Lemon Meringue Pie

Am I not lucky? Of course I am. I thought about a recipe and I couldn’t find it at home. But somebody up there really loves me. And it is not chance that brought me the recipe I wanted. I guess what I wish for comes true. Sooner or later. I really love cooking so this wish came true, as I wanted it with all my heart and for a long time. At least I haven’t bumped into it at Christmas! 😉

This is another English pie, made with digestive biscuits for a new twist. Originally it is made with shortcrust pastry but… if you are tired or not in the mood for too much cooking, cut straight to the biscuits. Lemon is another fruit that deserves a recipe too. In Romania it is seen as a flavoury thing in other sweets but I am glad to discover new ways of cooking it entirely. Plus, it makes your mouth water. I know I love it, the sour taste of lemon with the sweetness of the meringue. One more thing before I write down the recipe: it was taken and tested soo many times from ”Original Card from Delicious Meals Made Easy”, Group 11, Sweet Pies & Tarts

Lemon Meringue Pie

Preparation time: 20 min plus chilling      Cooking time: 40 min

Makes 8 slices

Ingredients:

• 225 g (8 oz) digestive biscuits, crushed
• 50 g (2 oz)  butter, melted (please do not use margarine, you deserve the real thing)
• juice and finely grated rind of 3 large lemons
• 4 tablespoons cornflour (you can use plain flour as replacement)
• 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar (or icing sugar or granulated one if you don’t have or can’t find caster sugar)
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites
• 100 (4 oz) caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170 °C/ 325 °F/ gas 3. Put the crushed biscuits in a mixing bowl. Add melted butter and mix well with a wooden spoon. Firmly press the biscuit mixture into base and up the side of a 23 cm (9 in) flan dish.
• For the filling, mix together the lemon juice, rind and cornflour in a large bowl. Bring 450 ml (3/4 pint) water to the boil in a pan. Stir enough of the water into the cornflour mixture to make a smooth paste.
• Return mixture to pan. Cook over a low heat, stirring, until thickened. Stir in caster sugar. Cool slightly, then beat in egg yolks. Pour onto base.
• For the meringue, put the egg whites in a clean bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Whisk in two-thirds of the sugar, a little at a time, until stiff peaks form. Fold in the remaining sugar and vanilla essence.
• Spread meringue over filling. Swirl surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool, then chill until required.

Bon appetite!

SSP

I know that you wonder what SSP is. You are paying attention now.;) SSP is sweet & sour pork for short. I remember eating this recipe for the first time in my life in Constanta in a Chinese restaurant and loved it to bits. When I discovered it in the “Original card from “Delicious Meals Made Easy” I was very happy. I had the chance to cook it anytime I wanted. It happened that I made it in London the first time.

Why are Chinese or Thai or Japanese or other Asian recipes so easy to cook? I have no idea but I like it. I would cook with a wok everyday, provided I have the ingredients and resources. I had this chance once, I took it and all I can do now is talk about it and sometime cook.

Sweet & Sour Pork

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine or sherry
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2,5 cm (1 in) piece root ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 450 g (1 lb) pork fillet, cut into 2,5 cm (1 in) cubes
• 1 tbsp cornflour (or flour)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple vinegar)
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced
• 175 g (6 oz) mange tout, topped and tailed (I think you can replace them with broccoli or other pods, as I haven’t seen here them yet, but they are excellent. Too bad)
• 227 g (8 oz) can of pineapple chunks in natural juice (optional, for a fruity addition)

Method:

• Mix soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, garlic and ginger. Add pork, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours. You can leave them longer, from the evening until the next day, if you like. Just remember that it smells quite strongly, so cover it well.
• Drain pork in a sieve, reserving the marinade. Stir cornflour, rice vinegar, tomato sauce and honey into reserved marinade.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan or wok. Add pork and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 minutes. Remove pork from pan with a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining oil in pan or wok. Add peppers and mange tout and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes.
• Add marinade mixture to pan or wok and stir until thickened. Add pork and cook for further 1 minute, stirring constantly. Breathe in the smell!
• Serve with the savoury basmati rice or Chinese noodles. Any noodles will do. Delicious!

Bon appetite!

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

For those who live in Romania and speak English as their native tongue or for those who love cooking and want the recipe in original, I will add here recipes that are all taken from the Internet or magazines and cookbooks in English, all tried and eaten very quickly. Why? Because I found them either easy or interesting to make and very tasty. You will excuse my grammar mistakes and other English error and I will be grateful if you take notice of them and tell me about it.

My first recipe that has introduced me in this miracle world of cooking is a Chinese recipe, cooked in January 2005 in London, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All you need is love! I know, a little patience and hunger. You don’t want to cook all that food without eating it. Though I have to say that by the time I cook anything, my hunger is over, the smell of it feeds me already. 😉

Let’s get to work now. Enough talking. If you live in Romania you may find some ingredients missing but if you live abroad you are lucky. For those who still want to cook, I have made some changes, so you can have replacement and your recipe will taste with a twist: Romanian.

Cashew Chicken With Noodles

Serves 4

Takes 20 mins

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or sherry (or sunflower oil)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (or sunflower oil)
• 1  1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (just plain soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp cornflower (flour)
• 4 tbsp water

The rest:

• 250 (9 oz) pack medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp groundnut oil (or sunflower oil)
• 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-5 cm (1 in) pieces
• salt
• 50 g (2 oz) cashew nuts
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into large pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spring onion, halved

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a jug ready to use.
• Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for the length of time recommended on the packet. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, until smoking hot. Season chicken with salt and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Remove form pan and set aside.
• Add the cashews and red peppers to pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then, add the garlic and spring onions and cook, stirring, for another minute. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked and red pepper tender.

Plate up the noodles and serve topped with the cashew chicken.

COOK’S TIP

Try experimenting with this recipe by adding bean sprouts, mange tout, asparagus tips, cubed tofu (fry with garlic and onions) or shiitake mushrooms.

Bon appetite!