Honey Maple Roasted Carrots

These are like candy. This recipe definitely transforms carrots into something spectacular. They look so pretty on the plate.

2 pounds carrots peeled and sliced on a long angle into pieces approximately 3 inches long

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 tablespoon honey

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives

½ cup pomegranate arils or seeds

Preheat oven to 450˚. Lightly oil a sheet pan.

Place carrots on prepared pan and drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup and honey. Sprinkle with coriander, sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat (I like to use my hands for this to get them well coated, but a spatula will work too). Spread carrots out on pan in a single layer.

Roast for 10 minutes, then stir to redistribute. Return to oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Carrots are finished when they are tender and some of the edges are caramelized.

Sprinkle sesame seeds and herbs over carrots and stir. Taste and season with a bit more sea salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter with the pomegranate arils. 

Serve hot.

Lemon Meringue Pie ~ Excellent

Using marshmallow creme instead of sugar in the meringue makes a denser meringue that maintains it's shape. As with all meringues, don't make it on a humid or rainy day, and cool it after baking in a draft free area.
Also, be sure to sufficiently cook the filling.


Pastry: 

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening, plain or butter-flavored

1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt 

3 tablespoons ice water 

Filling: 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1 1/2 cups water 

3 large egg yolks, beaten 

3 tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 

Meringue: 

3 large egg whites, room temperature 

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 

1  jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

For Pastry:Mix flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles the texture of tiny split peas. Add the ice water and combine with a fork. 

Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough disk on a lightly floured surface from the center out in each direction, forming a 12-inch circle. 

Place dough in an ungreased 9-inch regular or deep-dish pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and sides of pan. Trim excess pastry, if needed and flute the edge. Prick crust thoroughly on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. 

Bake crust at 425º for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool completely before filling. 

For Filling:
Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in water gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Cook and stir 1 minute. 

Remove from heat and stir half of the hot mixture quickly into beaten egg yolks, then blend into remaining hot mixture in saucepan. Reheat to boiling; add lemon juice cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, mixing well. Pour into baked piecrust. 

For Meringue:
With electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar into soft peaks.. Beat in marshmallow creme, beating until stiff and glossy. Add vanilla. Do not under beat. 

Spoon meringue onto hot pie filling; spread over filling, spreading meringue to edge of crust and adhering to prevent shrinking. 

Bake at 400º for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until a delicate golden brown. Cool away from drafts. 



NOTES:Original recipe called for 1-1/2 cups sugar, but it was just a bit too sweet. It also calls for adding the lemon juice AFTER you finish cooking the filling, but the second time I made this the filling was runny. So I amended the recipe to add the juice and then continue cooking for one minute.

Also, you have to beat the meringue quite awhile after adding the marshmallow creme, or else it will shrink. Lesson learned the hard way.

Crunchy Apple and Grape Waldorf Salad

This is one great Waldorf salad.

    

FOR THE DRESSING:

    1 cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

    ⅓cups Granulated Sugar

    ⅓cups Brown Sugar

    ½ cups Mayonnaise

    Juice From 1/2 A Lemon

    ½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

   

 FRUITS:

    4 Apples (your Choice), Cored And Diced

    1 Pear, Cored And Diced

    1 Stalk Of Celery, Diced

    ½ cups Silvered Almonds

    ½ cups Walnuts, Chopped

    2 cups Seedless Grapes, Halved

Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Stick this in the fridge while you make the salad.

Once you have all the fruit and nuts chopped up, pour the dressing over and stir gently to coat.

Refrigerate any leftovers.