Archive for July, 2009
Nothing tops off a great meal than some dessert right? Good, glad you agree. Here is an easy blueberry pie recipe which will make for an excellent finisher to the dinner made in the other two episodes. Also I hope to show everyone how easy it really is to make a pie crust, no need to over pay at the grocery store. Remember, you can substitute whatever you want for the fruit in this recipe, it’s very versatile.
[print_link] INGREDIENTS:
Crust
- 3 cups flour (12 ounces if by weight)
- 4 tablespoons of honey (any sugar really)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2/3 cup cold water
Filling
- 3 to 4 cups blueberries (fresh)
- 7 tablespoons corn starch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup honey (any sugar really)
EQUIPMENT:
- 9″ deep-dish pie plate
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Rolling pin
- Colander
- Parchment Paper
PREPARATION TIMES:
- Active – 30 minutes
- Dough Chill – 30 minutes
- Bake – 1 hour
- Pie Cool – at least 30 minutes
METHOD:
Put the flour, honey, and shortening in a bowl and mix. Pour the water in solwly until it begins to look like dough. Make sure it is holding together but no to soupy. Wrap the dough up in some syaran wrap and put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. If you are crunched for time, you can skip this step. Rip off a nice size of parchment paper and lay it on the counter. Set aside half of the dough ball and place the other half in the center of the paper . Cover the dough with an equal size of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a nice circle, big enough to fit over your plate and hang over a bit.
Take the top part of the parchment paper off and set aside, then flip the dough and parchment paper into the pie plate and remove the parchment paper. Don’t worry if it breaks because you made it big enough to have some patching material. Now dress it up to make it all nice and pretty for display. Now is the point where you can remove hanging dough to patch any holes or thin spots you see.
Pour the blueberries in a colander and wash them making sure to remove any bruised berries or any stems. In a separate bowl combine the 1/3 cup honey, 7 tablespoons corn starch, and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water and stir it up. Dump the blueberries into the pie crust and don’t worry if they end up being higher than the pie crust itself, they will melt down when cooked. No pour the mixture we just made all over the top of the blueberries.
Turn on the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the parchment paper down on the counter again, put the dough you set aside back in the center, and cover with the other sheet of parchment paper. Roll it flat to a little bigger than the pie plate is now remove the top layer of parchment paper. Place the dough over the top of the pie, remove the bottom layer of parchment paper and then form the dough to meet at the edge of the crust. Cut a few vent holes in the top of the pie and place into the oven for 1 hour.
After an hour, remove from the pie and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
I couldn’t leave you without some sides to go with that delicious oven roasted chicken now could I? Of course not! These two sides are sure to knock your or your guests socks off! Being a large fan of potatoes when I was a kid, I decided to take these up to a more adult spice level, which you can adjust by change the chili powder additions. These candied carrots are also great for holidays and special events. I really enjoy these potatoes and although I love to eat carrots, you can never go wrong with slapping some butter and brown sugar on them.
Cumin Roasted Potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
EQUIPMENT:
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Square Cake Pan
PREPARATION TIMES:
- Active: 15 minutes
- Bake: 40 minutes
- Cool: 10 minutes
METHOD:
Wash and scrub the outside of the potatoes to make sure it’s nice and clean than proceed to cut the potatoes into about 1/4 inch slices, then each slice into 3rds. Go nuts with the size and shape! Once all cut, place them into the mixing bowl and add the olive oil, salt, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
Shaking, stirring, flipping, or whatever you feel like doing, do it to get those potato pieces covered in the seasonings and oil. Once finished, transfer the potatoes to your cake pan (or oven roasting equivalent). Turn the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit and pre heat for about 5 minutes. Once the oven is good and hot at 450, place the potato pan onto the center rack and wait for 40 minutes until soft and golden brown. An easy way to check the “doneness” of the potatoes is to stick a fork in em, if it goes in very nicely, than you are good to go!
Candied Carrots
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound carrots, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons of butter, sliced/diced
- 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
EQUIPMENT:
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Sauce Pot
PREPARATION TIMES:
- Active: 10 minutes
- Boil: 25 minutes
- Saute: 5 minutes
METHOD:
Fill your Sauce Pot with enough water to cover all the carrots (about 4 cups). Turn burner to high and wait for a roaring boil. While the water heats up, peal and cut the carrots into your desired pieces, which can range from bite size to long, but try not to cut them too thin as thickness will help absorb the goodness you’ll add on later.
Once your water comes to a boil, add the cut and peeled carrots and boil on high for in between 20 to 30 minutes. You want the carrots to be soft but not too soft, 25 worked best for me. Drain the water from the carrots and return the carrots to the stove. reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Begin to stir in butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is somewhat bubbly. Be sure to server these hot.