Beef and Potato Pie

Pie. I know, there is an overwhelming amount of pie in my life. I won't apologize for it. Instead I will bring to your attention how easy it is to make pie crust and fill it with delicious things. Easy peasy guys. And you can fill it with anything! I love doing skillet pies like this in my cast iron skillet. So easy, and cleaning up is easy too!

1-2 lbs meat ( I used a chopped up chuck roast)
1 c beef broth
1 Tbsp corn starch
1-2 medium russet potatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2 tsp thyme
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper

Season your meat. Add meat to a hot pan and brown. As meat browns add your garlic. Make a slurry of beef broth and cornstarch. Add to the browned beef mixture. Once meat is cooked, remove from pan. Reserve the gravy. Add onion, thyme, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onions are softened and slightly carmelized. While your onions are cooking take your potato slices and layer in the bottom of a cast iron skillet. Make sure there are no holes, this is essentially the bottom crust of your pie. Once onions are done begin assembling your pie. A layer of meat, onions, gravy, and another tight layer of potatoes, and so on. Three layers should fill your skillet. Cover with your prepared pie crust. Brush your crust with a beaten egg and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour until the pie crust is browned, your meat has finished cooking, and the potatoes are done. Slice up and enjoy.


Beef and garlic

Mushrooms and onion

Bottom layer of potatoes.

Layers

Creamy Lemon Pie

My mother happens to be the BEST pie-maker I know. I have never met anyone else that equals her skill, barring perhaps my grandmother, and my aunt. I don't know what she does, or how she does it, but each pie is somehow this little doorway to a magical taste explosion. I have her recipes, I know the HOW, but somehow I cannot replicate her supremacy in the art of pie making. So, rather than make her recipes second rate I try to find new recipes that I can make my own, and excel at. I originally found this recipe in one of those little magazines you get for two bucks at the checkstand at the grocery store. A few tweaks, and tests later, this is my final version of this recipe. It's super tart and creamy, my neighbor said I should make the crusts all on their own, because it's like crack. :D I hope you like this exceedingly creamy, mouthwateringly delectable pie.

Crust:
12 Graham Crackers, finely crushed
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
5 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
2 (14 oz) cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 egg yolks
3/4 c fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix together crushed grahams, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Firly press into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Press firmly up the sides of the pie plate as well. Bake for about ten minutes until it's beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Do not get your filling ready until your pie crust is cooled. You can't put the custard into a hot crust or it will cook the eggs and you'll get scrambled eggs on the bottom of your pie.

Whisk egg yolks until lightened in color. Whisk in Sweetened Condensed Milk. Once these are combined well, add in your lemon juice a little bit at a time. Whisk thoroughly. Add your lemon zest. Gently pour into your cooled pie crust. Tap gently on the countertop to remove any bubbles, then skim off anything that surfaces. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the edges are set, but the center jiggles slightly. Let cool completely, and then put in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours. Serve cold. You can serve with a dollop of whipped cream, and/or some fresh fruit.



Crust, baked and cooled.


Everything whisked together.


Finished product. Don't you just want to eat it!?!

Fresh Peach Cookies

Summer time and the living is easy. Have I mentioned how much I love cookies? These are delicious cake cookies bursting with peach flavor. They're easy, and impressive. Take them to your latest barbeque, or family party.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp salt
3-4 medium peaches peeled, pitted, and chopped

In a medium sized bowl sift all dry ingredients together. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Gently add dry ingredients slowly to wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in peaches. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. I used parchment paper instead of greasing the cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until cookies are browned on top. Cool on wire rack. Store in air tight container, layered with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking.


Cream together butter and sugars.

Add egg and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients.

Add in your delicious peaches.

Scoop onto your cookie sheet.


YUM!

Tomato Braised Steak with Fennel Spiced Lentils

Every have one of those days where you want to try something new, but not at the same time? This was my solution to that. I love lentils, and this recipe I've mucked about with for a while, and I adore it. The tomato braised steak is a twist on something I've done before as well. So new, but not new. :D I'm pretty happy with the outcome here.

For the lentils...
1 1/2 cups green or black lentils
1/2 red onion, peeled, root end left on
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp fennel seeds (or 1/2 bulb fennel)
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with water, about two inches above the level of your ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes until your lentils are tender. Remove from the heat and add salt. ADD SALT. Your water should be fairly salty, then let the lentils rest in the salty hot water for about ten minutes. Don't salt before they are cooked. They will turn hard and be really gross.

Dry lentils with aromatics.

Covered with water.

After cooking.


3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste (one small can)
1 small can tomatoes, I think mine were crushed
Steak of some sort - I used strip steaks
1 c chicken or beef broth
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced


Brown your meat. Remove from pan, don't worry about cooking it through, right now you just want the sear. In the same pan saute your garlic and onion for about a minute. Add the rest of your vegetables. Saute until slightly softened. Pull to the edges and add in your tomato paste, warm through. Add your tomatoes, and stock. Then nestle back in your meat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about twenty minutes (depending on what type of meat you've used. Some needs longer, some shorter.) When your meat is done, add in the mushrooms and simmer for just a minute or so. Enjoy!

Brown your meat.

After your meat has been browned remove and add your veg to the pan.

Add the tomato paste.

Add your liquid.

Add in mushrooms.

Delish.

Caribbean Stew

Experiment recipe tonight! Sweet, spicy, and filling. It's definitely a different flavor profile for me, and I adore it. Don't kill me for making bisquick dumplings. I know, I know, how could I take a shortcut like that. Well.... I was kind of in a rush to get it done so we could eat. :)

2 large carrots, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 large russet potato, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 lb chicken - thighs, whole fryer chicken cut up, even chicken breast works.

Bisquick dumplings
2 c bisquick
2/3 c milk
seasonings if desired

Brown your chicken. Remove from pot. Dump in your carrots, onion, ginger, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute until slightly softened. Add in your spices, stir around to warm them up. Add your tomato and potato. Add EVERYTHING except for the dumplings. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer for about half an hour. Salt your stew to taste at this point. Then add on your dumplings, cover the pot and let them cook for about ten minutes.


Browned chicken.

Vegetables.

Spices.

Potatoes.

Liquids in.

Dumplings.

Delicious!

Clam Chowder

Mmmmmmmm. The only thing that could be better about this is if I lived somewhere that had easy access to FRESH seafood.

Looking for something a little different? Clam Chowder can be homey and inviting if you aren't too intimidated. This recipe uses canned clams, I don't have good access to fresh ones, AND let's be honest, would I have the patience to use fresh? Probably not.

Ingredients
5-10 strips of bacon cut into chunks
4 6.5 oz cans of clams
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 c butter
1 c flour
2 c heavy cream
2 bottles clam juice
1 tsp salt
Ground black pepper

In a large pot cook your bacon until crisp. Remove. In the bacon grease saute your vegetables until slightly softened. Remove from pot. Add in butter, melt, and then add in the flour. You're going to create a roux here, so make sure you whisk together and there are no lumps or questionable bits. Keep stirring fairly constantly until the roux as a light peanut butter color and smells nutty and delicious. Add back in your veg, and then add in the clam juice, as well as the clam juice from the canned clams. Add in the cream and bring back up to a simmer but do NOT BOIL. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add in the clams and cook for just a few minutes until they are done. Be careful, they get tough quick.


Bacon

Onion and Garlic

Celery

Clams

Add the clam juice and stock.

Delish.

Chicken with Peppers

olive oil
4-6 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless, cut into fingers
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, one chopped, one sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
5 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped (with all juices)
2 c chicken stock
8 oz mushrooms, sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

In a heavy bottomed pot heat olive oil. Brown chicken - cook almost all of the way through. Remove and set aside. Saute onion in chicken drippings. Once the bottom of the pan has given up all the browned bits, add in garlic and chopped bell pepper. Cook for about a minute then add in the spices. Return your chicken to the pan and cover with stock. Simmer, covered for about twenty minutes. A few minutes before it's done add the sliced mushrooms and sliced bell pepper. Garnish with parsley. Serve over rice.




Brown the chicken.

Onions in to sweat and pick up the browned bits.

Yummy yummy

Add the peppers

Saute.

Add back in the chicken and spices.

Add the tomatoes.

And the stock.

Add the rest of the peppers and the mushrooms.


Serve with rice.