pasty from http://12tomatoes.com/

meat-1200x627Pastry:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
  • 2/3 cup ice water, plus extra as needed
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling:

  • 8 oz. ground faux meat
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 small turnip, peeled and diced
  • 1 large carrot finely diced
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • brown mustard, garnish

Directions

  1. In a bowl or directly in your food processor, mix flour and salt together before adding in cold, cubed butter.
  2. Pulse for 10-15 seconds, or until mixture is crumbly and butter is the size of small pebbles.
  3. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2/3 cup ice water and pulse until dough ball begins to form. Note: if mixture is too dry, add more ice water, 1-2 teaspoons at a time.
  4. Once dough is formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large, flat rectangle.
  5. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30-45 minutes, or until chilled.
  6. While dough chills, combine beef with potato, turnip, carrot and onion, and season generously with salt and pepper, thyme and rosemary.
  7. Preheat oven to 400º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Remove dough from refrigerator and cut it into 6 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece out to an 8-inch circle.
  9. Spoon 1/2-2/3 cup beef mixture into the center of dough, then top with 1/2 tablespoon butter.
  10. Take the far edge of your dough circle and fold it over the beef, towards yourself, to form a half moon.
  11. Seal edges with a fork and repeat with remaining pasties.
  12. Transfer to lined baking sheet and brush the tops of dough with beaten egg.
  13. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then lower oven temperature to 350º F and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  14. Serve hot with brown mustard and enjoy!

Michigan Pasty (Meat Hand Pie) cookingchanneltv.com

  • cq5dam-web-266-2003 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling dough
  • 1 cup shortening
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup ice cold water
  • 8 ounces faux ground beef
  • 4 ounces rutabaga, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/4 cup picked fresh parsley, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • Ketchup, for serving
Add the flour, shortening and a pinch of salt to a food processor and run the motor until the dough starts to clump together. With the motor running, drizzle in the water. Stop the motor when a ball begins to form. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This step allows the glutens to relax and makes for easier rolling.

Mix together the beef, rutabaga, carrots, onions, potatoes and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to form the pies.

Cut the dough into 6 even pieces, about 5 ounces each, and form into balls. Make sure the dough is cold for easier handling. Flour a work surface and roll out each ball of dough into an 8-inch circle. Evenly divide the filling (about 3/4 cup per pastie) on one half of each dough circle. Fold the dough over to cover the mixture and crimp the edges using a fork. Slice 3 small slits on top of each pocket. This prevents steam from building up and splitting the dough. Brush the pasties with the egg and bake on the prepared baking sheet until the crust is golden brown and flaky, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve with ketchup.

Cook’s Note: Pasties can be baked and then frozen. To reheat, place in a 300 degree F oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.

Parmesan-Butternut Squash Gratin from Phyllis Keating

downloadCrispy bread crumbs add a bit of crunch to tender slices of butternut squash seasoned with garlic and Parmesan.

butternut squash (2 1/2 lb)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup  panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Peel, halve lengthwise and seed squash; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange with slices overlapping slightly in bottom of baking dish.

2 In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft and butter is infused with garlic flavor. Do not let butter brown.

3 In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, cheese and 1 tablespoon of the butter-garlic mixture.

4 Brush squash slices with remaining butter-garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and bread crumb mixture.

5 Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with fork. Increase oven temperature to 425°F; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle parsley over top.

Pasta e fagoli (pasta and bean soup) from Mario

  • 2 tablespoons butter?
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (plus more for garnish)
  • 1000x400-q80_6ec2fc22392b70edf51cfc41c4cbd0b91 medium Spanish onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 cups veggie stock
  • 3 cups cooked barlotti beans or kidney beans (rinsed and drained if canned)
  • 2 cups dried pasta scraps from making fresh pasta (or broken dried fettucini)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Parmigiano (for garnish)

In a Dutch oven, heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the parsley and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the veggie stock and beans and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the soup among six serving bowls. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and garnish with more parsley and grated Parmigiano.

 

Ann Marotto’s Fresh Tomato Pie

food0331354808364

  • FOR THE PASTRY
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • FOR THE FILLING
  • About 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 2 to 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick and evenly
  • 1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese
  • About 8 basil leaves, stacked, rolled and cut crosswise into very thin slices (julienne; about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Kosher or coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Have ready an ungreased 9-inch pie plate or fluted quiche

For the pastry: Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the mixture until it comes together as a smooth dough, with the butter well incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. note: play around with this maybe use food processor for butter and flour and then add cottage cheese and pulse, don’t think mine dough was incorporated enough.

On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of wax paper, roll out the dough slightly larger than the pie plate or quiche pan and press the dough into the plate or pan. Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork, cover loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans evenly on the foil. Bake for 8 minutes, then carefully remove the weights or beans and the foil, and bake for 2 minutes. (At this point, the crust will not be fully baked.) Cool.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the bottom of the cooled pie shell with a thin, see-through coating of the mustard. Layer the tomato slices, Swiss cheese, basil and parsley, seasoning each layer lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top; bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm.

 

Linguine with clam sauce from saveur

7-sav150-111-clamlinguine-750x750
13 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 14 lb. littleneck clams, cleaned
13 cup dry white wine
12 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
1 lb. linguine, cooked to al dente, plus 12 cup cooking water, reserved
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Crusty Italian bread, for serving
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add clams, wine, and chile flakes, cover immediately, and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until clams open, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer clams to a cutting board, letting them drain back into the skillet as you remove them, and remove meat from shells; roughly chop meat and return to skillet. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, parsley, and salt and pepper, and toss until pasta is heated through, about 2 minutes. Add butter, and toss until melted; serve immediately with bread.
variation: if you dont have fresh clams
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
1/4 cup clam juice

Fresh and Wild Mushroom Stew from NY Times

  • 1 ½ pounds crecipes-wildmushroomstew-master675ultivated brown mushrooms, like shiitake, cremini or portobello
  • ½ pound pale wild mushrooms, like chanterelle (or use King trumpet or oyster)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon chopped sage or rosemary
  • Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Porcini broth, heated, or use chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

    Clean mushrooms, keeping colors separate, and trim tough stems. (Save stems for stock.) Slice mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick.In a wide skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

    Add 1 more tablespoon oil and turn heat to high. Add brown mushrooms, season lightly and stir-fry until nicely colored, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in reserved onions.

    Add 1 cup mushroom broth and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 more cup broth and cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should have gravy-like consistency; thin with more broth if necessary. Adjust seasoning. (May be prepared to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)

    Just before serving, put butter and 1 tablespoon olive in wide skillet over medium high heat. When butter begins to brown, add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add garlic and parsley, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more. Add chanterelles to brown mushroom mixture and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Accompany with polenta or pasta if you wish.

Spaghetti Puttanesca from seriouseats.com

  • 20160221-puttanesca-pasta-week-221/2 pound (225g) dried spaghetti
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped by hand (see note above)
  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (5-ounce; 140g) can oil-packed tuna (optional)

 

  • Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.

  • 2.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  • 3.Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).
  • 4.Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.
  • 5.Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.
  • 6.Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

 

Dina’s tossed mushrooms

Unstuffed-Mushrooms

All the deliciousness of stuffed mushrooms without all the work! An easy side dish you can serve any night of the week!

  • 1 pound white button mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1⁄4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to drizzle
  • olive oil spray
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Slice off the bottom of the stems; then, use a moist paper towel to gently remove any dirt from mushrooms.
  3. Quarter or halve the mushrooms, depending on the size.
  4. Sprinkle water in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish then place mushrooms in a single layer on top of the water.
  5. In a small bowl combine next six ingredients: breadcrumbs through salt/pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the mushrooms.
  6. Drizzle evenly with olive oil then spray the top with olive oil spray so it’s evenly coated. Bake uncovered until the mushrooms are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

 

Swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce

swordfishFor the lemon-garlic sauce

  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • Grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoons parsley for garnish, snipped or cut into small pieces

Take the swordfish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.

Dry off fish, salt and pepper it, put a very small amount of grapeseed oil in cast iron pan and heat until quite hot. Depending on thickness of fish cook 3-7 min on each side.

Make the lemon-garlic sauce

You can make the sauce while the swordfish steaks roast in the oven – so fast and easy to do, and the smell is addictive.

1.  Add the butter and olive oil to a small skillet, and melt over low heat. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over very low heat (you don’t want to burn the garlic!) until the garlic softens, add capers.  Set aside until the fish is done.

2. Use a spatula to carefully remove the swordfish from the pan and put it on a serving platter.

3.  Add the white wine to the cooking pan and stir to deglaze – remember to use oven mitts when touching the hot pan!  Pour the wine mixture into the skillet with the garlic, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the volume.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour over the swordfish, and garnish with the parsley.

Serving suggestions

Serve this delicious swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce with linguine or another type of pasta, a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli, and crusty slices of French bread.