tri-berry pie

i love baking pies.  pies are one of my favorite desserts to make because it's nearly impossibly to mess up a pie.  the other day i decided to make a tri-berry pie because we had lots of fruit in our fridge that only had a few days left before it was going to turn.  i knew we wouldn't be able to eat all of that fruit and i didn't want it to get thrown away.  so, i did something that i've become very good at: taking something healthy and turning it into something totally and completely unhealthy.  i make my pie crusts because it's so easy, but if you prefer to buy your pie crusts, you can still use this recipe.  i also made a lattice top to my pie, but if you'd prefer to have a top crust on your pie, that's fine too.  finally, you can use any berries that you prefer.  so, as you can see, this is a very versatile pie and it's SO SUPER EASY!

for the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4-1/2 cup ice water

there are two tricks to an easy pie crust.  first, make sure your butter and water are as cold as you can get them.  second, make sure that you use lots of flour on your counter and your rolling pin when you go to roll it out.  the flour will prevent the dough from sticking to any surface.  i use my mixer when i make pie dough, but you can easily make it with your hands or a dough-cutter if you don't have a mixer.

combine the flour and butter pieces in the mixer and mix on low until it has a grainy texture. add the ice water a small bit at at time while still mixing.  you want to add enough water that you can press the dough between your fingers.  if you add too much it'll be sticky and have a spiky look to it.  you'll know when your dough is ready because it will start to pull of the sides of the bowl.

once your dough is ready, separate it into two equal lumps, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for at least 30 min.

for the filling:
2 cups blackberries
2 cups strawberries (sliced)
2 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

preheat oven to 350
combine sugar, flour and cinnamon and mix together.  put 1/3 of the mixture aside in a bowl.
combine all 3 berries into a big bowl and add the remaining dry mixture.  toss the berries so that they are completely coated (make sure to toss well because a lot of the dry mixture will fall to the bottom of the bowl).

take your dough out of the fridge and roll it out until it's about 1/4 in. thick.  place one of the doughs into your pie dish and press down along the sides and bottom.  add the 1/3 of the dry mixture that you reserved to the bottom of the pie.  add the berry mixture to that. using the other rolled out dough. cut strips with a pie cutter (or a knife).  before making your lattice, cut the 2 tbs butter into thin squares and place it on top of the pie filling.  using the strips, lattice the top of the pie by creating a woven pattern. makes sure to seal the ends of the lattice to the edge of the other pie dough by pressing it between your fingers.

put pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 45-55 min, or until the crust is a golden brown

shrimp and farro salad

well school is finally out and I will have so much more time to make some eb posts.  my mom actually texted me the other day and asked if i had made a post since eggplant parm.  she thought perhaps her computer wasn't working correctly.  in actuality, i just haven't posted in ages and i'm excited to be back!

andy introduced me to farro a few weeks ago, and i've been obsessed with it ever since.  you can find it in the rice or pasta isle (where you would get risotto or quinoa).  i don't know exactly what it is (some kind of grain) but it has a yummy nutty flavor and a rissottoessque texture.  delish!

when this months' food network magazine arrived in the mail and they had a recipe for a farro salad, i was excited to try it out.  i added shrimp since we were eating it as a meal and not as a side. the salad is scrumptious, and i actually think the lemon zest is the secret to bringing the whole dish together (so don't leave it out!).  we had organic sauteed squash and zucchini from our garden on the side.  it was the perfect meal to eat on a 100 degree day.  very light and totally refreshing.  give it a try!

shrimp and farro salad (adapted from food network's farro and corn salad)

ingreidents:

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup farro
olive oil
3 ears of corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 scallions, sliced
salt and pepper
1 bunch arugula, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest
juice of one lemon

to prepare

clean shrimp and season them with salt and pepper
cook farro according to box directions
while farro is cooking, slice corn off the cob, half the tomatoes, and slice the scallions and set aside.
heat a pan on med heat with olive oil.  cook shrimp until pink all the way through and set aside
once farro is finished cooking, put it in a strainer and run it under cold water.  set it aside in a salad bowl and mix it with salt, pepper, and 2 tbs olive oil. add in the shrimp and toss.
meanwhile, heat a pan with olive oil and add corn.  cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally
add tomatoes and scallions, cooking for about 3 more minutes.  add salt and pepper to taste.
add veggies to the shrimp and farro mixture and toss.  add the arugula, lemon zest, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper if needed.  toss until combined. can be served hot or cold.

eggplant parm

i could eat eggplant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  a lot of people THINK they don't like it, but when it's fried and smothered in sauce and cheese, i really don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy it.  here's my recipe, give it a try!

ingredients:
3 cups italian breadcrumbs
egg-wash made from 3 large eggs
flour for dredging
vegetable oil for frying
tomato sauce (use any kind you'd like, jarred or homemade!)
one bag grated mozzarella
one bag grated parmesan (you can grate it yourself if you'd like, but i bought mine in a bag)
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella (cut thinly)
1 big eggplant or 2 small ones


to prepare:
cut the eggplant into even slices about 1/2 in. thick
put it in a strainer and salt it (this will pull the moisture out of the eggplant so that it's not soggy when you fry it)
put flour (I add salt and pepper to my flour, that's totally optional), egg-wash, and bread crumbs  into 3 separate bowls
dredge eggplant slice into the flour (tap off excess), then the egg-wash (again, drip off excess), and finally into the bread crumbs.  Set aside on a plate or a cookie sheet.  repeat until all of the eggplant slices are breaded
cover the bottom of a big frying pan with oil and put on med-heat.  you want the pan to be hot enough that the eggplant will sizzle when you drop it in, but not so hot that it will burn.  for those with a kitchen thermometer, you want the oil to be about 385 degrees.
put a few eggplant slices in (don't crowd your pan)
fry on each side for a few minutes (until golden brown, if you peek under and you can still see dry breadcrumbs, let it sit for a little bit longer.  if you look and it's burnt, you've left it too long. i usually have to test one or two to get my timing right, good thing there are plenty!)
transfer the fried eggplant to a pan covered with paper towel

preheat oven to 300

cover the bottom of a casserole dish or a dutch oven with tomato sauce
lay eggplant slices over the sauce and then cover them with more sauce, grated mozzarella and parmesan
repeat this until you reach the top of your dish or until you've used all of your eggplant.  you should end by covering the top layer of eggplant with sauce and fresh mozzarella slices
bake about 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has been slightly browned

serve with pasta or eat it as is!

pesto pork pizza!

everything we ate tonight was completely home made. the following recipes culminate to create a yummy pizza.  they are long, and a tad old school (for example, andy made his peso with a mortar and pestle.  any normal person would have use a food processor--just saying), but the end result was so worth it.  give it a try and tweak it so that it works for you!

pork and pizza sauce

3 lb bone-in pork shoulder

3 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs salt

tbs black pepper

tbs paprika

tbs minced garlic

tbs dried oregano

tbs dried parsley

tbs cinnamon

tbs mace

3 tbs cumin

3 onions, chopped

1 head garlic, smashed

quarter lb. carrots, chopped

6 oz can tomato paste 

2 c. beef stock

1/2 c. cider vinegar

to prepare:

preheat oven to 200

mix all spices together in a bowl to create a dry rub.  rub the pork down and put into the fridge for an hour

put a dutch oven on the stove over med. high heat

sear the pork on all sides (about five min. per side)

take the pork out and turn the heat down to med. 

put in onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 8 min, mixing frequently

add half can tomato paste, stir until paste is browned and caramelized

add stock, and cider vinegar to the pot and return the pork to the pot.  bring to boil, put the lid on the pot, and put it into the oven for 3.5 hours.  take the lid off the pot and continue to cook for 30 more min. 

take the pot out of the oven and once it's cool, pull the pork off of the bone

set the pork aside and put the remaining liquid and veggies in a blender and puree until smooth (add salt and pepper to taste, if need be).  if, at this point, the mixture is thick enough to use as a pizza sauce, put it aside in the fridge.  if it's too thin, put it back on the stove and let it simmer to evaporate some of the moisture. once it's too desired thickness, set aside in the fridge until ready to use. 

pizza dough

stir together:

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

add and mix well:

1/2 cup flour

allow this mixture to sit until quite bubbly, about 30 min. 

mix together in another bowl:

3 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp salt

stir this into the yeast and flour mixture with:

3/4 c. cold water

1/4 c. olive oil. 

once the dough starts to form, pull it out of the bowl and kneed it until it's soft and elastic in texture 

put into a greased bowl and cover for 2 hours

after 2 hours, separate dough and form two smooth balls 

cover with plastic and set aside for one hour

once an hour has passed, the dough is ready to be rolled out

pesto:

if you have a favorite pesto recipe, use what you like.  here is what andy did:

one clove garlic

tsp salt

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

cup basil

1/4 c. olive oil

mortar and pestle one clove or garlic, tsp salt until it's like a paste

add pine nuts and parm and mix until combined

remove this mixture and set aside

grind up the cup of basil.  once the basil is like a paste, add back in the pine nut mixture.  once incorporated, drizzle in 1/4 c. olive oil 

pizza:

we added mushrooms and fresh mozzarella to our pizza, you can add any toppings that you love!

preheat oven to 500 and put in pizza stone

top pizza dough with sauce, pork, sliced mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and pesto

slide onto pizza stone and cook for ten min. 

twice baked mashed potatoes

most amazing twice bake potatoes i've ever eaten!

ingredients:
2 potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. pepper jack cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 pieces bacon
one small onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 carton mushrooms
10 stalks kale, chopped


to prepare:
preheat oven to 350
poke holes in the potatoes with a fork
put the potatoes in the oven for an hour

cut up bacon into bits and render on the stove on low

while potatoes are cooking,(using the same pan in which you cooked the bacon) sautee together diced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and chopped kale or spinach

cut up potatoes and mash them with sour cream, pepper jack cheese, butter, and salt and pepper

fold in the veggie mixture and the bacon

put in souffle dish and top with more cheese.  put into the oven for 20 minutes.  finish off under the broiler for less than a minute to get the cheese bubbly.  top with more bacon, if desired.

this seems like a side dish, but i promise it is so rich and dense (and delicious!) that it is more than enough for  an entire meal.

white bean chili and cheddar biscuits

it literally has been raining all day long. i liked it at first, but now i have a tinge of cabin fever. there's something about crock-pot cooking on a rainy day. when i woke up and it was dark, grey, and quiet, i knew that it was going to be a slow cooker kind of day. today i made white bean chicken chili and cheddar biscuits. enjoy!

chili
 ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped,
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 carton mushrooms, chopped
half of a bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped
3/4 lb chicken, cubed
2 cans white northern beans
3 cups chicken broth
cumin
salt and pepper

to prepare:
heat a pan over med-high heat sautee garlic and onion in pan for a few minutes
add mushrooms, jalapeno, and kale, cook for a few minutes longer
put veggie mixture into the crock pot
salt and pepper the chicken, add to the pan, and brown on both sides (3 min per side)-then add to the crock pot
mix a cup of beans and 1 1/2 cups broth in a blender or food processor until smooth and combined
add that mixture to the crock with the remaining beans and broth.
add cumin, salt, and pepper
cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, then turn to low for the remaining 1 1/2 hours. the broth should be thick and creamy at the end of cooking

biscuits 
ingredients:
2 cups bisquick biscuit mix
1 cup sharp cheddar
2/3 cup milk
tbs garlic powder
2 tbs melted butter
dried parsley

to prepare:
preheat oven to 400
grease a cookie sheet
in a bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheese, milk, and garlic powder- mix until combined (should be sticky)
drop heaping spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet and bake 10 min
brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and parsley
bake 5 more min

chili-pasta

mom and i went to boston over our spring break and we had an amazing time. we would have stayed for much longer had we had the time. we stayed on newbury street an area known as the shopping district. it has a lot of high-end shops mingled in with really cute independently owned shops and boutiques. one shop we went into was an olive oil store. though we didn't buy any oil we did pick up some other things. i purchased a bag of chili pene pasta. i had never seen chili pasta before and thought andy would really love it because he likes his food HOT. tonight, he made a delicious dish with the chili pasta, a light blue cheese cream sauce, and steak on top. yum!



ingredients:
turnip greens- one bunch
baby bella mushrooms-half of a container cut into quarters
1 diced onion
2 diced garlic cloves
half-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
fist full of blue cheese crumbles
fist full of parmesean
pint heavy cream
1/2 pound pasta
1/2 pound steak (we used sirloin, but use whatever cut you prefer)
olive oil and butter for pans
salt and pepper to taste

to prepare:
de-stem turnip greens and cook in boiling water for 5 min. and then run them under cold water. chop the greens and put them aside in a big bowl.
chop mushrooms and sautee in a pan until tender add to the bowl with the greens.
boil pasta (you can use any kind)and add to bowl once cooked (reserve water)
add halved cherry tomatoes to the bowl

blue cheese sauce:
preheat oven to 350
put a pan over med. heat and add oil and butter
add onion and garlic and sweat for 5 min.
add 2 tbs of flour and whisk to make a roux
add heavy cream and about a pint of pasta water, continue whisking
whisk in a hand full of blue cheese crumbles and a hand full of parm, and then reduce to a simmer and let the mixture thicken
once thick, add it to the bowl and fold into the pasta and veggies until everything is coated.
add to a casserole dish and warm in the oven with the top on for 45 min.

steak:(start it about 15 min before the pasta is finished cooking)
put a pan on med high heat with olive oil
once the pan is hot, put the steak on and sear it on each side for about 4 min.
put it into the oven for 7 min or until cooked to your liking

once pasta is heated through, cut the steak and add it to the top of the pasta.