Cornish Pasties

It has been a while since I have made a Mark Bittman recipe. This one came together perfectly. I had all the ingredients. Well almost all of them. Rutabaga in something I have never used. Not sure if I have seen one in person. I googled a substitution and the turnip was mentioned. So on my one shopping trip of the week, I bought a turnip. I decided not to use the turnip in this dish. I looked at it and decided it was not needed. The turnip will be used another time.

Back to the recipe. I found this in the Mark Bittman Book How to Bake Everything. The recipe received rave reviews!

This is my version of the recipe. I scaled it down for two servings.

Ingredients-
Pate Brise Dough, Click Here for Recipe
10 oz cups ground beef
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten


Method-
Make Pate Brise dough. Divide the dough into two pieces. Wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Mix together the ground beef, potatoes, onions, carrots, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper in a large bowl. 
For each pasty, roll out a piece of dough into an 8-inch circle. On one half of the circle place half of the beef mixture.
Fold the dough over, forming a half-moon. Moisten the edges with some of the egg, and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. On the top of each pasty, cut several small slashes with a sharp knife. Brush with egg.

Bake in a 375-degree oven for  45 minutes or until the pasties are nicely browned. Serve hot.

Favorite Chicken Pot Pie

It was 10 years ago this month that I first used this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. The recipe is from RealSimple and it one of our go-to recipes. We use rotisserie chicken. We have a Fresh Market in our area and on Thursday they have a special, $5.00 Rotisserie Chicken. It is not one of those heavily hormone injected birds.

For the crust of the Pot Pie, we use that Pate Brisse recipe. The CB and LB are used to differentiate the inside of the Pot Pie. One side, the CB side, does not have any of the lima beans that are part of the mixed frozen vegetables. The side that has LB has all the lima beans!

Pate Brisee Recipe -

Ingredients -
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method -
Sift the flour, salt, and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto your work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


The Pot Pie -

Ingredients
1 pound Rotisserie Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk 
1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon fresh thyme 
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper 
Pate Brise dough

Directions 
Heat oven to 400° F.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.

Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

2018: The Year Of the Unboring Crust

 The best part of a crust are the crispy ends. 

– Lucia Borzillo

Chicken Pot Pie + Pate Brise = Happiness

The Pot Pie Recipe -

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk

1 lb. cooked chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken  
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.
Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Pate Brisee Recipe -

Ingredients -
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method -
Sift the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto you work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

 

Chicken Pot Pie

Yes, there was lots of chicken leftover from last night. So tonight we had Chicken Pot Pie. I even added the leftover potatoes! Oh, it was delicious. I used my usual Pate Brise recipe and my go-to Chicken Pot Pie recipe from Real Simple.

Pate Brise
Ingredients -
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method -
Sift the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto you work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Chicken Pot Pie from RealSimple.com

Ingredients -
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups 1 percent milk
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 9-inch store-bought pie crust, thawed if frozen

Method -
Heat oven to 400° F.
Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then shred.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stir-ring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Transfer to a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.
Lay the crust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Eggplant and Tomato Galette

Was the world calling out for an Eggplant and Tomato Galette? No, but sometimes you just have too many tomatoes. Not that too many tomatoes are a bad thing. Yeah, I could have frozen them but wouldn't that be too easy? I had Pate Brisee in the freezer. Doesn't everyone? And I had this idea in my head. I make an Eggplant and Tomato Casserole from the Vegetarian Epicurious during the summer. I love the dish. I thought, "Why not make the filling and put it in a pie shell." Everything tastes good in a pie shell!

And that is what I did. I made the filling, but omitted the eggs, and topped it with sliced tomatoes and cheese. And I added a little ricotta, just because. Baked it and voila! I believe the expression was, "Wow this is really good." Thank you. Good night everyone.

Eggplant and Tomato Galette

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lb.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

2 Tbs. melted butter
ground pepper

2 to 3 tbs. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. crushed oregano

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
1/2 cup ricotta

2 oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 batch of Pate Brisee, click here for recipe

Peel and slice the eggplant. Put the slices in a pan with the salt and about an inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and cook about 10 minutes. Drain. Mash the eggplant and mix in the melted butter, pepper, onion, oregano and bread crumbs.

This is an important step - Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper. 

Cover the pastry with the ricotta, leaving about a 2-inch border. Then spread the eggplant mixture on top of the ricotta. Spread it evenly. Arrange the tomato slices on top. Mix together the cheeses and sprinkle over the top layer of tomatoes. Fold the dough over to form the Galette. I placed the Galette in a pie dish so I would not have to worry about leaking. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Vegetable Tart

Tonight we had Chili which was in the freezer from the batch made on January 23rd. Afraid there might not be enough food on the table, I have a serious problem with this, I made a Vegetable Tart. I had leftover Asparagus and I sauteed some zucchini and yellow squash and an onion. A little Cheddar cheese and that Pate Brisee recipe resulted in a nice side dish and lunch for me tomorrow!

It's All About The Crust

Yes I love pie crust. The flaky layers of flour and butter and shortening. And I added some dried thyme. Put a pie crust on anything and you have bought dinner up a notch. It has to be homemade. Really is it too easy not to make it. You can make the dough when you have a few free minutes and then pop it in the fridge when it is time to bake you pot pie. Chicken Pot Pie. Beef Pot Pie. Short Rib Pot Pie. Vegetable Pot Pie. And did you see the recipe for Chock-A-Leekie Pie in this month's magazine! We had our usual Chicken Pot Pie. Click here for my favorite Chicken Pot Pie Recipe.

Don't you want to make this crust?

Pate Brisee

 Ingredients -
1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water


Method -
Sift the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto you work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Lemony Ricotta Summer Squash Galette & Archie's Birthday!

Another recipe from this month's Better Homes and Garden. Tonight we tried Lemony Ricotta Summer Squash Galette. The recipe calls for store bought pie crust. Yeah not likely in this house... For the crust I made the Pate Brisee and added some thyme and black pepper. Layers of thinly sliced zucchini on a layer of lemony ricotta. Yeah I like this recipe!

And with the Galette we had the perfectly constructed Big Salad.

And who is 14 years old today? Archie!

Roasted Vegetable Tart

 

To go along with our Minestra tonight we had a Vegetable Tart. I roasted butternut squash, zucchini and onions. Made some Pate Brise, added thyme to the dough (it looks pretty!). Rolled out the dough. Piled on the vegetables, adding some cheddar cheese to the layers. Folded the crust over the top and baked in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

 

Pate Brisee -

1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch granulated sugar

5-1/2 Tbsp (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled

3 Tbsp vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Sift the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl; add butter and shortening and cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
Turn dough out onto you work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

And what have we been drinking? My Dad's wine, we are cleaning out the house after all. 2005 Merlot. A very good year!

Chicken Pot Pie

 

Happy February! Let's start with an oldie but a goodie. Chicken Pot Pie. Recipe from RealSimple.com. I used leftover roasted chicken but I followed their recipe for the sauce. And it was good! But honestly the best part of this was the crust. I made a Pate Brisée and added some thyme to the dough. I used cookie cutters for the steam vents!

What we ate for dinner a year ago...
Stir-Fried Beef with Onions and Ginger

What we ate for dinner 2 years ago...
Manicotti with Chicken Sausage 

Zuppa Di Cipolle and Quiche

This was the first time I have made Onion Soup since back when I was working at New Haven Restaurant as a prep cook. There we made 25 gallons of onion soup at a time... it was one of their signature dishes.

This on the other hand was a much smaller batch of soup. The recipe came from the La Cucina Cookbook. This recipe is from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 lb. onions, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. flour
6 cups beef broth
slices of stale bread
Shredded Swiss Cheese

Method
Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the onions and slowly saute them until golden. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stir then slowly add the broth, creating a creamy but not too thick soup.

At this point I toasted 2 pieces of homemade French bread. We ladled the soup into our bowls and put the toast on top. Then we sprinkled the toast with shredded Swiss Cheese. It was delicious. I think it was the wine that added the flavor. I don't know why I haven't made this before now. Chris really liked it.

I also made a Quiche with Ham and Swiss Cheese. For some reason I thought the soup would not be enough. The quiche was quite good and so simple to make. I just made a Pate Brisse for the crust and filled the shell with Rosemary Ham and some Swiss cheese.

Pate Brisée, from The Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
pinch granulated sugar
5 1/2 tbsp. (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled
3 tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method
1. Sift flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Add butter and shortening. Cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
2. Sprinkle on and blend in enough ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
3. Turn dough out onto work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Unwrap dough, place on a floured work surface, and pound it a few times with your rolling pin to soften it. Roll it out 1/8 inch thick, or to desired thickness.
5. Drape dough over quiche pan, ease it into the pan without stretching, pat into place. Trim off excess, and crimp edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and prick the bottom and sides well with a fork. Line the bottom of the pan with foil and fill with beans to weight the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, until dough is just beginning to color.
7. Remove from oven, remove weights and lining and cool slightly.

For filling place cheese and diced ham in crust. Beat 3 eggs and mix with 1 1/2 cups milk or cream, I use low fat milk. Season with salt, nutmeg and fresh ground pepper. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until filling is set.

The quiche and the soup combined made a wonderful dinner.