Small Pie Crust and More

 I'm practicing small batches of made from scratch recipes.  Bob loved the quiche I made with this crust, so it's a keeper. I loved the pumpkin pie, so I'll include the recipe here too.

7-inch Pie Crust

(1 Crust-6 Servings)

In bowl of small food processor, mix flours and salt. 

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

 Add butter and cold water.  Process until dough comes together in a ball.

54 grams butter

1 Tablespoon 2 teaspoon cold water 

 

On a floured surface, roll dough into a circle larger than the pan.  Fit into pan with crust slightly above pan. Flute edges. Fork the dough in a few places prior to filling.

 

Do not grease the pan. Pumpkin pie crust does not need baked prior to filling.   

 

Pumpkin Pie

(6 Servings)

Mix spices and sugar in pumpkin.

1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

6 Tablespoon sugar

 

Gradually add milk to the pumpkin mixture.

6 ounce evaporated milk

Pour into pie shell.

 

Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 and bake an additional 35-45 minutes, until center barely jiggles.

 

Quiche

(6 Servings)

Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. 

4 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Place in pie shell. 

1 cup cheese

2/3 cup ham

2 Tablespoon onion

 

 

Pour egg mixture cheese, ham and onion.  Bake at 375F. for 35 minutes until

center barely jiggles

 

   

    

Roasted Red Peppers and Hummus

If you occasionally buy those little jars of pimiento peppers, making those yourself is so much cheaper!  I roasted my own peppers in an air fryer, then learned I could do that in my oven. Here's how:

Place the pepper on a pan lined with foil.  Roast at 475F for 15-30 minutes, turning over once or twice.

 Drop the hot pepper into a deep bowl and cover with saran wrap to steam.

 After 10 minutes, remove pepper and peel the burned skin.

 Cut open and remove the seeds.

 Voila! Refrigerate until ready to use.
 

Here's a recipe using that pepper:

Red Pepper Hummus

Soak chickpeas overnight in water to cover.

1/3 cup dried chickpeas

Drain and cook in fresh water.

 

In food processor, blend all ingredients together. 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove

Roasted red pepper

Cooked and drained chickpeas

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoon tahini

Serve with flatbread, crackers or fresh vegetables.   

 

Summer Fruit and Squash Bread

 

My morning routine normally includes Greek yogurt or Kefir beverages and a whole grain muesli or bread. The smoothie "recipe" is simple:  3/4 cup Greek Yogurt (mine is nonfat) and the same amount of fruit.  If the fruit is not juicy, I add enough for the blender to puree. The watermelon and strawberry smoothie pictured above is delicious. 

 

The Kefir I buy is lowfat. I buy the plain and add my own fruit as the flavored ones available do not have the fiber that real fruit has. Kefir does not have the protein that Greek Yogurt has, so I'll be hungry earlier in the morning.

 

Here's one made with fresh plums:

  

I've tried all sorts of recipes made with fresh fruit and have come to the conclusion that the best way to enjoy a piece of ripe fruit is out of hand (slice and eat).

Many times I have too much on hand to do that!  Here's a peach salsa that was good on pork:

When the neighbor "blessed me" with yellow squash, I shredded it to make a "fruit" type bread. This one utilizes my sourdough starter:

Sourdough Squash Bread

 (1-9X5 inch loaf)

Mix dry ingredients together.

2 cups whole grain flour (whole wheat, spelt or einkorn)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 

Stir squash into dry ingredients. 

1 3/4 cup grated squash, squeezed on moisture 

 

Beat together sugar and eggs.

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

 

Add discard, extract and oil. 

1/2 cup sourdough starter

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup olive oil

 

Stir in dry ingredients, just until flour no longer shows.

 

Pour batter into pan greased with olive oil spray. Smooth batter.

 

Bake at 350F. for approximately 1 hour, until pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.  

 

 

Summer Salad Board

 The kids were visiting. I had plenty of farmers market vegetables on hand. First I roasted those vegetables for the pasta salad .   (Tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, fennel, onions and garlic).

 

Sheet Pan Creole Penne

(3 Servings)

Cook pasta.  Bring cold water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta.  Cook for 12 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Drain.

2/3 cup penne

 

Mix together:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

2 mini sweet peppers, diced

1 green garlic, diced

1 green onion, diced

2 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt.

Pour onto sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F. for 15 minutes.

 

Creole seasoning

Mix together: 

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch white pepper

Pinch thyme

Pinch oregano 

  

Stir in drained pasta. 

Return to oven for a few minutes more.

 

I peeled and cubed potato for Potato Salad and put those to boil.

 

To those potatoes, I added onion, carrot, celery and red pepper the last minute of boiling. I meticulously whisked and cooked the potato salad dressing. That's the hard part but it's worth it. The cooked salad dressing takes me back to Mrs. Daugherty's Junior High Home Economics class. This is one of my recipes Main Street Morgantown printed on postcards for the local Farmers Market.

The bunch of small, multicolored beets were roasted at 400 F for approximately 1 hour. I was hoping not to have to peel the, but the skin flaked off easily after roasted. These went fast!

My tabouleh was something new and I will work on improving. My herb pots on the front porch did not garden enough parsley for this endeavor, yet I was happy to have a place to use the mint and cut up cucumbers.

Tabouleh 

Freekeh (1/2 cup)

Soak 1/4 cup freekeh in tap water 10-15 minutes. Drain.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil on stovetop. Add grain. Sauté in oil 1 minute. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add 1/4 cup boiling water. Lower heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pan in case you need to add more boiling water.) 

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup freekeh

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup minced fresh mint

2 green onion, sliced 

 

 

  

Ham Balls

 

My freezer inventory always carries small packs of sliced ham.  Here's an easy idea for a make anytime main dish.

Ham Balls

(2-3 Servings)

Grind together in a small food processor. 

6 ounce sliced ham

2 Tablespoon onion, diced

3 Graham Cracker squares, or 3 Tablespoon wheat germ or bread crumbs

1 egg

Portion into 2 ounce balls.

Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.

 

 Mix together:

3 Tablespoon ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup)

2 teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Brush onto meatballs.

Bake for 10 additional minutes.

 

These are good stuffed in pita halves!  

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard  

    

Sheet Pan Creole Seafood Penne

 

Here's a dish I'll enjoy for days at a time. While the pasta is cooking on stove-top, I roast the vegetables. Add creole seasoning with raw seafood and bake some more. Then stir in the drained pasta and warm a few minutes more. For leftovers, I'll add some arugula and other cooked vegetables or protein for lunch time salads. The whole meal takes less then 30 minutes to cook.

Sheet Pan Creole Seafood Penne

(3 Servings)

Cook pasta.  Bring cold water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta.  Cook for 12 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Drain.

2/3 cup penne

 

Mix together:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

2 mini sweet peppers, diced

1 green garlic, diced

1 green onion, diced

2 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt.

Pour onto sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350F. for 15 minutes.

 

Creole seasoning

Mix together: 

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch white pepper

Pinch thyme

Pinch oregano 

 

Mix partially cooked vegetables with seasoning and raw seafood.

8 jumbo shrimp or 3 ounce scallops.

Return to oven for 10 minutes.

 

Stir in drained pasta. 

Return to oven for a few minutes more.

 

Serve with grated parmigiano cheese.

 

  

  

Blending Retains Fiber and Nutrients

 I'm using my blender most days for morning smoothies with fruit and yogurt. When I buy local asparagus at our farmers market, I often cook and puree it to make a delicious soup without the waste.

Here is the recipe:

Asparagus Soup 

(Serves 4)

Saute onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes.
1/3 cup sweet onion, diced
2 garlic gloves, minces
1 tablespoon butter

 Add asparagus, broth and salt. Simmer 8 minutes.
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in pieces
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt