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Post by Mr. Pooka on Jun 9, 2014 16:00:08 GMT -5
by request, (-8 Dutch Apple Pie3 cups sliced apples 1 cup brown sugar 4 tbsp butter 3 tbps flour 1 tsp cinnamon 3 tbps top milk Pastry/pie crust Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Place sliced apples in an unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Add milk. Bake at 375 C for 45 minutes or until apples are soft, and a rich syrup has formed. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Above is the recipie as printed. My notes are that if your butter (or marg.) is soft you will get a sugar paste (which makes it hard to 'sprinkle' but if you just heap it on and smear it over the top it still turns out super wonderful with little crunchy sugary bits and an amazing syrop in the apples. Also 'top milk' would be close to cream (the fattier milk that would rise from fresh milk) and I've used both cream and regular 2% and both turn out wonderful.  |
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Post by Sweetintoxikation on Jun 9, 2014 16:29:59 GMT -5
Oh please oh please!! The lamb pie!! XD
*steals all ze recipes!*
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Post by Mr. Pooka on Jun 9, 2014 16:42:39 GMT -5
You know I kind of just wing most meat pie recipes based on what kind of meat or leftovers I have, (-8 I can post up what I did this time and add some good meat pie standards too in just a bit, (-8
also does anyone need a pie crust recipe? Mine is really simple and again has been used the same for generations of my family and is full of love and history...
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Post by Sweetintoxikation on Jun 9, 2014 16:48:19 GMT -5
That's sounds good to me! ^^ I like just learning some basics since I've never tried my hand and making a meat pie. >.>
Kind of how I made up my chicken soup recipe. ^^
And I'd love a pie crust recipe! ^^
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Post by Mr. Pooka on Jun 17, 2014 8:52:20 GMT -5
Pooka Pie Crust
5 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 lb. of lard/shortening
1 egg
1 tbsp. vinegar
3/4 cup water (see below!)
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Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and sugar) and then cut in the lard. Mix until crumbly (no lumps larger then a pea).
In a small measuring cup add the egg and vinegar and then add water to make a total of 3/4 of a cup. Mix together and then add to the dry bowl. Mix well.
Depending on lots of factors this might need a tiny bit more liquid or flour to make the mix not sticky. I'll try to take pics next time I make some, (-8. You want everything to come together and not seem wet (kind of like play dough!)
The dough rolls out much better and holds together better if it is refrigerated for a couple of hours before being handled. (I like to make the dough, toss it in the cold and then work on my other pie ingredients.)
This makes quite a lot of crust (approx. 5 pies worth... last batch I made 4 pies and three of them had complete tops) and leftovers can be frozen.
The crust turns out quite differently depending on if you use shortening or lard. Everyone around these parts much prefer the lard version!
This crust is a tiny bit sweet and is perfect for all pie types, both sweet and savory, and is also great for tarts and pasties.
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Post by Cameron on Jun 17, 2014 9:12:09 GMT -5
Cammeh's Stuffed Shells
1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 large egg
16-ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces chopped fresh spinach
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
9x13 shallow baking dish
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
Beat the egg in a large bowl. Mix in ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Fill each pasta shell with some of the mixture.
Spread 1/2 chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta. Pour tomato sauce over shells.
Heat oven to 375. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10more minutes. This serves 8 people.
This is actually a family recipe that my grandma sent me a couple of years ago! Its probably my absolute favorite meal!
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Post by Mr. Pooka on Jun 17, 2014 9:32:01 GMT -5
Meat pie notes... There are a few different kinds of meat pies I like to make but the most common by far is basically kind of a leftover pie using whatever kind of meat that gets left over from a big meal or using scraps that are not big enough for a meal on their own for our family.
Super simple basic Meat pie recipe
In a large frying pan start frying some vegetables. (I like to start with onions and then add veggies that need more cooking like carrots/potatoes/parsnips/turnip etc.)
When they start to brown a little add your cooked meat (leftovers chopped into bite size pieces) and brown them a little bit. (you can use raw meat, just add a bit earlier or cook first then add hard veggies and cook till done)
Add softer, more delicate veggies to the pan like spinach, garlic, zucchini, tomatoes etc. and warm.
Add enough liquid (water is fine because there is a lot of flavours and browning already going on, but stock, fruit juice, tomato juice, leftover gravy etc. are all good too) and mix well to deglaze the pan (basically get the yummy browning leftovers from the bottom of the pan). This is a good time to check for flavour and add any spices now. Salt/pepper, dry or fresh herbs, fav spice mix, whatever goes with your meat/veggies or your family likes.
Thicken the liquid with a roux or cornstarch slurry to make a thick gravy. (I like to make it really thick... I like pie slices that come out of the pie tin whole, not all wet.)
*Roux - mix an equal amount of flour and butter/margarine in a frying pan, mix and cook until it browns a little (or a lot! just creates diff flavours) Approx 3tbsp of each makes lots of thickener for a large frying pan worth of pie filling.
*cornstarch slurry - mix cornstarch with a cold liquid (water, milk, juice stock, whatever) and mix well. Pour into your pan and mix. Approx 2-3 tbsps. of starch should do it for a big pan, but if not you can always make more slurry and add later!
Bring the pan to a boil after adding your thickener (both the roux and the cornstarch need to be brought up to a boil to work their thickening magic) and stir constantly. Its really easy to burn everything at this stage. It doesn't take much time (just a few min and you noticed things getting nice and thick) but needs constant attention.
That's it! Just pour into pie crusts (be careful not to overfill... its tempting and easy but if there is to much filling it will overflow and make a mess) and cover with more pie crust, crimping or squeezing the edges to seal. You can poke a hole or cut an X in the middle of the top crust to release steam. Bake for about an hour.
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So that's the basics! You can do a lot with the basic recipe above mixing and matching lots of different flavours. Its a great way to stretch meat or use up leftovers. (I made two whole pies with 3 small leftover lamb chops and they still seemed really meaty and wonderful!) The most common meat pie I prob make is Turkey pie (three people can only eat so much of a roast turkey so there are always lots of leftovers!) but I've make pork pies, chicken pies, bacon & onion pies etc..
Another good tip is if your leftovers have any bones, start cooking them (the bones) in some water while your working on your frying. Toss in any good veggie scraps as you go (whatever seems good but is not going in the pie like some veggie peels, the root/skins of your onions (this also makes a super nice and rich brown colour!), the root bit of your garlic, hard stems like from kale or the bottom of asparagus etc.). Strain and use this for the liquid in your pan for extra flavour!
Thickening... there are a couple of other thickening tricks depending on what you've got around but they are a bit trickier to pull off without practice. Leftover mashed potatoes, breakfast grains like oatmeal, cornmeal and cream of wheat, dried potato flakes, bread (stale or fresh), breadcrumbs... I've used all of these and more but they take a bit of practice to get right, (-8
Examples..
My lamb pies had onions, potatoes, carrots and parsnips cooked first.
I added the chopped up lamb next.
Next in was some spinach, a couple of leftover cooked asparagus spears, a chopped cooked sweet potato, half of a baked tomato (already spiced and cooked and just cuz it was there, (-8) and a handful of frozen corn (totally would have used peas because its traditional but I didn't have any).
I added liquid (stock I made from the lamb bones and veggie scraps and a few spices) and thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
I added lots of spices (lamb is strong flavoured so I like to add strong spices... lots of garlic and rosemary, salt, pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce (a bit of franks and a bit more sriracha), a few dashes of worcestershire sauce, a few dashes of malt vinegar and some dried sweet red peppers)
This turned out awesome and was served with a bit of leftover mint jelly, (-8
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Post by Mr. Pooka on Jun 17, 2014 10:03:21 GMT -5
That looks awesome Cameron! I love baked pasta dishes and will totally have to try that one! I don't think any recipe with pasta, cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil can go wrong, (-8
(I made a simple pesto the other day because the store had some big bunches of basil on sale and that's all we ate for a couple of days here, (-8 just pesto on spiral pasta...)
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Post by Sweetintoxikation on Jun 17, 2014 10:13:09 GMT -5
I LOVE Pesto. I really do. And fresh made pestos are the best!
Course, I'm over here drooling over that lamb pie recipe. And if I had the left overs to make it right now -- welp.. I would be. XD
And Cam -- that pasta recipe sounds DIVINE! ^^
I'll find a few of my fave recipes and post later. Right now -- I need to quell the beast in my tummy. (ie. I need to eat cause now I'm starving. XD)
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Post by strangeanatomy on Jun 17, 2014 12:25:29 GMT -5
Ohhh gosh, pesto and lamb pie. This thread is too amazing. ;_;
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Post by Sweetintoxikation on May 11, 2015 17:33:32 GMT -5
The recipes are pretty basic for all of these.. but here's the tea/brunch/feast we had yesterday for mother's day!  Top Left: Picture of the table being set up with food and drinks. As you can see we were ready for tea and mimosas. Heh Top Right: My 'devilish' mimosa. We used a mango/apricot juice with the champagne for that one. It went straight to my head. @.@ I think it was because I hadn't eaten before I drank it. Heh Bottom Left: Tea Pot #1 -- Black Berry Tea for my sister. Bottom Right: Cheese and Meats Plate. We had aged gouda, flower-y goat cheese, and blue cheese (again for my mom..). The meats were salami and bresaola (a dried and aged beef -- super thinly sliced)  Top Left: Caprese mini Skewers: Mozzarella, Salami, Cherry Tomatoes and with a drizzled basil infused olive oil on top. (Cousin Courtney made these) Top Right: "Greek" Orzo Salad: cooked orzo, crumbled feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives (pits removed; don't want broken teeth), tossed with olive oil and herbs. (I'd also add in some minced/small chopped red onions and cucumbers, but didn't yesterday.) The olive oil and herb mix is a family recipe that my Grandfather brought with him from his village in Greece. Only my uncle knows the recipe. O.o Bottom Left: BLT-A: Bacon, Bread, Garlic Mayo (thinly spread), Tomatoe, Romaine Lettuce, and Avocado. (I made these.. a couple were made with turkey bacon for my counsin.. heh) Bottom Right: Cucumber bites: White bread, Sliced cucumber, plain cream cheese, and dill. (My cousin made these. They are my sister's absolute FAVE)  Top Left: Artichoke and Bresaola: Bresaola, Artichoke hearts (chopped) and mixed with a tiny bit of butter, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. (I made these.. they are LOVELY. But then.. I love artichoke.. so.. NOM) Top Right: Goat Cheese and Honey: Bread, Goat cheese (plain), herb de provence, and drizzled with honey. Bake it for a bit and serve warm. (I made/make these.. they are just about everyone's favorite. heh omnom) Bottom Left: Fresh Fruit 'Salad': This time we had strawberries, cherries, blue berries, raspberries, and white nectarine. OH and I added some granny smith apple after -- because we had lots extra. My mom picked out the fruit from our local farmer's market yesterday.. so it was SUPER sweet and nummy. Didn't need anything to sweeten it. Bottom Right: Brie and Apple bites: Sour Dough bread, deli sliced ham, brie (creamier the better), granny smith apples thinly sliced, voila. (Courtney put them together and I just sliced the apple for her. It was DELISH. The apples were crisp/sour, the brie was soft and yummy. And well, the ham was LOVELY and salty. Might try these with prosciutto in future though. I felt the ham over took the flavor profile.) And.. that was our 'feast'. What* I didn't get pictures of were the other teas, the key lime tarts, lemon meringue tarts, and eclairs we bought as 'dessert'. |
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Post by melodysangel on May 11, 2015 18:38:02 GMT -5
MA friendly pesto--
pinenuts
fresh basil
olive oil
parmesan cheese.
Start by taking a small handful of pinenuts and grind them with a mortal/pestal or processor. Add in double/triple the amount in basil leaves and grind again, adding olive oil slowly. Finish off with enough cheese to taste and add the salt component.
There should be enough oil to make it spreadable ontop of (gluten free corn and soy free)pizza, in (rice) pasta, or as a dip.
Leftovers can be frozen but may need a bit of oil once thawed to get flowing again.
Typically theres garlic but its not needed. You could also add hot pepper flakes if desired.
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Post by Mr. Pooka on May 13, 2015 18:28:04 GMT -5
That mother's day feast looks amazing Toxi! I had to look Bresaola (which I really must try now, how yummy sounding!) and I'm kind of glad you didn't take a pic of the lime tarts because I'm already drooling and that might have made me take a bite out of my monitor. I also love cucumber sandwiches but haven't had them in years... That list makes me look forward to summer picnics! Thanks for sharing!
and I love pesto MA! I always try to pick up some basil a few times in the summer when I can to mix some up and I can put in on everything! A fav around here is to mix it in with cooked tortellini. The freezing tip is a super good one, its nice to pop out little bits to spice up a pizza sauce or pasta with that fresh summery basil taste, (-8 If I was just cooking for myself I'd add double garlic to everything but I can easily overpower things with garlic for the rest of the family...
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Post by springacres on May 16, 2015 13:59:48 GMT -5
Posted this on the PI thread yesterday, but I'd better share it here too so it's less likely to get lost! www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mediterranean-flatbreadI substitute sundried tomatoes for the chopped seeded tomato - it adds a wonderful texture and intense flavor, particularly if you get the kind that are stored in olive oil. And the best part is you can eat the filling as a hearty salad all by itself. |
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Post by Mr. Pooka on Nov 24, 2015 17:35:52 GMT -5
Hummus!
...a zillion years late for you springacres, (-8 I knew wanted to post up a couple of recipes I'd mentioned and when I got here I saw your last message and suddenly realized why I've had my hummus recipe sitting here on my desk for months...
I love all sorts of yummy flatbread recipes like the one you posted and it reminded me that lots of people don't realize how easy it is to make hummus! This recipe is super yummy and I've been using the same one for... wow... a lot of years, perhaps longer then some Sphinx stalkers have been around, (-8
Hummus
3 cloves of garlic
1 can of chick peas + 1/2 of the liquid from the can
3 Tbps of tahini or peanut butter
parsley
lemon juice
pepper
salt
1/3 cup of olive oil
Just add all of the ingredients in a blender (a food processer is ok and you can even do it by hand but you'll get the smoothest results from a blender) and blend! Easy peasy! This is also super versitle once you've made it once and seen how easy it is (and how much money you can save from buying premade, plus control of your own ingredients!)
some people don't like the slight bitter of tahini (sesame paste) and the peanut butter works perfectly fine, plus you can usually just make this out of the pantry without any special ingredients (I usually think of the parsley as optional).
the lemon juice, salt and pepper are all just to taste and the 1/2 tin of chickpea water is also approx. I just add a bit and then keep adding more until the blender starts moving everything around smoothly.
This can sit in the fridge for days (and might even better overnight depending on if you added anything else so the flavours mingle)
Once you've made the basic, try it with any other herbs (everyone here loves fresh dill in place of the parsley and basil is good too) or add any kind of spice mix you like (paprika is yummy!) or toss in some sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers or a small jalapeno ... its super easy to toy with this one!
...so for about a dollar of ingredients you can make about $20 of hummus, not bad! (-8
Oh yes, you can even save a bit more if you start with dried chickpeas and soak them yourselves, (-8 ...this just takes a quite a bit longer setup and has a couple of extra variables but nothing trixy!
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