The easiest blueberry pie in the world...

This has to be the easiest pie I have ever made for two reasons : 

1. It uses frozen berries.

2. I used a pre made pie crust.

A little hint..... buy the generic crust, it tastes better.

I really do not see being snooty about making the crust from scratch, if you have time for a special occasion... GO FOR IT... but if you want to whip something special up for your family, why do all that work? Two dollars and fifty cents worth of trouble and mess are out the window, just buy the dang crust!

We are about to move so my posts may be few and far between the next couple months, but I am excited to be cooking in a new kitchen very soon!

Ingredients:

16 oz package of frozen blueberries... keep them frozen

1/4 cup of corn starch

1 cup granulated sugar

dash of nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs vanilla

1/4 cup orange juice

2 premade pie crust sheets

egg wash... 1 egg white mixed with 1 tbs water

3 tbs cold butter, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

First get your pie crust in a pie pan sprayed with cooking spray and brush it with some of the egg wash.

Now place your frozen berries in a bowl and sprinkle with starch.. the key to this is to coat all your berries, if you need more starch add it by teaspoonfuls.

Next add the next 5 ingredients and mix well....

then add to your pie crust,

Dot with the butter, then add your top crust.

You will want to use your egg wash again and then sprinkle with sugar... don't forget a couple slits in the top to vent.

Stick it in the oven and enjoy the smell of a fresh baked pie! Cooks from 40-60 minutes. Just keep an eye on it. Also, if you see the crust is to brown, place some foil around corners.

It's great served warm with some Blue Bell Home made Vanilla ice cream!

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON... Daring Cooks May 2012

This is the Daring Cooks May 2012 challenge. This was the first time I have made the classic Julia Child version of this recipe.... it was lovely!

A special thank you to Fabi from fabsfood for hosting this moths challenge.

Needless to say,my family loved it and it was so good heated over for lunch.

I served it with Jasmine rice and a yeast roll.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

 serves 6

Ingredients:

  6 oz  chunk of streaky bacon

Olive oil

 3 pounds  stewing beef cut into 2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon  salt

 ½ teaspoon  pepper

 3 tablespoons  flour

 3 cups  of young red wine.

 Suggestions: Bourgogne, of course, but also Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Rioja etc.
1, sliced carrot
 1 onion
1 ½ to 2 cups beef stock 

1 tablespoon  tomato paste
 2 cloves mashed garlic

 ½ teaspoon thyme leaves

 1 bay leave 

blanched bacon rind

 18-24 small onions, brown-braised in stock

 1 pound (½ kg) mushrooms sautéed in butter
 Fresh parsley sprigs to serve
Directions:

Prepare the bacon: Remove the rind. Cut the bacon  and simmer everything in 4 cups  of water for 10 minutes. Drain and dry carefully with paper towels. 

In a large cast iron enamel pot, sauté the bacon in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2-3 minutes until they’re lightly brown. Remove them to a side dish with a slotted spoon

.

 In the same pot, sauté the beef until it’s golden brown. Remove it to the side dish where you keep the bacon and set aside.

 sauté the carrot and the onion.

 Return the bacon and the beef to the casserole. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then add the flour and toss.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F

 Place the pot uncovered in the middle position of the oven for 4 minutes. 

 Remove pot from the oven. Stir in the wine, stock, tomato paste, mashed garlic cloves, thyme, bay and the blanched bacon rind.

Bring it to simmering point on the stove. Cover the pot and place it low in the oven. Adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly, cook for 3-4 hours.

While the stew is cooking, prepare onions and mushrooms.

 For the onions: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying pan and sauté the peeled onions until golden brown. Add beef stock until they’re almost covered and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until almost all the liquid disappears and they’re tender but keep their shape. Set aside.

Now for the mushrooms, Wash quarter and sauté them in 2 tablespoons butter. Keep on stirring until they’re nicely brown. Set aside.

Now this is where I varied from the original instructions, I placed the onions and mushrooms into my pot about an hour before cooking time was up and let them cook a bit longer.

I did not skim fat as it did not need it.

After the meat was nice and tender, I placed my pot on the stove top.

In a small frying pan I added, 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs flour and made a roux, I did not let it brown, just cooked the flour. I then added it to my stew and it thickened nicely.

If you give a princess a pancake ( the best pancake recipe ever!)

After many years of trying to find a buttermilk pancake recipe that tastes like yummy diner pancakes,

you know, the kind you go out to eat for and you know you do not need the pancakes but you just cannot leave if you do not have one?

 Well, I found it and I will share my secret!

I think my husband is very impressed with me on this one! We have had pancake Sunday three weeks in a row now.

Buttermilk Pancakes

serves 5-7 people

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tbs granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted.... 1/4 butter for frying pancakes

1 tbs vanilla

dash of nutmeg

Blend all dry ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl.  Add wet ingredients. 

Preheat electric skillet on 400 degrees F. Put  butter on the pan... I just take the stick and rub it on the pan.

For large pancakes add 1/2 cup batter, med 1/3 cup, small 1/4 cup, and tiny sizes 1/8 of a cup.

Fry until bubbles form on better and they stay popped, but being careful not to burn them.

To keep them warm while I am cooking, I turn my oven on " keep warm" and place them on a platter.

Daring Cooks Challenge April 2012: Create your own recipe..... Eggplant Pasta

David and Karen from Twenty-Fingered Cooking, hosted this months Daring Cooks Challenge.

It was a "create your own recipe" with a twist...

you have to choose one ingredient from these three lists.

List 1: Parsnips, Eggplant (aubergine), Cauliflower
List 2: Balsamic Vinegar, Goat Cheese, Chipotle peppers
List 3: Maple Syrup, Instant Coffee, Bananas

So here is what we chose:

 Eggplant, maple syrup, and goat cheese.

I have never used or even tasted goat cheese before. 

I liked it but it is a bit strong to me.

We had instructions on this challenge that if it was just gross, to treat ourselves to take out... ha ha. I had two frozen pizza's on standby but luckily did not need them.

So here it goes:

Eggplant Pasta

Start with your " sauce"

 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F

List of ingredients for sauce:

a couple handfuls of grape tomatoes

a few bunches of washed and chopped swiss chard

chopped zucchini

chopped mini bell peppers

In a small bowl whisk together:

2 TBS chopped garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to your liking

3 TBS pure maple syrup

Toss all this together in a roasting pan and bake for about 40 minutes until tomatoes burst.

Then mash a little with a potato masher.

 

cooked sauce before mashing

 Now you will start on your eggplant while this is cooking, and begin your pasta water. It will be your goal to have it all done by the time your sauce is done so you can toss it all together.

For your eggplant you will want to peel and cube 1 eggplant

Get out 3 deep dishes or freezer bags, I used bags.

Fill one with flour seasoned with garlic powder and salt, another with 2 beaten eggs, and the last with panko, regular Italian bread crumbs, and 2 TBS of Parmesan cheese.

Coat your cubes in the order given above.

In whatever you like to fry in , start melting about 1/2 cup on coconut oil and 1/2 cup olive oil.

Fry your cubes until brown and crisp in small batches.

 Next crumble your goat cheese... a little will do you, I added a bit much to mine.

I would suggest maybe a half cup.

 At this point everything should be done and ready to toss together.

Get yourself out a big old bowl and get to tossing.

I made a little garlic toast with goat cheese to go with it

And now the final product:

It was pretty good. Will I make it again? I am not sure, maybe without the goat cheese... ha ha.

I will use goat cheese again though in some other way.

And the flavor of the pure organic maple syrup was really good in that sauce.

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake with Creamy Frosting

1 3/4 cups  granulated sugar

1 3 ounce package strawberry flavored  Jell-O

1 cup  room temp butter

4  large eggs room temp

3 cups  sifted cake  flour

1 TBS baking powder

3/4 TSP salt

1 cup  whole milk  room temp

1 TBS vanilla

1/4 cup  strawberry puree 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F . 

Prepare three round 8-inch pans.

 In  medium bowl combine  milk, strawberry puree, and  vanilla.

In another bowl ,whisk dry ingredients together.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.....cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until fluffy.

 Add the eggs, one at a time.

 Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture , alternating.

 Divide the batter info three pans. Tap pans on counter top to get out air bubbles.

Bake  for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

For the creamy frosting:

 

1 1/2 cup plus TBS room temp butter

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 TBS Whipping cream

2 TSP vanilla extract

3 TBS strawberry puree 

 In the bowl of an electric mixer whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed

 Add remaining ingredients and whip frosting  until it is light and fluffy.

Decorate as you wish.... I also spread organic strawberry seedless preserves in between the layers and garnished with strawberry Whoppers and whipped cream.