Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemons, Lemons, and more Lemons! I hate letting any food go to waste so I devised a plan to use some of these lemons that southern California is producing right now in an overabundance!!!! Here is my second adventure into Lemon Meringue pie (because the first try didn't come out so well)....

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

*Notes from my experience: I should've baked the pre-made crust before I added the custard and meringue as the crust came out a little under done.  I also tried a different recipe before this and the custard didn't set AT ALL, although it tasted fantastic.  I also noticed 10 minutes was not quite enough to set the meringue and custard so I added another 5 minutes.  I could've devoured this entire pie in one sitting!!!! OH this recipe was adapted from the allrecipes.com website.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I could eat Indian food several times a week and since I'm a huge fan of Chicken Tikka Masala, I found a recipe online and am sharing it with all of you.

EDITS: I didn't have a Serrano chili so I used an Anaheim pepper instead. This recipe isn't really hot, it's got flavor, but not heat ... so adjust the Cayenne and chili peppers to your liking. I also cut the chicken into one inch pieces prior to cooking instead of leaving them whole until the end. Other than the spice rub mixture not coating all the meat at first, I found no other issues by cutting them first or last. I did make half of a second serving of the spice rub and used it all. Everything came out perfect.


Ingredients:
(Servings: 4-6)


Chicken Tikka

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed through a garlic press, about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)

Masala Sauce

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed through a garlic press, about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 serrano chili (fresh, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)

Sides

• 1 cup of Basmati Rice (to 2 cups water, simmer for 20-25 minutes)
• Garlic Naan (Trader Joe's sells a 4 pack that is yummy!)
• Optional: Peas (Use the frozen, steam fresh bag. I found that the canned peas are too mushy.)

Directions:

1: FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.
2: FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.
5. Serve with Basmati rice and Nann.