Lemon Meringue Hamantaschen

Purim is almost here, and it is one of my favorite holidays! This year I have really been into reinventing the classics and making mashups. I love lemon meringue pies and the citrus in these lemon-y taschens is bright and refreshing, reminding me that spring is around the corner. 

What you will need: 

Dough 

Recipe here 

Lemon Curd 

3 whole eggs 

3 egg yolks 

1 cup granulated sugar 

¾ cup fresh lemon juice 

1 tbsp lemon zest 

8 tbsp butter or margarine cut into pieces 

Swiss Meringue 

5 egg whites 

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar 

⅛ tsp cream of tartar 

pinch of salt 

½ tsp vanilla 

Directions 

Lemon Curd: 

Heat one inch of water in the bottom of a pot (make sure pot is small enough that glass bowl sits above the water and does not touch). 

Place the curd ingredients (except the butter/margarine) in a glass bowl and whisk together until well combined. Place the bowl over the simmering water and cook, whisking for about 8-10 minutes, until mixture has thickened and is a light yellow color. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

Add the butter/margarine to the mixture, one piece at a time, and continue to stir until it is all incorporated. 

Strain the curd by pouring it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. 

Cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic touching the surface of the curd to avoid the formation of a skin. Place it in the refrigerator until ready to use. The curd can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. 

Dough: 

Follow directions here 

Fill each hamantaschen with about 1 tsp lemon curd. Pinch closed to a triangle and bake about 20 minutes. 

Swiss Meringue: 

Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer over a pot of simmering water. 

Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is 170° (or until warm, sugar has fully dissolved, and becoming frothy and white.) 

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. 

Add vanilla and continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool, about 10 minutes. 

Fill a ziploc bag (or piping bag if you have one, or just spoon dollops of meringue) and snip the corner to pipe onto the baked hamantaschen.

Return the hamentashen to the oven set to 400° for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye so that the meringue doesn’t burn. If you have a kitchen torch you can do that instead. 

Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Sweet Potatoes

These are the perfect side on a cold day! While they are cooking, the house smells amazing. 

What you will need: 

6 to 7 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 

1 ½ tbsp cornstarch or flour 

4 tbsp canola oil or butter 

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup orange juice

¼ cup water

Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° if preparing in the oven.

Toss the sweet potatoes with the cornstarch in a bowl to coat well. Add the mixture to a ceramic baking dish, or slow cooker and dot with the butter or oil.

Sprinkle over the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Pour in the vanilla, orange juice and water. Season with salt. If cooking in the oven, cover the ceramic dish with foil tightly and cook in the oven for about 1-1.5 hours. If slow cooking, place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender, about 3 hours.

Toss the potatoes once more and transfer to a serving dish.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

I love a hearty soup in the winter months. This soup could even be a meal on its own and freezes well. I usually make a big batch of it and freeze it in quart containers for another day!

What you will need: 

One 2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes 

1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut up 

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 4 wedges 

 2 tbsp olive oil 

 1 tsp salt 

 ½ tsp black pepper 

 1 garlic clove 

 1 tsp dried thyme 

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 

Place the squash, apple, garlic and onion on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven until fork tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. 

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and spices to a low boil over high heat. Add the squash, apple, garlic and onion. Lower the heat to a simmer, with the lid cracked, and cook for about 20 minutes. 

Remove from the heat. 

Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan

My love for eggplant Parmesan started when my father would order it at the dairy restaurant when I was little. I would always eat some of it and really liked it. 

While this eggplant Parmesan doesn’t have as many layers as the restaurant would serve us {we’re only 2 of us in our house and didn’t need a huge dish} you can definitely increase the amount used and make a bigger portion!

What you will need 

2 medium eggplants, cut into ½” round slices 

Salt 

5 cups panko breadcrumbs 

1 tbsp dried basil 

1 tbsp dried thyme 

Ground black pepper 

Vegetable oil for frying 

AP flour for dredging 

6 large eggs, beaten 

2 tbsp whole milk 

Olive oil, as needed 

1 jar marinara sauce 

 ⅔ cup grated Parmesan 

1 pound grated mozzarella 

Directions: 

Arrange the eggplant slices on a board or baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour. 

Rinse the eggplant in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. 

In a bowl, whisk together 1 ½ teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, and season with pepper. 

Place the flour in a plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour first, then in the egg, and lastly dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. 

In a large skillet, pour the oil to about ½” deep. Heat the oil over medium heat. 

Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with ⅓ of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another ⅓ of the sauce. Spread half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. 

Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!