Grandma Ida's Pie Crust

 

SUGARED TOPPING

 EGG WASH TOPPING

CRUMB TOPPING

Ida's PIE CRUST 

(Makes 2 pie crusts)

Blend together until crumbly:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening

In a small mixing bowl whisk together:
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg

Pour liquid into flour mixture and mix with a fork until JUST combined (DO NOT OVERMIX!)
Divide dough in half and roll out on floured surface (DO NOT OVER HANDLE & do NOT roll out more than once!)

For crust only, bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.
Otherwise, for pies with fillings, follow recipe.





Strawberry Asparagus + Goat Cheese Salad with Peppered Dijon Vinaigrette


Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper


Whisk together ingredients until emulsified. (Use 1 pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, or to taste.) Set aside.


Toss together
Baby kale
Baby Spinach
Baby Chard
Strawberries, sliced in half
Blanched asparagus, cut into 1 inch segments
Candied pecans
Cranberries


Crumbled goat cheese


To prepare asparagus, cut off tough ends and discard. Add apsaragus to boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain hot water and transfer asparagus to ice water until cooled. Drain well.

To prepare pecans, add 1 tablespoon sugar to a sauce pan with 1/2 cup pecans. Let nuts and sugar warm until sugar starts to melt. Watch carefully, as nuts can burn quickly. Once most of the sugar has melted, stir nuts to coat well. Continue stirring until all sugar granules have melted and adhered to pecans. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir. Remove from heat and cool completely. Save any unused nuts in airtight bag/container in freezer. 

Add dressing (you may not need all of it) and goat cheese to salad just before serving. Toss to coat well.

To serve approximately 4-6, I use about 4 to 5 ounces of mixed greens (kale, chard and spinach) and 1/2 bunch asparagus. 





Broccoli Cheese Soup

In the midst of a torrential downpour and imminent tornado danger, what can be better than taking cover in your basement? Well, eating comfort food, of course. Not even sure if I was going to be able to make dinner tonight, due to the roof potentially being torn off our house, I decided to make my favorite broccoli cheese soup anyway, once I knew the coast was clear. Comfort food calms your nerves (especially the little ones who were terrified,) and fills your belly with a smile (and some relief.) Although three tornados did actually touch down today, no one was injured and minimal damage was done, thank goodness :)



Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups sliced baby carrots (3/8" to 1/2" pieces)
3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise then sliced into 3/8" to 1/2" pieces
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4 cups fresh broccoli, cut into medium florets
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth


1/2  cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 pound Velveeta cheese, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 teaspoon dry mustard


Add oil to large pot. Over medium heat, cook onion, carrots and celery with pepper for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli florets, return heat to high, cover and cook for 7 more minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered.

In a medium pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and dry mustard and whisk until well combined. Slowly add milk and stir frequently until thickened. Add cubed cheese and stir until melted. Add cheese mixture to vegetables and stir until combined. Serves 4-6.

Enchiladas with Corn Tortillas



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2 to 1 small (4 oz) can diced green chilies
2 to 3 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
4 cups shredded cheese (half medium Tillamook cheddar and half mozzarella work well)
18 corn tortillas (+/-)

Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch oregano
pinch cumin
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth 
1/2 can El Pato tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar




El Pato can generally be found in the Mexican food section of your grocery store.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until onions are tender and slightly transparent. Lightly season with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Add 1/2 to one whole can diced green chilies. Cook for an additional minute. Add shredded chicken and combine well with onions and garlic. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, pinch of oregano, pinch of cumin. Stir and cook on medium heat constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and combine well. Add 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir constantly on medium heat until thick and bubbly. Add 1/2 can of El Pato tomato sauce. Add 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar. Stir well. Turn heat off and set aside.

Add 1/2 cup sauce to chicken mixture. Combine well. Spray each side of tortillas with all natural cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil and heat on griddle, just until softened and lightly browned on both sides (about 30-45 seconds/side.) Immediately move tortillas to a plate and cover with a cloth to keep warm. One at a time, spoon a small amount of chicken mixture into center of tortilla. Roll tortilla up as tightly as possible and place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top and spread out evenly (be sure that no tortilla is left untouched.) Add cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream.


(This particular pan was baked with sharp cheddar and mozzarella--hence, the all white cheese.)

Candied Pecans


Add 1 tablespoon sugar to a sauce pan with 1/2 cup pecans. Let nuts and sugar warm over medium/low heat until sugar starts to melt. Watch carefully, as nuts can burn quickly. Once most of the sugar has melted, stir nuts to coat well. Continue stirring until all sugar granules have melted. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir. Transfer nuts to wax paper or a plate and cool completely. Save any unused nuts in airtight bag or container in freezer. 

Sweet Red Onion Vinaigrette


Ingredients

3 tablespoons diced red onion
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil

Blend everything on high until smooth.




Cilantro-Lime Rice



Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/2 sweet or yellow onion
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest from 1 lime

Juice from 1 lime


In a blender, combine onion, broth, salt and lime zest well. Set aside. In a medium pot, lightly brown rice in about 1 tablespoon olive oil (about 5 minutes or so) over medium heat.  Slowly add broth mixture and cilantro and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add juice from 1 lime and season with a pinch or two of kosher salt, to taste. Fluff with a fork. Serves 4-6.

                                   


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