Strawberry Meringue with Chocolate Chips

A very simple and easy spring treat that my kids love! Happy Easter everyone.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons red gelatin powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Carefully seperate egg whites from yolks - ANY yolk left in the egg whites and you will not be able to make the meringue! In a clean dry bowl whip egg whites, white vinegar and salt until stiff (but not dry!). Add in sugar and jello powder (Traditionally we use Red Jello - such as raspberry or Cherry -- ). Fold in chocolate chips. On buttered cookie sheet, drop spoonfuls of meringue - I do smaller, bite sized cookies. Bake on a buttered cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 250* then turn off the oven and let them sit there over night. Do not peek or open the oven! They will turn out soft and chewy! Preparation time is to make the meringue - Cooking time is total time to make.

Macaroons...post Valentine's blessings

Rarely do you find a great recipe on NPR, but this takes the cake.....or Macaroon!.... The photos just scream  delicious.....I am going to try making these over spring break :)

Photo by Kyle Samperton

Photo by Kyle Samperton

Rose White Chocolate Macaroons 

Paste

6 egg whites 

18 ounces almond flour 

18 ounces confectionery sugar 

Blend almond flour and confectionery sugar together. After blended, sift. Spread on parchment paper and let dry for one day. The following day, add the egg whites to the mix and stir until it becomes paste.

Meringue

7 egg whites 

18 ounces sugar 

5 ounces water 

1 teaspoon food coloring 

Instructions: Cook sugar in water until it has reached 250 degrees. While it is heating, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg whites on high speed. Let cool while whipping until the bowl is warm to the touch. Add food coloring. Whip an extra two to three minutes.

While meringue is whipping, mix paste (almond flour, confectionery sugar and egg whites) until incorporated.

Stop mixer and add a small portion of the meringue into the paste. (Incorporating the meringue helps loosen the paste.) Add the rest of the meringue, then beat with spatula until fully mixed. When finished, pipe to desired size and shape. Let dry 20 to 30 minutes after piping.

Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool.

Rose White Chocolate Filling

12 ounces cream 

12 ounces milk plus 6 ounces milk, divided 

2 ounces cornstarch 

Pinch of salt 

11 ounces butter 

16 ounces white chocolate (solid bar or chunks) 

10 drops of rose extract 

Instructions:

Combine cream and 12 ounces of milk and bring to a boil.Meantime, mix 6 ounces of milk with cornstarch, add salt, then pour the starch mixture into the cream mixture. Bring to a boil then add solid white chocolate. Mix, then add the butter and rose extract. Let cool. Delicately make small coin shaped indentations in each macaroon disc with your thumb, pipe in filling and gently press discs together to assemble the macaroon.

Sniffles and Homework

Once again a virus has hit home. This week was hard with kids sick, doctors' appointments and school (yes twittering is part of school work).

Little time to do any home cooking, but I wanted to share this delicious soup that I love getting at a Vietnamese restaurant not far from my home. I was able to find a recipe of it, and I have posted below.

Beef Noodle Soup

4 ounces dried rice noodles
6 cups cold water
3 (10.5) cans condensed beef broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Thai chile, chopped
1/2 pound boneless top round steak, sliced very thin
1/4 pound fresh basil
4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 pound mung bean sprouts
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 wedges lime


Instructions: Soak noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain. Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add noodles, and boil 3 to 5 minutes, don't overcook. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Meanwhile, combine beef broth, ginger and salt, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Place equal portions of noodles into 4 large soup bowls, and place raw beef on top. Ladle hot broth over noodles and beef. Garnish with lime wedges, basil leaves, cilantro mung beans, and green onions, and serve.

A Beautiful Day

With all the rain we've had in the past week, the sun finally came out to stay. The weather is perfect for planting in the garden, and today I did just that. In my tiny garden I planted some early girl tomatoes, better boy tomato, cucumber, mesclun, chocolate mint, greek oregano, violas and pansies. Hoping for a successful early summer harvest.

These are herbs for my windowsill, rosemary, peppermint and greek oregano. They smell so fresh and beautiful.

I rewarded myself after digging in the garden with a quick trip to kokomo for a refreshing yogurt treat. My favorite combination, tart yogurt and raspberry swirl on top of pineapple and strawberry yogurt, mixed with fresh berries, mochi and mango. Yummy and healthy too.

Movie Nite

Starting off the weekend with a family and friend movie nite. No recipes today, instead we ordered my favorite pizza, NYPD's Fran's favorite and the Meat Lovers Pizza for the guys. We rented the French film "The Class" ( excellent movie), Mona Lisa Smiles, and a Flash of Genius. Eating, learning, blissfulness what more can I say :).

Reds and Browns

Reds and browns remind me of the upcoming holiday, Valentine's Day and the chocolate treats that go along with it.

A simple dessert you might try making involves combining strawberries and chocolate together. Buy some juicy fat strawberries if they are available where you live and dip them in melted chocolate, refrigerate for a couple of hours, then take out and enjoy!

Fresh and Easy

During school I often find myself not having enough time to make a fresh and healthy meal for the family. I hate when that happens, but I have found some helpful solutions. Lately, I have turned to Fresh and Easy with their pre-seasoned fish dishes. The fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.) are all fresh and well prepared all you do is cook it, and that takes only a few minutes. As a side dish I usually serve our meal with the grocery brand herb salad. Be mindful that not all the products sold are organic, but they are good quality and the small grocery customer service is excellent.

My favorite items at Fresh and Easy, Oglio Prosecco and Salmon stuffed with Shrimp and Chipotle Sauce.