Savory Meat Pie

This savory meat-pie is a perfect cold-weather dish!

Filling

• 1 pound of ground turkey or pork (or 1/2 lb. of ground turkey and 1/2 lb. of ground pork)
• 2 teaspoons onion powder, or one small onion chopped very fine
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• ~1/2 cup of sourdough breadcrumbs

Pastry

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup butter, very cold
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water, very cold

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 1: Put a chunk of sourdough bread in a food processor and blend until you have crumbs that are mostly fine (a few larger chunks are okay.)

Step 2: Prepare the filling.  Put the meat and seasonings in a deep skillet (everything except the breadcrumbs.)  Add 1/2 a cup of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in the breadcrumbs.  Stir until the crumbs absorb the juices (add more breadcrumbs if needed to absorb all the juice.)  Set the filling aside.

Step 3:  Add flour and salt to a standing mixer or food processor.  Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) of very cold butter into cubes and add them to the flour.  Mix thoroughly until the mixture becomes crumbly-looking.  Add the ice water slowly, a little at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth (not sticky.)  

Turn the dough out onto a lightly flour surface.  Cut the ball in half.  Roll out one half of the dough to fit a 9-inch pie pan (I grease my pan with just a little coconut oil.)  Fit the dough into the pie pan and spoon in the meat filling.  Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top over the filling.  Trim the edges, then cut a few steam vents into the top of the pastry.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry has browned.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice and serve hot!

The Pasta Process

I recently starting making homemade pasta, thanks to this pasta machine I found at Goodwill.

The process of making pasta is even easier than I had imagined.  I started cooking this dinner (fettucini alfredo) at 4:30, and even with making the pasta from scratch I had dinner on the table at 5:30.  I have definitely made more labor intensive meals than this!

The pasta dough is simple.  It is 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs.  You make a well in the center of the flour and beat the eggs with a fork, then mix them until the dough is a uniform consistency and color.

It's important for the dough to rest for 10 minutes, so I started getting the sauce and broccoli ready in the meantime.

The alfredo sauce is also a simple process.  Bring cream, butter, and garlic to a boil... then add shredded parmesan cheese and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Now that the dough is rested, it is sliced kind of like a loaf of bread.  Each slice is then lightly dusted in flour before it is put through the pasta machine. 

The first step is flattening the dough.  On the side of the machine is a dial with numbers, you start by setting the dial at 7 first (the widest.)  The dough is fed through the rollers with a crank.  Then you set it at the 6 and flatten again.  Then again at 5, and again at 4.  After the dough has gradually been made flatter and flatter, then it is ready to be put through the pasta side.  It really is so easy that my 7-year-old can do it by himself.

After each slice of dough has been put through the machine, the pasta is hung on a drying rack.  This is completely optional.  As far as I can tell, the pasta can go straight from the machine into a pot of boiling water, but it cooks so quickly that I need to wait. And why not hang it on the rack since I have it?! Ha.

The broccoli is steaming, the alfredo sauce is simmering, bread is in the oven, the pasta is ready to be cooked... now it's time to get a big pot of water boiling.  The pasta must be placed in a lot of water that has been brought to a roaring boiling.  It only takes 4 minutes to cook.

Once the pasta is cooked, it is then drained.  The sauce is poured on top and tossed to coat.

Ready to eat!

Pasta with Alfredo Sauce and Broccoli with Almonds

Alfredo sauce is a favorite around here, and I have a super simple recipe (only 4 ingredients!) that I have finally mastered so that it consistently turns out well (it took me a few tries to get it right!)

I melt half a cup of butter in two cups of cream and sprinkle generously with garlic powder.  I use a whisk to beat it frequently until it comes to a boil.  Then I turn the heat down until its simmering and toss in grated Parmesan cheese -- anywhere from half a cup to one cup, depending on my mood (in a pinch, I've even used mozzarella cheese -- still tasty!)  I let it simmer and whisk it frequently until it's thick and creamy.

Meanwhile, I get the pasta cooking.  

This time I used TruRoots Organic Ancient Grain Gluten-Free Penne Pasta.

Simply toss the pasta with the sauce.

I typically serve this pasta with broccoli.  This time, I tried broccoli with slivered almonds.

Steam the broccoli slightly, only for about 5 minutes to soften it.  Then transfer to a deep skillet.  Pour in a 1/4 cup of dry white wine, then sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, and drizzle a little olive oil.  

Cook until the liquid is evaporated and the broccoli is hot.  Remove from heat, then add the almonds and toss.

Mmmmm!  Very simple but so delicious. :)

Shepherd's Pie and Whoopie Pies

There are a lot of different ways to make shepherd's pie.  The first time I came across a recipe for it in a cookbook I have, it said to "throw in whatever leftovers you have."  This particular lady would just toss together whatever odds and ends she had in her fridge.  Looking up recipes online, you'll find several small differences. Some use cream, others use chicken or beef broth.  Some add cheese, others include Worcestershire sauce.  Some use ketchup, and others include oil.  Rachel Ray's recipe has 17 ingredients, while Alton Brown's has 21, and Martha Stewart's has only 9.  What they all have in common is that they are a meat pie with a mashed potato crust.

After a little experimentation, I landed on a simple, tasty shepherd's pie that my family loves.

I brown a pound of either ground beef, turkey, or pork (I prefer the pork), and then season it by sprinkling with onion powder, cumin, thyme, pepper, salt, oregano, nutmeg, ginger, basil, and sage.  Then I mix cooked peas, corn, and green beans in with the meat and pour it into a casserole dish.

Then I cover it all with mashed potatoes:

And I bake at 350 for an hour.

I forgot to take a picture of it when it came out of oven, but here's what it looked like fifteen minutes later:

Almost.  Gone.  It wasn't long before the kids cleared the whole pan.  It's not the fanciest shepherd's pie recipe out there, but it is so simple and it's something my kids always devour!  There are never leftovers.

For dessert, I made whoopie pies.

Whoopie Pie Cakes:

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 egg lightly beate

1 tsp vanilla extract

Warning: if your coconut oil is unrefined (like mine), these will have a detectable coconut taste.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.  Drop 1 tablespoonful batter onto prepared sheet.  Repeat with remaining batter, spacing 1 inches apart (cakes will spread).  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until cakes spring back when lightly pressed.  Cool completely on cookie sheets on wire racks.

Whoopie Pie Filling 

1/2 cup butter at room temp
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla extract

Tip: You can make the marshmallow creme at home if you want to!  This is the recipe I used: DIY Marshmallow Creme.
 

Homemade marshmallow creme.

With mixer on high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar,marshmallow creme, and vanilla until fluffy.  Spread filling on flat side of half the cakes and sandwich together with remaining cakes.

Store whoopie pies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.