3 pieces of ham and 1-2 pieces of brocolli.
Pour prepared egg mixture carefully into each tortillas cup.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the egg stops running.
Serve hot.
When cooled store in a closed container in the fridge.  These keep well and can be reheated for use later. They can also be made in advance and frozen.

pre heat oven to 350° first

Yummy for breakfast or an anytime snack. We find that the best ever containers are the take out containers from Cactus...go figure!

Gluten Free Pancakes made by Grandma Karen in Calgary

It is important to have alot of fiber and protein in your diet and these pancakes are perfect for the family. Karen has perfected this recipe and they are so simple to make. More good stuff coming from Saskatchewan!
The ingredients below have already been multiplied by three to yield more pancakes for breakfast.

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup full fat cottage cheese
1 cup egg whites.

In a bullet or a blender add the one cup of oatmeal, cottage cheese & egg whites (or use eggs if you wish).
Blend until smooth.
Heat up the frying pan and then pour the batter into the frying pan (any size you wish).  Allow to cook and flip over so that both sides are browish (you determine how brown you want your pancakes to be)

 (If you want a smaller batch of pancakes the original recipe is 1/3 cup oatmeal & cottage cheese, plus 1 egg)

The new Grandmas are making a hearty vegetable beef barley soup for the new parents.

It is still a bit cold in Calgary but the sun is shinning and the new Grandma's are keeping busy helping out where we can. This is a soup that we are making that is both nutritious and hearty for a cold winter day and perfect for the new parents when they are busy with the baba.

Grandma Karen making the soup with Gama Miriam

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil 

700 gr of beef (today I am using already cut up beef stir fry to make the process a little easier)

1  yellow onion - diced small

4 stocks of celery - diced small

2 garlic cloves

4  carrots - diced small
1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup barley

2 tsp. italian seasoning

900ml beef soup stock

salt & pepper to taste

Grandma Karen clearing off the deck on this beautiful sunny day

first saute on the stove top

then add everything else into the slow cooker

Directions:

On the stove top first:
Add oil to your soup pot and heat up the pan first.

Saute beef first and then add onions, garlic, celery until the onions are semi-transparent.

Add tomato paste and seasonings to deglaze the pan. Cook only until the tomato paste is mixed in.
Turn off the heat and now all of the above goes into the slow cooker for the afternoon.

Continue to cook in the slow cooker:

Add carrots, beef stock, diced tomatoes, & barley to the slow cooker first.
Then pour in all the contents from your beef and onion soup pot and stir well.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Cover the slow cooker and leave for 5-6 hours to cook on high.

Miriam's FOODSAFE Tips: always store leftover soup in the fridge as soon as it has cooled down enough. Never leave leftovers cooling out of the fridge for more than 2 hours as this will encourage those pathogenic microbes to grow and could cause food borne illness.

Apple Caramel Casserole Cake to celebrate wee Eileen Yvonne

Yesterday and today are very special days for our families as wee Eileen, who was born yesterday, is coming home from the hospital today. I know my Granddaughter is a bit young for food yet but her Mommy & Daddy are going to love it.  Stay safe out there everyone.

Cake
1  1/2 cups flour
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 apples - washed & chopped, no need to peel
3 tsp. cinnamon
1  1/4 cups milk or cream

Believe it or not you add all of the above to a large bowl and mix until well blended...  It looks very gooey but that is how it is suppose to look.

Caramel Sauce
1  1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
4 tbsp. butter

This is one of those recipes where you literally throw all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and mix together. Initially, when mixing it looks too gooey and sloppy but trust me the end result is delicious.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° (191° C)
In a large mixing bowl add flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, chopped up apples, cinnamon and milk. If it seems too dry you can add a little more milk, one tablespoon (tbsp.) at a time. Mix well until completely combined and very gooey.
Grease a medium sized casserole dish and empty the gooey dough into it. Spread it out evenly into all the corners.
Prepare the caramel sauce as follows:  Add brown sugar and butter to a 2 cups measuring cup. Add boiling water and allow the butter to melt.
Pour the water/butter mixture over the gooey dough. DO NOT PANIC at this stage because it does look very odd.  Place onto the middle rack of  a preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Serve while hot. Vanilla ice cream can be added and really adds to the dish.

Banana Bread for Kelsey

This recipe makes 1 banana loaf or one dozen muffins too. Baking
time is 30-35 minutes

Yield:  1 banana bread (or 12 muffins )
Temp:  375°F (190°C) always preheat your oven
Time: bake for approximately 60 minutes until the loaf springs back when pressed down and a thin knife comes out completely dry when inserted into the middle of the banana loaf.

Today is the babies due date so naturally what do I do while waiting for Kelsey and Jonathan's baby to arrive...I bake and cook of course! Thankfully I am using Carol and Barry's kitchen as Carol has a new stand mixer that I love to use and it makes baking so much easier. But, you can also use a hand mixer which works too.

Usually, when baking I double the recipe as this recipe doubles very well.

Yield: 1 banana loaf

Add the dry ingredients into a small mixing bowl and set aside:

1 1/2 cups white flour

1 tsp. baking soda

Cream the soft butter and sugar first in a stand mixer or by hand. When creamed (really soft) add the egg and cream again. Add peeled bananas and continue to mix well. Add milk and vanilla and continue to mix.

Add dry ingredients now and mix well.

Remove from the mixer and mix well so that all the flour is incorporated.
Pour into a greased loaf pan (pic above) and bake for approx. 70 minutes.

1/2 cup butter - softened (leave it on the counter to warm up)

1 cup sugar ( this can be reduced to 3/4 of a cup if wanted)

1 egg

3 bananas ( I always like to add more bananas - this is how you get a very moist banana bread)

• 1/2 cup milk or cream (or sour cream) 
• 1 tsp. vanilla
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When baked remove from the oven and place onto a cooking rack.  Allow to cool for 1/2 an hour then tip over and place the banana loaf onto a cooking rack without the pan.  Allow to cool.  This loaf freezes very well for later use.  

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