My Cami did it again. Last year she made chocolate macaroons and I posted them. This year, she has been busy making meringue’s and asked me; Bela, do you want me to make some to post them in your Blog? I replied, of course baby lets’ do this. So here they are, Cami’s Meringues and her recipe, I am so proud! Enjoy.
HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY tomorrow CAMI.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: Prep 25 minutes, Cook and rest for 2 hours
Approximate Cost: $3.58 or .10 cents a piece
Difficulty Level:   __X__ Intermediate 
Servings: 35 +
 
Meringue recipe: By Cami Fuerst

Ingredients
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (.15)
3/4 cup sugar (.40)
3 egg (only use the whites at room temperature) (.48)
1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract ($1.45)
¼ cup of chocolate chips (optional) (.95)
1 tbsp. Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup (optional) we did not use cocoa powder) (.15)

Directions for the Vanilla, Baby Chocolate Chips and Swirl Merengue’s:
1.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit

2.) Crack 3 egg, into a medium sized bowl (use only the whites). Mix until it forms stiff peaks.

3.) Add the cream of tartar and mix until blends. (DON'T over mix).

4.) Gradually pour in the sugar a tablespoon at a time and mix until the batter becomes shiny and has stiff peaks.

5.) Now add in vanilla extract.

6.) Next, grab a baking tray and cover it with parchment paper.
At this point if you want to make my chocolate swirl meringue’s, please divide the batter in three. Use one third for regular (white) vanilla meringue’s. Then use one third to fold in the baby chocolate chips; and use the final third to pipe into the parchment paper mold, add a slight drop of Dark Chocolate Syrup and with a toothpick, move around to create the swirl.

7.) Grab 2 spoons and spoon the meringue batter, one meringue at a time, onto the tray, each meringue should be about the size of an egg. Or spoon some of the batter into a plastic bag; remove the air completely, cut a tiny hole in one corner and pipe your meringue’s onto the parchment tray. (This will not work with the batter that you added baby chocolate chips, for that one, just spoon it onto the tray.)

8.) Pop the meringues in the oven and let them cook at 250 degrees for 1 hour. After the 1 hour is up, turn off the oven. (BUT DON'T OPEN THE OVEN!) Leave the meringues in the oven for an hour until they become completely dry on the top.


9.) Eat and enjoy!!! Cami.
 
 
 

With this hurricane Irma bringing so much rain, I felt it was time for a comforting soup. Lentils came to mind immediately; and they are one of the most nutritious legumes available. They cook fast and can be eaten in stews with pork or chicken; in salads, and soups. Today, I decided to cook my lentils with rotisserie lemon pepper chicken as well as rotisserie homemade chicken stock.  Delicious!
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes to one hour
Approximate Cost: $10.44 or $2.61 per serving
Difficulty Level:         Easy __X__ Intermediate ____ Advanced
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients to make the Lentil Stew ($7.89)
2 cups of organic green dried lentils ($1.89)
8 cups of homemade chicken stock (0)
2 plus chicken or beef powdered flavor bouillon (.65)
2 stalks Chopped celery (.35)
2 tbsp. minced dried onion (.65)
Rotisserie chicken ($2.00)
1 tbsp. olive oil (.35)
2 ears of fresh bi-color corn ($2.00)
 
Ingredients to make Stock: ($2.55)
1 cup Herbs: I used basil, flat leave parsley and Cuban oregano (.65)
1 large onion (.40)
5 cloves of fresh garlic (.80)
3 celery stalks (.35)
3 sweet peppers “ajicitos” (.35)
8 cups of water (0)
 
Directions to make the Lentil Soup
Sort and rinse the lentils.
In a large stock pot, add the 8 cups of water or use chicken stock instead. Add one bouillon, the lentils and corn.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and then cover with the lid tilted for about 45 minutes until tender.
(This time however, I used my pressure cooker and since it cooks faster, my lentils were done in about 20 minutes. It all depends on your stove, mine is gas and cooks very well).
While the lentils soften, work with the rotisserie chicken, remove all skin and the bones.
(You will need both thighs for the stew). Chop or shred the thighs and set aside to add to the lentils.
In a skillet with olive oil, sauté the chopped celery, when golden brown, add the chicken, 1 powdered bouillon and carefully, add about a cup of the lentils water or chicken stock if you have it in the fridge). Taste to adjust the salt, you may keep it as is, or add more bouillon powder to taste. Bring to a boil and pour the whole thing into the lentils stock pot.
Bring to another light boil and if the lentils are tender to your like, you are ready to plate.
 
Directions to make the chicken stock
In a stock pot add 1 tbsp. of olive oil and sauté all the stock listed ingredients.
Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from stove and when the stock is at room temperature, strain to obtain a clean liquid stock.
Refrigerate and use within a week in soups, stews, beans or warm broth with a sandwich.
 
HACK:
Save the 2 breasts for chicken salad and/or sandwiches on another day.
Save the 2 drums for a snack lunch any day you wish, smile.
Save all the bones to make stock to use during the week.