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Crazy Good Pie Crust

2009-06-08T18:57:30Z

By popular demand of our current guests, here’s my go-to piecrust that I used for the Spinach-Mushroom-Bacon Quiche and Mixed Berry Crostata that I served today. It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. They call it “Double-Crust Pie Dough,” but this name, given by one of our guests, has a little more pizzaz, don’t you think?

These directions are for mixing in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, follow the usual steps for mixing by hand.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter-flavored Crisco, cut into 1/2″ pieces and chilled
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces and chilled
6-8 Tbsp ice water

Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined, only a few seconds. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until the mixture has the texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and, using short pulses, process the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.

Sprinkle 6 Tbsp of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff spatula (cooler than your hands), until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until it does.

Divide the dough into two even pieces and flatten each into a 4″ disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let the chilled dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out and fitting into a pie plate.

To Make Ahead:

The dough can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Let the frozen dough thaw on the countertop until malleable before rolling

Hash Brown Potato Casserole

2009-05-12T16:52:13Z

10 cups shredded hash browns
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1/4 c. butter and pour into 9×12-inch baking dish. Add 5 cups has browns (no need to thaw). In separate bowl, mix soup, sour cream, milk and green onions. Pour 1/2 of mixture over potatoes in dish. Salt and pepper to taste; sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheese. Add remaining hash browns; top with soup mixture, salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Bake for 55 minutes.

Vegetable-Bean Soup with Spinach

2009-03-02T20:05:53Z

I found this recipe online a while back and we enjoyed it as a low-fat and delicious supper. It makes about 6 servings.

1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery with leaves, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 cups chicken broth (or you could use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)
2 cups cooked great northern beans
2 cups cooked red beans
1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 Tbsp. dried parsley, or 2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
10 oz. fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

1. Heat oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt and parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until carrots are tender.

3. Stir in spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.

Ladle into bowls, topping each with big shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread or Garlic Breadsticks.

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

2009-02-11T18:25:26Z

Okay. It’s about 8 pm. Dishes are done; the kids are in bed. You’re thinking a piece of cake sounds mighty fine, but you don’t want to go through the trouble of baking, and you don’t want an entire cake in the house. This is just the remedy!

Grab a big mug. In it, put:

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa

Mix that together, then add:

1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. canola oil
splash of vanilla

Stir well. Use a small whisk if you have one; just mix until the dry ingredients are well moistened. Add:

3 Tbsp. chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate)

Stir briefly. Put mug in microwave and cook on high temp (1000 watts) for 3 minutes. The cake will puff up rather high past the rim of the mug, but will settle down as it cooks.

Remove from microwave and turn cake onto plate, or eat right from the mug. A scoop of ice cream or drizzle of chocolate sauce is almost required!

Easy Wheat Bread

2009-01-27T20:33:58Z

3 cups whole wheat flour (divided)
1/4 cup sugar
2 pkgs. yeast
2 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, at room temperature
3-4 cups unbleached flour

Combine 2 cups whole wheat flour, sugar, and yeast into mixer bowl. Heat milk and oil until it reaches 120-130 degrees. Pour milk over flour mixture; add 1 egg. Beat 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl, then beat for 3 mminutes at medium speed. By hand, gradually add the remaining 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3 cups of unbleached flour to form soft dough. If needed, add remaining cup of unbleached flour as you knead until smooth and elastic, about 1-2 minutes. Place in lightly oiled bowl; cover and let rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves; place in 9×5-inch loaf pans. Let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Bacon-Cheeseburger Braid

2009-01-27T20:59:06Z

Just in time for the Super Bowl! This recipe serves about six people, so if you’re having a party you might want to double it.

Dough: (or use your favorite bread dough recipe, such as Easy Wheat Bread)
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. yeast
3 cups flour

Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup diced onions
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup prepared mustard
¼ cup dill pickles, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sesame seeds

To prepare dough:
Mix together the water, oil, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix until yeast is dissolved. Stir in flour. Work into a smooth ball. Put in lightly oiled bowl and cover to rise.

To prepare filling:
Brown ground beef and onions until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain all excess fat. Mix in ketchup, mustard, pickles, and crumbled bacon. Set aside to cool.

Roll dough into 12×18-inch rectangle. Spread filling down center of rectangle. Sprinkle with cheese. Cut sides into strips for braid; braid dough over filling, tucking end under to hold filling in. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 15-20 minutes. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes to let cheese set before slicing and serving.

Variations:

Instead of braiding, spread filling over rectangle, sprinkle with cheese, and roll like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on baking sheet and bake as directed.

Make individual calzones. Divide dough into serving-size pieces; roll into tortilla-size round. Put ¼ cup of filling; top with cheese. Fold dough over filling and crimp to seal edges. Brush with egg wash; prick with fork; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake as directed.

Spicy Southwestern Soup

2009-01-21T20:00:12Z

Adapted from a recipe in Southern Living

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 oz.) can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth or chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Toppings: sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink and onion is softened. Drain if necessary.

Stir in kidney beans, the next 8 ingredients, and 4 cups of water. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro just before serving. Serve with toppings as desired. Makes about 6 servings.

Easy Ham and Potato Soup

2009-01-18T21:36:29Z

I like to double this recipe because leftovers are so good. Sometimes I buy an uncooked ham steak, dice it and cook it a few minutes before adding the onion and celery and continuing with the recipe. These ingredients are easy to keep on hand so you can throw this soup together in a jiffy.

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes (if I use red potatoes, I just scrub them and leave skins on)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced cooked ham
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
5 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk

In stockpot, saute celery, onion and diced ham in canola oil until softened and fragrant. Add potatoes, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. With potato masher, crush potatoes, leaving some chunks. In separate pan, melt butter; add flour to make roux, cooking 3-4 minutes. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly until smooth and thick, about 4-5 minutes. Add milk mixture to stockpot, stirring until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Christmas Scent

2008-12-17T01:27:58Z

This simmering natural potpourri will fill your home with the spicy, citrusy scents of Christmas. It’s wonderful!

1 fresh lemon
1 fresh orange
3 three inch cinnamon sticks
6 bay leaves
1/4-1/2 cup whole cloves
2 quarts water

Slice the lemon and orange halves. Place in saucepan (I suggest using one that you won’t be using for other things) along with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cloves. Pour in the 2 quarts of water, and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer all day, adding water as needed. This mixture will last for days if you refrigerate it between uses. Just add more water and reheat.

This is also a wonderful, inexpensive hostess gift. Put the lemon, orange, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and cloves in the middle of a square sheet of clear or holiday-themed cellophane paper. Gather the paper into a pretty bunch, and tie with raffia or ribbon. Add a tag with instructions for use. You may as well include the recipe too, because they’ll want it!

Mixed Berry Crostata

2008-11-28T22:38:00Z

If making a double-crust pie seems daunting, making a crostata is a simple and delicious alternative. The second plus of this recipe is the use of frozen berries. They’re available year-round and much more economical than fresh berries, especially in the winter time. When my frozen berry mix contains strawberries, I take them out because they tend to make the crostata too juicy. They make a great snack while waiting for the crostata to bake!

1 9-inch pie crust (recipe for pate brisee follows, or use pie crust of your choice)
1 (16 oz) pkg. frozen mixed berries
1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar, depending on sweetness desired
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

cream and sugar for sprinkling on assembled crostata

Pate Brisee:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 cup ice water

By hand or in a food processor, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds in food processor). Pour 1/2 cup water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. Add additional 1-2 Tbsp. water, if necessary. Don’t process more than 30 seconds or the dough will become tough.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and gather it into a ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and make a flaky crust. At this point you can also freeze the second disk of dough for later use.

To assemble crostata:

Mix frozen berries, sugar, flour and zest together in a bowl. Roll pie crust dough into an 11-inch round. Place on on parchment lined baking sheet. Pour berries onto the pie crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of pastry over the berries, gently pleating to make a 9-inch round. Brush with cream or egg wash, then sprinkle with coarse or granulated sugar. Bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.