Cornish Pasties

Decided to make these on a whim while watching "Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Cornish mystery"
They turned out quite nice :-)
I had them with some ketchup and whole grain dijon mustard.

(makes 6 servings)
(prep time 15 mins + 30 mins for the dough to rest)
(bake time 45 mins)
For the filling

Lean ground beef 1 lbs
Green onions 4-5 stalks - chopped fine (about 1/4")
Red bell pepper 1/4 cup - chopped fine (about 1/4")
Celery 1/4 cup - chopped fine (about 1/4")
Zucchini - 1/4 cup - chopped fine (about 1/4") I left the peel on
Green chilies 1 Tbs - chopped *optional
Hard boiled eggs 2 large - cut into small pieces *optional
Coarse ground black pepper 1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt
I did not have any mushroom at hand but I think some chopped shiitake would go great with this!

Combine everything together in a large bowl and make 6 sections.

For the dough*

All purpose flour 3 cups
Vegetable shortening 8 Tbs - refrigerate the shortening so that it is cold
Ice cold water 3/4  cups (you might not need all of it)
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Salt 2/3 tsp
Honey 2/3 tsp

*you can also use store bought pie crust as instead

You will also need one large egg for eggwash. Lightly beat the egg with about a tablespoon of water and keep aside.

The dough is very much like pie crust.

Combine all the dry ingredients and the honey in a large bowl.

Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with two forks.

You will see large crumbs beginning to form, that's good we want to keep those crumbs they will make the dough flaky.

Pour ice water to this little by little and keep mixing with the fork.

Add enough water to make the dough barely come together, it should resemble coarse wet sand.

Use your hands briefly just to gently knead and form a tight ball from the dough.

The dough will still feel very crumbly.

Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 mins.

After the dough has rested 30 mins take it out on a flat work surface which has been lightly dusted with flour.
Cut the dough into 6 sections and roll out each into a 7-8" diameter circular disc.
Place the meat in middle of each disc, brush the sides with some eggwash. Bring the sides up and pinch the two ends together to form a seal.
Brush the top of each pasty generously with some more egg wash.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 mins and bake further on 400 degrees for another 25 mins.
Allow to cool down for 15-20 mins before eating.

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Grilled Halibut Steak

♥ healthy

(prep time less than 10 mins)
(cook time 20 mins)
(serves 3-4)
Ingredients

Halibut steak 2 pieces ( a little over 1 lbs each)
Juice of 1 large lime
Olive oil 2 Tbs
Sweet paprika 1/2 tsp
Oregano 1/2 tsp
Thyme 1/2 tsp
Pepper
Salt

I lighted up my hibachi stlye gas grill on high and let it heat up while I prepared the steaks.
Rub some olive oil on the fish steaks and then sprinkle salt, pepper, paprika and the herbs on one side.
Reduce the heat to low and place the steak on the grill herbed side down and then season the other side.
Cook covered for about 8-10 mins per side.
Squeeze lime juice on top.
I served this along side some oven roasted veggies.
Enjoy.

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Steamed Sea Bass

♥ healthy

Steamed Sea bass
(prep and cook time less than 15 mins)
(serves 6)
Ingredients

I had 6 pieces from 2 fillets of seabass.
Dried chipotle powder
Himalayan pink salt

Sprinkle a little chipotle and salt over the pieces of fish.
I steamed it, covered, over the kale wild rice I was cooking so none of the good fish oils were lost.
You could simply steam it over boiling water.
After 7 mins they will be fork tender, juicy and delicious :-)

Wild rice with Kale
(prep and cook time less than 60 mins)
(serves 6)
Ingredients

Wild rice 1 1/2 cups
Yellow onions 1/4 cup (chopped finely)
Celery 2-3 stalks (chopped finely)
Garlic 1 tsp (minced finely)
Kale 1 bunch about 3 cups chopped (stems removed and leaves chopped coarsely)
Salt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 2-3 grinds
Olive oil 2-3 Tbs

In a large pot heat up some olive oil and add to it the chopped onions and celery.
Cook for 8 mins on medium heat or until the onions are tranlusent, stirring once or twice.
Add the garlic and cook for another 45 seconds.
Season with salt and add about 2 3/4 cups of hot water.
Bring the water to a full boil and then add the rice.
Cook covered on reduced heat for about 30 mins or until the rice is cooked through.
Turn off heat.
Fold in the kale, cover with a lid, and let the kale take in the heat from the rice for about 10 mins.
Serve.

I served this alongside some salsa and guacamole.

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Chunky Salsa

(Serves 6-8)
(Prep time 15 mins)

Ingredients

Tomatillos 3 (cut up into med sized pieces)
Red tomato on the vine 4 (remove seeds and cut up into pieces)
Yellow tomato on the vine 4  (remove seed and cut up into pieces)
Jalapenos 1 med (minced very fine)
Red onions 1/4 cup (chopped finely)
Garlic 1/4 tsp (minced very fine)
Cilantro 1/2 bunch (chopped coarsely)
Juice of 2 large limes
Salt 1/4 tsp
Pepper 1/8 tsp

Place all the cut up tomatoes in a sieve and season with salt.
Put the sieve in the fridge and allow the water to drain from the tomatoes for about 15 mins.
Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Mix well.
Serve chilled.

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Italian Meatballs

(serves 2-3 ppl)
(prep and cook time 45 mins)
Ingredients

Ground beef 1 1/2 lbs
Bread crumbs I used a food processor to grind 1 1/2 slices of Dave's-Good Seed-killer bread!
Whole milk 3 Tbs
Egg 1 large (lightly beaten)
Crimini mushrooms 1/4 cup (chopped fine)
Onions 1/3 cup (chopped fine)
Parmesan reggiano 1/4 cup (shredded fine)
Parsley 1 whole bunch (stems removed and chopped fine)
Oregano 1 tsp
Chili flakes 1 tsp *optional
Salt 1/2 tsp
Pepper 5-6 grinds
Olive oil 4 Tbs for pan frying the meatballs

Method

Soak the bread crumbs in milk.
Combine all the ingredients (minus the olive oil) in a large mixing bowl.

Mix gently.

Form tennis ball size meatballs.

Heat up some oil in frying pan and lightly sear all sides of the meatballs.

Drop the meatballs in warm marinara sauce and let them simmer for 25 mins or until done.

I served this on some whole wheat spaghetti.

Hope you like :-)

Marinara Sauce

Tomato sauce 1 1/2 cup
Tomato paste 1/3 cup
Canned whole tomatoes 1/2 cup

Crush the tomatoes or chop them into smaller pieces and combine them with the other ingredients in a large bowl.

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Oven Roasted Chicken

(Prep time 20 mins)

(Marinade time 1 1/2 days)
(Bake time 1 1/2 hours)
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients

Brine:
Habanero peppers 3 (whole)
Allspice berries 10
Cloves 10
Peppercorns 1 Tsp
Bay leaves 3
White vinegar 1 cup
Kosher salt 1 cup
Ice cold water 1 gallon

Blend the habanero peppers and some of the water, say maybe a cup, in a blender. The idea is to juice the chilies so that the chicken can absorb the flavor better.
Add this to the rest of the water.
Mix in salt, vinegar and the remaining spices.
Keep refrigerated.

TIP: Nice info on brining.

Compound butter:
Unsalted butter 4 Tbs (softened at room temp)
Juice of 2 limes
Dried rubbed sage 1 tsp
Dried rosemary 1 tsp
Dried thyme 1 tsp

Combine all the above ingredients really well and refrigerate for 15 mins to firm up a little bit but don't let it become rock solid.

TIP: Most of the butter melts and falls out, but for an even lighter version skip the butter all together and use just the herbs and sprinkle the lime juice on top of the skin.

Spice rub:
Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp
Coarse ground pepper 1/2 tsp
Paprika 1/2 tsp

Combine all the spices in a bowl and keep aside.

Method

You will need lots of room in your refrigerator and a very BIG pot.
Soak whole bird in brine for 24 hours, it should be fully submerged in water. Keep refrigerated.
After 24 hours place the chicken on top of a wire rack and drain for 6 hours in the fridge.
The skin will become very dry.
Place the chicken breast side up, use your index finger to get beneath the skin and loosen it, try to reach and loosen the skin on the legs too. Be gentle so you don't puncture the skin. Take some compound butter and try to push it in as much as you can beneath the skin. Once the butter is under the skin you can massage the top of the skin and help it reach nooks and crannies.
This is great video to understand the process better.
Sprinkle cayenne, pepper and paprika on all sides of the chicken.
Wrap the chicken in saran wrap.
Marinade in fridge for 6-8 hours.
Remove the saran wrap and let the bird rest uncovered on the countertop for 20 mins before baking.
Stuff the chicken with a small hand full of whole garlic cloves and a small handful of onion quarters.
Then truss the chicken with some cooking twine.

IMPORTANT: Don't stuff the chicken while it's marinading because bacteria will accumulate in the cavity. And don't stuff it too much because the chicken won't cook completely, the cavity should only be filled one thirds.

You will need to adjust the rack in your oven to make sure that the top of the chicken is atleast 6-8 inches away from the heating element.
Rub some olive oil, about 2 Tbs, all over the chicken.
Place the chicken on top of a wire rack and inside a baking dish to catch all fluids and fat.
Bake for 30 mins 400 degrees breast side up.
Use a large towel to protect your hands and flip the chicken breast side down and bake for another 30 mins.
Turn it breast side up again and continue baking for the last 30 mins.
(Overall cook time is 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees)
To preserve juiciness it is very important to let the chicken rest for 20 mins on the countertop before you cut it.
I served this on top of some roasted root vegetables but I am sure it could work well with some thick cut french fries, grilled veggies, a nice rice pilaf or a leafy salad if you prefer.
The roses were edible and made out of potatoes and yams, I will post a video about that soon sometime.
Hope you like this and give it a try.
Peace.
:-)

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Baked Trout in Banana Leaves

♥ healthy

(prep time 15 mins)
(cook time 40 mins)
(serves 6 ppl)
Ingredients

Fresh whole rainbow trout 6 med sized (scales, heads and tails removed)
Stewed tomatoes 1 16oz can
Garlic 4 cloves chopped fine (about 2 Tbs)
Yellow onion sliced thin 1/2 cup
Green chilies 2 med (sliced thin) *optional
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin powder 2/3 tsp
(Dry roast some cumin in a single layer in a frying pan on med high heat., stir occasionally to ensure even browning. Remove from the heat when the cumin turns a very dark almost blackish color. Allow this to cool and then grind)
Salt
Banana leaves 6 pieces each roughly a 10 inch square * use aluminum foil instead
(I was able to get frozen leaves from Uwajimaya however you can get them fresh from Viet Wah sometimes)

Method

Combine the salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the fish on both sides with this blend, also season inside the belly cavity.
Stuff the cavity of the fish with slices of onions. garlic and chilies.
Close the fish and spoon some tomatoes along with the juice over the fish.
Wrap in banana leaves.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Bake the wrapped fish for about 40-50 mins or until done.

Corn Salsa

Corn kernels sliced off from 3 cobs
(Each cob was wrapped in a moist towel and then microwaved  on high for 4 mins , you could of course grill it for a better flavor)
Black olives chopped 4-5 Tbs (I used black cerignola olives)
Red onions chopped fine 3-4 Tbs
Red bell pepper chopped 2/3 cups
Pear 1/2 chopped fine
Flat leaf Italian parsley 4 Tbs (chopped fine)

Toss all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
Refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to develop.

Dressing

Olive oil 2 Tbs
Pineapple juice 3 Tbs
Apple cider or white wine vinegar 3 Tbs
Garlic clove 1 whole
Sugar 3/4 Tbs
Pepper 1/4 tsp
Salt 1/3 tsp

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds.

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Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread

(prep time 15 mins)
(bake time 1 hour)
Ingredients

All purpose flour 2 cups
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Butter 1/2 cup (melted)
Light brown sugar 3/4 cup
Eggs 2 large (lightly beaten)
Really really ripe bananas 4 large (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp *optional
Heavy cream 2 Tbs
Walnuts 1/4 cup (coarsely chopped)
Dark chocolate bits 1/4 cups ( I  used moonstruck dark chocolate 68% cacao)

Directions

Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter and dust with some flour.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whip together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl.
Add and mix the eggs and the heavy cream.
Now gently stir in mashed bananas, walnuts and chocolate bits.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. 
Tap the pan on the counter top a few times to release air bubbles.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60 to 65 min.
Or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.

The above recipe is a modified version of this recipe.

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Manaqish bi'l Za'tar

A very popular and delicious flatbread from the mideast.

Wonderful for lunch or something to snack on. I was able to find all the herbs I needed to make this from Penzeys Spices in Seattle. I absolutely love the selection of spices that they have!

(prep time 2 hours)

(bake time 3 mins per flatbread)

(serves 6-8)

Topping

Za'tar 4 Tbs 
(this spice blend usually contains sesame seeds, marjoram, thyme and sumac)
Olive oil 6-8 Tbs  
Sumac 1 tsp *optional - Za'tar contains sumac but I like to add a little extra 

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Dough

All purpose flour 2 cups + some for dusting
Olive oil 2 Tbs
Whole milk 3 Tbs
Sugar 1 Tbs
Salt 1/2 Tbs
Active dry yeast 1 tsp
Warm water 2/3 cup

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.
Add the oil and rub it in.
Now pour in the water and knead to make a dough.
I use my hands so it take me about 8-10 mins, I am sure in a food processor it will be quicker.
Transfer the dough in a lightly greased bowl and lightly cover it with saran wrap.
Let this sit in a warm dry place.
In about 2-3 hours the dough will be double in size.
Punch it down and sprinkle some extra flour, 2-3 tablespoons, and knead for another 2-3 mins.
Divide the dough into 8 parts.
Roll them into 7" round.
Spread some Za'tar on each round and bake until cooked.

How to bake

I have a pizza stone that I love to bake on.
Both the stone and the oven needs to be super hot to be effective.
So I start by setting the stone on the second shelf of the oven and then I pre-heat the oven to the highest setting, 550 degrees in my case.
I turn the oven off and turn on the broiler on high and let the stone sit under it for 10 mins.
Now I am ready to bake on it.
Before you start, turn the broiler to the low setting.
Slide out the shelf and place the bread on top of it, I like to use a paddle for this.
The bread will be cooked in 3 mins but keep an eye on it.
Use tongs or the paddle to remove the cooked bread from the stone.

Hope you like.

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Tamagoyaki

 卵焼き

Behold - Tamagoyaki
A Japanese rolled omelet.
I learned how to make it from this video.
The ingredients were in the subtitles and I guesstimated the amount.
I got the pan from Daiso for about $2. It was smallish, roughly 6" by 4",  and I was skeptical on how well it would work but it was able to handle 3 eggs okay, although something bigger would have been much better.

Ingredients

Eggs 3 Large
Mirin 1 Tbs
Light soy sauce 2 Tbs
Dashi 1/4 cup
(I got dashi in powdered form and I added about a tsp of it to 1/4 boiling water and then let it cool down)
Pinch of salt
I also added 1/2 plain white sugar
Oil for brushing

Method

Just mix everything together in a large bowl.
I didn't pass the eggs through a sieve like in the video.
I took about 3 Tbs worth of the egg mixture and spread it over the hot pan.
Once the egg was slightly set I rolled it and then added more batter.
Kept doing that until I ran out of the batter.
Occasionally I would have to hold the pan away from the heat because it would get too hot.
And as the rolled eggs started to build up I had very little pan space left so it helped to lift up the cooked eggs a bit and let the uncooked eggs get beneath.
Here is a little video of me making it.
Definitely takes some getting used to.
It was tricky folding it, specially as the roll got fatter probably because the pan was too small.
I hope to get better at it and maybe for next time I will divide the batter and make 2 rolls :-)

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Somali Sambusa

(prep time 20 mins)
(cook time 10 mins)
(makes about 15 sambusas)
Ingredients

Ground lamb 1 Lbs
Garlic 2 tsp (minced fine)
Serrano chili 1 large (chopped fine) *optional
Flat leaf Italian parsley 1 cup chopped
Green onions (chopped) 1/3 cup
Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Ground cardamom 1/8 tsp
Ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Coarse black pepper 1/4 tsp
Ground cloves 1/8 tsp
Sumac 1/2 tsp
Olive oil 3 Tbs
Canola oil for deep frying

I used samosa wrappers from KG Pastry for wrapping these. This wrapper is different from the Indian samosa wrap. I was able to buy it only at Halal Meats (the tiny store inside the plaza next to Apna Bazar in Bellevue)

NOTE:
I also folded a few of these in wonton wrappers and I have to say there is a difference.The wonton wrappers were much thicker than the samosa wrappers. And after frying the wontons seemed harder and the samosa wrappers seemed very delicate and more flaky.

TIP: If you'd rather bake these instead of deep frying phyllo dough might work great. However using phyllo might not save you calories because lots of butter goes between the layers unless you used a low cal spray.

Method

Start by heating some oil in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds.
Add the beef, chilies and all the seasonings.
Cook until beef is done about 10-12 mins and make sure to break any lumps of meat with the back of a spatula.
Mix in the green onion and the parsley.
Allow this mixture to come to room temperature before you can start wrapping them.
I wished that the wrappers should have been atleast 12 inches long but the ones I had were only 8.5 inches.
So I wet the edges with some water and glued two wrappers together to make one long one.
Take about 2 Tbs of the mixture and wrap them in triangles.
Here is the video I learned from, however I just used plain 'ol water to seal the sambusa ends and not a paste like in the video.
Deep fry for 6 mins or until golden brown.
Super delish!

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Scones, blackberry jam and clotted cream

I had been stuck on the idea of clotted cream for the past few days. It's a mildly sweet, spreadable thick cream, somewhat of a cross between unsalted butter and heavy cream. I had it with homemade scones and jam for breakfast but this meal is usually enjoyed in the afternoon with a cup of tea as a part of the famous cream tea which is very popular all across the UK.

It's next to impossible to get your hands on fresh clotted cream here in the US. The closest thing is a processed version (found in a tiny jar in the picnic food section of Cost Plus World Market) or Double Devon Cream (can be bought at Cost Plus World Market, Wholefoods and the The British Pantry). However I really wanted to taste the real deal and me being somewhat of a food nerd and after being told that the idea "sounds jolly good" I decided to make it in my tiny kitchen :-)  

Thanks to Google my hunt for raw unpasteurised cream was surprisingly short. I was able to locate a depot in Bellevue and all I had to do was make a call and collect it on Thursday morning. It's hard to describe the feeling I felt when I was holding a pint of raw cream from Jersey cows in my hands :-) A pint of cream took me over eight hours and I got about a third cup worth of clotted cream. The process for making this is very similar to making malai probably because clotted cream IS malai. However there is a HUGE difference in taste and texture between the two maybe because clotted cream is made from a better quality of milk or cream. 

The method is simple. Just pour the cream in a wide skillet, cover and cook on very low heat for several hours until a thick crust forms on the top. That yellowy, oily crust is clotted cream. Scrape it off and collect it in a small bowl. I found this recipe for clotted cream which makes it in an oven. However I made it on the simmer setting on my electric stovetop and scrapped off the crust every hour or so. The crust will form several times. In the end I had very little cream left in my skillet, I couldn't let it simmer further without making it stick to the skillet.

During my search for a recipe I found that people usually compare the taste of clotted cream with mascarpone, ricotta, heavy whipped cream or some mix of these ingredients. And after tasting it, it is my very humble opinion that clotted cream is also comparable to softened khoya - Milk solids made from evaporating milk, an ingredient very commonly used in Indian/Pakistani desserts and can be easily bought from an Indian grocery store.

Scones

I followed a recipe from America's Test Kitchen, a version of it can be found here.
However I never used any currants or dried fruit and cut the recipe in half.
For the sake of completion I have copied the recipe below with the quantities that I used.
Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)
6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blackberry Jam

Blackberries - Frozen 1 lbs

Sugar - 2 1/2 cups

Juice of half a lime

Apple peels and cores for natural pectin (I had saved some from a pie I had made a few days earlier)

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot.

Turn on the heat and allow the berries to welt.

Cook for about 5 mins and pass the fruit through a seive to remove seeds and apple peels.

Add the seedless fruit back into the washed pot and continue to cook for another 15 mins on medium high heat or until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup.

Pour into a clean jar and seal.

Finish within a week.

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Apple Pie

Years ago, when I was a student, I used to really enjoy apple pie from a bakery (forgot the name) in Islamabad. It had coconut flakes and raisins mixed in with the apple filling.

I have been feeling very nostalgic lately and decided to make an apple pie similar to the one I used to love. Good 'ol times, how much I miss it all :-(

I used a small 7" pie pan, so three small apples were enough to fill it up. While I was searching for a great recipe I found this picture and thought it looked really nice. So I tried to emulate the look using apple and leaf shaped mini cookie cutters. I also used the recipe on that page as a guide.

(prep time 20 mins if using prepared pie crust)
(bake time 45 mins)
(enough for 4 ppl)
Ingredients

2 Pie crusts or use store bought
3 Apples - small size (granny smith, honey crisp, red delicious)
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbs Heavy cream
2 Tbs Butter (chopped into small pieces)
1 Tbs Flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/8 cup Regular sugar
1/3 cup Coconut flakes-sweetened  *optional
1/3 cup Raisins - I used golden raisins *optional
1 egg - for eggwash

Method

Line the bottom of a buttered and floured pie dish with one of the pie crusts.

Use a knife to cut off the over hang.

Set aside and refrigerate the pie dish.
Peel and core the apples and slice them thinly.

Put the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle some lime juice on them to prevent browning.

Add the sugars, spices, flour, cream, butter, coconut and raisins and combine well.

Pour this mixture into the pie dish and cover with the decorative crust.
I saved a few slices and arranged them in a neat pattern on the top layer. I figured it would look nice because it will show through the cut outs. But now I think it would have looked better had I not done that, specially because some of the apple pieces got really brown. 

Apply some eggwash on top of only the crust and bake in a preheated 450 oven for 15 mins.

Then reduce the temperature to 350 and cook for another 30-45 mins.

I had to cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.

I removed the foil in the last 15 mins of baking.
Let this sit for 30 mins at least.

You can eat this warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy.

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Pecan Pie

Ooey gooey good :-)
This was incredibly delicious... mmm. I made several versions of it and below is what I liked most. I cook the syrups for a while for an extra sticky texture and I also prefer using a prebaked pie crust for a super duper flaky pastry!

(makes one 10" pie)
(prep time 15 mins if using store bought pie dough otherwise and another hour or so)
(cook time 45 mins)
Ingredients

1 Pie crust or use store bought
1/2 cup Maple syrup
1 cup Light corn syrup
1/2 cup Agave nectar
2 Large eggs (At room temperature and lightly beaten)
4 Tbs Butter (Melted)
1 3/4 Cups pecans or use walnuts for a walnut pie
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour a 10"pie dish and refrigerate it for 10-15 mins.
Roll out the pastry and place it inside the pie dish. Poke a few holes all around the inside of the crust with a fork.
Place this in the fridge for 20 mins or so. We want to make sure that the pastry is very cold.
When you are ready to bake the pie crust place a piece of aluminum foil on top of it and use some uncooked dried beans or baking beads to prevent the pastry from puffing up.
Bake for 12-15 mins.
Take out it from the oven, remove the weights and let it cool down to luke warm atleast before you fill it up with the pecan filling.

For the Filling:

Combine the vanilla, salt, agave, maple and corn syrup in a sauce pan.
Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
Let this cool down to room temp.
Pour in melted butter and mix well and then fold in the eggs.
Add whole pecans .
Pour this mixture into the pie shell.
Bake for 40-45 min in pre-heated 350 degree oven.
Or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
The middle should be slightly wobbly but it will set when cooled.
Let it cool down completely before eating.
Also tastes great super chilled.

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Chicken Pot Pie

A wonderful delicious treat during the winters.
Warms you up inside out.
I love this with some cottage cheese and chopped Italian parsely on the side.

Ingredients

2 Pie Crusts (the bottom crust is blind baked for only the first 10 mins and then cooled)
You can always use store bought pie crusts to save on time.
However the above recipe is the most flakiest ever. Definitely try and make it if you have the time.

1 1/2 Chicken breasts - medium sized, skinless, boneless (cut into 1" pieces)
1 tsp Garlic (minced fine)
4 Tbs Onion (diced fine)
4 Crimini mushrooms (diced fine)
1 cup Carrots (sliced at a bias about 1/4" thick)
1 cup Celery (sliced at a bias about 1/4" thick)
1 cup Boiled potatoes (cut into 1" cubes)
1/2 cup Frozen Peas *optional
1 can Chicken stock
1 1/4 cup Whole Milk * see note below
1 tsp Thyme (dried)
1 tsp Tarragon (dried)
2/4 tsp Chili flakes *optional
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Tbs Oil for cooking (I used canola oil)
Salt

For the roux:
3 Tbs flour
3 Tbs butter

For the egg wash:
1 Egg mixed in with 1 Tbs of water.

Method

Before getting started, you will need to blind bake the first pie crust.
See instructions here and here.
The recipe and method are exactly the same.
The only difference is that for the chocolate tart the crust was baked twice. However for this recipe I only baked the crust once for 10 minutes with the weights.

Blanche the carrots and celery by plunging them in boiling water for 2 mins and then plunging them into ice water right afterwards.
When the veggies have cooled down, drain them and set aside for later use.
Heat up some oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onion until soft.
Add the garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Now add the mushrooms and cook on a med high heat for about 4-5 mins or until the mushroom are cooked through.
Take out in a bowl and set aside.
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and brown the chopped chicken on high heat until they are nice and light brown on the outside.
Season with salt, pepper, thyme, tarragon and chili flakes.
Now add chicken broth and milk to the pan.
Bring it all to a boil, reduce heat and cook the chicken for about 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
In a separate frying pan melt the butter and add flour to it.
The roux will be used to thicken the broth.
Make sure you use equal parts fat and flour otherwise you might risk lumps in your sauce.
And depending on how you want the color of the sauce to be you can cook your roux till it's white, blonde or brown.
I cooked mine for about 1-2 minutes on med heat for a white roux.
Add this to the broth and stir gently until well combined.
Turn off heat.
Let this cool for about 15 mins and then gently fold in all the veggies.
Carrots, celery, potatoes, mushroom mixture and peas if you are using them.
Allow this to cool further and reach room temperature before pouring it into the blind baked pie shell.
The half baked shell and the cold sauce will ensure that the bottom crust will not turn soggy during baking.
Cover with the second pie crust.
Seal in the crust all around.
I don't like fancy edges on a chicken pie. So I don't bother fluting the edges, I just make sure that it looks neat.
Paint egg wash all over.
Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil. This will protect then from browning too quickly.
Make a few vent holes in the center.
Bake for 45 mins in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees.
Remove the aluminum foil in the last 15 mins of baking.
Let this rest for 20-30 minutes before digging in.
Enjoy.

*I perfer the sauce to be a bit on the runny side, this isn't.
However I adjusted the recipe that I shared above so that it will have more sauce.

But if you perfer less/thicker sauce then take out 1/4 cup of milk and add an additional tablespoon of roux.

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