Tag: Meghan’s Corner

Food

My Favorite Pumpkin Pie

meghanewhite

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I love pumpkin pie. I grew up with my mom making pumpkin pie using sweetened condensed milk, which is very good. Many years ago I was given this amazing pumpkin pie recipe using whipping cream, and I’ve never looked back. You’d think all pumpkin pies are the same. They are not.

Many store bought pumpkin pies are bland, and just not that great. I always prefer homemade over anything store bought. My only exception to this is the infamous Costco pumpkin pie. Those are delicious. The reason I love this pumpkin pie recipe is it makes a light, fluffy, and perfectly spiced custard pie, with just the right amount of sweet. Pumpkin pie can be a bit gelatinous, and this amazing recipe is light, creamy, and fabulous. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

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Pumpkin Pie

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 (15oz) can of pumpkin

1 cup whipping cream

1 unbaked pie shell

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Beat in the eggs until the mixture is fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin, then stir in the whipping cream. 
  3. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into a prepared pastry filled pie pan. 
  4. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  5. Cool completely and enjoy!

Notes:

  • The pie will rise in the oven and get fluffy while cooking. Once it cools it will shrink down a little bit. 
  • If the crust is getting too dark while cooking, cut a 4 inch circle in the center of a square piece of aluminum foil. Loosely place on the pie while it finishes cooking. 
Food

Roasted Lemon Rosemary Cod and Potatoes

meghanewhite

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This recipe is a great way to add nutrition packed fish to your diet without being boring. The potatoes are perfectly crisp and brown, almost like a chip. The cod is tender, and flavorful with lemon and rosemary. It’s a winning combination. 

A variety of herbs will work for this fish. I used the herbs I had on hand from my garden, rosemary and garlic chives. Tarragon or thyme would be tasty. Use what you’ve got, or what you prefer for herbs. Like any recipe, tweak it to your liking.

I love simple dishes that cook in one pan. This meal delivers with wonderful texture and flavor all while giving much needed Omega-3 into your diet. You’ll get a tasty, appetizing dinner, that’s easy to make and satisfying to eat. Enjoy this lovely fish supper!

Happy Eating!

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19

 

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Roasted Lemon Rosemary Cod and Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cod fillets (6 to 8oz. each)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. russett potatoes, skin-on, thinly sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

7 tablespoons total salted butter, (3 T. melted butter for potatoes, 4 T. cubed for fish)

2 garlic cloves minced

4 sprigs of rosemary

1 T. fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp. fresh chopped garlic chives

salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 lemon thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Slice potatoes into thin rounds and place in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of melted butter and toss to coat evenly. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, garlic, chopped rosemary, and chopped garlic chives. Mix it all together.
  3. Spread potatoes into four piles, fanning out each potato wedge so they overlap slightly. Bake for 30 minutes.
  4. While potatoes are cooking, pat cod fillets dry with a paper towel. Use plenty of salt and fresh ground black pepper on the cod. 
  5. Place a cod fillet on each cooked potato pile. Add 1 T. cubed butter on each fillet. Then place a sprig of rosemary, and two slices of lemon.
  6. Bake the cod and potato piles for an additional 15 minutes.
  7. Use a spatula to transfer each cod/potato pile to plates.
  8. Remove rosemary before eating, and squeeze the lemon slices over the cooked cod.
  9. Enjoy!   

 

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Food

Cheeseburger Sliders

meghanewhite

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Sometimes a cheeseburger just hits the spot, and these sliders are no exception. They may be small, but still pack a punch with loads of flavor. Big things can come in little packages. Like the great taste of a savory burger with melted cheddar cheese delivered in a smaller size. This means you can eat more of them.

These sliders are simple, delicious, and a great way to feed a group, like your family. Any leftovers are easy to heat up. I decided to use the classic ketchup and mustard combo on some of the sliders, and chipotle aioli on the others for a spicy option. Both are so tasty! You can customize the burgers to your liking. Here is how I made them. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

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Cheeseburger Sliders

Yield: 24 

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 to 2 onions, diced

24 Hawaiian rolls, or slider rolls

12 slices medium cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Optional toppings:

ketchup

mustard

chipotle aioli sauce 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
  2. In a 15 x 10 inch baking pan, place the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with your hands. Press the beef mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking dish, to fill the pan. Bake the ground beef in the oven for 20 minutes.
  3. While the beef is in the oven, cook onions over medium heat in a skillet with a little oil until the onions are translucent.
  4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil. Place the rolls on the baking sheet. Slice them in half, cutting the tops off, and placing them to the side.
  5. Put ketchup and mustard on half of the roll bottoms, and chipotle aioli sauce on the other half. 
  6. Cut the cooked beef in half, and place each half on the two separate slider roll bottoms. 
  7. Spread the cooked onion on top of the cooked beef halves, then place 6 slices of cheddar cheese across the top of each half. 
  8. Place the roll tops on the cheese. Brush melted butter across the rolls. Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over the butter.
  9. Cook the sliders in a 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the rolls are browned. 
  10. Slice into individual sliders. Enjoy!

Notes:

*After the beef is cooked, take it out of the baking dish and place it on some paper towels to absorb some of the fat. Do this before you place it on the roll bottoms. This will help the rolls from getting soggy.

* The ketchup, mustard, and aioli are not required. You can just as easily leave those out, but I highly recommend a little topping. It adds another delicious component.

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Food

Steak and Potato Foil Packs

meghanewhite

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Steak and potato foil packs make a perfect summer meal. Tender steak and savory potatoes melt in your mouth. No need to heat up your oven on a hot day. Throw these foil packs on your grill, and in about thirty minutes you will have a delicious supper.

Foil packs are often used while camping, which is a great idea. You can easily cook them on your grill too. This simple, flavorful dinner adds variety to your cookouts. You don’t need to marinade the steak. Just toss everything together and cook. The most time consuming part is the prep, but so worth it.

If you’ve never made foil packs I hope you give these a try. They are yummy!

Happy Eating!

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

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Steak and Potato Foil Packs 

Yield: 4 servings 

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs top sirloin steak cut into thin 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

juice of one lime

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)

fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

4 tablespoons butter (1 T. each) for the top of meat/potatoes before sealing the foil 

Equipment

heavy duty aluminum foil cut into 4 large squares approximately 12 x 12 inch

 

Instructions 

  1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, worcestershire sauce, lime juice, garlic, thyme, parsley, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flake.
  2. Add steak, potatoes, and onion. Mix really well to coat everything.
  3. Drizzle about a 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each foil square. Evenly divide the steak and potato mixture between the four pieces of foil.
  4. Salt and pepper each pile, and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the top.
  5. Fold the foil in half like an envelope. Tightly seal the sides and top with a double fold.
  6. Grill the foil packs over medium high heat for 15 minutes per side, for a total of 30 minutes.
  7. Let the foil packs sit for 5 minutes before opening. They will be very hot. Carefully cut a small “x” shape at the center and peel back the foil. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes 

  • The steaks will be well done using this method. If you prefer your steak with some pink at the center you will need to cut the steak into 2 inch pieces and cook for 10 minutes each side, or until desired doneness. The potatoes will need to be boiled for 5 minutes before adding to the seasoning mixture and before grilling, if you want medium steaks.
  • While grilling the packs, rotate them a few times per each 15 minutes so they don’t burn.
  • Use the heat of the grill, and try and avoid the flame. If you want to place the foil packs over direct flame you will need to double the foil to prevent burning. 
  • Only turn the foil packs over once on the grill. 
  • If a foil pack tears just add another piece of foil over the tear and continue grilling. 

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Photo credit: Meghan E. White 

Food, mustard seed sentinel

Baked Feta Pasta

meghanewhite

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This pasta is quite famous. Baked feta pasta gained stardom on Tik Tok in 2019. Blogger Tiiu Piret shared a version of the pasta bake on her blog in 2018.  Finnish blogger Jenni Hayrenin posted her version of the feta pasta dish on her blog the very next year and it went viral.  BAKED FETA PASTA – ORIGINAL RECIPE – Liemessä

With so much hype is it actually good? I say yes. After some experimenting and modifications I came up with my own version of baked feta pasta. It’s pretty much the same. I just made a few tiny changes like adding spinach and onion.

This simple pasta bake is creamy, savory, and a little tangy. Roasting tomatoes with olive oil, and garlic is always a winning combo. The addition of soft feta makes the sauce scrumptious. Cheese and tomato are great partners in any recipe. 

Baked feta pasta is a trend that lives up to its fame. It’s inexpensive to make and you can modify the ingredients to your liking. Change up your pasta recipes with this delectable dish. 

Happy Eating!

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 

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Baked Feta Pasta 

 

Yield: 4 to 6 servings 

 

Ingredients

1 lb pasta

2 pints grape tomatoes

1 (8 oz) block feta cheese 

½ cup olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced in half

¼ teaspoon red pepper flake

salt

fresh ground black pepper 

fresh thyme, chopped 

fresh oregano, chopped

fresh basil, chopped

large bunch of spinach, chopped

½ cup pasta water

 

Instructions 

  1. Preheat oven to 400° 
  2. In a medium sized baking dish, place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, and oregano. Pour about ¾ of the olive oil over the tomato mixture. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss everything to coat.
  3. Place the feta in the center of the pan and drizzle the remaining olive oil on top.
  4. Bake for 40 minutes until the tomatoes and feta are browned.
  5. While the tomatoes are in the oven, cook the pasta of your choice according to the package directions. Right before draining the cooked pasta, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Add fresh chopped spinach to the hot water, then drain. 
  6. Once the tomatoes and feta have cooked, take a spoon and break it up and combine everything. Stir in the fresh basil. Add the pasta and spinach. Stir in the ½ cup pasta water. Give it a taste, and add more salt and pepper to your liking, 
  7. Enjoy!

Notes

* Use any type of pasta. The original recipe used spaghetti. 

* The pasta water really helps thin out the sauce.

* Greek feta works best.

* Try cream cheese or goat cheese if you don’t like feta. 

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For this recipe and more, go to the link below to access Mustard Seed Sentinel. 

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-baked-feta-pasta