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BUTTERNUT-SPINACH PIE: A Melt-In-Your-Mouth Delight!

I’m a big fan of the savory pie. While I do love a good hand pie (such as the pasty), the single pie is not only faster to prepare, but offers more filling to crust ratio.

Butternut-Spinach Pie is a lovely blend of honey roasted butternut squash, a kicky bleu cheese (such as Gorgonzola), a bit of crunch from the pecans, and sweetness plus color from the dried cranberries. The spinach, of course, adds a vegetable to the mix, which is great for veggie-phobic kids.

TIP: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t suggest (nag) you to freeze the leftover egg wash for future use. One egg wash can be used several times, thus sparing the cost of an egg each time. Just remember to thaw it out before prep-time.

NOTE: My pie crust recipe is delicious, but if you have a preferred double-crust pie dough recipe, you can use that. OR, you can purchase pre-made, if you’d rather.

NOTE: This is certainly not mandatory, but there’s a device called a ‘first-slice wedge’ that can be placed under the bottom crust to aid in lifting out that notoriously difficult first pie piece. At my family’s constant nagging, I now keep mine IN the pie plate at all times so I don’t forget to use it. I guess they got tired of hearing, “Oh, no! I forgot to use the pie wedge…again!!!”

BUTTERNUT-SPINACH PIE

Crust:

  • 323g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour, DIVIDED
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 144g (10 T) butter, cold
  • 95g (1/2 cup) shortening (I use Crisco), chilled
  • 34g (4 T) vodka, cold
  • 34g (4 T) water, cold
  • eggwash: 1 egg plus 1 T water, beaten together

Filling:

  • 1 butternut squash (about 900g / 2 lbs)
  • 4 T olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp dried cumin
  • 3/4 tsp dried crushed rosemary
  • 30g (2 T) honey
  • 341g (12 oz) raw spinach, leaves only, cleaned thoroughly!
  • 218g (8 oz) Gorgonzola (or any bleu cheese you prefer)
  • 3 T sour cream (or plain yogurt or creme fraiche)
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 60g (2/3 cup) pecans, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted
  • 50g (1/2 cup) raisins

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Make the crust first since the dough should be chilled before rolling it out. You can make it well ahead of time, if you like.

Preheat oven to 218°C (425°F).

Measure out the shortening onto a plate small bowl or bowl, and place it in the freezer to chill. Combine the vodka and 34g (4 T) water in a small bowl and place in the fridge. Let these ingredients chill for about 20 minutes.

Into the workbowl of your food processor, place 202g (1.5 cups) of the flour and the salt. Pulse a couple of times to mix.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the processor along with the cold shortening. Process (NOT pulse) for 15 seconds – at about 15 seconds, the dough comes together.

Add the remaining 130g (1 cup) flour to the processor and pulse (NOT process) 6 times.

Pour the vodka/water mix into the processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, just to mix. The dough will be tacky.

Empty dough onto a well floured surface and knead dough 5 or 6 times using a bench scraper to bring dough together. With floured hands pat the dough together. Cut off 1/3 of dough and form a disc. With the remaining dough, form another disc. Cover so the dough doesn’t dry out, then place in fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

Preheat oven to 218°C (425°F).

Wash the butternut squash before slicing so you don’t drag dirt and germs onto the flesh. In order to make the squash soft enough to cut, put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. (Don’t worry, it won’t explode for this short period of time!) Flip it, then zap it again for 30 more seconds. It’s now soft enough to cut. Slice off both ends and discard. Cut off the head (yikes!) and stand both halves on end. Using a sharp knife, slice off and discard the outer layer. Slice into 3cm (1/2″) circles. Cut these circles into 2cm (3/4″) pieces, discarding the strings and seeds.

Place cubed squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the olive oil, cumin, crushed rosemary, and honey. Gently mix together using a spatula. Place in preheated 218°C (425°F) oven.

Stir with spatula every 10-ish minutes, and bake until squash is golden-browned – 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Leave the oven on at 218°C (425°F) – you’ll be par-baking the crust soon.

While squash is baking, steam the spinach to wilt – it only takes about 5 minutes.

Place wilted spinach in a tea towel to sop up excess water.

Chop into approximate 3cm (1″) segments.

While spinach is steaming, lightly toast the pecans. I prefer to do this in a toaster oven – SET A TIMER!. You can also use a dry skillet. (Just make sure you keep stirring the nuts so they don’t burn.) 

Into a large bowl, very gently combine the cooled squash with all the juices, the cooled spinach, Gorgonzola, sour cream, black pepper, pecans, and dried cranberries.

Preheat the oven to 218°C (425°F), in case you turned off the oven earlier from baking the butternut squash.

Time to roll out the crusts. A bench scraper is extremely helpful with this dough since it’s kind of tacky.

Remove the larger dough disc from fridge and place on a well floured surface. Pat a little flour on top so the rolling pin doesn’t stick. Starting at the mid-point, roll the disc away from you two times, then from the mid-point towards you two times. (If the dough is too hard from chilling to roll, pound it a few times with you rolling pin.)

Using the bench scraper, loosen and turn the dough 90° (a quarter turn) and repeat the rolling process. It’s important to keep turning the dough after each upwards/downwards pair so the dough doesn’t stick. When the edges become raggedy, push them in to smooth them a bit. Keep going until the circle is large enough to cover the bottom and sides with about 2cm (1/2″) of overhang.

Using bench scraper to help loosen the dough from the surface, fold dough towards you in half.

Carefully place a hand under each side of the dough and place in the pie dish, folded side along the pie plates middle. Unfold, adjusting so dough is fitted into corners.

Trim dough so there’s no over-hang. With fingers, work edges so they stand upright rather than crimping them. (The edges will be covered by the top crust later.) Freeze crust about15-20 minutes so it doesn’t shrink while baking.

Line chilled pie crust with waxed paper or baking paper, then fill with pie weights (I use beans). Bake in preheated 218°C (425°F) oven for 10 minutes. (SET TIMER!)

Gather up the 4 corners of the baking paper and very gently rock and lift out the pie weights.

Remove the crust from the oven (so you don’t lose heat) and lightly baste the crust bottom with egg wash. (This prevents that dreaded soggy bottom!).

Put the crust back in the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. (SET TIMER!!!). Remove and cool.

Decrease oven temperature to 190°C (375°F).

Into the cooled pie crust, pour the filling. Mound it high in the middle, sloping down towards the crust. Keep the filling away from the top of the bottom crust since you’ll be wrapping the top crust around it.

Remove the top crust disc from fridge and place on well floured surface. Roll out dough as before to the diameter from the edge to edge of the pie dish. Crimp the top crust around the bottom crust. Paint on egg wash and make 4 slashes through top.

Bake in preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for about 30 minutes, until top is golden browned.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack about 20 minutes to set.

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MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD: Worth The Effort!!!

My first face-to-face encounter with Millionaire Shortbread was a big disappointment. I’d heard about it on America’s Test Kitchen and thought it sounded amazing. Shortbread, caramel, and chocolate: what’s not to love? So, as a committed food blogger (what I won’t do for my readers!), I used ATK’s recipe and made a batch. With great anticipation, I took my first bite. The chocolate topping was too hard, causing the too soft caramel to ooze out. The cookie ended up kind of falling apart, although it tasted okay. I couldn’t figure out the big fuss over Millionaire Shortbread. UNTIL…..

The Great British Bake-Off had a Millionaire Shortbread challenge. Some of the bakes looked amazing and without the problems I encountered with the chocolate topping and the caramel. So, I went on another food quest to perfect the recipe. (For some reason, my quests are nearly always desserts.)

My goals for the perfect (in my opinion) Millionaire Shortbread:

  • Shortbread: I wanted the shortbread base to be the thickest layer and sturdy enough to hold together while eating the cookie.
  • Caramel: It should be a little over half the thickness of the shortbread so you can really taste it. It should be soft enough that you can easily bite through it, but not so soft it oozes.
  • Chocolate topping: The chocolate should be bittersweet to offset the sweetness of the caramel. But the higher the cacao percentage, the harder the chocolate, making the layer crack as you bite through it. So I ended up blending the chocolate bars. This layer should be about 1/3 of the caramel layer.

NOTE #1: I prefer to use a 19cm x 19cm (7.5″ x 7.5″) pan, measured at the inside base, NOT the top. This gives the Millionaire Shortbread the proper (IMO) overall height of the cookie as a whole. You can, also, use a rectangular pan which has close to the same total area: 361cm (56.25″). If you’ve forgotten your geometry, just multiply the length of one short side by the length of one long side to get the area.

NOTE #2: Millionaire Shortbread needs to be made the day before serving so it has plenty of time to set. It keeps for days on the counter and freezes well!

MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD

Shortbread

  • 294g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 99g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
  • 226g (1 cup) butter, melted

Caramel

  • 473g (2 cups) cream
  • 200g (7 oz) light brown sugar
  • 34g (2T) light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Topping

  • 59g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar
  • 115g (4 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar

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Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F)

Line the bottom and sides of a 19cm x 19cm (7.5″ x 7.5″) pan (I use a Pyrex glass pan). Lining the pan is NOT mandatory, but it allows you to remove the entire Millionaire Shortbread block at once, thus making the slicing process easier and more attractive.

Shortbread

  • 294g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 99g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla
  • 226g (1 cup) butter, melted

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour in the melted butter and blend with a fork, just until the flour is incorporated.

Break up the dough into pieces and scatter them evenly in the baking pan.

With your fingers, press the dough to an even depth. As an added measure, use a flat bottomed surface (such as a glass or offset spatula) to firmly press out the finger marks. Finally, go around the edges to press down the dough that may have risen up at the edge. The entire surface should be as level as possible.

Bake the shortbread in the preheated 177°C (350°F) oven until lightly browned – about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, then take an offset spatula or a fork and lightly press down the entire surface to compact the dough – you want the shortbread to be sturdy and not fall apart.

Let shortbread cool while you make the caramel.

Caramel

  • 473g (2 cups) cream
  • 200g (7 oz) light brown sugar
  • 34g (2T) light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1.25 tsp vanilla

Caramel can be daunting, but follow my instructions to the letter, and you should have no problems.

NOTE #1: Plan about 25-30 minutes to be near the stove – caramel needs to be stirred often. 

NOTE #2: You’ll need a metal or glass thermometer that can attach to the side of the pan – plastic will soften due to the hot steam.

NOTE #3: As the temperature rises, you’ll notice the number bounces around like a roller coaster. This is normal.  

Into a sturdy saucepan, put the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Attach the thermometer so the tip doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan, but is still immersed in the liquid. Turn the flame to med/high and stir. The temperature is going to rise fairly steadily, fluctuating a few degrees up and down, until it gets towards the boiling point of water (100°C / 212°F). The temperature will bounce around here for about 15 minutes. THEN, it will begin to rise to the desired 115°C (239°F).

As the caramel nears the end point, you’ll notice it looks like melted peanut butter. Keep your eye on the temperature because it will happen soon. As soon as you see 115°C (239°F) – even if it lowers again – remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the hot caramel on the shortbread, spreading it evenly. Let cool about 20 minutes, then make the chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping

After the caramel layer has cooled about 20 minutes, make the chocolate topping. You want the caramel to still be warm when you pour on the hot chocolate so the two layers stick together.

  • 59g (2 oz) 60% cacao chocolate bar (I use Ghiradelli)
  • 115g (4 oz) 72% cacao chocolate bar (I use Ghiradelli)

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in small saucepan. Over medium/low heat, melt chocolate, stirring often.

Once the chocolate is completely melted (no lumps), pour over warm caramel and smooth evenly. Let set several hours on the counter. Then set in fridge for a final set. 

Fleur de Sel option

If you want to top the chocolate with fleur de sel, wait until the chocolate is no longer hot or the salt will melt. This can take a couple of hours – set it in the fridge, if you like, but don’t let it harden – the chocolate needs to be semi-soft so the salt will stick.

The next day, remove the Millionaire Shortbread from the fridge and let set on the counter for, at least, an hour. Run a rounded tipped knife between the baking paper and the pan. Then, pick up the block by the baking paper and set it on a cutting board. Carefully peel the paper from the sides and bottom. 

I like to slice off the edges so the cut bars have clean sides, but it’s not mandatory. Of course, those removed edges don’t go to waste – everyone clamors for them, just to be sure the Millionaire Shortbread is up to par.

Cut into squares or rectangles using a long NON-serrated knife, pressing straight down with a SLOW rocking motion.

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Risotto with Gorgonzola-Pears-Walnuts

When I heard about a risotto dish featuring Gorgonzola, pears, and walnuts, I was intrigued. Salty, sweet, and crunch combined in a creamy risotto? Whoa! Four worlds colliding! (Seinfeld fans will understand my reference.) I set to work to create the recipe which, surprisingly, only took 2 tries. Delizioso!!!!

NOTE: While any type of pear will do for flavor, I suggest using a deep red pear to add color to the dish.

RISOTTO WITH GORGONZOLA-PEARS-WALNUTS – makes about 3 cups

  • 1T (14g) butter
  • 31g (1/3 cup) shallots, sliced into strips
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 20g (1T) honey
  • 135g (3/4 cup) raw arborio rice
  • 57g (1/3 cup) white wine
  • 475 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
  • 1 pear – not too hard, nor mushy, preferably red for color
  • 40g (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped & lightly toasted
  • 100g (3.5 oz) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter. Add in shallots, salt, and pepper. Over medium flame stir to soften the shallots, but not brown them – about 4 minutes.

Add rosemary, cumin, and honey to pot. Over low heat, stir together for 30 seconds – just to bloom the spices.

Stir in the arborio rice and saute over low heat for 5 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and stir over low heat until the wine has NEARLY evaporated. (This takes just a few minutes so have the vegetable stock ready to go.) Photo shows wine just being added.

Now comes the part that, while easy, takes time – please don’t rush it. Over medium flame, start adding the stock in about (you don’t have to be precise) 50 ml (1/4 cup) increments, stirring constantly. Add more when the previous amount has been absorbed. Keep going until the final addition – let it absorb somewhat, but not altogether – you want it creamy.

Remove from heat and pour into serving bowl to cool slightly.

Slice pear from top to bottom around core into four slabs. Cut into 2cm (3/4″) pieces. (I prefer to slice my pear just before adding it to the risotto so it doesn’t start to brown.)

Very gently stir in the pears, Gorgonzola, and walnuts, just to blend.

Serve warm or room temperature.

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LEMON CHEESECAKE – An “Oh, no!” Moment Turned Into “Oh, YEAH!”

If I’m going to have dessert – and, I AM going to have dessert – it has to be worth the calories. What’s the point in exercising off a dessert I didn’t absolutely love?! So, while I like cheesecake, I rarely eat it since there are so many other choices that I prefer.

That changed recently when I watched an America’s Test Kitchen episode where they featured a lemon cheesecake. It looked so good, I decided I had to make it. And so began the evolution of my Lemon Cheesecake.

As I watched the episode, I copied down the recipe (or so I thought). One of the first steps was to combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 T lemon zest in a food processor to break down the zest. Did that, no problem. Then, blend this lemon/sugar mixture with an additional 1 cup sugar. Uh oh! For some reason, I forgot to write down that part, so I ended up with a cheesecake batter 1 cup shy of sugar. I did think it strange there was so little sugar called for in the recipe, but waited until I popped the cheesecake in the oven before re-checking the recipe online. The cheesecake had already begun baking by this point so there was nothing to do but carry on and see what happens.

Much to my amazement, the finished cheesecake was delicious even though 80% of the sugar was left out.  But that was just the beginning.

The next step came when I decided to make a triple chocolate cheesecake recipe that I found in one of Joanne Fluke’s mysteries.  While, as mentioned previously, cheesecake may not be my favorite dessert, chocolate was, especially TRIPLE CHOCOLATE! The thing about the recipe was, besides the obvious cream cheese, it called for 1 cup of mayonnaise!  MAYONNAISE???!!! 

Well, even though that sounded crazy, the triple chocolate won me over enough to try it.  And it was delicious!  The mayonnaise lightened up the cheesecake just enough that it held together but wasn’t so thick and stodgy.  

I decided to incorporate mayonnaise into ATK’s lemon cheesecake, making a few other changes such as an added egg, using a graham cracker crust, and putting back 48g (1/4 cup) of the 192g (1 cup) sugar that I originally left out. I ended up with a creamy, very lemony Lemon Cheesecake.

NOTE: The cheesecake is baked in a bain marie (water bath). Since you’ll be using a springform pan in which to bake, you’ll need to cover the bottom and sides up to the top rim so the water doesn’t leak into the cheesecake. Springform pans seem very tight, but water can get in.  I happen to have a cake pan the does NOT have a false bottom that will contain the springform pan.  But if you don’t have one, you can use heavy duty aluminum foil to encase the pan.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Lemon Cheesecake needs to be made the day before serving.  While the actual hands-on work is minimal, there are 7 hours needed for the cake to rest and chill, plus an hour of baking.

LEMON CHEESECAKE

Crust:

  • 163g (1.5 cups) graham crackers
  • 30g (3 T) granulated sugar
  • 77g (5.5 T) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a rolling pin. (Food processors don’t yield an evenly crushed crumb.) Mix the crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Add in the melted butter and blend with a fork.

Pour graham cracker mixture into a 9″ (23 cm) springform pan and spread to sides. Pat with finger tips as evenly as possible to the bottom only (not up the sides). Then, go around crumbs with a flat bottomed, circular object such a a glass or measuring cup. Press firmly, but not so much that you make indentations. The goal is a smooth, firm crust.

Bake in preheated 350°F (177°C) oven, until lightly browned around edges – about 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.

Lower oven temperature to 325°F (163°C).

Filling:

  • 96g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 T lemon zest, packed (don’t be stingy – this is where the lemon flavor come from)
  • 339g (1.5 lbs) cream cheese blocks, softened – don’t use cream cheese in a tub
  • 5 eggs
  • 200g (1 cup) mayonnaise
  • 53g (1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Put 48g (1/4 cup) sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor or blender. Whirl about 30 seconds to break up zest and infuse the sugar, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom.

Place the softened cream cheese in an electric mixer and beat on low for about 30 seconds to begin the creaming process. (Yes, I know my spatula has seen better days!)

Add the sugar/zest mixture to the bowl, scraping the sides and bottom of the processor to get every last bit. Beat on medium for 3 minutes – don’t shortchange the time.

Add 2 eggs to the bowl and beat on low just to blend.

Add another 2 eggs and beat on low to blend. Then, add the final egg and the mayonnaise, beating on low just to blend. Finally, add in the 53g (1/4 cup) lemon juice, salt, and 2 tsp vanilla, beating on low just to blend.

Make the bain marie: Place the springform pan with cooled crust either in a slightly larger pan (such as a cake pan that doesn’t have a false bottom) or cover the bottom and sides of the springform pan up to the rim with 1 piece of heavy duty aluminum foil (don’t piece the foil together – the seam would be a port of entry for water). The cake pan or foil will deter water from leaking into the cheesecake.

Place these pans in a large roasting pan, then pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan. Heat water just before boiling and pour it into the large roasting pan (NOT the cake pan!) about 3/4″ (2 cm) deep. Very carefully place into oven, trying your very best not to slosh the water about. Bake at 325°F (163°C). Set your timer for 45 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center of the cake registers 150°F (66°C) on your thermometer. It probably won’t be quite done at the 45 minute mark, but better to check early just in case. It takes about 50 minutes in my oven.

When the temperature reaches 150°F (66°C), immediately turn off the oven. Leave the cake in the bain marie in the oven. Crack open the oven door with something like a wooden spoon. Let cheesecake set in oven in the bain marie for 1 hour. Set timer!

After the hour in the oven, remove the springform pan from the bain marie and the cake pan or foil. Don’t unlatch the springform pan – the cheesecake still needs to set. Set springform pan on a wire rack on the counter and run a rounded tipped knife around the sides of the cake just to separate it from the pan. Let set for 2 hours.

Make the lemon curd while the cheesecake is baking.

Lemon Curd:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 65g (1/3 cup) lemon juice
  • 28g (2 T) butter, cold
  • 1 T heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Beat eggs by hand in a bowl. Slowly pour in sugar, as you continuously beat mixture.

In a small pan, heat the lemon juice to a low simmer. Very gradually (you don’t want to cook the eggs) drizzle the lemon juice into eggs, whisking continuously.

Pour the egg mixture into the now-empty saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly. At around 160°F (70°) the mixture will begin to thicken. Continue cooking until the temperature reaches 170°F (77°C). Remove from burner.

Immediately add the cold butter, cream, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Pour the curd into a strainer which is set upon a clean bowl (don’t forget the bowl or your curd will go down the sink!). Stir the curd in the strainer with a spoon to help the mixture flow through. Remember to scrape off the curd clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl (waste not, want not!).

Discard the bits remaining in the strainer – yuck!

Cover bowl and chill.

Once cheesecake has rested for 2 hours, pour curd on top, spreading to edges.

With the latch still locked on the springform pan, chill in fridge at least 4 hours. Release the spring on pan and remove the sides.

Run a long knife under the crust to release it. Carefully, slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate.

Finally, it’s ready to eat!!!

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Broccoli/Mushroom Calzoni: Sono Delizioni!

Calzoni are a favorite hand-pie in our house. They’re not difficult, but they do take some time because of the rise time of the dough (1-1.5 hours), so plan accordingly. The actual hands-on work isn’t all that much, especially if you knead the dough in a food processor (it’s not cheating!)

Leakage is always a worry with hand-pies. Try not to roll them too thinly, especially in the center (which is a weak point). 6.5″ (17cm) is about as big a circle as you should roll out.

Try to use low-moisture mozzarella. This will help discourage leakage.

TIP: Rather than buying bread flour, I make my own when I need it by mixing Vital Wheat Gluten Flour to my plain (all-purpose) flour. This way I can control the protein percentage of the flour. Store all flours in the freezer to prevent bugs and keep flour fresh.

BROCCOLI/MUSHROOM CALZONI

Dough

  • 325 ml (1+1/3 cup) water, about 104°F (40°C)
  • 1.75 tsp dry yeast
  • 500g bread flour (OR 490g plain (AP) flour + 1 T gluten)
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 T olive oil

Mix together the warm water and yeast to proof for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Into the workbowl of a food processor, put the flour, salt, and olive oil. Pulse to blend a couple of times. Once yeast has proofed, run the machine while you slowly pour in the yeasted water. Continue running about 40 seconds – until the dough comes together. You may need to add more flour, but do so in 1 T amounts at a time.

Empty dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand about 6 times, then bring the dough together into a ball.

Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl, then flip the ball over so the oiled side is up – this keeps the dough from drying. Cover (I use a plate) and let rise about 1.5 hours.

While the dough is rising, make the filling.

Filling:

  • 1/2 T olive oil
  • 214g (7.5 oz) (3 cups) white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 60g (2 oz) (1/2 cup) yellow onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 81g (3 oz) broccoli, chopped in 1/2″ pieces
  • 3 T fresh basil, chopped finely
  • 58g (2.25 oz) black olives, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 160g (3/4 cup) ricotta
  • 30g (1 oz) (1/3 cup) Pecorino Romano, grated (or any hard cheese)
  • 111g (4 oz) (1.25 cup) low moisture mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Into a saucepan, heat oil. Add in the mushrooms, onions, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Saute 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add in the broccoli, basil, black olives, and salt. Cook over medium-high to evaporate liquid – about 1-2 minutes. Cool.

Stir the ricotta, Pecorino, and mozzarella into the cooled broccoli mixture.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 475°F (250°C)

It’s best to fill the calzoni in an assembly-line fashion so you can divide up the filling evenly.

Divide the risen dough into 6 equal segments. On a very lightly floured surface, roll each dough piece into 6.5″ (17cim) circles. After rolling each dough circle, set it out of the way onto a floured area. (The flour will prevent the dough from sticking and tearing to the counter as you move the finished calzone to the baking sheet.)

Spread tomato sauce to within 1″ (2cm) of the circle’s edge. (The dough border will be crimped and requires dough-on-dough contact to stick properly. The tomato sauce will interfere with that.) Top each circle with equally portioned fillings.

If the dough is tacky around the the circle’s edge, go ahead and fold the calzone in half, meeting the edges. If the dough is a little dry, then dip your finger in water and run it around the edge so the dough will stick together. Press down the edges with your fingers, then fold down the two corners and press them down.

Now to begin the crimping process. (Deep breath!) If you’re right-handed, start with the right corner; lefties, start with the left corner. With your NON-dominant hand, press down the corner flap. With your dominant hand, grasp the dough next to the folded corner and fold that in, pressing down. Continue along the entire border, non-dominant hand pressing the previous crimp, dominant hand forming the next crimp.

The idea is to form a ropelike crimp. I’ve never managed to quite get that look, but I’m happy with my version. Find your own way, if you like. The point is to seal in the filling.

Place crimped Calzoni on a parchment paper lined or greased cookie sheet as you go, taking care not to tear the bottoms of the dough as you lift up each calzone (this is why you floured the counter under the dough circle).

Brush olive on all calzoni tops, including the crimps.

Cut 2 small slits on each top with a knife or scissors to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated 475°F (250°C) oven with fan (if you have a convection oven) or without fan (if you have a conventional oven). Bake until golden brown – about 15-20 minutes.

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ENCHILADA SAUCE: Fast, Easy, and Delicious!

I’ve been making burritos with homemade tortillas for years. And they were good. But one day I thought I’d make enchiladas (which I hadn’t made in years), and decided to make the enchilada sauce from scratch. Afterwards, I had some leftover sauce and, as a woman who hates waste, decided to make burritos, covering them with said sauce. Wow! Game changer! Those burritos went from good to “I could eat these everyday” great!!!

This fast and easy recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce. As Queen of Freeze, I would be remiss if I didn’t suggest you double the recipe (try it first, to be sure you like it), then freeze it in portion sized containers for future use. At this point I haven’t tripled or more the recipe. Note: this sauce can be doubled well, but some recipes don’t fare well made in bulk.

ENCHILADA SAUCE: makes about 2 cups

  • 21g / 3T all-purpose or whole wheat flour (I use AP flour)
  • 4g / 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1g / 1 tsp cumin
  • 1g / 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 3T olive oil
  • 27g / 2T tomato paste
  • 475 ml / 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Into a small bowl, combine the flour, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.

Into a saucepan, heat the oil over medium flame. Add in the flour mixture, stirring for 1 minute. This will heighten the spice flavor.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen the flavor of the paste.

VERY SLOWLY add the vegetable stock, smashing the lumps as you go, until well blended. (I like to use a flat-headed spatula.) Bring to simmer over medium/high flame.

Maintain the simmer by adjusting the flame as needed until the sauce is thickened somewhat – about 5-7 minutes. (The sauce will NOT be thick like a cream sauce – just a little thickened.) Remove from heat.

Stir in the vinegar and ground pepper. Serve.

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TAMALE PIE: You Won’t Miss The Meat!

Tamale Pie is one of my favorite meals to prepare. Not only is it delicious, but it’s quick to assemble and bake….that is, IF you’ve already made my HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN “GROUND BEEF” or use purchased imitation ground beef (such as Impossible Burger or Morningstar Crumbles). For this reason, I always keep 1 lb (1/2 kg) portions in my freezer. In the morning, I set it out to thaw.

NOTE: As a woman who prefers to wash as few dishes as possible, I use a cast iron skillet for this recipe since it can go from stovetop to oven. You can also use a different type of skillet, as long as the handle is able to go into the oven. Alternatively, saute the onions in a small saucepan, then mix everything together in a bowl and bake in a casserole dish.

TAMALE PIE

  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 3 T chili powder
  • 40g (1/3 cup) onions, chopped
  • 1/2 kg (1 lb) imitation ground beef
  • 425g (15 oz) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 65g (2.25 oz) black olives, sliced
  • 1/2 cup salsa (homemade or purchased)
  • 3 T cilantro, fresh, finely chopped
  • 74g (1 cup) Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 109g (3/4 cup) cornmeal
  • 107g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 34g (3T) sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 39g (3T) butter
  • 1 egg
  • 180g (3/4 cup buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F)

Into a skillet, combine the oil, chili powder, and onions. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour cooked onions into a bowl. Add in the imitation ground beef, black beans, olives, salsa, cilantro, and cheese. Mix together and pour back into skillet, smoothing top.

Into a bowl (it can be the same bowl you used for the filling), combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Melt butter and let cool a few minutes. Into a measuring cup or bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Then beat in the buttermilk and melted butter.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and combine until just blended (don’t over mix).

Spread cornmeal mixture on top of filling, smoothing top.

Bake at 230°C (450°F) about 15 minutes – until top begins to brown.

Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

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VEGETARIAN GROUND BEEF

Let me state up-front: this HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN GROUND BEEF recipe is NOT designed for a patty – it’s too mushy to form a firm burger. What it’s fabulous for is as a substitute when you need ground beef for a recipe and you’re a vegetarian or vegan. I’ve used it successfully in shepherd’s pie, burritos, tamale pie, and Greek moussaka.

It’s not a difficult recipe, but it takes about 25 minutes to cook off the liquid at the end. Because of this, I double or triple the recipe then, as Queen of Freeze, I freeze it in 1 lb or 1/2 lb portions for future use. This way, if I decide to make a shepherd’s pie, tamale pie, or burrito, the bulk of the work is done.

VEGETARIAN GROUND BEEF – makes at least 1.5 lbs

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 112g OR 4 oz OR 1 cup onions, chopped small
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 43g OR 1 oz OR 2 T tomato paste
  • 125 ml OR 1/2 cup red wine (I use a Cabernet)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 425g OR 15 oz canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 227g OR 8 oz whole cremini mushrooms
  • 411g OR 14.5 oz canned whole tomatoes, discard stem end and any flaws, chop, KEEP JUICE – YOU’LL NEED IT!

NOTE: I suggest you try the single recipe before making a larger batch just in case you don’t like it.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: If you’re doubling or more this recipe, use a Dutch oven or larger.

Heat oil in a large pot and saute onions and salt over medium heat until the onions are just starting to brown – about 6 minutes.

Add in the garlic and continuously stir 30 seconds to bloom (but not burn), then stir in the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium high and saute 2-3 minutes to darken the tomato paste a bit. (This adds an umami flavor).

Pour in the wine, paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium, scraping up the burnt bits into the paste, until the wine has nearly evaporated – about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain the chickpeas and roughly chop.

Place chopped chickpeas into your food processor and pulse until it’s become small bits, scraping down the sides and bottom as needed. If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll have to chop them by hand.

Empty minced chickpeas into the pot with the onions/tomato paste.

Thoroughly wash mushrooms and coarsely chop into 1cm / 1/2″ pieces.

Place chopped mushrooms in food processor and pulse several times until mushrooms are broken into small bits, scraping sides and bottom, as needed. If you don’t have a food processor, chop by hand.

Empty mushrooms into the pot.

Over medium/high heat, saute mixture, stirring often for 5 minutes.

Pour the chopped tomatoes and their juice into the pot.

Cook over medium/high heat until the liquid has cooked off and the mixture can mound.

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SALSA ROJA: A Perfect Blend…And So Easy!

I’ve become obsessed with this Salsa Roja recipe. Not only is it fast and easy, but it perks up all that it touches! This, as well as my Enchilada Sauce topping, has become a game changer for my burritos.

SALSA ROJA – makes a little bit more than 2 cups

  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/3″ (1 cm) pieces
  • 2 tomatillas, chopped into 1/3″ (1 cm) pieces
  • 1 serrano chili (discard seeds & spines), minced
  • 1 jalapeno chili (discard seeds & spines), minced
  • 1/4 cup (4 T) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1.5 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced fine
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Prepare all ingredients as directed and place in a bowl.

Mix together and chill.

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DATE BREAD: Grandma Knows Best!

My wonderful sister-in-law, Terry, sent me a picture of her grandmother’s recipe card for Date Bread so I could make it for my husband (her brother). My husband remembered the bread with fondness so, of course, I decided to make it. I have to admit I was skeptical – dates in desserts were NOT something I grew up with. My mother was a sworn chocoholic, and I was following in her footsteps.

But when I took my first bite of Grandma’s Date Bread, I felt like a whole new world opened up. It was absolutely, and unexpectedly, delicious! How could this these dried, brown fruit create such a tender and flavorful bread?

GRANDMA’S DATE BREAD – 1 loaf

  • 1 T butter, softened
  • 8 oz (230g / 1.75 cups) pitted dried dates
  • 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
  • 1 egg
  • 1.5 cups (190g / 6+5/8 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (140g / 5 oz) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup (95g / 3.75 oz) pecans, lightly toasted

Set out butter to soften.

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

Chop dates – I use my kitchen shears.

Place chopped dates in a bowl and pour in the boiling water. Cover with a plate to retain the heat. Let set for 30 minutes so the dates can soften.

Into a mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add in the softened butter, dates (WITH liquid), flour, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and pecans. Blend together until the flour is just incorporated – don’t overmix or the bread can toughen.

Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan – I use a Pyrex glass pan.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the top bounces back when lightly pushed – about 60-75 minutes. (Mine take 74 minutes.) Make sure to gently press down on the cracked portion – if it’s still mushy, keep baking. The bread will LOOK done before it IS done.

Let set in pan 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Try to resist slicing the hot loaf – it needs to firm up a bit. Give it, at least, 45 minutes if you can.