Monday, December 13, 2010

Veggie Pot Pie

Cold weather means comfort food in this house. That warm-your-belly kinda stuff. Food that reminds me of bein' a kid.


First, you'll need to make up the crust. I just kind of threw it all together, but this is basically what I used:

2 cups flour (I used about 2/3 regular, 1/3 wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 Tbs cold butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp shortening
ice cold water

*this was enough dough for 1 standard pie plate, plus a small casserole dish that I used for hubby's chicken pot pie*

whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the fat, using a pastry cutter or two butter knits, or just massage it in with your fingers. Once the mixture has pea-sized lumps and smaller, slowly add in a couple of tablespoons of water, until the mixture can be formed (by mushing) into a ball. Gather it all up, pressing in any extra flour around the bowl. Form it into a flat disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Now you'll need to make the filling.

Last night I used:
2 carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, diced
handful of broccoli bits
1/2 cup each frozen green beans and shelled edamame (soy beans)
(butternut squash is awesome in this!)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch each vegetable separately until tender crisp. Once they have been cooked, chill in cool water and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Cool until tender, then add 1 head roasted garlic, skins removed. Stir in 3 tbsp flour, then add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs (like thyme, basil, etc), and add the cooked vegetables. Set aside.

Roll out the pastry to 1/8" thickness, making sure it is large enough for the pot that you'll cook it in.

Spoon the filling into a pie shell.
Top with 1/2 cup shredded Dubliner cheese. (parmesan or cheddar would be great, too!)
Beat 1 egg and brush the edge of the pie plate with it.
Place pie shell over top, pinching the edges under for a thicker edge crust. Brush with beaten egg and make a few slits for the pie to breath while it cooks.
I put the dishes on a cookie sheet to catch any drips.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

Vegetarian Pesto BLT

Vegetarian Pesto BLTs


3 Tbsp mayonaise
1-2 Tbsp prepared pesto
6 slices cooked vegetarian bacon (I really liked this brand)
4 leaves lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
salt, to taste
4 slices bread, toasted

Mix first 2 ingredients to make Pesto Mayonaise. Spread evenly onto toasted bread. Top with remaining ingredients and eat!

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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes



When the CSA gives you blueberries, obviously you need to make blueberry cupcakes. I mean, ya can't just let them go bad! One of the great parts about this recipe is that it makes just one dozen. I mean, I love them, but surely I DO NOT need to eat a dozen of them in a matter of days.

This blog has gone to shit lately and I apologize. I'm not even going to lie and say that I'll do my best to keep up with it. Here's a new post and who knows when the next one will be, so ya better enjoy it while ya can!

Baking is something I don't do a lot of. All that careful measuring when you can just throw a bunch of stuff together and call it dinner.

I'm glad I still had this buttermilk, and that it was still good. It's original purpose being for buttermilk waffles that never did get made.

These blueberries are plump and delicious; at their peak around here in our neck of the woods.


Look at them: all raised beautifully and pushing their yumminess out of the little cups.
My taste tester gave these the thumbs up, still warm out of the oven. I quickly gave him the look of death, clearly sending the message that these can't be touched again until they are complete!

Just enough frosting for the chef to lick clean while plating the cupcakes for their own little photo shoot.

Isn't it just lovely how the natural indigo color releases from the blueberries as they burst inside their cake cocoon inside the papers? It's magic, I tell you!!
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Lemon and blueberry flavors give these cupcakes a great taste. Blueberries or fresh, edible flowers make an easy, pretty decoration.

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 cupcake)


CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
10 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

FROSTING:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh blueberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.

To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

CALORIES 236 (29% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 4.6g,mono 2g,poly 0.4g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL38mg; CALCIUM 71mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.7g; SODIUM 230mg; PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 0.7g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007



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