You are here: Home / Archives for Kitchen Techniques and Hints

Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam

June 29, 2011 by 12 Comments

When I was small, my mom made strawberry freezer jam every year during Michigan’s brief and glorious strawberry season.

It was my mom’s thing: her annual food preservation pièce de résistance. She scattered packets and boxes of pectin thither and yon, she mashed berries with the bottoms of drinking glasses, her potato masher, and anything else she could fit into her bowl.  Her blonde hair had strawberry streaks, her hands were fuchsia , and she smelled like a strawberry patch for days on end. True to her style, she never measured (measuring was a creativity killer and the man’s way of keeping her down*) but somehow it always turned out to be the best thing we had eaten all year.

*Power to the people! Or Up with the People! Oh, geez. I can never get that right. I’m sorry, Mom.

I played around with cooked jam over the years, but it never drew close to the juicy, soft-set, fresh-from-the-field taste of strawberry freezer jam. Is it because of my formative years and my mom’s painting the kitchen with strawberries? Oh, probably…

I want my kids to have that same memory when they’re adults. The full sensory memory of watching their mom make jam: smelling, tasting, feeling the ripe strawberries… The anticipation of the flavour when a jar is fetched from the freezer and twisted open… I want them to have a vision of me with strawberry streaks on my cheeks (since my hair is not light enough to show it), fuchsia hands and smelling like a strawberry patch. Of course, their Mama measures obsessively, but every childhood is a little different, isn’t it? At least I got the important stuff in there.

…And my jam, well, now it has two crucial ingredients that my Mom didn’t put in hers. Balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme.

I know it might sound bizarre, but this is the most strawberry-y jam ever. If you can imagine the most fresh, juicy, flavour-packed strawberry you’ve ever had that is multiplied by about fifteen, you have an idea of what this tastes like.

You may already know that adding balsamic vinegar to strawberries boosts the flavour, but did you know that infusing it with thyme has a similar effect? And when you add balsamic AND thyme, you get knock-you-flat strawberryness. Whizz-bang, ka-pow, shammalammadingdong strawberry power is what Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam is.

I was already a big fan of the strawberry/thyme combination thanks to my good buddy, Krysta over at Evil Chef Mom and the strawberry/balsamic combination thanks to, um, I don’t know what. I first read about combining all of them in jam form, though, over on Serious Eats when Lucy Baker made a batch that sounded tantalizing.

When I read Lucy’s post, I knew that was going to happen as soon as the sleepy New York strawberries finally burst onto the scene.

A friend brought a whole flat of strawberries my way two days ago and thankfully, I remembered my previous plans. Mercifully. Appreciatively. I am so grateful that I remembered those plans because this is the best strawberry jam I’ve ever shoveled shamelessly into my mouth by the spoonful.

Best. Strawberry. Jam. Ever.

(…except for my Mom’s…)

A Note About the Pectin I Use:

Pomona’s Universal Pectin is well worth any trouble you have finding it. You can double, triple or quadruple recipes (or more if you have appropriately sized vessels for preparing massive batches of jam) with no ill-effects, unlike most “normal” pectins. It has no funky preservatives, additives, and allows you to make the best jam you’ve ever eaten with much less sugar than your average pectin (even the low-sugar varieties) or no sugar at all.  I’m getting nothing out of this, the Pomona’s people don’t even know I exist *sniffsniff*. I seriously believe their product is the best and have years worth of experience to back up my claims.

Yes, it looks expensive. I mean honestly, $4-$6 per box? Yipes! But if you break it down, you’ll realize that each box has enough pectin powder to make 2-4 batches of jam. That works out to about $3.00 per batch (calculating for liberal use) which is equal to or  better than the most common commercial pectins. When you add the convenience of larger batches to the equal or better price per batch, I think the comparative value makes Pomona’s the much better bet.

You can use a standard commercial pectin to make Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam (see recipe notes) if necessary, but I stand by Pomona’s!

Print
Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Freezer Jam

Rating: 51

Don't let the complicated name fool you. This freezer jam is pure strawberry. While the balsamic vinegar and thyme may sound wacky, they both simply enhance the explosive natural freshness of strawberries.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mashed, hulled strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¾-2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Pomona’s Universal Pectin Powder(*See notes) + ¼ cup Pomona’s Calcium Water (or more, if necessary.)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Instructions

Prepare freezer-safe jars or containers with airtight lids that can hold up to 6 cups of jam. (**See Notes)

Stir together sugar, crushed berries, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Add sprigs of thyme to water and bring to a boil. Strain and measure ¾ cup into a blender carafe. Sprinkle the pectin powder over the boiling water in the blender and add the lid. Open the vent on the blender lid, cover with a doubled dish towel or wash cloth, and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until the pectin powder is completely dissolved. Scrape into the berry mixture and stir well.

Pour the pectin water into the berry mixture and stir very well to combine. It should start to gel visibly. If it does not gel (although the gel will be much more soft-set than cooked jam), add 1 teaspoon of calcium water and blend well, repeating if necessary.

Ladle into prepared containers to within ½” of the rims, fix the lids on tightly and freeze immediately.

Notes

*If you can’t or don’t want to find Pomona’s Pectin, you can make your normal freezer jam (following the directions for the pectin you use) but adding 1 tablespoon each of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice per 2 cups of crushed berries along with the amount of sugar specified in the pectin’s recipe.. To infuse the jam with thyme flavour, simmer the fresh thyme sprigs with the water and pectin. **You can use Gladware or Rubbermaid containers or canning jars. I prefer to use canning jars with two piece lids.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/06/29/strawberry-balsamic-thyme-freezer-jam/

 

Filed Under: Canning, Condiments, Food Preservation, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pickled Ginger (Gari)

June 24, 2011 by 9 Comments

I love sushi. I love it so much. I love everything about it. The fish, the rice, the nori, the little wad of wasabi, but as much as I love all of that, I love the pickled ginger, or gari, even more.

Oh, pickled ginger, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. You’re sweet and sour, spicy, fresh, snappy and PINK!* You pack so much punch into such a little package.

*Pink. Sigh. I love pink.

On those rare occasions when my husband and I can actually go. out. of. the. house. without. children, we almost invariably head for sushi joints. Being creatures of habit and fond of our ruts, we’ve established a little routine. (If you’re a sushi purist you may want to look away.)

  1. We look over the menu and order far too much sushi with the justification that we can take leftovers home to the children.
  2. When the sushi arrives, we each take an identical roll.
  3. He pours soy sauce over the bottom of his plate, drops his portion of the roll into it, piles it with wasabi then manoeuvers the whole thing to his mouth adeptly with chopsticks.
  4. I eat a piece of pickled ginger, put a couple dots of wasabi on my roll, dunk a corner in soy sauce, and dive in.
  5. We then repeat until we have to call for more pickled ginger and wasabi and the waitress gives us the stink eye.
  6. We call for a small box to house the one lonely California roll we managed to save for the children and waddle out of the restaurant clutching our overfilled bellies.
  7. We take a nap in the car then drive home.

I know. The glamour and high-living we exhibit is stunning. It’s okay if you need a moment to process that.

The pickled ginger, though. Mmmm. During each of my pregnancies, I craved it like other people crave ice cream. I ate it on everything from rice bowls to sandwiches. I sent my husband over to the Asian foods market across the street from his office to grab a new jar for me almost weekly. Then one day I looked at the ingredient list and saw two things I didn’t like; aspartame and food dye.

I sent him back the next day to get me a different brand. He came home with a white pickled ginger. Still with the aspartame. Blech.

It curbed my enthusiasm for pickled ginger a little bit until I got to thinking about making my own. It was a duh-and-a-half moment. Me. The Kitchen DIY Queen. I hadn’t even considered making my own. *headsmacksdesk

A little searching on the internet yielded a plethora of pickled ginger recipes for experimentation and an interesting tidbit of information about the pink connection for pickled ginger. I learned that young ginger, the variety that yields the best pickled ginger, naturally turns a soft pink when pickled. Old ginger, on the other hand, may not. So I ask you, what gives on the food dye?

After playing around with several recipes, I realized that the best of the lot was also the simplest. I also learned a few helpful tips:

  • While young ginger yielded the best texture and flavour, old ginger that was pickled also had a certain charm to it.
  • Slice the ginger as thinly as is humanly possible. A mandolin or extra sharp knife and a dose of patience is your best bet.
  • Slice across the ginger instead of slicing lengthwise. This yields an easier-to-chew result.
  • To easily peel ginger, scrape the edge of a regular spoon over knobs of ginger. The skin should easily peel away. If it doesn’t, and you have to dig the skin away with the spoon, you have older ginger.

Don’t be alarmed by the quantity yielded by this recipe. It keeps nearly forever in the refrigerator and -if you have friends that are like me- it makes a thoughtful and unique food gift.

Print
Pickled Ginger (Gari)
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Side Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 16
 

Snappy, spicy, sweet and sour, pickled ginger is not just for sushi. Serve with rice bowls or as a palate cleanser with seafood dishes. You’ll be thrilled at how easy it is to make this classic Japanese condiment.
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds young, fresh ginger (*see notes)
  • 2½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
  • 3 cups unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (**see notes)

Instructions
  1. Wash the ginger and use the edge of a spoon to gently scrape away the skin.
  2. Slice the ginger as thinly as you possibly can across the knob (not lengthwise!)
  3. Toss ginger slices with salt in a colander and leave over a bowl or the sink for one hour, tossing again occasionally.
  4. Lay the ginger slices out on a clean tea towel or paper towels to blot some of the excess moisture from them before putting them in a heat-proof jar or container that has a tight fitting lid.
  5. Bring the rice vinegar and sugar to a boil and pour immediately over the ginger.
  6. Put the lid on tightly and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
  7. Refrigerate for at least one week before serving.
  8. Stores indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Notes
*You can test the age of the ginger in your store several ways. In young ginger, the skin should look smooth and tight. It should feel heavy for its size when lifted. If you scrape your thumbnail over the skin gently, it should peel away with little effort. You can pickled older ginger, but it may be a little chewier. **Use granulated white sugar for the best looking pickled ginger. You can use raw sugar, but the pink colour will not be as pronounced and it may add a slight caramel flavour.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

 

Filed Under: Condiments, Food Preservation, Instructional, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,

Taste of Home Old Fashioned Ham Balls

April 26, 2011 by 16 Comments

Ham Balls.

Could there possibly be a less appealing sounding name for a dish?*

*Perhaps. But it would have to be exceptionally gross… Maybe “Repurposed Egg Salad” or “Blood Sausage”.  You get the idea…

Let’s be honest, they’re also not the purtiest meatball on the block. They’re brown on the outside, but they’re a pinky colour on the inside. Not bad when you remember the presence of ham, but a bit disconcerting for the inside of your average meatball. Here’s the thing of it, though; These ham balls from an ancient Taste of Home (Yes, again with the Taste of Home. I’m feeling nostalgic.) are one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in all of my life. Allow me to paint a picture.

The year is nineteen-ninety seven. I arrive at the home of my father and step-mother for Easter dinner with husband in tow. We are expecting our first child. I am quite firmly in mega-morning sickness mode. No food has sounded, smelled or looked anywhere near good to me for about two and a half months. And I do mean nothing. I’ve choked back sleeve upon sleeve of saltine crackers, sipped tentatively at ice water and seltzer and forced myself to take in enough calories to keep myself going and keep baby growing. I visit a bit, putz around in the kitchen with Val a bit, and ask what’s fer grub while secretly steeling myself to eat a few courtesy bites before excusing myself from the table. Val pauses, hand on covered casserole pan and says, “These are ham balls!”

If you think you know what’s coming next you just might be wrong.

What I heard was, “These are ham…” and then I blanked out. I could smell the salty ham and see the sticky brown sugar mustard glaze and deep brown crust. It smelled perfect. It looked amazing. All I wanted at that one moment was to stick my face into the casserole and not come up for air until I had licked that pot clean. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I looked to Val with an awestruck expression. I’m not sure what I said to her, but the result was her handing me one glorious sticky ham ball skewered on a fork. I nibbled once, twice then made like the Tootsie Roll Owl and on three gobbled the whole thing down. It was the first real food I had managed to eat in weeks and I made up for lost time. The Evil Genius ate his meagre portion (from which I stole while he wasn’t looking.) Whether anyone got a proper serving after I had my fill, I don’t recall.  Quite frankly, I didn’t care. I was a monster.

Over the years, we looked forward to ham balls at Easter so much that we eventually skipped the actual ham supper and went straight to ham balls. Nowadays, a triple batch of these sweet, salty, savoury, sour, sticky ham meatballs is eaten on Easter Sunday and for a couple of meals thereafter.

Ham ball sandwiches on soft bread with bread and butter pickles, a bit of mustard and a side of baked beans is good enough to make my husband weepy. Ham balls on steamed or fried rice with sweet garlic chili sauce is a fast and well-loved dinner.

Ham balls snuck from the bowl when all the kids are asleep? Well, that’s the best of them all. A word to the wise: Make sure you wash your hands before you sneak the sticky little ham balls. You will most certainly want to lick that glaze from your fingers and I’d hate for you to be unprepared.Who’s looking out for you? Me. That’s who.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Taste of Home Old Fashioned Ham Balls
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12-16
 

Sticky, sweet-and-sour, savoury ham meatballs in a brown sugar and mustard glaze. Use up your leftover ham, or make like us and skip the ham dinner going straight to these.
Ingredients
Ingredients for ham balls:
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 2 pounds leftover ham
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1⅓ cups crushed shredded wheat cereal (You can use a food processor or a zipper top bag and a mallet for the job!)
Ingredients for the glaze:
  • 3½ cups brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Don’t use white vinegar here. It lacks oomph!)
  • 2 teaspoons ground mustard powder (Or 1 tablespoon prepared British-style mustard, like Coleman’s.)

Instructions
  1. Use the coarse setting on your meat grinder to grind your ham. (If you do not have a meat grinder, use your food processor to pulse until it is finely chopped like hamburger or chop very finely with a large, sharp knife.)
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  3. Evenly coat two 9″x13″ baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. Combine all the ham ball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together with your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  5. Roll the meat into 2-inch balls. (I use a disher to get evenly sized meatballs so they cook at the same rate.)
  6. Arrange the ham balls in the pans. Set aside.
  7. Add all the glaze ingredients to a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking just until the sugar is fully melted.
  8. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Do not cover the pan while simmering.
  9. Pour the glaze over the ham balls, dividing evenly between the two pans.
  10. Bake the ham balls, uncovered, for 70 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and the ham balls are browned.

Notes
These freeze well, so don’t worry about the high volume of the recipe. Not that you’ll have many left, that is… They’re just a bit too tasty.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Getting Creative With Leftovers, Main Dish, Meat, Party Food, Recipes, Stretching your dollars

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

April 4, 2011 by 5 Comments

There are a lot of things I’m good at in my kitchen. Making hot breakfasts for seven people (or more if we or the boys have overnight guests) before a whole pot of seriously caffeine fortified tea isn’t one of them. I’m just not enough of a breakfast person to warrant the effort most times. Still, though, I feel like it’s important for my kids to have the option. The slow-cooker does the work most nights while I sleep and dream of Victorian-era nannies and housekeepers showing up on my doorstep saying they thought my children were so wonderful they wanted to work for us for free and could they start right away…  Many mornings the unnaturally large-capacity bellies of my skinny children are filled with overnight-ed oatmeal, jook, bread pudding or somesuch. But there are also many corn flake and raisin bran mornings when I forgot to set up the slow-cooker before going to bed; More than I’d care to admit.

While flipping through the archives of a friend’s site, I happened upon her recipe for Breakfast Sandwiches. Brilliant! The concept was smack-your-head-on-the-table simple. Make and assemble all the components for breakfast sandwiches (similar, at first glance, to those available from The Golden Arches, but much better for you and mu-uh-UH-ch better tasting) then let them cool completely.

Wrap and freeze. Then BANG! Just reheat those beautiful, substantial lovelies in the microwave of eeeee-vil.*

*A prize to the first person to identify that quote. What kind of prize? I have no idea. I’ll work on that idea. Any suggestions?

Here’s the point. They play to my strong suit. Namely, cooking in the afternoon. I can whip up a dozen or more of these, have them wrapped, bagged, and frozen while the kids watch an episode of Phineas and Ferb. Stashed in the freezer, they are a serious solution to the breakfast dilemma. Whether you’re just low on time in the morning rushing to get everyone out the door or you want variety available, these Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches are the answer to your problem.

Scale this recipe up or down as you like, just keep in mind the one English muffin + one egg + one quarter-cup of cheese ratio;  Keep in mind, though, that since you’re already heating up the oven, skillet and toaster, you might as well make as many as you can reasonably eat in a month. Around here, that’s quite a few…

3.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 12
 

These hearty breakfast sandwiches are cooked, assembled and frozen ahead of time. They reheat easily in the microwave, making them the ideal solution for the morning rush or substantial after school snacks.
Ingredients
  • 12 eggs
  • 12 English muffins
  • 12 breakfast sausage patties
  • 3 cups of shredded cheese or 12 slices cheese(Colby Jack, Cheddar, or Pepper Jack)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • a pinch of dried mustard powder
  • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Optional for serving: arugula and hot sauce

Instructions
  1. Toast English muffins and set aside.
  2. Cook sausage patties completely, until nicely browned. Transfer cooked patties to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  4. Crack all the eggs into a large bowl, whisk until evenly yellow. Whisk in dried mustard, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin or 12 ramekins generously with nonstick cooking spray or grease well with butter. Divide the beaten eggs evenly between the 12 cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are set up and mostly cooked through.
  5. Remove from the oven and top each muffin or ramekin cup with about ¼ cup (or 1 slice) of cheese. Return to the oven just until the cheese is melted.
  6. When cheese is melted, remove the pans from the oven and let cool before carefully removing each egg and cheese round.
  7. Assemble each sandwich as follows: Base of the English muffin + one sausage patty + one egg and cheese round + top of English muffin.
  8. When they are completely cool, wrap each sandwich individually with plastic wrap and put the wrapped sandwiches into a resealable zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
  9. To reheat: Remove plastic wrap, wrap sandwich in a paper towel and microwave on HIGH for 1½ minutes, checking at 30 second intervals.

Notes
After reheating, I like to carefully separate the sandwich between the egg and sausage and stuff it with a healthy fistful of arugula and a squeeze or two of hot sauce before re-assembling and stuffing into my face.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar

March 29, 2011 by 8 Comments

My friend Pamela is a good person to know.

She knits the most amazing things. She sews like an angel and can sing your pants off*.

*Make that sings like an angel and can sew your pants on. Really. She could probably sing while sewing on your pants and knitting you a sweater. She’s good like that.

Her kids and my kids and her mister and my mister and she and I get along famously.  A few weeks back, as our crew was getting ready to leave their casa, my kids started complaining loudly about how starved they were. STARVED, they said. Clearly this was hooey since they had done nothing but eat all day without cease.  Pamela, though, kind soul that she is, saw in an instant just how much longer that one hour drive home would feel with five griping children. She rifled through her cabinets and handed the kids a goody bag full of chips, crackers and granola bars. Then she handed me a jar full of a concoction from her own private stash; Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Raw Sugar.

Home again, I tucked the kids into bed, cracked open the jar, sniffed and swooned.  Bourbon and vanilla swirled around me.  I dipped my finger into the jar and sampled and swooned again. Holy moly. Oh yummy yum yum. The caramel crunchy raw sugar had soaked up all the bourbon and vanilla flavours. Every little grain was a perfect blend of caramel, bourbon and vanilla.

Life is very good with a jar of this around the house. Happily, Pamela shared her method. And luckily for all of us, it’s as easy to make as a cup of boiled water.

Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe.

Yield: About 2 quarts of infused sugar. Keeps indefinitely.

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 whole vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
  • 8 cups raw (turbinado or demerara) sugar
  • 6 teaspoons bourbon (Use one that is good enough to sip for best results.)

Fill a wide-mouthed half-gallon jar about halfway with raw sugar, shove the split vanilla beans into the sugar and pour 2 teaspoons of the bourbon into the jar.

Pour more sugar into the jar until it is about 2/3 full. Pour in another 2 teaspoons of bourbon. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake the jar HARD and repeatedly to distribute the ingredients well. Open the lid, fill the sugar to the bottom ring of the jar.  Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of bourbon, tighten the lid again and shake it, shake it, shake it. Shake what your Mama gave you.  Stash the jar in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using. You can top the jar off as it gets lower, just lid it and shake it every time you do.

If the sugar hardens up, place a slice of apple in the jar, tighten the lid and let it sit overnight. Remove the apple and stir before re-lidding.

Print
Bourbon and Vanilla Infused Sugar
Author: 
Recipe type: Condiment, Ingredient
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Crunchy textured, caramelly, raw sugar infused with real vanilla beans and bourbon. Sprinkle on cookies, cakes, muffins or stir into coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Ingredients
  • 4-6 whole vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
  • 8 cups raw (turbinado or demerara) sugar
  • 6 teaspoons bourbon (Use one that is good enough to sip for best results.)

Instructions
  1. Fill a wide-mouthed half-gallon jar about halfway with raw sugar, shove the split vanilla beans into the sugar and pour 2 teaspoons of the bourbon into the jar. Pour more sugar into the jar until it is about ⅔ full. Pour in another 2 teaspoons of bourbon. Tighten the lid on the jar and shake the jar HARD and repeatedly to distribute the ingredients well. Open the lid, fill the sugar to the bottom ring of the jar. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of bourbon, tighten the lid again and shake it, shake it, shake it. Shake what your Mama gave you. Stash the jar in a cool, dark place for at least a week before using. You can top the jar off as it gets lower, just lid it and shake it every time you do.

Notes
If the sugar hardens up, place a slice of apple in the jar, tighten the lid and let it sit overnight. Remove the apple and stir before re-lidding.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

 

Filed Under: Component Foods, Condiments, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , ,

Hot TexMess

March 23, 2011 by 8 Comments

We had ten inches of snow last night. On the twenty second-slash-twenty third of March. I vacillated between bitter and grateful. Bitter because it’s MARCH TWENTY THIRD and I have ten inches of snow when yesterday there was green and chirping and peeping and warm breezes and sunshine. I opted to park myself on grateful because I had another opportunity to pull out all the stops on comfort food. Since I’m a realistic optimist, I took advantage of the cold day to bake up a storm. By the time the baking was all done, I was done*. And while cookies and cakes and clafoutis make really delightful desserts and snacks, they do not a dinner comprise.

*As in stick a fork in me dun done.

While four hungry children milled around me asking what was for dinner (and one sneaky child snitched at cookies on cooling racks) I searched the dusty rooms of my brain for what I could turn out that would be satisfying, quick, crowd-pleasing and delicious enough to prevent me from resenting the food on tonight’s season finale of Top Chef All-Stars.*

*Have you ever tried watching that show (or another like it) after a dinner of tater tots and boiled hot dogs? I don’t recommend it unless you’re a much more even-keeled, much less sensitive person than I am.

This dish was inspired when I stumbled onto one recipe for chilaquiles (tortillas simmered in a spicy tomato sauce) and then onto one for huevos rancheros. Hot dang and pass the plate! Where had these two dishes been all my life? The short answer is that they were, with a few exceptions, in Texas, New Mexico, Southern California. Since I’ve spent my life in Michigan, Kentucky, New York and France, it was no wonder my experience with them was limited. Yes, I’d had the huevos rancheros before, but chilaquiles were new to me. And since I didn’t know any better, I combined the two recipes and performed my own ignorant alchemy on them.

Because what I did resulted in gold. Ugly gold, but certifiable 24-karat food gold. I was struggling for what to call the dish because I think we’ll all agree that “Chilaquiles Plus Huevos Rancheros and a Few Extra Things that Don’t Really Belong” is somewhat unwieldy. I consulted a friend with much more experience in this than me. She said, “Call it whatever you want. It’s really not either dish.” Or something to that effect, but very loving. Also interesting? She told me that both of those dishes are considered hangover food. This brings me to another point…

The plate just looked like a big hot mess to me. Let’s be frank. It’s not the prettiest thing I’ve ever turned out of my kitchen, but whooooeee.  Just like Nick Tahoe’s Garbage Plates, it was worth forgetting its lack of the pretty. And if you’ve ever stumbled across the Nick Tahoe’s threshold on a late night college tour of Rochester, you know how satisfying an ugly, ugly dish can be.

Because I was feeling silly and full of myself and I have a serious penchant for word play, I decided to call it a big Hot TexMess. It is what it is. And what it is is delicious. This is my hideous and wonderful creation. I think Nick Tahoe probably felt the same way. Look past the ugly duckling exterior and whip up a big old batch of this for yourself tonight. I promise you will be happy you did.

Hot TexMess

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Yield: Serves four very generously or six with bird-like appetites

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups smoky chipotle and tomatillo salsa (I used homemade salsa, use whatever is your favorite type.)
  • 2-3 cups leftover pulled pork or chicken
  • 12 corn tortillas, stacked and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares
  • Neutral Oil (such as canola, vegetable) or peanut for frying
  • 2 cups refried beans, heated
  • 4 eggs (or six if you’re serving small portions), fried in butter
  • 1 cup crumbled cojita or feta cheese (You can substitute grated Monterey Jack if desired or necessary.)
  • 1 ripe avocado, halved, scooped from the shell and sliced
  • 1/2 of a sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt (How about you make your own?)
  • candied jalapenos, preferably (If you haven’t made them yet, this is the time!) or jarred jalapenos
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges
  • Optional: hot white rice

Heat 2-inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. If you don’t have a deep-frying thermometer, you can tell the oil has reached the proper temperature when it looks streaky in the pan and a piece of tortilla dropped into it forms many bubbles around the edges immediately. Fry the corn tortillas in batches, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp. This should take between 3 and 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chips to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, stir together the pulled pork (or chicken) and the salsa and bring to a simmer. When it reaches a simmer, gently toss in the fried tortillas. Allow to simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or just until the tortillas begin to soften a little. Remove from the heat.

Lay out four (or six) serving plates. If you’re using the rice, mound a scoop of rice into the center and press down in the middle to make a well.  Divide the refried beans between the plates and then divide the simmered tortillas and meat between the plates. Top each serving with a fried egg, cheese, onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, and finally the avocado slices. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the top. Dig. In.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Hot TexMess
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Breakfast, Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Huevos Rancheros crossed with Chilaquiles (salsa simmered corn tortillas) topped with avocados, sour cream, candied jalapenos, cheese and more! Gluten free to boot!
Ingredients
  • 4 cups smoky chipotle and tomatillo salsa (I used homemade salsa, use whatever is your favorite type.)
  • 2-3 cups leftover pulled pork or chicken
  • 12 corn tortillas, stacked and cut into 1-1/2 inch squares
  • Neutral Oil (such as canola, vegetable) or peanut for frying
  • 2 cups refried beans, heated
  • 4 eggs (or six if you’re serving small portions), fried in butter
  • 1 cup crumbled cojita or feta cheese (You can substitute grated Monterey Jack if desired or necessary.)
  • 1 ripe avocado, halved, scooped from the shell and sliced
  • ½ of a sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
  • sour cream or Greek yogurt (How about you make your own?)
  • candied jalapenos, preferably (If you haven’t made them yet, this is the time!) or jarred jalapenos
  • chopped fresh cilantro
  • lime wedges
  • Optional: hot white rice

Instructions
  1. Heat 2-inches of oil to 350°F in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. If you don’t have a deep-frying thermometer, you can tell the oil has reached the proper temperature when it looks streaky in the pan and a piece of tortilla dropped into it forms many bubbles around the edges immediately. Fry the corn tortillas in batches, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp. This should take between 3 and 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chips to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, stir together the pulled pork (or chicken) and the salsa and bring to a simmer. When it reaches a simmer, gently toss in the fried tortillas. Allow to simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or just until the tortillas begin to soften a little. Remove from the heat.
  3. Lay out four (or six) serving plates. If you’re using the rice, mound a scoop of rice into the center and press down in the middle to make a well. Divide the refried beans between the plates and then divide the simmered tortillas and meat between the plates. Top each serving with a fried egg, cheese, onion, chopped cilantro, sour cream, and finally the avocado slices. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the top. Dig. In.

Notes
If you have bird-like appetites, this serves six.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

Filed Under: Eggs, Getting Creative With Leftovers, Meat, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spicy Sweet and Sour Tofu

March 21, 2011 by 4 Comments

From a smarty-pants, web-savvy point of view, I ‘m doing this strangely. I should be posting this later this week so you can think of it for Friday (say for instance, if you’re observing Lent) and I should not mention that I know that… But I was lucky enough to see some pretty spectacular thunderstorms -mighty unusual for this area at this time of year- at about 5 a.m. For those of you to whom I am not married and of whom I did not give birth, that is roughly WAY TOO EARLY for me. Thus, I cannot be held responsible for messing up the order of what I’m posting.  Rest assured, I have some seriously meaty, luxurious, not-at-all-Lent friendly dishes that will be posted later this week.

Tofu.

Right.

Tofu and I made a little peace many moons ago when I spent a few teen and young adult years as a vegetarian. A little peace, I say, because while I liked it alright, I never craved it. It was just kind of boring.

In retrospect, I understand this means it wasn’t cooked the way I liked it, which was nobody’s fault but my own since I was the one cooking it. Live and learn, right? In the past couple years, I’ve tried adding tofu to our family’s diet on a very occasional basis. Very occasional because while my eldest three kids, as a rule, do not complain about food, two of them complain vociferously about tofu. One of them loves it. Add the two youngest finicky eaters to the mix and the perpetual balancing act of motherhood falls flat and gives short shrift to my poor, long-suffering, tofu-loving eleven-year-old. He wasn’t the only one mourning the lack of the bean curd, though. The Evil Genius loves tofu.

I still serve it though, because they may be stubborn, but I invented stubborn. You can’t write off a food as hopeless until you have tried it at least twenty times or more. And I keep trying, because tofu is a wonderfully efficient and economical source of protein for meatless meals. It is simple to prepare and it can be adapted to just about any regional cuisine or style. I feel victory on the horizon! Mainly because I made this dish two weeks ago.

The ones who don’t usually like tofu liked this! The two youngest liked it enough to take three bites each. The rest of them? Ate it! In abundance! They ate it! And they loved it! And I loved it! And the Evil Genius loved it! And I need to step away from the exclamation marks! Now!

The point is this. I never craved a tofu dish before having this one. I liked this so much that the day after making it I announced that I wanted to make it again that night.  That might’ve been pushing it a bit. My eldest said, “Let’s not get carried away, Mom. How about we wait ’til next Friday?” From him, that was a ringing endorsement.

What makes this tofu dish different? The triangles are lightly fried in oil until golden brown, that gives a little crisp outer crust to the fluffy inner tofu. The Thai inspired sauce is spectacularly simple and bold; lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, a little heat and a little sweet and a little umami courtesy of fish sauce.

If you have dietary restrictions that contraindicate using fish sauce, you can simply replace it with an equal amount of soy sauce. But if you can, make it with the fish sauce. It gives it that little extra level of flavor that tofu often needs since it is, on its own, quite bland.

While you can substitute white sugar for the raw sugar, I encourage you to try it with the raw sugar first. It adds a rounder flavor and more body to the sauce. Do a little taste test with some raw sugar and white sugar. Do you taste the hint of caramel in the raw sugar? Once you start using this, you’ll be hooked!

P.S. As of Wednesday, one of the two youngest boys asked me how long until they got to try the tofu again. SCORE! (One last exclamation mark. I think you’ll agree it was warranted.)

Spicy Sweet and Sour Tofu

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 14 ounces Extra Firm Tofu
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons raw sugar (Turbinado or Demerara preferably, white sugar can be used in a pinch.)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated on a microplane
  • zest from one lime
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or peanut)
  • Optional for garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

Lay the tofu block on its widest side on a cutting board over a towel. Lay two dinner plates on top of the tofu as a weight and let it drain for 10 minutes. Lift the plates, flip the tofu block, replace the plate and let drain for another 10 minutes. Repeat the process once more for each side.  Your total draining time should be at or over 40 minutes. This draining makes the tofu hold together better and pop less in the hot oil.

Set the tofu block on the long, narrow side and slice into four thin cards.

Stack the cards and cut lengthwise, then crosswise into four rectangles.

Cut the rectangles diagonally into triangles.

Then make a tofu sculpture. Because you can. Tofu. More fun that you ever knew before…

This should give you 8 triangles per card, for a total of 32 triangles.

Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, lime juice and zest, fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet (or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet) over medium heat. Carefully and quickly arrange the tofu triangles in the hot oil.

The combination of oil and tofu has a tendency to spit, so you need to be cautious. Work quickly, but don’t throw the tofu or it will splash you with hot oil and fall apart despite your best efforts.  Fry the tofu, without moving it, for 4-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown on the underside. Use tongs or a spatula to flip all the tofu triangles.

Turn the heat under the pan to high. Whisk the sauce one more time and pour over the hot tofu and pan. The sauce should bubble up and boil almost immediately.  Gently toss the tofu to coat well. Continue cooking and tossing until the sauce is syrupy. This will take  from 2-4 minutes.

Serve tofu triangles immediately in the syrup. I prefer this over sweet brown rice, but it is also good over Calrose or sushi-type rice. I like it accompanied by stir-fried green vegetables of some sort, but use whatever you enjoy most.

Print
Spicy Sweet and Sour Tofu
Author: 
Recipe type: Main, Vegetarian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

The Thai and Vietnamese inspired sauce for these crispy, golden brown triangles of tofu is spectacularly simple and bold; lime juice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce. Sweet, heat, umami goodness.
Ingredients
  • 14 ounces Extra Firm Tofu
  • 2½ tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons raw sugar (Turbinado or Demerara preferably, white sugar can be used in a pinch.)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1½ teaspoons fish sauce
  • ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, minced or grated on a microplane
  • zest from one lime
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola or peanut)
  • Optional: chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions
  1. Lay the tofu block on its widest side on a cutting board over a towel. Lay two dinner plates on top of the tofu as a weight and let it drain for 10 minutes. Lift the plates, flip the tofu block, replace the plate and let drain for another 10 minutes. Repeat the process once more for each side. Your total draining time should be at or over 40 minutes. This draining makes the tofu hold together better and pop less in the hot oil.
  2. Set the tofu block on the long, narrow side and slice into four narrow cards. Stack the cards and cut lengthwise, then crosswise into four rectangles. Cut the rectangles diagonally into triangles. This should give you 8 triangles per card, for a total of 32 triangles.
  3. Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, lime juice and zest, fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  4. Pour the oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet (or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet) over medium heat. Carefully and quickly arrange the tofu triangles in the hot oil. The combination of oil and tofu has a tendency to spit, so you need to be cautious. Work quickly, but don’t throw the tofu or it will fall apart despite your best efforts. Fry the tofu, without moving it, for 4-5 minutes, or until it is golden brown on the underside. Use tongs or a spatula to flip all the tofu triangles.
  5. Turn the heat under the pan to high. Whisk the sauce one more time and pour over the hot tofu and pan. The sauce should bubble up and boil almost immediately. Gently toss the tofu to coat well. Continue cooking and tossing until the sauce is syrupy. This will take from 2-4 minutes.
  6. Serve tofu triangles immediately in the syrup. I prefer this over sweet brown rice, but it is also good over Calrose or sushi-type rice. I like it accompanied by stir-fried green vegetables of some sort, but use whatever you enjoy most.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Filed Under: Getting Creative With Leftovers, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies

March 14, 2011 by 11 Comments

This Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pie is here to wish you all a very Happy Pi Day*.

*In case you don’t also occupy the Nerdosphere, I’ll explain. Today is March 14th. In other words, it’s 3.14… In other other words, it is a calendar representation of the whole number and first two decimal places of the mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any Euclidean plane circle’s circumference to its diameter. Woot! Geometry in the hizzouse. Eat your pie at 1:59 if you really want to get your math nerd on.

All math aside, I love pie. It’s a happy food. It’s the kind of food that makes you feel like God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world. While I dig a sweet pie as much as Georgie Porgie*, I do believe savoury pies get short-shrift. Today, on International Pi Day, I’m representing for Team Savoury Pie!

*My mother bent over backwards to give me all the food my little pea-pickin’ heart desired on my birthday every year. And most years, when she asked what kind of cake I wanted I replied, “Blueberry Pie”. My poor mother. The one thing she had a mortal dread of preparing; pie crust. And every year I requested it. I was a horrid child.

My love of savoury pies has been pretty well documented (ahem). Honestly. How could you possibly go wrong with a tender crust, a luxurious sauce of some sort and loads of tasty fillings? The answer is YOU CAN’T! It’s not possible.

As for as the crust on pot pies, I like a different crust than I do for my fruit pies.  For fruit pies, I go for flaky and tender. For meat pies and other savouries, I like a crust that’s easier to work with -more forgiving, if you will- and still tender. For as long as she’s been making them -lo, these decades- my Grandma has used a hot water stirred dough for her Yooper pasties and pasty pies. And you’d better believe me, all the food that’s ever come out of my Grandma’s kitchen is all the convincing I need.

The basic procedure is vastly different than standard pie crust. Whereas with the standard you use cold fat and cut it in, working the dough as little as possible, with the stirred dough, you melt boiling water and fat together then beat in the remaining ingredients. The resulting dough is incredibly easy to roll out and re-rollable (unlike standard dough.) When baked, it manages to be sturdy enough to hold meat, gravy, vegetables and whatnot while still being tender as a standard pie crust. If you were to compared a baked standard crust to a stirred crust, you’d find the standard crust to be more flaky but about equal in tenderness. If you’re a pie-crust novice, or pie-crust-o-phobe, this is the one to make as your starter crust. It’s a kinder, gentler dough for beginners.

For the fillings in this little beauty, I went in a Greek inspired direction with a classic combination of lemon and garlic and dill, oh my!  Just for a moment think about plunging a spoon down through a tender pastry crust into a creamy sauce full of chicken, and potatoes and peas. Bright, springy lemon with fresh-tasting dill keeps the creamy garlic sauce from tasting heavy or overbearing.

While I used peas as the green vegetable  for taste, texture and geometry (SPHERES!)  in this marvelous little pot pie, you can substitute cooked green beans, asparagus or even carrots if you so desire. You’re not bound by cosine laws to keep the peas. I release you from any guilt or angst or math agita regarding peas. You are absolved.

Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

Yield: One large pot pie or 12 individual pot pies. There will be extra filling, but you can most definitely use the leftovers in a multitude of ways. Spoon over hot buttermilk biscuits or hearty toast for a serious brunch. Fill savoury crepes and top with minced parsley. Oh sure, you can halve or even quarter it, but where’s the fun in that?

Ingredients for crust (from the King Arthur Flour Tourtiere recipe):

  • 1-1/2 cups (9-3/4 ounces) vegetable shortening or (6 ounces) lard
  • 2/3 cup (4-3/4 ounces) boiling water
  • 4-1/2 cups (1 pound, 3 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1  teaspoon salt

Ingredients for filling:

  • 3/4 cup (12 ounces by weight) butter
  • 1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 9 cups whole milk
  • 8 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (I prefer a mix of white and dark meat for best flavor and texture.)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 4 leftover large baked potatoes (or the equivalent thereof of cooked potatoes. For these pies I used leftover Hasselback potatoes.) You can opt to use the peels or not, but either way, cut the potatoes into small cubes.
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or good quality bottled lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or 3 Tablespoons fresh, minced dill)
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Begin by making the pastry dough. Stir together the shortening and boiling water in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) until the shortening is fully melted and combined with the water.  It will probably be a thick, milky white liquid at that point.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix together on low (either with a stand mixer or by hand) until a smooth dough forms.  Divide in two and pat each half into a smooth disc on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling, melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot.  Whisk the flour in, little by little, until smooth and bubbly. After it becomes bubbly, cook and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth. Heat gently until the sauce is bubbling and thickened. Stir in the chicken, peas, and potatoes.  Continue cooking and stirring until heated through. Stir in remaining ingredients and remove the stockpot from the heat.

Cover and return to the pastry.

To make one large pie:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc and cut it in half with a bench knife. Scatter flour over a clean counter and roll one half of the disc into an approximately 12-inch circle. Use the bench knife to fold it gently in half and then in half again. Place the pointy edge of the folded dough in the center of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.  Unfold the pie dough so it covers the pie plate. If needed, stretch or squash the dough so that it covers the whole plate and extends up a bit over the edges.  Spoon the filling into the prepared dough in the pie plate so that it is slightly mounded.

Roll the other half of the disc into a 9-inch circle and cut vents in the circle. Again, use a bench knife to fold the circle in half and in half again, place the pointy end of the dough at the very center of the filled pie plate and unfold the dough to cover the filling. Crimp the lower and upper crusts together.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the upper crust is deep golden  brown at the edges, light golden brown in the center, and the filling can be seen to be bubbling through the vent holes. Transfer pie plate to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.  To serve, use a deep spoon to scoop the pot pie into bowls.

To Make 12 (or 24) Individual Pies:

To make these, you need 12 wide-mouth 1/2-pint (8 ounce capacity) or 24 jelly (4 ounce) canning jars. Do not use jars that are not heat-proof.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one disc of dough and cut in half.  Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch and use the screw-top ring from a wide-mouth jar to cut 12 rounds (or 24, depending on the size you’re making.)

Pull away the excess dough and break off pieces to begin lining the jars. First, cover the inside bottom of the jar, using your fingers to squish seams together.

Continue grabbing pieces of dough to line up the insides of the jars to within about a 1/4-inch from the upper rim. When you run out of rolled pieces, pinch off pieces from the remaining dough disc and line the remaining jars.

Spoon filling into the dough lined jars to within 1/4-inch of the top of the dough (not the top of the jars!).  Cut vent holes into the pre-cut discs and lay gently on the filling in the jars. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the lower dough to the upper disc.  If you plan to freeze the pies before cooking, be certain to keep the dough and filling fully below the rim of the jar. The three pot pies in the forefront of the picture below are freezer-friendly, but the back two are definitely not.

Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes.

Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

 

To Freeze Individual Pies:

Refrigerate the filled jars, unbaked and uncovered, until chilled through.  Fix two-piece canning lids onto the jars, label and freeze.

To bake from frozen, remove the two piece lids and place on a rimmed baking sheet and into a cold oven.  Set the oven for 375°F and let it come up to temperature. Bake for 30 minutes after the oven reaches temperature or or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

Dig in!

Look inside that little pot pie. Creamy, hearty, bright and garlicky; Go Team Savoury Pie!

3.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Creamy Garlic Lemon and Dill Chicken Pot Pies
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8
 

These luscious, Greek-inspired pot pies are brimming with chicken, peas, potatoes, and a creamy garlic lemon dill sauce that is hearty without being heavy.
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for crust (from the King Arthur Flour Tourtiere recipe):
  • 1-1/2 cups (9-3/4 ounces) vegetable shortening or (6 ounces) lard
  • ⅔ cup (4-3/4 ounces) boiling water
  • 4-1/2 cups (1 pound, 3 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Ingredients for filling:
  • ¾ cup (12 ounces by weight) butter
  • 1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 9 cups whole milk
  • 8 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (I prefer a mix of white and dark meat for best flavor and texture.)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and minced
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 4 leftover large baked potatoes (or the equivalent thereof of cooked potatoes. For these pies I used leftover Hasselback potatoes.) You can opt to use the peels or not, but either way, cut the potatoes into small cubes.
  • 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or good quality bottled lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed (or 3 Tablespoons fresh, minced dill)
  • ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. To make one large pie:
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Take one disc and cut it in half with a bench knife. Scatter flour over a clean counter and roll one half of the disc into an approximately 12-inch circle. Use the bench knife to fold it gently in half and then in half again. Place the pointy edge of the folded dough in the center of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Unfold the pie dough so it covers the pie plate. If needed, stretch or squash the dough so that it covers the whole plate and extends up a bit over the edges. Spoon the filling into the prepared dough in the pie plate so that it is slightly mounded.
  4. Roll the other half of the disc into a 9-inch circle and cut vents in the circle. Again, use a bench knife to fold the circle in half and in half again, place the pointy end of the dough at the very center of the filled pie plate and unfold the dough to cover the filling. Crimp the lower and upper crusts together.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the upper crust is deep golden brown at the edges, light golden brown in the center, and the filling can be seen to be bubbling through the vent holes. Transfer pie plate to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, use a deep spoon to scoop the pot pie into bowls.
  6. To Make 12 Individual Pies:
  7. To make these, you need 12 wide-mouth ½-pint (8 ounce capacity) canning jars. Do not use jars that are not heat-proof.
  8. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  9. Take one disc of dough and cut in half. Roll out one half of the dough to a thickness of about ⅛-inch to ¼-inch and use the screw-top ring from a wide-mouth jar to cut 12 rounds. Pull away the excess dough and break off pieces to begin lining the jars. First, cover the inside bottom of the jar, using your fingers to squish seams together. Continue grabbing pieces of dough to line up the insides of the jars to within about a ¼-inch from the upper rim. When you run out of rolled pieces, pinch off pieces from the remaining dough disc and line the remaining jars.
  10. Spoon filling into the dough lined jars to within ¼-inch of the top of the dough (not the top of the jars!). Cut vent holes into the pre-cut discs and lay gently on the filling in the jars. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the lower dough to the upper disc. If you plan to freeze the pies before cooking, be certain to keep the dough and filling fully below the rim of the jar.
  11. Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.
  12. To Freeze Individual Pies:
  13. Refrigerate the filled jars, unbaked and uncovered, until chilled through. Fix two-piece canning lids onto the jars, label and freeze.
  14. To bake from frozen, remove the two piece lids and place on a rimmed baking sheet and into a cold oven. Set the oven for 375°F and let it come up to temperature. Bake for 30 minutes after the oven reaches temperature or or until the edges of the upper crust are deep golden brown and the top is lightly browned. The crust inside the jars should look a very pale gold and the filling should be visibly bubbling when you look into the vent holes. Transfer the jars from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To keep the jars from sliding on the serving plates, you may want to put a damp hand towel or piece of moistened paper towel between the jars the the plates.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

Filed Under: kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Main Dish, Meat, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»