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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Supper under a crustKitchen wizards make a wand of a rolling pin and magically turn the bits and pieces of meats and vegetables hiding out in the refrigerator into meat pie. An entire meal can be baked under the crust. For that crust you can use your own recipe, freezer crust, crust from a box, biscuit mix or cornmeal if you're hungry for Mexican fare, or mashed potatoes. There is a crust for every pie. There is also a choice of container for every pie. Bake in soup bowls or drinking mugs for individual pies, or bake in pie pans or casserole dishes. Quick Cream Cheese Pastry Use a food processor or a bowl. You can make this ahead and chill airtight up to 3 days or freeze it.
In food processor or bowl, combine flour, butter and cream cheese. Whirl or rub with fingers until coarse crumbs form. Add egg; whirl or stir with a fork until dough holds together. Pat into a ball and chill until ready to use. When ready to use, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to make a 10-inch round. With a cookie cutter, cutter cut 1 or 2 designs from center of pastry; reserve cutouts. Lay pastry over filling, fold edges under flush with pan rim, flute firmly against the rim; top with cutouts. Set pie on a baking sheet. Brush pastry and cutouts with beaten egg or heavy cream. Bake in a 400 F oven on the lowest rack until pastry is well browned and filling is hot in center, 40 to 55 minutes. If crust begins to darken too much lay foil over crust. Makes a single crust. Beef & Green Chili Pie Filling Use skirt steak or boned chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces; this recipe will tenderize the toughest beef. Any crust can be used and it is possible to make the pie ahead and bake in a day or two. You can also bake the pie ahead and reheat at 350 F for 30 t0 40 minutes. 2 pounds steak
Place meat, onion, soy, 2 tablespoons water, garlic and oregano in a large pan. Cover and bring to a boil; let simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, boil over high heat until juices evaporate. When meat sizzles, add l/4 cup water and stir to release browned bits; when liquid evaporates repeat procedure once. Then add 1 cup water, cover and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, about 30 minutes. Stir in corn and chilies. Mix cornstarch with broth. Add about 2/3 of the mixture to the meat and stir until boiling. Let cool; stir in remaining mixture. Use to fill pie and cover with top crust. Brush egg (or heavy cream) over crust. Bake in preheated 400 F oven on the lowest rack, 40 top 55 minutes. If rim becomes too brown, drape rim and cutouts with foil. Makes 8 or 9 servings. Turkey, Onion & Apple Pot Pie You can do most or all of the preparation the day ahead and bake the chilled pie 60 to 65 minutes. 2 large onions, 1 pound total
Peel onions and thinly slice crosswise. Peel and core apples; thinly slice crosswise. Peel yams; cut in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Melt butter and crumble turkey into pan; stir often until no longer pink. Add onions, apples, yams, sage and caraway seed; cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Uncover, turn heat to high and stir often until liquid is evaporated and onions begin to brown. In a small bowl, mix broth, sherry and cornstarch. Add to turkey mixture and stir until it boils and thickens. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into a casserole or a 10-inch pie pan. Roll pastry into a round about two inches wider than the diameter of the container. Center pastry over filling; trim edges to overhang rim and slash top decoratively. If desired, reroll pastry scraps and cut into decorative shapes and lay on top of pie. Set pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush top with beaten egg or heavy cream. Bake in 375 F oven until pastry is well browned and filling is bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. If crust rim darkens excessively before center browns, fold foil from pan up to cover rim loosely. Makes 8 servings. Spinach Mushroom Pie There is a bit of bacon hiding under the crust so this is not "vegetarian."
Over medium heat, stir onion, mushrooms, bacon, garlic and tarragon until liquid evaporates and onion is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Crumble spinach and add to pan along with the ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, parmesan cheese and parsley; beat to mix well. Fill pie and cover with top crust. Brush egg (or heavy cream) over crust. Bake in preheated 400 F oven on the lowest rack, 40 top 55 minutes. If rim becomes too brown, drape rim and cutouts with foil. If baked pie is made ahead, cool, cover airtight, and chill until next day. Reheat, uncovered, in 350 F oven until filling is hot, 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 8 or 9 servings. Supper pies are super for lunch too!
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