Lemon Berry Trifle

For our Easter Dinner I made this trifle and it lasted all of about 5 minutes. Here is the recipe (for Adrienne!).

Lemon Berry Trifle:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 4 cups sweetened homemade whipped cream
• 1 prepared lemon pound cake, sliced
• 1/4 cup Limoncello or Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Step 1: Prepare the Lemon Curd.

Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch, and continue to whisk. Keep working-out that arm and whisk it vigorously for a good 10 minutes, until the curd has doubled in volume and is very thick (should coat the back of a spoon) and yellow. Don't let it boil. Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of chunks at a time, until melted. Refrigerate until the custard is cold and firm.

Step 2: Prepare the Berries & Cake.

Slice the lemon (or plain if you prefer) pound cake. If there are no kiddies in attendance you can drizzle or brush on Limoncello or Grand Marnier (optional). Wash and dry your choice of berries and slice if neccesary. 

*The recipe calls for 1 pound cake, I used almost 2. In total you'll need about 3-4 pints of berries.

Step 3: Whipped Cream & Filling.

Start with 2-4 cups of heavy cream. Add sugar until the sweetness is to your preference. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. Fold in the chilled lemon curd to create the filling.

Step 4: Assemble.

Line your glass trifle bowl with pieces of pound cake to fit. Spoon a layer of lemon curd filling over the cake, top with berries. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up, the final top layer looks best if it is berries.

Step 5: Set.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill, I recommend an hour. Garnish with fresh mint.

Tip: You can prepare the lemon curd ahead of time and leave it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. However don't assemble more than 4 hours ahead of time or it will get soggy.

Much Ado About Chicken

It's pretty funny that I get asked all of the time about chicken recipes (especially by my friend Tricia), when we don't really eat chicken that often. To be honest, we very rarely eat chicken. BUT! I do eat turkey alllll the time. I get the majority of my ideas from articles discussing different ways to eat chicken and then adapt to suit my turkey preference.

So far, this is the best site I have found for chicken/turkey recipes:

25 Most Popular Chicken Recipes (MyRecipes.com)
*Love love love the Chicken Scallopini with Morels and Spring Vegetables.

The best part is that a million other people have already home-kitchen tested the recipes and made notes so I don't have to feed my poor husband "salty dried up chicken" as he likes to say.

Kitchen Arsenal - The Short List

I don't have much use in the kitchen for a garlic press or an egg poacher. I love Martha Stewart don't get me wrong, however spending $23 on a cookie cutter she reccomended that now serves as a paperweight is not a "good thing". If something only has one purpose, I had better use it every day. Toilet paper for example...totally makes sense.

I know the feeling well, you're innocently watching TV when a guy with an accent tells you that slap chopping is the only way to an exciting life. It's hard to resist. Long ago I made a commitment not to buy into any kitchen tool that isn't multipurpose. I recommend these 5 tools, simply based on the fact that I use them each week without fail.

1. Chef's Knife & Sharpener - I use mine every day. A sharp, high quality knife is an investment and a must have. A good knife will last you for years and years. You'll also need a knife sharpener. A dull knife is dangerous. I'm sure many a person has lost a finger hacking at meat with a dull knife.

2. Meat Thermometer - I get asked all the time what the secret is to a moist turkey or pork loin. The answer is pretty simple...temperature! I've gone through 4 meat thermometers in the past couple of years. I now have a digital and analog version just in case.

3. Microplane - Not just for zesting anymore! Sure you can use it for citrus, but I use it for garlic, ginger, nutmeg, lemongrass and Parmesan among other things. Here is what a microplane looks like:

4. Stand Mixer - I really don't like doing dishes so I only use my mixer for large batches but it makes easy work of almost anything.

5. Pepper Grinder - Whoever says that pre-ground pepper tastes the same is a damn liar. Period.

Happy Shopping.

-Colleen

German Pierogies: Round 2

These taste even better pan fried the next day, just FYI. Now I have to go hit the treadmill...

Cottage Cheese Wareneki (Better Known In My Family As "German Pierogies")

These delectable little bites of dairy and carb goodness go by many names, German Pierogies, Wareneki, Vareniki. My particular recipe comes handed down though my grandmothers tattered Mennonite cookbook. I now use a printed version as I'm afraid if I take the book down from the shelf one more time it will hit the counter and dissolve into a pile of dust.

Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around making this dish. My mom, cousins, aunt and brother would all huddle around the table, covered in flour for hours preparing them. We would laugh, tease each other and eventually pass out on the couch after eating far too many.

You can find my particular recipe by Clicking Here.


Here are a few tips if you decide to take up the challenge of making these.

Tip Number 1: The Dough.

The recipe will tell you how much flour to use but I treat that as a starting point. I keep adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky and forms a stretchy ball. You have to knead the dough much longer than you think might be necessary. To be safe - when you think you're done...keep kneading.

Tip Number 2: The Pinching.

Because this dough is so stretchy, you can pack more filling into it than you ever thought possible. Make sure the edges are sealed VERY well or when you boil them...you'll end up with a soupy mess instead of a lovely plump finished product.

Serve the finished product with some sausage and covered in cream gravy. When I was growing up we would have these solo or with a dry garlic spiked sausage called "Fresh Farmers Sausage". I cant seem to find a Mennonite farmer kicking around so I'm forced to use Kielbasa (booooo).

Enjoy! If you have some trouble hit me up...I've been making these for years. :)

Special thanks to my sidekick Charmaine for helping me pinch 50 of these shut, and Stephen Cummings from Orange Eye Photography for taking such lovely pictures.

-Colleen

Welcome!

Welcome to my new food blog, Open Door Kitchen! I'm sure anyone who visits this blog likely already knows me. Stay tuned for delicious recipes, instructional videos, photos and all things related to the productions going on in my home kitchen.

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Colleen