Irresistable Apple Pie

I heard someone say that "it is your patriotic duty to bake at least one pie for the 4th of July Holiday..."

I don't know what one has to do with the other and the fourth of July is exactly a month from now as of this writing...but there is no need why you can fix a delicious and irresistable Apple Pie right now...just for the hell of it..

All the amazing apple varieties are finally popping up in farmers markets right now.. and grocery stores, meaning it's officially apple pie season.(It's always Apple Pie season to me!) And you know what everyone loves? Besides the aroma of apples and cinnamon dancing in the air, people love surprise slices of apple pie. Irresistable Apple Pie.

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening (recommended: Crisco)
Ice water
Filling:
6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices (recommended: Jonagold, Rome Beauty, or Pink Lady apples)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup to 1 cup all-purpose flour (depending on juiciness of apples)
2 tablespoons butter
Special equipment: 9-inch pie pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and salt, and cut in the shortening by hand or with a food processor until it's the texture of wet sand, taking care not to overmix. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice water over the mixture and mix just until the dough is moistened. Repeat by adding 6 to 8 tablespoons water (one at a time) until all the dough is just moist. Knead the dough about 10 times until it comes together in a ball. Cut the dough in half and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Remove 1 dough disk from fridge, and discard plastic wrap.
3. Sprinkle flour on a clean flat surface (either a cutting board or a clean countertop). Place dough on the floured surface and sprinkle both sides with a generous dusting of flour. Dust the rolling pin with flour as well. Roll out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. To transfer the pastry to the pie plate, wrap it around a rolling pin and ease it into the pie plate. Be careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim it even with the edges of the pie plate. Return to the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
4. To make filling: In a large bowl, combine apples and sugars. Stir until sugar thoroughly coats the apples. Then add cinnamon and enough flour to coat the apples.
5. Remove pastry-lined pie plate from the fridge and add the apple filling. Make sure the apple slices are laying flat. Cut butter into small pieces and put on top of the filling. Return to the fridge.
6. Remove the second dough disk from the fridge and repeat process of flouring each side before rolling it out into a 12-inch circle. Cut dough into 1-inch strips. Remove pie from the fridge. Using the dough strips, form a lattice pattern on the top. Crimp the edges, as desired. Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon over the pie.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, or until pie is golden brown. Wrap foil around the edges of the pie if it begins to brown too quickly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

 Enjoy!  Eat Well My friends!

Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe comes from Attorney Beverly West, my charactor in my stories on my blog Escapades who is affectionately called "Shortcake" by Private Investigator ,Donnie Ray Alexander...

With that nickname..She would naturally have a shortcake recipe to share...

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pints strawberries, sliced
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 C flour
• 5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ C butter
• ⅔ C heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white

Brown Sugar Whipping Cream

• 1 C whipping cream
• ½ C sour cream
• ⅓ C brown sugar
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Slice strawberries and sprinkle with 3 Tbsp sugar. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes

Shortcakes

1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, 3 Tbsp of brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Cut butter into pieces and add into food processor.
3. Pulse until it forms a coarse cornmeal like texture.
4. Put flour mixture into a bowl and add in cream and egg that have been mixed together.
5. Stir together with a spatula until a large clump forms.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead just until the dough comes together - about 30 seconds.
7. Pat the dough into a 9 x 6 inch rectangle, 1 inch thick.
8. Using a 2¾ inch biscuit cutter cut out shortcakes - 6-8 of them.
9. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and brush with egg white and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp brown sugar.
10. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

1. Whip together the cream, sour cream, sugar and pinch of salt until whipped and cream forms soft peaks.
2. Cut short cakes in half and layer with whipped cream mixture and sliced strawberries.

Doesn't this make your mouth water? Enjoy!

Eat Well My Friends!

Steak Diane

Yes...There is a different way to cook a steak....Steak Diane is what this is called...Puréed black-bean soup gives a wonderfully velvety taste to this recipe.

Let me say that this is a recipe that is usually made in restaurants and not by the person at home...but I have here a modified recipe that might work for the layman...

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 (3/4-inch-thick) flatiron steaks (about 6 oz each)
• 1 (16- to 19-ounce) can black-bean soup
• 4 scallions, chopped (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Madeira
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (total). Cook steaks, turning once, until browned and medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes total.
• While steaks cook, stir soup in can, then transfer 2/3 cup to a blender (reserve remainder for another use) and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and cook scallions over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in blended soup along with remaining ingredients and any juices from meat and bring to a boil. Spoon some of sauce over steaks and serve remainder on the side.

Try a red wine with this..

 Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

Fusilli With Raw Tomato Sauce

You know how much I love pasta...Any kind of pasta....Here is Fusilli with raw tomato sauce...This recipe serves six....It's a perfect summer pasta dish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4cup(or more) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2tablespoonsred wine vinegar
• 4 1/2poundsplum tomatoes, halved, pulp discarded, flesh cut into 3/4' pieces
• 3/4cup(packed) fresh basil leaves, torn
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1pound fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)

DIRECTIONS:

• Whisk 3/4 cup oil and both vinegars in a large bowl to blend. Add chopped tomatoes. Using a potato masher or your hands, slightly crush tomatoes to bruise and release juices. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover bowl and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain; return pasta to pot and add to tomato mixture; stir to evenly incorporate. Let pasta stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes to allow pasta to absorb flavors from sauce. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with more oil, if desired.

(Special Thanks to The River Caf Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray, for this recipe)

Enjoy!  Eat and drink well my friends.

Sweet Treats

Look at the photo above.....Doesn't that look goooooooooooooooooooooooooooood?

Yes it does....That is RASPBERRIES,WHIPPED CREAM & HONEY....

The question becomes..What to do with all those ripe Summer berries? WHAT?

 Serve raspberries with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of honey.

Summer produce is usually so good that it doesn't need much to make it better. But when you are looking to spice things up, I have a few ideas to make your Summer snacks more interesting and elegant. Butter, citrus juice, and salt are a few of the no-brainers, but I've thrown in some oddball ingredients too, like ginger and kelp sprinkle. 

 PEACHES,GINGER & HONEY

Create a very simple syrup by whisking together a teaspoon of grated ginger with two teaspoons of honey and a splash of hot water. Pour the gingery syrup over slices of fresh peaches and voilà! You've got a satisfying fruit snack.

DATES,CHEESE & ALMOND BITES

Dried dates are a staple in the Middle East for a reason: they offer a quick boost of energy, especially on hot Summer days. Fill them with soft cheese and an almond for a quick bite.

And last for today- CRACKER , JAM & BREE

The French really know perfect pairings like this one: fig jam, a sweet-leaning cracker, and a good, grassy brie.

Interesting and Easy...Try them...

Snack Well my friends.

Lemon Chicken

It's Monday...You've had a rough day at work...You want a hot home cooked meal, but you don't feel like a lot of dishes and things to clean up...Try this one pan meal.....

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Potatoes!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups baby red potatoes, halved
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed

DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, Dijon, lemon juice, lemon zest and thyme; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using your fingers or a brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken.

Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat.

Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.

Add potatoes to the skillet; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pieced with a fork.*

Add asparagus and chicken to the skillet.

Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.

Serve immediately.


*Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the potatoes.

Have some wine...I'm partial to white wine..

 Enjoy!  Eat and drink well my friends.