Friday, October 26, 2007

No bread today...but we have pie!




I think after my post yesterday about my bread making fiasco, I am going to circle the wagons and try and figure out how to make a better bread loaf! I guess the only real way to do it is to do it by hand...There is always next week.

Today I have to make a cheesecake and some chip dip for the Halloween Party tomorrow night but I want to tell you all about the amazing dinner we made the other night. I say we because it was both T. and I bumping around in the kitchen trying to get the girls fed by 8:00! We had an appt. in the aftenoon that ran us much later then we would have liked (but was it ever worth it!!!) so we scrambled home and decided to stay on track and make dinner. We are trying to make sure that the girls (and us) stay away from processed foods so cruising through a drive through on our way home was just not an option! I did take a huge shortcut when making this but only because I was very strapped for time!

Tortiere(This recipe is from one of my favorite Blogs - Janet is Hungry

Double 9" Pie Crust:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
5-6 tbsp cold water

****I did not have time to make my own pie crust so I used one from the refridgerated section of the supermarket.

Meat Filling:

1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground summer savory
1/3 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water
1 small potato, boiled and mashed
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk

1. Prepare pastry: Cut cold shortening into cubes (TIP: In my pastry I always use a mixture of butter - for flavour, and shortening - for flakiness). Place butter/shortening in food processor with flour and salt. Pulse a few times.

2. Dump flour mixture out into a bowl and start adding water a tbsp at a time until mixture forms a dough that will hold together. Wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate for about 30 minutes.

3. Make filling: In a non-stick skillet with a cover, cook pork, breaking up the larger chunks.

4. Add onion, celery, garlic and cook until the onions are tender.

5. Add salt, savory, pepper, allspice, bay leaf and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer 5 more minutes until most of the water is gone (it should still be quite moist).

6. Add mashed potato and remove bay leaf.

7. Roll out pastry (TIP: I roll my pastry out between two sheets of plastic wrap, when it is the right size, peel one sheet away and use the other to pick up the pastry and flip it over into the pie plate). Fill with meat mixture, cover with second half of pastry and seal edges. Cut a few vents in the top.

8. Brush top with a mixture of egg yolk and milk.

9. Bake at 425F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

This was truly delicious and great for a hectic week night! We served it with some frozen mixed veggies on the side and it was a well rounded full meal. As T. say's "What could be bad about pork and pie?"


As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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