English Fish Pie

So I'm convinced anything in pie form is gonna be delicious...

This recipe actually all started when we were checking out restaurants one evening (yes, I am a major restaurant creeper - I am a total Yelp and Urbanspoon junkie) and we came across this British Pub called The Black Labrador. Usually pub food is pretty predicable - Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash all the usual suspects but this menu was very diverse and offered some semi freaky items like Scotched Beef, Sole in it's Coffin, annnnd English Fish Pie!

One thing I appreciated about this pie is you don't have to fuss with a crust and instead use mash potatoes, so it's sort of like a seafood version of Shepard's Pie...

I looked around at a couple of recipes online and all of them poached the fish pre-bake which I didn't think was necessary considering that fish only takes about 5 minutes to cook. Instead, I just heated the milk and poured it over the diced fish and veggies and the heat from the milk pretty much cooked the fish halfway, and then it finished out cooking in the oven.

This recipe is also very versatile, I happen to utilize all the leftover bits in my fridge and it turned out really delicious but you can use any type of white fish or vegetables you have on hand (spinach, parsnips, tomatoes, or shrimp might be a nice addition).

English Fish Pie

serves 4-5

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver

4-5 medium large potatoes, washed, diced small and boiled until tender (you could peel them if you don't like the skins)
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 cup unsalted canned corn
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS olive oil
2 large white fish fillets such as Swai, cut into bite sized chunks
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups full fat milk (or I mixed half and half with 1%)
1 TBS flour
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. After you boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and mash in a bowl adding olive oil, salt & pepper and milk as needed. Set aside.

2.In a large sauce pan add olive oil and saute onions for 4-5 min. on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent (about 3-4 more min)

3.Add carrots and celery and saute for 5-10 more minuets (you may need to add more oil at this time) until carrots begin to soften. Add salt, pepper, herbs (except bay leaf) and corn and mix thoroughly. Remove and place in mixing bowl. Place raw fish chunks on top.

4.In the same sauce pan you used for the veggies, add milk. Heat on medium low heat, stirring regularly. Add bay leaf. Once milk has reached a warm temp, add flour and stir then add cheese and mix until melted. Carefully remove bay leaf. Pour milk over chopped fish and veggies. Mix well.

5.To assemble, in a large baking pan, layer fish and veg mix then top with potatoes. Bake for 30-40 min. or until potatoes turn slightly brown on top.

This pie was so comforting and delicious! It had all the flavors of a classic chicken pot pie.

We'll probably check out The Black Labrador soon and see how their pie hold up - stay tuned for a restaurant review!

Dad's Birthday Pie (Pumpkin with Pecan Crumble Topping)

I know what you must be thinking, pumpkin pie? In June? Are you crazy?! And to that I say, a)there is always a time for pie and b)it's for my dad's birthday and on your birthday you can eat whatever you want!

Ever since my dad was little he always asked his mom for birthday pie instead of cake, and who could blame him, my grandmother was the pie queen. I have yet to master her perfectly pressed and flaky crusts (as you can see) but despite it's...rustic appearance, it tastes delicious which is what really counts in the end. This time I decided to amp up the usual pumpkin pie with a pecan topping in order to add texture and to stay true to my dad's food philosophy, "anything with nuts in it is health food."

While that statement might not be completely true, the caramelized sugar and spice of the cinnamon in the crumble really takes this pie to the next level!

Dad's Birthday Pie (Pumpkin with Pecan Crumble Topping)

Pie recipe adapted from Libby's

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR (1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Pure Pumpkin puree
1 can (12 fl. oz.)Evaporated Milk

For the streusel topping...

3/4 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBS flour
2 TBS cold butter, diced

For my pie crust recipe click HERE

*crust recipe makes 2 crusts, I always freeze half to keep it on hand.

Method:

1.Beat eggs in large bowl, add sugar and spices and mix until incorporated. Stir in pumpkin. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into prepared pie shell.

2.For topping, mix sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Add nuts and diced butter and mix until butter crumbles.

2.Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; and add crumble topping, then bake for 40 to 50 minutes more or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

p.s. If you don't have any candles laying around, sentimental/slightly embarrassing pictures always work too!

Lemon & Cranberry Tart

By now you know that fall/winter is my favorite time of the year BUT it never fails to also coincide with being the most hectic and I always end up getting caught up in finishing the semester or working too many hours. It's days off like today where I try to take a step back and become reacquainted with the kitchen after days of eating on the go and surviving off of Amy's microwave burritos and pretzel chips (don't judge me).

After I did the post for Ocean Spray Cranberry Orange Bread I had a decent amount of cranberries left. What could you do with fresh cranberries?
Make juice?
Popcorn garland?
Delicious tarts?
I think I'll go with the latter.

This tart was super easy to make, at first I was hesitant to combine the tart flavors of lemons and cranberries together, but the crust is so flaky and buttery that it creates the perfect balance of tart and sweet. If you don't have a tart pan you could always just bake them in a 13 x 9" pan and cut them into bars.

Lemon & Cranberry Tart

recipe was adapted from Kitchen Culinare

for the dough...

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of one lemon
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS PLUS 1/4 cup cold water

for the filling...

2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of one small lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a standard 10 1/4" tart pan and set aside.

For the Dough:

1.In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until dough is crumbled into small pieces. If you don't have a food processor (like me) I use a biscuit cutter to break up the butter bits.

2.Move the crumbles to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. The dough should still be slightly dry.

3.Press slightly more than half of the dough in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set the remaining dough aside for the topping.

For the Filling:

1.In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add cranberries and lemon juice. Stir to completely coat cranberries. Pour filling ingredients over the dough in the baking dish. Spread cranberries so that they are in a single layer.

2.Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the cranberries. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top and the sides are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, lift tart out of the baking dish and serve.

Mini Dark Sweet Cherry Pies

Question: Is there anything in this edible world better than pie? Let's think about it shall we? It's warm, comforting, flaky and crispy with a delicious center. Not to mention if you make a fruit pie it's pretty much healthy right? I think so...

If you've ever had marachino cherry pie a.k.a food coloring pie, you might as well call yourself a cherry pie virgin. There is NO comparison between fake cherry pie and the delicious naturally sweet dark cherries. I usually buy my cherries frozen, just because when they thaw it provides just the right amount of water from which to make that thick fruity filling without being too runny. You can pick up these cherries in any frozen section of a grocery store, I usually go for this brand there is no added sugar or preservatives, just sweet n' tasty cherries. I always add the tiniest bit of lemon juice just to cut the sweetness in the pies, don't worry, you can't taste the lemon. You may also want to add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract for some added flavor...not that they need it...

These homemade pies might take a little extra time to assemble, but TRUST ME they are worth the effort! You'll never touch a store bought pie again.

Mini Cherry Pies

makes about 12 pies

For the crust...

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 360 degrees F.

2.In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

3.With machine running, add ice water through feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

4.Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

5.Using a large circle cookie cutter (I used a bowl) cut out circle and press into muffin tins. Scoop a spoonful of cooled cherry filling then top with a smaller circle of pie crust. Egg wash the tops and bake for 30 min. or until golden brown on top.

For cherry filling...

15oz. of dark, sweet cherries, frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TBS cherry grenadine
1 TBS cornstarch mixed with a tsp of water

Directions:

1.In a medium sauce pan heat cherries on med-low heat. When cherries begin to thaw add sugar, lemon juice, and grenadine. Mix.

2.When cherries begin to bubble add the cornstarch mixture and let thicken for about a minute.

3.Remove from heat and cool before adding to pie shells

Mini Pumpkin Pies with Homemade Crust.

So this past weekend I was asked to help out on a Thanksgiving cooking demonstration event for charity. Me being me, I volunteered for the dessert section of the class. Because of it's Thanksgiving theme I felt I had no choice but to make the traditional pumpkin pie. I decided to make them in mini form to make it easier to pass out to people but it ended up turning into a cute little appetizer. It also gave me an excuse to bust out these nifty fall pie crust cutters that I recently purchased on sale at Wiliams Sonoma for a mere $9.98!

This recipe is one of those 1 bowl deals, just throw everything in and mix! If you're health conscious, substitute low-fat cream cheese and bake the pies with no bottom crust. I decided to make the crust from scratch because I'm a pie crust snob who despises the thick, un-flakey Pillsbury enemy if you follow this recipe it will not fail. Don't be afraid! Just make sure your butter is COLD before trying to incorporate it into your flour, I usually stick my butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes to ensure optimal chillness.


Pumpkin Pie Bites

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs (one set aside for egg wash)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

One circle biscuit cutter.

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Press circle dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray.

3.Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each mini pie crust.

4.Bake for 12-15 minutes.

5.Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.


Pie Crust (makes one)

2 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp salt 1 cup butter (2 sticks) chilled and diced ¼ ice water

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

When I first tested out this recipe I laid the shapes over the pie,egg washed it, then baked it.

I liked this look but I thought the dessert needed some height. So for the second go-round I cut out the shaped and baked them separately then placed them on top of the baked pie. You may do whatever you prefer.