Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! I have a ton of stuff planned for the weekend, mostly cleaning house. Not exactly an exciting weekend, but it'll have to do. (I hate cleaning the house, but I do like the idea of having a clean house, so there ya go.)

Whatever your plans are for the weekend, we still need to eat. To that end, here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup and Classic Shepherd's Pie. Enjoy!

Note: I will be taking next week off, but will be back here starting Monday, May 20. Of course, until then, you can always check previous posts.

CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

This comes from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, “Here's a delicious lemon meringue pie, made with fresh lemon juice, eggs, and other ingredients. Use a homemade or purchased pie shell for this pie.”

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-lemon-meringue-pie-3058029.

Ingredients:

1 baked pie pastry, 9-inch

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

dash salt

1-1/2 cups hot water

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 scant teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, the cornstarch, flour, and salt; whisk to blend well. Gradually stir in hot water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking, stirring, for 8 minutes. Stir about 1/3 cup of the hot mixture into the slightly beaten egg yolks, then return to hot mixture in saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 4 minutes longer. Add butter and lemon peel. Slowly stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice. Pour into baked cooled pie shell.

Beat egg whites with 1 teaspoon lemon juice (if used) to soft peaks. Gradually add the 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks are formed and sugar has dissolved. Spread meringue over the hot filling, covering completely. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool pie completely before serving.

BROCCOLI QUICHE BITES

This is from FamiliyTime, and starts off, “After the pastry thaws, it takes just 10 minutes to put together these easy-to-make appetizers that get lots of flavor from a surprising ingredient – vegetable soup mix.” Serves: 24 pieces; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package of Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed

4 eggs, beaten

1 envelope dry vegetable soup and dip mix

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

1 cup whipped cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish.

Stir the eggs, soup mix, broccoli and cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 9x13-inch rectangle. Place the pastry into the bottom of the baking dish. Prick the pastry with a fork.

Spread the broccoli mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Let stand in the baking dish on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces.

CLASSIC SHEPHERD'S PIE

This is from Alex Guarnashelli on the Today's site. She wrote, "This is a classic that makes me feel like I am in a pub enjoying myself. It's so comforting, especially with the cold weather. This is traditionally made with ground lamb but the American in me likes to make it with a somewhat lean beef and creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes instead. You can actually make this entirely in advance and bake when ready to serve. You can also shortcut by using premade mashed potatoes. This is a great freezer dish, which you can defrost and bake off any time.

"Technique tip: Cut your carrots, onions and celery all about the same size so they cook evenly and retain some of their texture.

"Swap option: Substitute ground chicken or turkey for the beef for a leaner option. Swap mashed sweet potatoes or Butternut squash puree for the mashed potatoes for a sweeter, lighter version."

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Mashed potatoes

4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks

kosher salt

1/2 cup whole milk

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced, divided

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Meat

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

4 sprigs fresh thyme

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 large red onion, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

2 ribs celery, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup hearty beef broth

Directions

For the mashed potatoes:

In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover amply with cold water. Bring the water up to a boil and reduce the heat so that it simmers. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water and allow the potatoes to cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander. Run the potatoes through a food mill or ricer.

Return the empty pot to the heat and add the milk. Bring the milk to a simmer and gingerly add the potatoes back into the pot. Season with salt and whisk in 8 tablespoons of the sliced butter and sour cream. Taste for seasoning. Remove from the heat.

For the meat:

In a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the ground beef in small pieces with the thyme and brown over high heat until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the onions, carrot and celery to the skillet and cook with the thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are translucent and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off any excess grease. Discard the thyme.

Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the meat. Stir in the peas, vinegar and broth. Taste for seasoning.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Use the remaining tablespoon butter to grease the sides and bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with 2-inch sides.

Spoon a layer of the mashed potatoes on the bottom so it hugs the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Top the potatoes with all of the meat mixture. Top with all of the remaining mashed potatoes and all of the remaining cheese.

Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake until the center is hot when poked with the tip of a knife and the top browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

SCALLION MEATBALLS WITH SOY-GINGER GLAZE

This is from Melissa Jamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer and adapted by Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, "Set these juicy turkey meatballs out on a platter, drizzle with a ginger-spiked sauce of soy, mirin and dark brown sugar and serve with toothpicks alongside wine or cocktails. They'll go quickly."

Yield: About two dozen meatballs; Time: 1 hour

This was featured in "Along an Old Canal, Artful Neglect Finds a Home", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014039-scallion-meatballs-with-soy-ginger-glaze.

Ingredients

For the sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese or reduced sodium

1/2 cup mirin sweet rice wine, or 1/2 cup sake with 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped peeled ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

4 whole black peppercorns

For the meatballs

1 pound ground turkey

4 large or 6 small scallions, finely chopped

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped about 1 cup

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil

Directions

Make sauce: Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.)

Make meatballs: mix turkey, scallions, cilantro, egg, sesame oil, soy sauce and several grindings of pepper in a bowl. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, generously cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch. Arrange on a heated platter, spoon a little sauce over each meatball, and serve with toothpicks. If desired, keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

QATAYEF ASAFIRI (STUFFED SEMOLINA PANCAKES)

This is from Reem Kassis in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Reem wrote, "Qatayef are synonymous with Ramadan. It is during this month that bakeries start making the pastry for these stuffed pancakes, and the lines spill into the street as people wait their turn to buy them. Golden underneath and speckled with bubbles on top, qatayef are cooked only on one side. They can be large or small. The large ones are normally stuffed with nuts or cheese and folded over, then fried or baked, and drenched in sugar syrup. The small ones, called qatayef asafiri (or little bird qatayef), are stuffed with a creamy filling, only half closed, then dipped in pistachio and drizzled with thick, faintly floral sugar syrup. The batter is very simple; the key is to make sure it is the right consistency, like that of heavy cream."

Yield: About 30 pieces; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in "The Dessert That Tastes Best One Month Out of Every Year", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023041-qatayef-asafiri-stuffed-semolina-pancakes.

Ingredients

For the Syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water, or a combination

For the Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fine semolina flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant or quick-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground mahlab (optional, see Tip)

1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water (optional)

For the Filling:

1 cup/8 ounces mascarpone

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon orange blossom water or rose water, or a combination

1/4 cup/about 1 ounce finely ground unroasted, unsalted pistachios, preferably Turkish, for finishing

Preparation

Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water.

Make the batter: Add 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water to a blender or food processor. Add all the batter ingredients and process until smooth. The batter should be quite loose, similar to heavy cream in consistency. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Place the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water in a small bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to whip into stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook the qatayef: Place a medium nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Mix the batter to ensure it is smooth, then pour separate 1-tablespoon portions of batter into the pan, fitting about 4 circles. Cook qatayef until the entire surface is covered in small bubbles and the center loses its sheen, about 30 to 45 seconds. (You might be able to cook off more at a time once you’ve determined the right temperature and consistency of the batter.) If the bubbles are large and sparse, then your batter is too thick; stir 1 tablespoon of water into the batter to thin. Qatayef cook only on one side; the base should be uniformly golden and the top covered in small bubbles. If the disks brown too quickly — or unevenly — underneath before the batter loses its sheen on top, lower the heat slightly.

Transfer each cooked qatayef to a large tray lined with a dish towel and cover with another dish towel while you cook the remaining batter.

Fill the qatayef: Fold each into a half-moon, bubble side on the inside, and pinch to seal the edges together halfway. Using a teaspoon or a piping bag, fill the opening with the cream, then dip the exposed cream filling into the ground pistachios.

Arrange the filled qatayef on a serving platter. These can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours until ready to serve. To serve, drizzle the cooled syrup over the qatayef and offer guests more syrup to add to their individual plates, if they choose.

Tip

Mahlab, the kernel found inside the pit of a cherry, adds a floral and nutty aroma to sweets and gives Arabic cheese its distinct flavor. It is available whole or ground from Middle Eastern grocery stores, but goes rancid quickly, so buy it whole and grind it as needed, storing the rest in the freezer until needed.

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This yummy soup is from Chungah, on her wonderful site, Damn Delicious. I've mentioned her site once or twice. But if you haven't visited it yet, I highly recommend it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap...)

Okay, hopefully you checked it out. Now, this recipe begins, "So warm, so cozy, so soothing. A must for those busy cold weeknights, using up that leftover rotisserie chicken!"

Yield: 8 servings; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes

You can view this online at https://damndelicious.net/2022/04/29/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup/.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery ribs, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken

2 cups wide egg noodles

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup frozen green peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in chicken stock and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.

Stir in chicken and pasta and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Stir in heavy cream, peas and parsley until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately.