Mama Lane Cooks
Food from My Kitchen
Lemon Meringue Pie
Looks pretty delectable doesn’t it…and it is! This Lemon Meringue Pie comes from Marty Uhlmann of Dora, Mo., she’s quite the pie maker and a family friend. Marty is quite an incredible lady that farms not too far from my parents in Douglas County. I interviewed her for a cooking story and she made this delectable pie for me.
Any dessert with lemon is blue ribbon in my book! For those of you who aren’t a lemon fan- not to worry this pie doesn’t have that traditional tart lemon flavor. It’s smooth, creamy and the meringue is light and fluffy.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Jello Cook & Serve Lemon Pudding Mix
Heat 2 cups water in medium pan
In a bowl mix pudding mix, 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 Tbsp.
Add 1/4 cup water
Grate lemon rind from half of a lemon
Add 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice
Add 3 egg yolks, stir well & add to hot water. Cook until thick. Add 2 Tbsp. butter. Cool and put in a baked 9″ pie crust. Top with meringue.
Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
dash of salt
Beat until foamy.
Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2Tbsp. at a time, & continue beating until stiff peaks
form. Bake 10-15 min. or until lightly browned at 350 degrees.
Pie Crust
Mix:
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups shortening (I use Crisco & vegetable shortening)
Blend with pastry cutter until well mixed.
In a cup beat 1 egg.
Add 2 tsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. vinegar.
Add enough water to make 1/2 cup.
Stir into dry mixture & knead until smooth. Roll thin & place in 9″ pie pans.
This recipe will make about 3 crusts.
Christmas in a Glimpse
Simple Grape Salad
When it comes to food- I want simplicity. Sometimes we get bogged down by fancy recipes with extravagant spices and ingredients, that we loose the true taste of the food.
That’s why I enjoy this recipe so much. It’s my mother’s recipe for a simple grape salad (that I serve for Christmas dinner occasionally).
The key to a this recipe is ensuring the grapes are ripe and tasty. Plus, I only use Missouri Northern Pecans because they are sweet and small (you can find them in most all grocery stores.)
Merry Christmas!
Simple Grape Salad
By My Mother
2 ½ lbs. grapes
1 (8oz.) cream cheese, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in sour cream and add to grapes. Mix brown sugar and nuts together and sprinkle over grapes.
Holiday Sweet Potato Bake
This Holiday Sweet Potato Bake is always found on the Baldwin dinner table every Thanksgiving and Christmas- it’s a fan favorite with the adults and kids alike.
Best if made the night before and cooked the day of your event.
Holiday Sweet Potato Bake
3 c. peeled sweet potatoes
1/3 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter
1 c. sugar ( can decrease to 3/4 cup)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. heavy cream
Topping:
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. pecans or walnuts
1/3 c. flour
5 T. melted butter
Cut the sweet taters in quarters and place in a large pot of boiling hot water until tender.Drain and let cool.
Meanwhile, make the topping. Mix all ingredients together and stir to mix well. After the taters have cooled, slide the peeling off. (By cooking the taters the skins will easily slide off.).
Grease a 2 qt. dish. Mash the potatoes well, with a hand mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cream and topping mixture and beat until smooth. Add the cream and mix. Add tater mixture to the greased dish. Sprinkle the topping over the potato mixture.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes…best if served warm.
McConnell Brisket
Baked brisket is one of my family’s favorite treats. This recipe is one that anyone can impress your friends and family with at the next big dinner your host.
This is a baked brisket, not smoked, but loaded with flavor!
Baked Brisket
5 lb brisket
1 cup ketcup
1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and celery seed
1 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and rub the mixture over the entire brisket. Be sure to coat the brisket well. Wrap the brisket in foil and leave in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring meat to room temperature before cooking. Ensure the foil is sealed and place the brisket in a baking pan. Bake for 3-4 hours or until done. Do not check the brisket for at least 3 hours. It will be done when the entire house smells like brisket and is fork tender.
Use the drippings as a serving sauce!
Books- The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Growing up my parents would always give me a book for Christmas and other special holidays. Inside the front cover they would write a message, the date and the occasion the book was given. (My mother also did this for Christmas ornaments she gave me and my brothers every year. I have every ornament from birth until I was 18).
Now, my husband and I read these same books to my children each night before bed that my parents passed on to me. I smile when I see the messages written inside the covers left by my parents.
I have done the same for my children. Each birthday and special holiday I give them a book with a message that I hope they will enjoy reading as much as I do as an adult now.
Give the gift of imagination this season and surprise your little ones with a special book- they will love it!
Heart-Warming Potato Soup
A piping-hot bowl of soup can chase away the chills on a cold winter day. Here is my family’s recipe for Potato Soup that is fairly easy to make for a great weeknight meal that is both filling and delicious.
Ham and potatoes is a staple ingredient found in many of my winter recipes. Nothing is more hearty or comforting than these two food pairings.
I cooked a large ham a couple weeks ago and we ate 1/3 of it, shared some with our friends that we hosted for dinner and I froze the rest to use later. Today I pulled out a couple large hunks of ham, thawed it, and then diced the ham for the soup. Easy as that- saving you time and money.
I like to garnish my soup with crumbled bacon and a little green onion. Try serving this along a crusty French Baguette and salad.
Potato Soup
5 medium red potatoes
1 large carrot
2 cups of water
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground peppercorns
1 tsp. chives or parsley
1 tsp. seasoned salt
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of cooked ham (or more depending on your taste)
Peel potatoes and carrot and cut into 1-inch cubes. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add potatoes and carrots to pot and cook until tender. Drain the water, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Set reserved water and veggies aside.
In the same pot, add butter and sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the flour to pot and season with peppers. Cook for 3 minutes.
Gradually add the potatoes, carrots, reserved cooking liquid, milk, salt, sugar and chives to onion/garlic mixture. Stir well, then add cheese and ham and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir mixture frequently.
Winter Oxtail Stew
I know what you are thinking, “Oxtail…the tail of the ox?” Yes, that’s correct- oxalis come from the steer’s tail.
Now that I have your attention, Oxtail Stew is one of those childhood memories for me that take me back to the kitchen of my Grandmother Hart. I recall my grandmother making it many times in the winter, as it’s a very hardy meal that can feed a crew. My mother also made this delicious stew with oxtails from the beef we would butcher every year. On the farm you learn to use every part of the animals butchered- nothing goes to waste.
Oxtails are similar to the shank of an animal- full of tasty meat, but must be cooked slowly to ensure tenderness. Today a lot of folks don’t think they have the time to spend in the kitchen cooking a meal that takes all day, but I say the slower, the better. And, the vertebrae in the oxtail is packed full of iron-rich marrow- a win/win for your health.
Winter Oxtail Stew
Adapted from Simply Recipes, 2009
- 3 lbs oxtails
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery rib, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups of red wine (Pinot Noir)
- 4 whole cloves garlic, peel still on
- 3 bay leafs
- Pinch of thyme
- Parsley
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise
- 3 parsnips, cut into 1-inch segments, large pieces also cut lengthwise
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat dry oxtails with paper towels. Sprinkle oxtails all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium to medium high heat in a 6-quart Dutch oven. Working in batches, and not crowding the pan, sear the oxtails in hot pan on all sides until golden brown. Use tongs to remove oxtails to a plate, setting aside.
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add the oxtails back to the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves, the stock and wine. Add bay leaf, thyme, and half a teaspoon of salt. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 3 hours, until meat is fork tender. (Meat will be falling apart)
One hour before the meat is done, heat oven on 350°F. Toss carrots and parsnips in olive oil in a roasting pan. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 1 hour, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
When meat is tender, remove oxtails from the cooking liquid. Skim the fat off the top with a spoon. Shred the meat on the oxtails away from the bone.
Pour the cooking liquid through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to press against the vegetable solids caught in the strainer. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer until reduced by half. Then add back in the oxtail meat, and add the roasted vegetables to the pan. Heat on low heat for half an hour for the flavors to meld. Add some chopped parsley before serving.
Cherry Almond Glazed Pork
Looking for a spectacular Christmas dish that your family will enjoy this holiday? I’ve got a perfect one that is not only tasty, but makes a statement on the dinner table.
Try using local pork from Wild Bunch Farm, Ozark Natural Meats or Real Farm Food all vendors at Farmers Market of the Ozarks in Springfield, Mo., or Circle B Ranch.
Cherry Almond Glazed Pork
(Doubles the sauce recipe for this.)
When you brown and cook the chops, be sure they do not overlap in the skillet, so each one will be evenly glazed with the cherry sauce. For 2 or 4 servings, you’ll find the pork chops easier to prepare and serve than a tiny roast. But when it comes to a dinner for 6 or more, we recommend the pork loin roast with the same glaze.
2 servings:
¼ cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1 tablespoon of slivered almonds, toasted
4 servings:
1/2 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2 tablespoons of slivered almonds, toasted
6 servings (3 pounds):
12 ounce jar, (1 cup) cherry preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2 tablespoons of slivered almonds, toasted
8 servings (4 pounds):
12 ounce jar (1 cup) cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup of slivered almonds, toasted
For Pork Chops (2-4 servings):
In skillet, brown chops on both sides. Drain fat. Sprinkle chops with a little salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon water. Cover, cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine in small saucepan the cherry preserves, corn syrup, vinegar, and seasonings. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Keep cherry sauce warm ‘til ready to use. When chops have cooked 30 minutes, spoon on just enough sauce to glaze; cover and cook 15 more minutes more, ‘til chops are tender, basting one or twice with the remaining sauce.
Pork Loin Roast (6-8 servings):
Rub roast with a little salt and pepper. Place on rack in shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, in slow oven (325 degrees) for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Meanwhile, combine in small saucepan the cherry preserves, corn syrup, vinegar, and seasonings. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in almonds. Keep cherry sauce warm till ready to use.
When meat has roasted 2 to 2 ½ hours, spoon enough hot cherry sauce over the roast to glaze; return to oven for about 30 minutes more, ‘til meat thermometer registers 170 degrees. Baste roast with sauce several times during last 30 minutes. Pass remaining sauce with the roast.
Let It Snow…
It started Thursday evening….freezing rain, then sleet and by Saturday morning we had about 10 inches of powdery snow. Our family was happy to be “snowed in” together for 4 days! Caston (pictured) was trilled to miss school and play, play, play…
Holiday baking with the kids, wrapping Christmas gifts, running through the snow and snow angels, hide and seek, movies and hot cocoa is how we spent our days together.
And…lots of wine. I mean nothing warms you up faster than a good glass of Pinot Noir.
And to go along with that wine, warm up with my Purple Hull Pea Soup. We fixed this on Thursday evening, in preparation of the big winter storm.
This recipe was a staple meal that my mother cooked quite often and was a great meal that lasts for days.
The purple hulls were grown in our very large family garden that our entire family cared for and harvested each year. My mom would freeze a large amount of peas so that we would have plenty to last us until the next gardening season.
My husband had never had purple hulls until a couple years ago when my mother had made a pot while we were visiting my folks. He was hesitant to try them at first, but my mother has a way to get anyone to try anything once.
Since that first taste, he was an instant fan.
Purple hull’s are similar to Black Eyed Peas, but have double the flavor. Plus, there is something magical that happens when you combine smoked ham hocks and purple hulls.
Be sure to soak the peas for about an hour or so if you are using dry beans. If you don’t have any ham hocks on hand throw in some salted pork or bacon stripes. But you have to use bacon grease….it’s one of the important ingredients to making purple hulls “oh so good!”
My Mother’s Purple Hull Peas
4 cups shelled purple hull peas
1 – large hunk of smoked ham hocks or some bacon stripes
3 cloves of minced garlic or garlic powder
1 onion chopped
4 cups chicken broth
Throw in some dried parsley flakes
Enough bacon grease to cover the bottom of the pot
Salt, to taste
Black or White Pepper, to taste
Sauté the onions until they are lightly browned from the bacon grease, add garlic and sauté.. Add the hocks and peas – cover with broth and water (enough to cover the peas) and boil for a couple hours. Cut away all the meat and return the meat back to the pot. If using bacon, cooke your bacon before the onions and then add the bacon back into the pot after cooking the peas for a couple hours. Stir occasionally. Add parsley and seasonings. Simmer for another couple hours.
Note: You will probably have to add water occasionally to the pot during the cooking process. Peas are done when they are soft and tender.
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Mama Lane Cooks 