pies galore

It feels like a million years since I've been in the kitchen. My table, counter, and sink became a complete mess afterwards, a result of losing the touch of a seasoned cook. Despite all the soap and hot water, it nonetheless felt nice and comforting to be surrounded by ingredients and smells of a dinner coming together. 

After a month of nonstop extra early mornings to work, nights at school, and lost weekends to overtime hours, I needed something special, something beyond a normal kitchen session. My solution was to break open the spur of the moment purchase of a Breville Pie Maker. I was dying to try it out since the sale over a month ago. It was just left in the corner, completely neglected in it's box and styrofoam encase packaging.

And, what could be more perfect and comforting than a chicken pot pie dinner and apple pie for dessert?

Chicken pot pies seem to have a special place in all of our hearts, with it's dome-shaped top that you break with a fork to release a steaming aroma of childhood memories. It's a classic that probably every household in America had stashed in the freezer, ready for any dinner emergency at some point in time. When we were kids, my house was guilty, generally having a few Swanson packages ready to heat in the toaster over and serve over a plate of white rice. Yes, even this time around, my Mom asked if she should make rice, and I just laughed.

I wanted that memorable flavor, and turned to my Cook's Illustrated cookbook for the answer. I made a few tweaks just for my own palette. And, as my friends will know, I generally refuse to use store bought pre-made ingredients, but when the saleslady at Williams Sonoma fervently insisted, I listened.

For the apple pies, a lattice top added a nice decoratively dessert distinction from the savory pot pie. Since the puff pastry crust was pre-made, spending the extra few minutes was not that much more work. The mini pies were small serving sizes, perfect if you want one of each. I did exactly that, for my pie day dinner. The leftover chicken pot pies became lunches for my little department at work.

Chicken Pot Pie adapted from Cook's Illustrated


serves 8

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery ribs, diced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup AP flour
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 package frozen pie crust
1 package frozen puff pasty

Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl and pour broth into cup to set aside. Do not wash pot.

Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until softened. Add corn and warm through. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Transfer vegetables to bowl with chicken and set aside.

Melt butter in again-empty port over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk reserved chicken broth, milk, cream, and thyme sprigs. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce thickens. Remove thyme sprigs. Off heat, stir in chicken-vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat pie maker. Cut pre-made pie crust and puff pastry into rounds. Line bottom on pie slot with cut pie crust, spoon pot pie mixture, about 1/3 cup, and cover with cut puff pastry. Close pie maker lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Apple Pie adapted from Cooks Illustrated


serves 6

3/8 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 lb Washington apples, peeled, cored, and diced
3/4 lb Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 package frozen pie crust
1 package frozen puff pastry

Mix sugar, lemon zest, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice together in bowl. Add lemon juice and apples and toss until combined.

Preheat pie maker. Cut pre-made pie crust and puff pastry into rounds. Slice the puff pastry round into strips and using two rounds, create a lattice top.

Line bottom on pie slot with cut pie crust, spoon pot pie mixture, about 1/3 cup, and cover with cut puff pastry. Close pie maker lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until golden.

smoked salmon canapes

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've updated. I've been having difficulties finding a balance between work and school to have some time for myself, and my cooking. Yes, I'm finally employed once again, and to add to that full time schedule, I've taken up the idea of a night class after almost three years since finishing college. Once I get home, turning on the computer is the last thing I want to do. But here I am, on a sunny Sunday morning, tapping away at the keyboard. 

These canapes were part of one of my favorite photo spreads in the book. Simple, classic, and clean. Smoked salmon always conjured up ideas of a fancy tea party or hors d'oeuvres platter. Smoky and salty, the seemingly raw slices would just melt in your mouth. And when I visited New York a couple of years ago, I fell in love with a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel around the corner from my friend's dorm. There are still days when I think about that round little breakfast sandwich, with a cup of coffee of course. What could be more perfect?

These, however, were a much more aesthetically pleasing take on the classic, grown up and dressed up. I practically doubled the amount of salmon in the cucumber triangles above, wanting a greater salmon to cream cheese ratio. I'm not a big fan of cream cheese, generally spreading it thin, just enough to add some creaminess and moisture. That's one of the best thing with food, you can always adjust to your palette. 

  

I liked the salmon flower more, with its assertive herbaceous and lemony flavor. Plus, it was just so much cuter, dainty and perfect for a tea party. The salmon and cucumber was definitely cleaner tasting though, with the cucumber adding a nice fresh crisp bite. Perhaps, a combination of the two would be the best combination of flavor and texture. 

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese and Cucumber Canapes


makes two dozen

1 cup roughly chopped smoked salmon
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp prepared horseradish
12 slices of wheat bread
2 large seedless cucumbers, peel on

In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, and horseradish. Set aside, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Toast bread slices until dry and toasted slightly. Cool.

Generously spread each bread slice with the salmon cream cheese. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the cucumbers lengthwise about 1/8-inch thick. Arrange the cucumber slices, overlapping slightly, on each bread slice. Trim the crusts. Slice each canape in half on the diagonal with a sharp knife. Finish remaining ingredients. Serve slightly chilled.

Smoked Salmon Flower Canapes


makes 2 dozen

12 slices of wheat bread
3 oz dill butter, at room temperature (recipe below)
6 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
24 small sprigs fresh dill

Toast bread slices until dry and toasted slightly. Cool.

Spread each bread slice with the butter. Arrange a single layer of smoked salmon over each slice. Use a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 24 canapes. Garnish each with a sprig of dill and serve.


Dill Butter:

4 tsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Place butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, dill, and salt in bowl. Smash with back of fork until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

bacon potato pizza

It's been way too long, and I can't believe I've put this post on hold, collecting micro-dust in my laptop's hard drive. There's definitely a certain fondness for the salty goodness in a crispy bacon bite in everyone's heart, at least everyone I know. So how can a thin crusty pizza topped with bacon go wrong? Add potato and cheese to the mix and you have a match made in finger food heaven.

My cracker-like pie began when I found smoked mozzarella and a bag of medley potatoes at Trader Joe's. I saved the red ones and used the remaining to make roasted garlic potatoes. Luckily, I had some bacon in the freezer, a purchase induced by the half off sale at my local market. The traditional pizza dough was replaced by a St. Louis style cracker thin crust, which I saw on an episode of America's Test Kitchen. I love paper thin crust, so I couldn't resist changing it up.

A mandoline was completely the key to getting the small potatoes translucently thin. The shingling of the slices reminded me of scales and another dish I made years ago where halibut is wrapped in potato scales and pan fried. That was a delicious fish dish, something I saw on an episode of Top Chef and used the recipe from Anne Burrell. It was so aromatic and perfect, I was stunned at the delicate dish. But back to pizza...I didn't have any rosemary, as my plant decided to give out despite hearing how other people's rosemary plants growing into bushes. Perhaps my final product lacked the herbal aroma of the original recipe, but lacking in its complexity, it exuded simple and hearty bar food bites.

The potato cooked just enough to soften, but remained texturally pronounced, and the bacon provided the appropriate saltiness as usual. The smoked mozzarella was definitely something I would probably enjoy more than Parmesan as in the original recipe. The smokiness played off well with the bacon. These little squares were quite tasty with a bottle of ice cold beer.

Potato Bacon Pizza adapted from Martha Stewart and America's Test Kitchen


makes two 14 x 4-inch pizzas

4 oz sliced bacon
1 recipe St. Louis style pizza dough
AP flour, for dusting
4 oz small red potatoes, skin on
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz smoked mozzarella

Dough:
2 cups AP flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil

To make dough: Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Combine water and olive oil and stir into dry ingredients, until dough comes together. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead 3-4 times until cohesive. Divide dough into two equal portions and roll out each dough portion on a parchment lined into about 14 x 4-inch pizzas. Transfer to baking sheets.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees and adjust rack to lower-middle position. Slice the bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is just beginning to brown, 4-6 minutes. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Using a mandoline, cut the potatoes into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices, overlapping slightly, on the pizza. Brush with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the bacon and mozzarella. Bake about 9 minutes, until crust is golden, rotating pizza halfway through baking. Slice into squares and serve warm with your beer of choice.

lemon curd brioche bun

Growing up, my breakfast wasn't the typical cereal and juice. Instead, I had pineapple buns and red bean swirl bread. I think my love for bread started out very young. Finding a left over bag of lemons, I began googling anything lemon and bread related. Finally deciding to take a stab at making a filled bread bun. Luckily, my Cooks Illustrated cookbook has a recipe for a quick brioche dough, perfect for turning into buns rather than the typical brioche a tete.

The brioche recipe was probably one of the more simply and less time consuming bread recipes I've experimented with over the last year. The original recipe only required one rise! Unheard of in bread baking, I thought, but how could Cooks Illustrated do me wrong? And of course, Cooks Illustrated is virtually never wrong, since the bread did come out super soft and texturally authentic to is French heritage.

The lemon curd was just a bit tangy for the barely sweet bread. Tasting the curd alone was fine, but when paired with the brioche, it overpowered the subtle buttery flavor. I would suggest adding a bit more sugar to the curd to ensure a better balanced bread bun. For a first try in filled buns, it was still a delightful breakfast item with a perky tangy bite.

Lemon Curd from Cooks Illustrated


1/4 cup lemon juice
3/8 cup sugar
small pinch of salt
1 large egg plus 1 1/2 large yolks
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

Heat lemon juice, sugar, and salt in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling, about 1 minute.

Whisk egg and egg yolks together in a medium bowl, then slowly whisk in hot lemon mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and 170 degrees.

Off heat, stir in butter until melted and incorporated. Press plastic wrap to surface and chill.

Quick Brioche adapted from Cooks Illustrated


1/2 cup milk, heated to 110 degrees
2 1/4 tsp rapid-rise yeast
2 1/4 cups AP flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs

Whisk milk and yeast together in medium bowl, then stir in 1 cup flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Pulse butter, sugar, and salt in food processor until mixture is soft and smooth, about 5 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, and process after each addition until fully incorporated. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and yeast-flour mixture, pulse until mixture forms soft, smooth dough, then process continuously for 15 seconds. Transfer dough to well-floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth and elastic ball. Transfer to oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until about doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Assemble and Bake


Scrape out dough and cut into six pieces. Form a piece into a ball and flatten slight to prepare for filling. Spoon about a tbsp of the chilled curd in the center and wrap dough around to form a filled ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover lightly for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through.

grilled beef rolls

With the available recipe choices narrowing, I realize I'm having a harder time finding a corresponding recipe to the ingredients in my refrigerator. Finally, I had a leftover bag of small sweet peppers from a recent dinner. These were perfect to julienne into strips for this application, since they were short to begin with, reducing the chance of wasting food. However, regular bell peppers are fine as well, just make sure you trim the length. I love simple recipes, and this one is definitely one of the simplest in the book, requiring only a few ingredients. All I had to buy was the meat, which I substituted a sirloin steak for the original beef tenderloin.

The vibrant colors of the peppers were beautiful, and since we eat with our eyes first, they definitely poke interest through the thin slice of beef. My strips were just right in terms of length. If using regular sized bell pepper, you may want to trim each strip in half. As with most recipes, mise en place is crucial for the assembly of these rolls.

A word of advice when toothpicking the rolls: skewer in the same direction as the seam and peppers. As seen in the above picture, I skewered in every direction, thinking it wouldn't make a significant difference, especially since the photo in the book has the toothpicks perpendicular. I was wrong. Having the toothpick in the same direction as the peppers is more conducive to cooking, allowing all sides of the beef opportunity to sear on the grill. I found the perpendicular rolls undercooked on two sides due to the toothpick.

Pounding the beef thin allowed for it to remain tender with quick cooking over the grill. I purposely under seasoned, given that we intake too much sodium as it is and after hearing reports of how high sodium intake can harm our health. In that regard, I served it with a side of the sauce, in case it needed an extra oomph. The beef gave way to sweet and crisp peppers all in one bite. This was finger food with an Asian flair, reminiscent of Japanese enoki and beef rolls.

Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Soy Dipping Sauce

makes 2 1/2 dozen

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, well trimmed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, green tops cut into 3-inch lengths and sliced lengthwise; whites cut into 1/8-inch rings

12 small sweet peppers (4 each of red, orange, and yellow), trimmed, seeded, and cut into long, thin matchsticks

1 tsp olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and the brown sugar until dissolved; set aside. Slice the steak into 4, 1/4-inch, slices. Trim off any fat or connective tissue. Place 1 slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat pounder, evenly pound out the slice, keeping it roughly rectangular, until it is 1/8-inch thick. Do not overpound or they will disintegrate. Remove the plastic wrap, cut into 2x4 inch pieces, and transfer to a large plate. Continue with remaining slices.

Brush 1 slice of beef with the soy sauce mixture and place it on a clean surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 pieces of scallion green and 1 piece of each pepper across the shorter length of the beef. Roll up lengthwise, and skewer along the seam with one toothpick. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables.

Lightly brush a grill pan with olive oil and heat until hot. Grill the beef rolls, turning until medium rare, 2-4 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring the remaining sauce to a boil for 3-5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and add scallion rings.