“Pi” Day Blueberry Pie
Blueberry Pie
March 14th is sometimes referred to as Pi day. It’s a math nerd kind of thing. 3.14 being the value of pi and March 14 is 3/14. I was explaining it to a friend last night. My friend’s response was that ANY day was Pie Day!! I had some blueberries in the freezer and decided maybe today was Pie Day after all.
You could certainly use fresh berries for this pie, but frozen was what I had. Also, since it is a snowy day today, baking a pie seemed like a nice way to spend the morning. My friend is home from work today. I think she will be happy when I invite her over to have some “Pi” Day blueberry pie. It is time to put on a pot of coffee, and make a call.
Blueberry Pie
Pastry for 2 crust pie- recipe- The crust recipe I used is at the bottom of the page
2 ½ T. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. butter
1 T. sugar, for sprinkling
Roll out half of the crust and place in 8 or 9-inch pie pan. You can roll out the top crust ahead of time, or even cut into strips for a lattice top. Cover remaining crust to keep it from drying out. In medium bowl mix cornstarch and sugar. Toss in berries and then sprinkle in the lemon juice. Allow to stand 15 minutes. If berries were frozen be sure they are not clumped together. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and dot with the butter. Top with the second crust or place strips on in a lattice design. If using a whole crust cut in decorative slits for ventilation. I used a tiny heart-shaped cutter for my pie. Moisten then crimp edges and shape decoratively or use a fork to seal. Place pie in lower half of hot oven. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juices begin to bubble through the slits. Cool a little before serving.
Flaky Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. butter, chilled – you can use coconut oil, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water
Combine flour and salt and cut in butter. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.
Sous Vide Roast Beef
Sous Vide Roast Beef
A while back I was given an immersion circulator, sometimes known as a sous vide immersion circulator. They are used to cook food at very exact temperatures. It is a kitchen tool that is becoming more popular, but still unknown to a lot of people. They can be expensive, although I have friends who have made their own, with some success.
So why would you want to use/invest in one and how exactly is the food cooked?
Sous vide involves cooking your food in a bag, submerged in water. I know that doesn’t initially sound all that appealing, but it is pretty cool and has some advantages.
Have you ever fretted about overcooking a really expensive cut of meat? Or do you have trouble with the ends getting too done before the middle is cooked?
In an immersion circulator you set the temperature that the water will be. If you like rare beef, you would set the temp at around 135 degrees F (60 Celsius). That means the water would maintain a temp of 135 degrees. When you put the meat in the circulator it can’t overcook. It will only get to a max of 135 degrees, or whatever temperature you like. The meat can’t overcook, even if you leave it in for several hours. It also will be the same from one end the the other. This also gives you the opportunity to cook less expensive cuts of meats for long periods, making them tender, but still rare.
The machine is attached to a pot that is filled with water. Once you set it to the temperature you want, you place the bag with the meat in it, in the water. Set the timer and let the circulator do its job.
Now, the one disadvantage is that the meat will not get that nice sear on the outside that comes from more traditional methods of cooking. To remedy that, you remove the meat from the bag, once it has cooked and place in a smoking hot skillet. I like to use a cast iron pan for this. You brown the meat over high heat, turning it often until it looks the way you want it to look. I did a roast, but you can do steaks and chops this way, too.
So for my boneless rib roast, which weighed about 3 pounds, I placed it in the circulator for 3 hours. I seasoned the meat with salt, pepper and garlic. I used a freezer Ziploc bag. I made sure I got as much air out of the bag as I could, and made sure it was sealed. Once the time was up I took the roast out, heated up my skillet and using two wooden spoons, I turned the meat over in the pan to brown the sides. I let it rest about 15 minutes before slicing. The meat was perfectly pink throughout. Tender and very juicy, too.
Unlike poaching, the meat is never in contact with the water, so all the flavor stays in the meat.
There are groups on Facebook that discuss and share sous vide cooking. I am no expert. I just wanted to try cooking my roast this way. I was very happy with the result. I can’t say whether an immersion circulator is a good investment for you or not. I will say that I love mine and will be using it again.
Circulator in a pot of water- ready to use. I kept mine in the sink.
Fresh Fish Chowder
Fresh Fish Chowder
When I think of seafood chowder, I usually think about a creamy mix of some sort of shellfish, like clams or shrimp, with assorted veggies. This chowder is a little different. It is a mix of fish and veggies, but there is no dairy or shellfish. Almost like a Manhattan style clam chowder, minus the clams!! It is a nice alternative to those who can’t eat shellfish, but still want to enjoy a bowl of chowder. The chowder is both hearty and light at the same time, if that makes sense.
You can use any mild fish you happen to like. I have used salmon, catfish, cod and flounder in the past, and liked the way all of them tasted in the chowder. The recipe calls for Roma tomatoes, but any tomatoes would work. I used a pint of my home canned tomatoes, since I don’t have fresh this time of year.
Fresh Fish Chowder
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 large leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped
5 c. chicken, vegetable or fish stock
2 c. plum tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lb. firm white fish cut into 1/2 inch cubes – I used flounder
1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. paprika
2 T. oil
In broth cook the carrot, celery and leeks 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and potatoes and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes longer. Season to taste. Meanwhile mix the flour and paprika together and dredge the fish in it. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook the fish until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Before serving add fish pieces to the soup and simmer 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6.
Ham and Swiss Quiche
Ham and Swiss Quiche
Quiches are so versatile. You can fill them with almost any ingredients. They can also be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can also bake it right away, or freeze it for later. I often make two quiches, just so I can freeze one for later use.
This is one of my favorite quiche recipes. The mix of ham and Swiss cheese works well together. The thing with ham, is there always seems to be so much of it. If you have ham for a holiday meal, there are a lot of leftovers. This is a fun and tasty way to use some of the ham.
I use a homemade crust, but you can use a store bought crust, if you prefer.
Ham and Swiss Quiche
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
1½ c. shredded Swiss or Gruyere Cheese
4 t. flour
1 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
1 c. milk or half-half or evaporated milk
2 T. fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
¼ t. salt
¼ t. dry mustard
Dash of hot sauce
Toss cheese with flour in a bowl and place in pie crust. Sprinkle the ham over the cheese and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl beating well to combine. Pour over the ham and cheese mixture and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350-degrees and bake until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Makes 1
Note: This quiche freezes well. After adding the fillings just wrap in heavy foil and freeze solid until ready to bake. When ready to bake unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake as with the fresh version, but add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time. If you don’t want to freeze the pie pan, you can line the pie pan with foil before you add the crust. Once it is frozen you can remove the frozen quiche from the pie pan and wrap, returning to freezer. When ready to use unwrap and put the quiche back in the pie pan before baking.
You can also use a foil pie pan.
Amy’s Strawberry Fritters
Amy’s Strawberry Fritters
I decided to name these fritters after my friend, Amy, since she is the reason I made them. Amy had been sick on and off for several weeks with an upper respiratory infection. I wanted to make her feel better- so I made her some tiramisu doughnuts, which she loves. I also made her some banana fritters.
The problem was, Amy isn’t crazy about bananas. I am really not sure how I didn’t know that before. Her family ate the banana fritters, but I still wanted to make her some fritters she would like.
Since I KNOW she likes strawberries, I made these fritters for her. I never made fritters with strawberries in them before, so I thought it would be only be right to name them after her.
We all got together once she was feeling better. I made these for dessert, along with more doughnuts. She gave them two thumbs up.
They are very good. Slightly crisp on the outside, tender in the middle with juicy bits of strawberry. They aren’t very sweet on their own, but once rolled in powdered sugar, or glazed, they are plenty sweet for dessert. I will certainly make these again. Thanks, Amy, for the inspiration.
Amy’s Strawberry Fritters
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
1 c. diced strawberries
oil for frying
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the berries. Heat oil to 375. If using gluten-free flour heat oil to 350. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about 4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. While warm roll in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. Makes about 32.
Classic Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie
I like all sorts of pies. I would never want to pick just one favorite. If I had to pick, pecan would probably be it. The nuts, the sweet filling and the crispy crust all work so well together.
Served plain, or with a dollop of whipped cream, pecan pie just works for me. It is not a pie I make very often, so I think pecan pie always makes me thinks of the holidays. It was also a favorite of my Mom’s.
You can use a store bought crust, but I prefer homemade. This is the crust recipe I normally use when I make pecan pie. It makes two crusts, so you can cut the recipe in half, freeze half of the dough, or just make 2 pies!!!
Half and Half Dough
This is a great crust for liquid fillings like custard type pies, pecan and pumpkin. For a sweet pie like pecan you can reduce the sugar in the crust by half.
¼ c. butter, room temp
½ c. shortening, room temp or lard
¼ c. sugar
½ t. salt
2½ c. pastry or all purpose flour
1/8 t. baking powder
¼ c. milk
1 t. lemon juice
Cream together the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. Combine milk with the juice and set aside. Stir ½ c. of the flour into butter mixture. Stir until smooth. Add a little of the milk, stirring until smooth. Add remaining ingredients alternately until finished. Dough will firm up once chilled. Chill at least 4 hours before using. Makes 2 crusts.
Classic Pecan Pie
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. light or dark corn syrup
1 c. sugar
2 T. Butter or margarine, melted
1 t. vanilla
1½ c. pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pastry crust
In medium mixing bowl beat together all ingredients, except the pecans until well mixed. Stir in nuts and pour into crust. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until knife inserted off center comes out clean. Makes 1.
Chocolate Pecan Pie Variation: The same recipe as above, but reduce sugar to 1/3 cup and add 4 oz. of German sweet chocolate or semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled along with the eggs. This pie sometimes needs a little more time to bake-5 minutes or so.
Variations: You can experiment with other nuts. Try toasted, skinned hazelnuts, chopped coarsely or walnuts, slivered almonds or a combo.
Mini Quiches
Mini Quiches
These tiny quiches pack a lot of flavor. I served them for a recent dinner with friends, but these quiches are perfect for breakfast, brunch or lunch, too. I was making the spinach and bacon version, but accidentally grabbed collard greens out the freezer instead of spinach. I think they were even better made with collards. That is one of the things I like most about this recipe. You can tweak it easily to suit your tastes or just based on the ingredients you have.
Since you can eat them hot or cold, they make a nice food for road trips, too. The quiche recipe is made up of three parts- the crust, the filling and the custard. They are baked in muffins tins and each recipe makes a dozen. I have two crust recipes- including a gluten free crust that is made from rice and zucchini. There are three filling choices, but you can get creative and make a number of different variations. The custard is pretty straightforward- half and half, eggs and seasonings. I make a couple of batches at a time and then freeze some for later.
Mini Quiches
Crust options
Rice Zucchini Crust (Gluten free)
1½ c. shredded zucchini
1¼ c. cooked rice (white or brown)
1 egg
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
Crouton Crust
3½ c. garlic-cheese croutons, about 5 oz., ground- I used cracker crumbs
1/3 c. melted butter
Fillings:
Mushroom and Onion
1 medium onion, chopped
Oil
8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
3-4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed fine
In skillet cook onion in oil until lightly browned. Add mushroom and cook until mushrooms are golden. Cool and combine with cheese before using.
Spinach and Bacon
12 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded
Combine all ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.
Confetti
1 ear corn, cooked and kernel cut off the cob- about ½ cup
½ c. mined fresh sweet pepper
¼ c. chopped green onion
4 oz. shredded cheese- I like a sharp cheddar in this filling
Custard:
1 c. half and half
3 eggs
½ t. each basil and salt
1/8 t. each garlic powder, pepper and paprika
Directions
Grease 12 muffin cups (3 inch). Prepare crust of your choice by mixing crust ingredients together. Pat 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into each muffin cup. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool before filling. While baking and cooling crusts, prepare filling of your choice and make the custard.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling over each cooled crust. Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of the custard over the filling. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks, chill completely before packing for your picnic.
Chicken in Sherry Sauce
Chicken in Sherry Cream Sauce
Simple ingredients, when combined the right way, can come together to make a dish really special. I had chicken that I was going to cook for dinner one night last week. I had something in mind, but when I went to get the chicken out of the fridge, it was still a little frozen. I needed something fast, so I sliced the meat off the bone. I grabbed a skillet and just started cooking. Onions, first, then the chicken. I wanted a sauce…. I had an open bottle of sherry and some half and half that needed to be used. It all came together so well. I love when that happens. Sometimes, the things we don’t plan out too much, work out the best. True in cooking- and in life.
Chicken in Sherry Creamy Sauce
1 T. oil
1 T. butter
1 large onion, sliced
1- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, sliced about 1/2 -inch thick
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
2 T. flour
1/2 c. sherry*- or more- I didn’t measure too carefully
1-2 c. half and half or milk – I know I should be more exact, but it depends on how thick you like your sauce. Start with 1 cup and add more until sauce is thickness you like.
fresh chopped parsley
In large skillet, heat oil and butter and cook onions until golden. Add the chicken to the pan- push onion off a little to the side. Cook until chicken in browned on both sides. This happens fast. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add flour and stir it into chicken and onions. Add the sherry and simmer a couple of minutes. This will burn off the alcohol and cook the flour. Add one cup of the half and half and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook a few more minutes, until sauce is thickened. Add more half and half, if needed. Adjust seasonings and add a little parsley. Serve with some fresh parsley on top, too. Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes, if you like.
*When cooking with sherry don’t use cooking sherry. Cooking sherry is loading with salt and really awful. In savory dishes, don’t use cream sherry, either. Just pick up a bottle of sherry where they sell wine. Once opened, the bottle can be stored in a cupboard. It keeps for ages.
Microwave Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce on Asparagus and Eggs Benedict
When we were planning the menu for a “breakfast” themed dinner, Eggs Benedict were suggested. No surprises there. Toasted English muffins, ham, poached eggs and that sauce. That creamy mingling of egg yolks, butter and lemon juice that come together so magically. Always a favorite and for good reason.
I have made Hollandaise the traditional way, whisking over simmering water, being careful not to scramble the eggs. I always felt a good Hollandaise was worth the effort. But why not make things easier on yourself, if you can?
This is probably the easiest Hollandaise sauce I have ever made. So much simpler than whisking over simmering water. The end result is every bit as yummy as the traditional method. The whole sauce is made in a microwave oven and in just a few minutes.
Why do people hate microwaves? Not all people, of course. I love my microwave. But every time microwave ovens come up in discussion on food-related social media, the haters pop up. People proudly proclaiming how they would NEVER own one. Really? You never get that response about food processors or juicers.
I get that not everyone wants or needs to own a microwave. But why the anger? What did a microwave oven ever do to you?
While there are limits to what you can cook in a microwave oven, there are plenty of great uses, too. I make cashew brittle in mine. I also love to cook rice in my microwave. My usual breakfast of oat bran is made in the microwave almost every morning. If only for this Hollandaise sauce, I would still own a microwave.
So here is the recipe. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Microwave Hollandaise
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper, optional
In microwave safe bowl, soften butter. This will take 10-15 seconds. Don’t melt the butter, just soften it. Watch carefully. It may take less time if the butter is already room temperature, longer if butter is cold. I often make a double batch, so allow a few more seconds for larger quantities. Whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk the yolk mixture into the softened butter. Let stand on the counter a minute or two. Place in microwave and cook on high heat for 15 seconds. Be careful- only 15 seconds at a time. Whisk the mixture and return to the microwave, cooking 15 seconds. Repeat this process until sauce is thickened, smooth and shiny. It should take 3-4 of these 15 second cooking sessions, but ovens vary. It takes a little longer if you double the batch, too. Also, don’t worry if the sauce doesn’t look smooth the first time you whisk all the ingredients together. It gets smoother upon further cooking/whisking. Season with salt and pepper to your own taste. Enjoy with Eggs Benedict or as a sauce for steamed veggies.
Apple Fritters
Apple Fritters
Fritters are similar to doughnuts and are really easy to make. Rather than being made from a dough that is rolled and cut, like doughnuts, fritters are made from a batter that is spooned into oil for frying. Good fritters are light and airy inside with a crisp outside.
These are very good fritters. These fritters have diced apples and cinnamon and cook up tender and light. You could play around by adding other fruits, like pears, peaches or even berries. They are good plain, but can be rolled in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze.
Apple Fritters
2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. melted butter
1 c. diced apples
oil for frying- I used coconut oil
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk with the eggs and butter. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened and add the apples. Heat oil to 375. If using gluten free flour heat oil to 350. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Don’t do more than 4-5 at a time. It will take about 4 minutes in total but you need to turn them to brown evenly so 2 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. While warm roll in powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze. Makes about 32.
