4 tablespoons butter
1 VERY small sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 medium regular red potato, unpeeled, ½-3/4″ dice
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3 strips crisp-cooked bacon, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoon dry Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing or Dip Mix
1 (14.5 oz.) can green beans, drained WELL
In medium skillet, melt butter.
Add onion, potato and pepper, sautéing over medium heat until potatoes are fork tender.
Add bacon, garlic, and Ranch Mix. Stir in well.
Fold in green beans and heat through, simmering, occasionally stirring gently.
Add pepper to taste.
NOTE: Ranch Mixes are salty so NO need to add extra salt.
CRUST
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter CRISCO
1/4 cup COLD ice water (use 1 cup measure & add ice to the 1/4 cup cold ice water)
Mix until blended together JUST until incorporated.
Roll out on floured surface.
Add to pie plate, fluent the edges by pinch between your fingers.
FILLING
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
dash salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
3 beaten egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Key Lime juice
In a saucepan stir together the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt.
Add boiling water and cook until mixture boils and thickens, 3-5 minutes.
Temper the egg yolks slowly with some of the mixture and add back to saucepan.
Cook 2 more minutes and remove from heat.
Immediately add butter, whisking until melted.
Add zest and juice, blending until smooth.
Pour into crust.
MERINGUE
5 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup extra fine sugar
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat egg whites until peaks form.
Slowly add sugar until dissolved.
Add cream of tartar and vanilla, blending well.
Add meringue to pie, sealing to crust.
Bake 12-15 minutes until meringue is browned.
Cool completely and then chill.
NOTES:
Meringue is extremely humidity sensitive. The sugar in the delicate mixture readily absorbs moisture from the air, which makes it soft and nearly impossible to achieve thick, stiff peaks. Humidity may also cause soft meringues to weep or crisp meringues to soften once baked.
Using a copper bowl and beaters that were in the freezer for 30 minutes helps. Many chefs prefer to use use copper bowls, a reaction between the copper and egg whites tends to produce a fluffy, more stable foam. Just before using a copper bowl, clean it with salt and lemon juice or vinegar, then rinse with cold water and dry thoroughly before placing in freezer.
Also make sure when separating your eggs to be extra careful, even the smallest piece of yolk can ruin your meringue. Separating your eggs while cold is easier to not get bits of yolk into the whites.
I love Escalante’s Roasted Corn Bisque – Fresh roasted corn, poblanos, bacon, grilled chicken, and onion in a sherry wine bisque and have been working to duplicate it. I think I have FINALLY accomplished it!
Roasted Poblano Chicken and Corn Bisque
2 medium Poblano peppers
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
2 cups peeled, small diced potatoes
2 cups cooked, grilled chopped chicken
2 cups fresh roasted corn on the cob, sliced off
2 cups half and half or light cream
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream
4-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup sherry
Salt and pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL
Shredded Cheddar or Parmesan cheese
a dollop of Sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut Poblanos in half and remove seeds.
Place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Spray Poblanos with non-stick cooking spray and roast for 8-10 minutes or until skins begin to blacken.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
Dice roasted Poblanos in to small pieces and add them to the pot along with chili powder and cumin, cooking a few minutes longer.
Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
Add potatoes and corn.
Simmer about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender.
Puree’ about half of the corn and potato mixture.
Add puree’ mixture back into pot.
Stir in chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half, remaining 1/4 cup broth, the sherry, sour cream and 4 tablespoons of flour.
Whisk the cream mixture into the soup until smooth.
So we changed our mind and stayed home for Easter dinner. We decided it’s just too busy around here and we didn’t want to fight the crowds. Fortunately, we decided on Wednesday night so I was able to shop on Thursday and NOT fight the crowds in the markets.
PINEAPPLE CARROT TOP BROWN SUGAR GLAZED HAM
1 spiral sliced ham 8-10 pounds
1 jar pineapple preserves
1/2 cup minced carrot tops
2 cups brown sugar
Add the ham to the slow cooker, trimming off the bottom as needed to fit it into the slow cooker Add the trimmed fat pieces around the ham in the slow cooker. They will help keep the moisture level up.
Whisk together preserves and minced carrot tops.
Spread glaze on ham.
Cover with the brown sugar.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours.
Cover with a light covering of brown sugar and serve.
ROASTED CARROTS AND ASPARAGUS with BERNAISE SAUCE
3 large carrots, sliced thinly and diagonally
3-4 stalks asparagus, per person, trimmed and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch Bernaise sauce
Bring a double boiler of water to a boil.
Add butter, salt and pepper to water.
Add carrots and asparagus to vegetable steamer.
Cover and steam 15-20 minutes until crisp tender.
Top with sauce and serve immediately.
BERNAISE SAUCE
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 tablespoons minced shallots
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 large egg yolks
Juice of 1 large fresh lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to coat.
Stir in vinegar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vinegar is evaporated, 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and continue cooking shallots, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes longer.
Transfer shallot reduction to a small bowl and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, fill a blender with hot water to warm it; set aside.
Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is foamy.
Transfer butter to a measuring cup.
Drain blender and dry well.
Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in warm, dry blender.
Purée mixture until smooth.
With blender running, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream of droplets, discarding milk solids at bottom of measuring cup. Blend until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
Pour sauce into a medium bowl stirring in shallot reduction and tarragon.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. I prefer fresh if your time allows.
POTATOES AU GRATIN
1/2 cup butter
16 oz. whipping cream
5 large russet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar) or 1 clove
2 cups grated 4 white cheese mix (Gruyere, Muenster, etc…)
2 cups rates sharp cheddar Wondra Flour
Preheat oven to 350°.
Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
Grease 9×13 baking dish.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.
Gradually add the whipping cream and spices. Blend well.
Gradually add the flour until the mixture thickens, but it is still pourable!
Mix the cheeses all together.
Layer the potatoes, cheese and cream mixture ending with cheese on top.
Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
I developed this recipe for a request from our youngest and it quickly became a family favorite.
Dessert was a recent inspiration from a new restaurant. Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen is a fantastic place. We had the BEST waiter who made our meal so enjoyable while he treated us to dessert and the history of two restaurant families (Carrabas Italian Grill and Ninfas Mexican Cantina) melding together to create this restaurant. I couldn’t find a recipe so I kind of made it up as I went and came VERY close.
BANANA KEY LIME PIE
1 large firm banana, sliced thin
1/4 cup Malibu rum
1 graham cracker crumb crust
14 ounce can Eagle sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Key Lime Juice
Preheat oven to 350°.
Soak banana slices in rum.
Pat banana slices dry.
Combine milk, egg yolks, sugar and lime juice, beating until smooth like custard.
Layer banana slices in a layer on top of graham cracker crust.
Top with custard and bake 12-15 minutes until JUST barely set.
Cool 10 minutes.
Move to refrigerator, chilling several hours before serving.
THANK YOU again Carrie! Loving my first Blue Apron box that came this past week. Such pretty vegetables and all the fixings for the 3 meals. They also included wonderful recipe directions that were really easy to follow. I cant wait to get my next box.
I let hubby choose the order we tried the recipes and he chose the Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops with a pepper sauce for our second meal. I have to say I was thoroughly impressed again! Definitely a meal we’ll have again. I did change a few techniques, but only for my own liking. For example, they had you cutting the Fontina into small squares and I chose to slice them for better coverage inside the pork chop and to get some oozing out along the edge so there was a CRISP cheesy edge to the chop.
THANK YOUCarrie! My first Blue Apron box came today. Such pretty vegetables and all the fixings for the next 3 days. They also included wonderful recipe directions that were really easy to follow. I couldn’t wait to make dinner. I let hubby choose the recipe and he chose the Chicken Under a “Brick” for our first meal. I have to say I was thoroughly impressed! Definitely a meal we’ll have again.
We also thought it might be a good idea to do a “Vision Board” for our search of the next house project. We would really like to find and old church, train station, fire station or school to rehab into an open floor plan and make a forever home. Anyone know of anything in any of these states?
This super sloppy looking recipe is soooooooo easy and super delicious too. I got it from my mom, but don’t remember where she got it. Mom makes it with chicken thighs and serves it over Fritos, but hubby prefers chicken breasts.
BLACK BEAN SALSA CHEDDAR CHICKEN
2 tablespoons butter
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 ounces of your favorite salsa
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 cup medium cheddar cheese
Fritos
Heat butter over medium high heat.
Add chicken pieces, quickly browning on all sides.
Add salsa and beans.
Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until chicken pieces cooked through.
I hope you all had a wonderful week and weekend FULL of blessings and fun with your family and friends. My week was full of doctor appointments and errands, but all and all worth it as we move closer to a diagnosis and health plan. So far, I LOVE all my new doctors. I see one more new one later today and have 2 more big tests later this week. Once all the test results are on they can all get together with a plan of action to make me better.
OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
Last week was EXTREMELY pleasant and in the high 60’s with tons of sunshine and a cool breeze. I don’t think this week will be the same as they are predicting mid 80’s and higher humidity. So far this morning, not so bad, but we’ll see.
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
I haven’t been very hungry in the mornings, but am trying to keep with the menu plan. This morning is peach yogurt and coffee.
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I’m pretty happy with it. With spring approaching I am having to vacuum daily LOL as the black lab just doesn’t want to wear his winter coat any longer, not that we had a winter to begin with.
WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
Dr. appointments
Vacuuming
Laundry
EBAY
Paint touch up in few places
Grout touch up in a few places
Water Plants
CURRENTLY READING & TELEVISION / DVR
Still trying a few of the newer shows. I just can’t get a feeling for the new cable and TV scheduling and it leaves me a bit unsure of what I want to watch. I’m still reading Jana Deleon books. I’ve been intrigued by her Bayou mystery types.
KITCHEN REVIEWS
I LOVE my new Indigo True Bamboo cutting board. I’d been looking for a smaller one (8×13) with a juice catch for resting and cutting meats so I didn’t need drag out my large Pampered chef one all the time. THIS BOARD IS A DREAM! It is also the perfect size for small roasts and cuts of meat. PLUS it was on sale for half price!
More on this eventually, but for now, this says it all. I’m really hurt and betrayed that I’m seeing a blood relative’s true colors ESPECIALLY after doing so much for them AND while I’m so sick.
FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
LOL Somehow I let the battery run down on the camera so this category is empty this week.
THANK YOU 
PINEAPPLE SESAME PORK and BROCCOLI
