Mixed Berry Pavlova

Ingredients

4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!

Yield: 1 cup

Pita Chips

• 4 6-inch whole-wheat pitas
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Position oven racks in middle and lower third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cut pitas into 8 wedges each and separate each wedge at the fold. Place the pita wedges, rough-side up, in an even layer on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
3. Bake the pita wedges, switching the baking sheets halfway through, until golden and crispy, 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness).

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Cauliflower Cheese Pie

A lighter healthy take on Quiche and it's GLUTEN FREE

Cauliflower Cheese Pie
(serves, um, 2)
for the crust
2 c. grated raw potato (from 2-3 peeled potatoes)
½ t. salt
1 egg white, beaten
¼ c. grated onion
for the filling
1 T. olive oil
1 c. diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t. salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. dried thyme
½ t. dried basil
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 c. (4-5 oz.) grated cheddar cheese (any cheese you enjoy works well...we use Jalapeno, usually)
2 eggs
¼ c. milk
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F and generously oil a 9″ pie dish.  Seriously, be generous.  This is the difference between ending up with the crispy potato crust attached to your pie and the crispy potato crust attached to your pie dish.
2) Keeping each separate, grate the cheese, then the potatoes, then the onion using a food processor or box grater.
3) To make the crust, place the grated potatoes in a colander and toss them with the salt.  Wait ten minutes, then squeeze out the excess water.  A salad spinner works well for this, or you can wring the potatoes out in a dishtowel.  Stir together the potatoes, egg white and onion in a large bowl, then pat the mixture evenly into your pie dish , building them up the sides to form the crust.
4) Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 more minutes.  Remove from oven and lower the temp to 375°F.
5) While the crust bakes, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper (to taste) and herbs and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add the cauliflower and stir well to coat.  Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, 8-10 minutes.  Add a tablespoon of water if the cauliflower begins to stick to the pan.
6) Spread half the cheese over the crust and spoon the cauliflower mixture over, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.  Whisk together the eggs and the milk, then pour this mixture over the cauliflower cheese mixture.
7) Bake 35-40 minutes, until set.

Serve with a salad or (as we did) roasted fresh Brussels Sprouts

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided 
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs PANKO
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided 
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten 
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil and spray pan with "Pam"
• 1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic) (Rick makes our Marinara sauce)
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese 
• Cooked wheat Linguini to serve (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.
3. Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a small sauce pan and heat while you prepare dinner..cook until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Homemade Cream Cheese Mints

Calories per mint: about 10

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon pure mint extract

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

(Optional) Food coloring

(Optional) Rainbow-colored sugar crystals

Directions:

Line baking sheets with waxed paper.  I use jelly roll-size pans.

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat together softened cream cheese and mint extract.

*Note: While creaming the cream cheese is the ideal time to add food coloring to dye the dough.

Add powdered sugar gradually and beat until smooth, kneading in the last of the powdered sugar with hands or a heavy spoon.

Lightly dust the wax paper-lined baking sheets with sifted powdered sugar.

Using a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon, form mixture into balls the size of a cherry.

NOTE:  I do not roll the mints in sugar crystals.  Although that colorful sugar makes the mints sparkle, for our family, biting into the mint and having the crunch of the sugar crystals is undesirable.  However, if you like that sugary crunch, at this point roll the dough ball in a bowl of granulated or sugar crystals. I sprinkled mine with superfine sugar.

You may also fill mini muffin cups with melted chocolate. Add a flattened mint (small and centered so chocolate surrounds it.). Add chocolate to cover. let set at least 1 hour or more. May refrigerate. Makes a great gift!