Vegetarian Cooking

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ZUCCHINI HUMMUS: Another Use For Zucchini!!!

It all started with a giant zucchini I found in my garden. One of the highlights of my summer days is to check what’s ready to be picked. Somehow I neglected to notice this huge zucchini skulking at the base of the plant. As a woman who hates waste, I put on my thinking cap to come up with something to do with this monster – preferably something that can be frozen – I AM self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, after all. Since I had just made hummus, it occurred to me I could make a zucchini based hummus. Success!

My Zucchini Hummus can be used as a dip or spread. (It makes a delicious sandwich in pita bread with Muenster cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, and arugula.) Best of all, it freezes well!

NOTE: If you’re using this as a spread (which is thicker), decrease the amount of zucchini to about 840g (1/4 lb).

Zucchini Hummus:

  • 939g (2 lbs) zucchini, shredded
  • 150g (5 oz) onion, chopped
  • 1.5 T garlic, minced
  • 45g (1/2 cup) olive oil
  • 28g (2 T) tomato paste
  • 2 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp dried Korean style red pepper (Gochugaru)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 28g (2 T) tahini
  • 252g (1 cup) hummus ( either homemade – my recipe or purchased)
  • 1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C)

First thing to do is extract as much water from the zucchini as you can. Place a handful of shredded zucchini into the center of a tea towel. The amount of a handful is determined by the size of your hand. Don’t use more thinking you’ll get it done faster – it’s hard work for your hand. Wrap the towel around the zucchini ball, twist, and squeeze. Discard liquid. Repeat until all shredded zucchini is squeezed.

Place squeezed zucchini in a Dutch oven.

Into the Dutch oven add the onion, garlic olive oil, tomato paste, table salt, ground Korean style red pepper spice, smoked paprika, regular paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, tahini, and hummus.

Saute 5-7 minutes on stove top over medium-high heat.

Add in bay leaf and bury it. You don’t want to stir mixture with the bay leaf in it – some bay leafs are brittle and you don’t want shards of bay leaf in your mixture. Make sure you note where you put it – you’ll need to remove it later. Cover pot and bake in preheated 400°F (204°C) for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, move bay leaf out of the way and stir zucchini mixture. Bury bay leaf again, cover pot, and continue to bake at 400°F (104°C) for another 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove and discard bay leaf.

Add in soy sauce.

Cool mixture about 20 minutes, then mix in a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender (my preference). Adjust seasoning, if needed.

Excellent as a dip or filling in pita bread.

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LAYERED CHILE RELLANO: Surprisingly Easy!

Give a recipe to 100 different cooks and you’ll get 100 different variations of that recipe. We substitute ingredients, we add ingredients, we leave out ingredients, we change the methodology. Sometimes the finished product bears no resemblance to the original recipe.

Such is the case with my Chile Rellano recipe. It’s zucchini season in my garden which means I’m always looking for ways to use these fast growing beauties. The plan was to make Chile Rellano for dinner when I spied a 13″ zucchini lurking at the base of the plant. Yikes! One can only serve zucchini stir-fry or zucchini bread so often. Hmmm! I wondered aloud (yes, I talk to myself). How about layering zucchini slices in the Chile Rellano I was making. I like to live on the edge (or, at least, nearby), so I gave it a try. It turned out great!

NOTE: Recipe can be doubled or more – just use a larger casserole dish.

LAYERED CHILE RELLANO – made in a casserole dish about 10″ x 8″ (25cm x 20cm)

  • 3 poblano chili peppers
  • 286g (10 oz) pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • about 400g (15 oz) zucchini
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 21g (2.5 T) flour
  • 22g (2 T) milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

SALSA for Chile Rellano – makes about 350ml (1.5 cups)

  • 192g (1.33 cups) salsa roja – homemade or purchased
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 12g (2T) masa harina
  • 1/4 tsp salt

NOTE: Zucchini is really optional. You can layer something else (such as eggplant) or, just leave that layer out entirely. It will be delicious either way!

First thing to do is roast the poblanos. This is so you can remove the skin. Lay washed chili peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler. Set a timer for a few minutes so you don’t forget them.

Once they begin to shrivel and blacken (after about 5 minutes) flip them and broil the other side. Remove them from the broiler and let cool a bit.

Lower oven to 350°F (180°C) to keep oven hot while you prepare the Layered Chile Rellano.

Peel away and discard the skin.

Cut peeled poblanos in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the stem end and seeds.

Tear the halves into smaller pieces so they can be fitted into the casserole dish.

Grate the cheese and separate into 3 fairly equal piles.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4″ (1/2cm) rounds.

Separate eggs by placing the yolks in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place the whites in the bowl of your electric mixer – NOT the small bowl of yolks! Beat whites on high to reach stiff peaks – about 1.5 minutes. (I you don’t have an electric mixer, beat by hand – it will take longer.)

In the small bowl of yolks, add the baking powder, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. Combine and pour into the beaten whites. On low speed (or by hand) add the yolk mixture and briefly combine. You don’t want to deflate the whites!

Pour approximately half of the egg mixture into the casserole dish, spreading it to evenly cover bottom.

Layer on half of the poblanos.

Layer half of the zucchini.

Layer 1/3 of cheese.

Layer on remaining poblano pieces.

Layer remaining zucchini.

Layer half of remaining cheese (one third of total cheese).

Pour on remaining egg mixture and spread to cover.

Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake UNCOVERED at 350°F (180°C) until browned on top – about 30 minutes.

Let set about 10 minutes or so before serving.

While Chile Rellano is setting, prepare the Rellano Salsa. It just take minutes. This can be done ahead of time, also.

Into a food processor, immersion blender, or regular pitcher blender, add the salsa, oregano, masa harina, and salt.

Blend – I’m using my immersion blender.

Done! As self proclaimed Queen Of Freeze I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t let you know this salsa freezes well. If you like it (try it first), double, triple, etc the recipe and freeze in portion sized containers for future use!

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APPLE BARS: A Tasty Treat!

My brother has a penchant for apple desserts. So, as a good sister, I decided to develop an apple bar recipe for him. It was to be three layers: the crust, the apple filling, and the streusel topping. What I wanted was a sturdy crust so the bar could be picked up to eat, the apple filling full of flavor, and the streusel with a tasty crunch. Each layer ended up having its own challenges but, in the end, I got there!

APPLE BARS – Makes about 9 bars, depending how you cut them

Crust

  • 112g (8 T) butter, melted
  • 147g (1.25 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 49g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

Apple Filling

  • 4 (1.5 lb) apples (I like Gala apples, but use what you prefer)
  • 112g (8 T) butter
  • 10g (1 T) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 13g (2 T) cornstarch

Streusel Topping

  • 94g (1/2 cup), packed dark brown sugar
  • 21g (1/4 cup) raw whole oats
  • 30g (1/4 cup ) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 56g (4 T) butter, cold

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°F / 190°C

Line a 7.5″ x 7.5″ (19cm x 19cm) metal (preferably) pan with baking paper. The baking paper allows for removal of the bars for clean cuts. If you prefer not to use baking paper, just lightly butter the sides and bottom of the pan.

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix together the 147g (1.25 cups) flour, 1/3 tsp salt, and 49g (1/4 cup ) sugar. Add in the 112g (8 T) melted butter and blend with a fork or spatula.

Drop clumps of dough evenly onto baking pan and press with fingers to cover bottom. Compact the dough by lightly pressing down with a spatual or the bottom of a flat cup. Dock dough with a fork and bake in preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly browned – about 23 minutes. Cool in pan.

Prepare the streusel topping:

Into the workbowl of a food processor, place the 94g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, 21g (1/4 cup) oats, 30g (1/4 cup) flour, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse about 5 times. Cut the 56g (4 T) cold butter into small pieces and add to processor. Pulse several times to blend. Set streusel topping aside. If you don’t have a food processor, blend the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then cross-cut the cold butter into the mixture.

Prepare apple filling:

Peel, core, and cut apples into approximate 1.5cm (1/4″) pieces.

In skillet or saucepan, melt the 112g (8 /T) butter. Add in the cubed apples, 10g (1 T) granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamom, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Over medium-high heat, cook the apple mixture until the liquid has evaporated – about 20 minutes. (If there’s still liquid remaining after 20 minutes, just pour it off and discard – you don’t want a soggy filling.)

Stir the 13g (2 T) cornstarch into the apple mixture. Pour apple filling onto the cooled crust, spreading evenly. Gently tamp down filling to bind it.

Sprinkle steusel topping over apples, and gently press it down with a fork or spatula.

Bake in preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly browned – about 37 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. Then chill several hours to firm up Apple Bars before slicing.

Once the Apple Bars are firmed-up, remove from pan and slice. Serve as is, or top with, perhaps, ice cream or caramel sauce.

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COLESLAW DRESSING: Easy Peasy!!!

If you have a food processor, coleslaw is a snap to make. Just put in the shredder disk and in a couple of minutes you have shredded cabbage, carrots and onion. Of course, you can shred the ingredients by hand, if you don’t. Now all you need is the dressing.

Luckily, my Coleslaw Dressing is just as fast. Basically, just combine all the ingredients and whisk.

Coleslaw Dressing – makes about 1/2 cup (enough for 4 cups of coleslaw)

  • 75g (1/3 cup) mayonnaise
  • 6g (1/2 T) apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 tsp celery seeds
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp black ground pepper
  • 12g (1/2 T) maple syrup

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Chill.

About an hour or so before serving, combine the coleslaw ingredients and dressing. That’s all there is to it!

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FARRO VEGGIE STEW: Quick & Easy!

It’s getting to be that time of year when we start regretting that extra slice of holiday pie. Yes, swimsuit season is closing in. My FARRO VEGETABLE STEW is low in calories, easy to make, and adaptable to what you happen to have in the fridge or prefer.

NOTE: Even though this recipe is called Farro Veggie Stew, you can use a different grain that you might prefer. I did try quinoa, but didn’t care for it. However, taste is subjective. As they say now: you do you!

FARRO VEGGIE STEW – makes about 6 cups (1.5 litres)

  • 160g (1 cup) uncooked farro
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 170g (1.5 cups) onion, chopped
  • 80g (about 1 large) red pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 T paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 675g (3 cups) vegetable stock – homemade or purchased
  • 232g (8 oz) Yukon Gold or red potatoes, unpeeled
  • 230g (1 cup) tomato sauce
  • 60g (1/2 cup) corn (frozen, canned, or from the cob)
  • 60g (1/2 cup green peas (frozen or canned)
  • 2-3 tomatoes (I like Roma), chopped
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you prefer)
  • OPTIONAL (RECOMMENDED!) TOPPINGS:
  • 80g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
  • 227g (1.25 cups) Feta cheese, crumbled

First thing to do, before any prep work, is to hydrate the farro. This gives a jump start to the cooking time.

Rinse the farro in a sieve. Pour drained farro into a bowl, cover with boiling water, then top with a plate to retain the heat. Set aside. Proceed with prep work and cooking.

Into a saucepan that can hold at least 6 cups (1.5 litres), saute the onions and red pepper in olive oil over medium/high heat for 5 minutes. Stir often.

Add garlic, paprika, coriander, and cumin. Stir over medium/low for 30 seconds to bloom the favors.

Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the soaking farro and discard liquid.

Into the pot, add the vegetable stock, potatoes, and drained farro. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 18 minutes.

Chop tomatoes.

After the 18 minutes are up, add tomato sauce, corn, peas, and chopped tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to heat the veggies.

Add in red wine vinegar and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste, bearing in mind the cheeses are salty.

Top with Feta, Pecorino Romano, croutons, or whatever you like. Serve.

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CREOLE HEARTS OF PALM: A Fast Last-Minute Meal!

Sometimes dinner time is rising fast on the horizon and I need to put food on the table soon. I like to have ingredients at the ready that can be assembled quickly and easily, thus avoiding expensive take-out foods.

Creole Hearts Of Palm is one of those quick-to-put-together meals with most ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. The exception might be the hearts of palm. I now keep several jars of them on hand.

My husband prefers spaghetti pasta as a base for the sauce, but you can choose any base you please: other types of pasta, rices, or grains are delicious possibilites as well. Whatever you prefer or have in the house will do!

CREOLE HEARTS OF PALM – serves about 4

  • 64g (4 T) olive oil
  • 226g (16 T) butter
  • 52g (4T) lemon juice
  • 12 cloves garlic
  • 28g (2 T) vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 2 T ground black pepper
  • 4 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tsp dried rosemary
  • 4 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 500g (2- 8.5 oz jars) hearts of palm

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter to melt.

To the saucepan add all the ingredients EXCEPT the hearts of palm. Saute over medium 3 minutes to bloom the flavors, stirring often.

Slice hearts of palm into approximate 1/4″(1 cm) slices.

Add sliced hearts of palm to saucepan and saute 3-4 minutes over medium/high heat.

Cover pot with a lid and, over low heat, cook about 10 minutes to fuse the flavors. REMOVE AND DISCARD THE BAY LEAVES!!!

Use this time to cook the pasta (or whatever your choice of base.) Serve.

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RANCH DRESSING: An Easy Crowd Pleaser!

Ranch dressing has always been a favorite for my family. Not only is this creamy delight fabulous on salads, but as a dipping sauce for…well, practically everything. So, naturally, in my quest to make everything possible from scratch, I decided to give ranch dressing a go. I picked a recipe then did what most of us do – immediatly amended it to suit my taste. I even got a rare compliment from my picky eater!

NOTE 1: If you want it thicker, decrease the buttermilk.

NOTE 2: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it by combining 10g (or 2 tsp) apple cider vinegar with enough milk to make a total of 150g (1/3 cup).

NOTE 3: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to point out this dressing freezes well.

RANCH DRESSING – makes about 1.5 cups

  • 150g (1/3 cup) buttermilk
  • 107g (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
  • 73g (6 T) sour cream
  • 2 T shallot or red onion, chopped finely
  • 1 T cilantro, fresh, chopped finely
  • 1 T dried dill
  • 1 garlic cloves, pressed or diced finely
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/4 tsp black ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend with spoon or whisk.

Pour into a container with a top and chill. You are now done. Yes, it’s that easy!

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ZUCCHINI PASTA SALAD: Fast & Easy!

I’m always looking for zucchini recipes ever since I’ve begun to grow them in my garden. Not only is this recipe delicious, it has the added bonus of being easy to prepare. It’s great to serve at holiday dinners, picnics, and pot-lucks.

ZUCCHINI PASTA SALAD – makes about 650g (5 cups)

  • 12g (2 T) diced shallots
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 10g (1 T) red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
  • 114g (1/4 lb) small pasta
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 15g (1 T) ketchup
  • 170g (1-2) zucchini, chopped into half-moons
  • 46g (1/2 cup) red pepper, chopped
  • 27g (1/4 cup) small carrot, sliced thin
  • 130g (1 cup) Feta cheese, crumbled into chunks
  • 63g (1/2 cup) Kalamata olives, chopped

In a small bowl, blend together 1 T olive, the shallots, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Bring about a quart of water to a full boil and add in the uncooked pasta. Cook for about 9 minutes, stirring now and then. Drain without shaking out the excess water in the sieve. Pour the cooked pasta into a large bowl.

Into the now empty pot, put the remaining 1 T olive oil, garlic, ketchup, zucchini, red pepper, and carrot. Over medium flame cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. You only want to par-cook the veggies so there’s still a slight bite to them, not make them soggy.

Pour the cooked veggies to the bowl of cooked pasta. Mix in the Feta, Kalamata olives, and vinegrette.

Serve at room temperature (or chilled, if you prefer).

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ZUCCHINI-DATE-APRICOT MUFFINS: No Added Sugar!

They say necessity is the mother of invention. With my bounty of zucchini from 2 plants, I needed to come up with ideas to use these growing beauties (one can eat only so much stir-fried zucchini!). I thought it would be nice to make something that could be made in bulk and frozen for future use. (I AM the self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, after all!)

Putting on my thinking cap, I decided to make a zucchini muffin that was tasty but with no added sugar or egg yolks. It took MANY tries until I finally came up with my Zucchini-Date-Apricot Muffin recipe. For the record, in my early trials, I added a mixture of brans and wheat germ to the dry ingredients. While these may have made the muffins healthier, they yielded a cardboard texture. NOT an enticement for adults, let alone children. I eventually whittled these add-ins down to zero – if no one eats them, what’s the point.

NOTE: Again as self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I discovered you can successfully freeze shredded zucchini for these muffins. I’ve only tried freezing the shreds AFTER lightly squeezing out some of the water. I’m not sure if it would be successful simply freezing the shreds prior to squeezing and then squeezing after thawing. Freeze in portion sizes and make sure you mark how much is in the container.

ZUCCHINI-DATE -APRICOT MUFFINS – (Makes 6-9 muffins, depending on size.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE!!!!

Wet ingredients

  • 115g (about 19) pitted dried dates
  • 32g (5 dried) apricots
  • 2 egg whites, room temperature
  • 68g (1/4 cup) honey
  • 16g (2 T) olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300g (2 cups) zucchini, shredded

Dry Ingredients

  • 102g (1/2 + 1/3 cups total) all-purpose (plain) flour
  • 29g (1/4 cup) whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°F (190°C)

You’ll need 2 bowls: a small cereal sized for the dry ingredients, and a medium mixing bowl for the wet.

Into the medium sized bowl, put the egg whites and beat with a fork to break them up and they become foamy.

Chop the dates and apricots into small pieces. Add them to the bowl with the egg whites.

Shred, then chop the zucchini. (I chop the shreds so the muffins don’t have long zucchini strings.)

Into a clean tea towel, place tennis ball sized bundles of the shredded-chopped zucchini, one at a time. Wrap the tea towel around the bundles and twist over a container to extrude the liquid. You don’t need to squeeze out every drop of liquid – just a firm twist. NOTE: If you want to be very precise, you will probably squeeze out about a total of 40g (3+ tablespoons). Discard this liquid. Place squeezed zucchini into the bowl with the egg whites.

Add in the honey, olive oil, and vanilla.

Into the smaller bowl, stir together the all-purpose (plain) flour, whole wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently blend until the flour is just incorporated. Don’t over mix or you will produce a tougher muffin.

Into a very lightly oiled muffin tin, fill the cups. (If you have an ice cream scoop, use that – it makes the task much easier.)

The batter will make 6- 9 muffins, depending on size. I find making 9 produces shorter muffins which is more manageable for young children’s hands and mouths, or if you just want a small snack.

Bake in preheated 375°F (190°) for 18-21 minutes – until lightly browned and top springs back when pressed. Let set in tin for 15 minutes. Then run a rounded-tip knife around the sides, Go around again, gently lifting up the bottoms until muffin is freed. Remove to wire rack to completely cool.

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MUSHROOM-ONION CROSTATA

A crostata (also known as a galette in French) is a stand-alone, open topped pie. They can be savory or sweet. There’s a rustic look to them as they are formed by rolling out a large circle of pie dough, then placing ingredients on top, leaving a wide border around the perimeter. This border is then folded in a ruffled manner, pinching the dough to keep it in place, then baked.

My Mushroom-Onion Crostata is a delicious blend of caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and leeks, topped with Gruyere cheese, encased in an easy-to-prepare hot water crust. The onions and mushrooms can be cooked ahead of time, making the final assembly that much faster on busy nights.

NOTE: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention freezing leftover eggwash in a small container for future use!

MUSHROOM-ONION CROSTATA

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C)

Filling:

Note for filling ingredients: amounts for the filling ingredients are approximate – don’t stress

  • 2 T + 1 t olive oil, DIVIDED
  • about 454g (1 lb) baby bella mushrooms, chopped into chunks
  • 1 large leek, white & light green part, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp table salt, DIVIDED
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 1 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped fine
  • 1 large onion, about 270g (2 cups), chopped
  • 131g (4.5 oz) Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1 T chives, finely chopped

Dough:

Note regarding eggwash: Save leftover eggwash in a small container and freeze for future use.

  • 200g (1+ 2/3 cups) bread flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 77g (5.5 T) butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  • 76g (1/3 cup) hot water (NOT boiling)
  • Egg wash – 1 egg mixed with1 T water.

Clean the mushrooms and leek well. Chop into chunks. Place into a large pot with the 2 T olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook over medium/high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and rosemary to the mushrooms. Continue cooking over medium/high until liquid is gone. Set aside to cool. (This step can be done ahead of time.)

Into a skillet put the 1 T olive oil, onions, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook over medium/high heat until the onions are golden brown. Add the caramelized onions to the mushrooms. Let cool. This step can be done ahead of time.

Add in the chives and stir together.

Once the mushroom mixture has cooled (so it doesn’t melt the crust), make the dough. If you have a food processor, I highly recommend using it. Otherwise, you’ll have to mix by hand.

Into the work bowl of your processor (or mixing bowl, if doing this by hand), put the flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Pulse a couple of times to blend, then drop in the chunks of the cold butter and PULSE 6 times.

Pour in the hot water and PROCESS until dough comes together and you can form a ball with it.

Pour the dough onto a very lightly floured surface and knead about 6 time to bring together. Onto a piece of baking paper place the dough and roll out to a circle about 14″ (36 cm) in diameter.

Roll the dough thinner along the 2″ (5 cm) so that when you crimp the dough later it’s not so thick.

Place half the cheese in the center of the dough, leaving about a 2″ (5 cm) border.

Top the cheese with the mushroom mixture.

Sprinkle on remaining half of cheese.

Encase the filling by placing your fingers about 2″ (5 cm) apart and overlapping the dough, pinching each ruffle together as you go. Do this around the entire perimeter.

Paint an eggwash around the border.

Bake in preheated 425°F (218°C) border turns golden brown – about 25-35 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes before serving to firm up a bit.