7. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
8. When the dough balls have doubled in size, top each with a round of the topping dough and brush the tops with the beaten egg. Bake the buns until golden brown, for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Apple Pie
Makes 1 pie, 6 to 8 servings
PIE DOUGH:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter,
cut into cubes, plus more for greasing
About 1/3 cup ice-cold water
FOR THE FILLING
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ½ pounds firm, tart apples (preferably seasonal local specials like Macouns, Northern Spy, or Granny Smith) peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
½ cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
1/4 cup raisins
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Basic Pie Dough, recipe follows
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash
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FOR THE PIE DOUGH:
1. Put the flour and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse a few times until the mixture begins to become mealy and the butter forms plainly visible pea-size nuggets
2. Dissolve ½ teaspoon salt in the water. With the motor running, pour in the water and let mix, just until the dough pulls together. Do not over-mix the dough. If it appears dry and is not holding together, add a few additional tablespoons of water.
3. Form the dough into a ball, flatten, and wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Lightly flour a pastry board and a rolling pin and unwrap the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and keep the second piece refrigerated. Tamp down the dough with the rolling pin and gently begin to roll it out into a circular pie shape by rolling evenly in one-eighth turns to keep the rolling even. When the dough is rolled out to an even thickness of about 1/8-inch and is about 12 inches in diameter, it is ready to be transferred to a 10-inch pie dish.
6. Lightly butter the dish, lift the dough with the rolling pin by partially rolling the dough up on the pin, center the dough in the dish, and unroll. Pierce the dough in several places with the tines of a fork.
7. Roll the second half of the dough into a circle slightly larger than the pie dish. Fill the bottom crust with your chosen filling. Cover the filling with the top half of the dough. Using both hands, crimp the edges of the 2 crusts together to seal. With a sharp knife, make several crosshatch slits in the top crust. Brush with the egg wash and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.
FOR THE FILLING:
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apple wedges and sauté until slightly softened but holding their shape, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ½ cup of sugar and stir to combine. Add the raisins, cinnamon, and cloves and stir.
2. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the apple mixture and remove the pan from the heat. Let cool completely.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Fill an unbaked bottom crust with apple filling and dot the top crust with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Top with a rolled-out top crust. Cut ½ inch vents in a round-the-clock pattern into the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the top lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Put the pie on a cookie sheet or other low-sided baking tray to catch any spillage. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure that the top is browning evenly. Rotate the pie 180 degrees to move the front edge to the back of the oven, and bake until the top is uniformly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
6. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Fried egg and “Refried Beans” Burrito
Makes 4 servings
4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
8 large eggs
4 ounces Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
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1. Preheat the oven to 300 °F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Place the wrapped tortillas in the oven to warm.
2. Add the cumin and chili powder to the onion and cook 1 minute. Add the pinto beans and ½ cup water and cook for 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth with some lumps. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and keep warm while you cook the eggs.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, break the eggs into the pan and cook, covered, 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, spread some of the pinto bean mixture on each tortilla, top with cheese. Roll up and serve.
Mashed Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
2 pounds russet potatoes
(about 4 medium)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for cooking the potatoes
4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 to 1 cup whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper
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1. Lightly scrub the potatoes. Put them in a large saucepan with cold water to cover by about 3 inches and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 40 to 45 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink. Let the potatoes cool just until you can handle them--hot potatoes make better mashed. Meanwhile, melt the butter in the pan over low heat.
3. Hold the potatoes in a towel or in a kitchen glove and gently peel the potato skins off with a knife or your fingers. Quarter the potatoes and put then in the pan.
4. Heat the milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl until hot. Mash the potatoes with the butter with a fork or potato masher if you have one, until most of the lumps are gone and the potatoes are smooth and fluffy. Then stir in the milk, until the mashed potatoes are light and smooth, if there are still lumps paddle them smooth with a wooden spoon. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste, and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Stir Fry
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pinch minced garlic
Mix above ingredients well.
2 carrots (cut)
1 stick celery (cut)
4 mushrooms (cut)
1 chunk of broccoli (cut)
1 pound of raw meat (cut)
2 tablespoons oil
FOR THE RICE:
¾ tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 cups water
1 cup rice
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TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Cook meat in oil, add veggies, and cook until tender. Add sauce to vegetable and stir until thickened. Serve over rice.
TO COOK THE RICE:
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil. Add rice slowly, stirring constantly, cover tightly. Reduce to low heat and cook for 20 minute.
Baked Chicken Nuggets
2 chicken breasts
1 large whipped egg white
1 cup parsley flakes
½ cup flour
½ c. seasoned breadcrumbs
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Crumple foil and cookie sheet and spray. Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Measure flour into baggie and drop chicken pieces into flour to coat. Then dip each chicken piece in whipped egg white. Place the bread crumbs and parsley into another baggie. Coat each chicken piece with crumbs and place on prepared foil. Bake at 475° F for 8 – 10 minutes. Make sure chicken is white in the center for complete doneness.
Banana Nut Bread
Makes 1 loaf
½ cup margarine 2 cups flour
1 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mashed potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk ½ cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon lemon juice
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Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add bananas, milk, and lemon juice. Sift dry ingredients, and add, the adding nuts. Bake in well–greased 8 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan for 1 hour @ 350° F.
Buttermilk Pancakes and Syrup
FOR THE PANCAKES:
1 T. of unsalted butter
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
3/4 c. unbleached white flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. light vegetable oil
MAPLE FLAVORING SYRUP:
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
1/4 tsp. maple flavoring
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TO MAKE THE PANCAKES:
Melt – Butter in microwave for 10 second. Cover with paper towel. In mixing bowl, add 1 egg, buttermilk, oil, and melted butter. Briskly whisk with wire whisk.
Combine – Dry ingredients in a different bowl.
Stir – Dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture just until dry ingredients are moist. The mixture should appear lumpy.
Heat – Griddle over medium heat with griddle covered.
Drop – Three T. of butter for every pancake onto the griddle. Leave on the heat until golden brown, flip over, and cook until done.
TO MAKE THE SYRUP:
Stir until sugar is dissolved over low heat. Bring to a boil for a minute or longer for desired thickness. DO NOT STIR. Add maple flavoring at the last minute.
Fruit Pizza
FOR THE CRUST:
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1½ cup flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
FOR THE FROSTING:
½ cool whip
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup sugar
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Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Mix. Add dry ingredients and mix until soft. Press dough into pizza pan to make one big pizza. Bake at 375° F. Don’t cook until it is brown. It should be a nice creamy color. Make the frosting by blending together, then spread the 3 ingredients over the cooked pizza crust. Garnish with desired variety of fresh fruit.
Strawberry Low Fat Smoothie
Makes 4 serving
2/3 cup frozen strawberries
½ cup sugar or NutraSweet
12 ice cubes
1 cup cold water
4 tablespoon non-fat dry milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
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Combine ingredients until smooth, while adding 2 ice cubes at a time.
Microwave Caramel
1 cup sugar
½ corn syrup
½ cup butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
6 oz. sweetened condensed milk
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Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a glass casserole dish. Microwave uncovered on high for 3 minutes. Gradually blend in sweetened condensed milk. Cook on high, uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir everything for 2 minutes. Stir everything for 2 minutes. Stir vanilla, pour in battered pan. Cool and cut into squares.