Pie Crust

(We interrupt this unplanned blogging hiatus in order to post our family's pie crust recipe that is forever being misplaced in this house!)

Mix dry ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 TB sugar
2 tsp salt

Cut in . . .

1 cup cold butter
3/4 cup cold shortening

Toss lightly with

1 beaten egg
1/2 cup ice water

Add additional ice water by the tablespoon
only as needed (up to 1/2 cup).

Makes 4 single crusts or 2 double crusts.

[For anyone curious, in the photo Brittany used 1/2 of the above recipe (2 single crusts), lined a 9 x 13 pan and doubled my quiche recipe to fill it. It was as yummy as it looks. :o)]

I hope everyone's summer
is goingwent well. Ours became busier than initially planned. I have a few pictures to post if I ever get enough time to actually sit at the computer for more than five minutes on the fly.

German Apple Pancake

This dish makes a wonderful breakfast,
Sunday night supper,
or even a dessert.

German Apple Pancake

Ingredients for Pancake:

2 T. butter
3 eggs
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Ingredients for Apple Topping:

4 tart apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. brown sugar
cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste





Preheat oven to 450^o F.

Using an oven proof skillet or round cake pan,
Melt 2 T. of butter in preheating oven.

Whisk together eggs, milk, flour, and salt in a bowl.

Remove hot pan from oven, and
swirl melted butter around pan (to grease).

Pour off remaining butter into batter and stir.

Pour batter into hot pan and pop into preheated oven.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
[While pancake is cooking prepare apple topping.]

Pierce any bubbles in pancake with a fork, and reduce heat to 350^o.
Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.





Topping:

Melt 1/2 c. butter over low to medium heat.
Add chopped apples and 1/2 c. brown sugar.
Add approximately 1 tsp. cinnamon
and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg.
Saute until apples are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.



When pancake is finished gently remove from pan to serving plate.
Pour topping into center of pancake and serve.

Sous Chef Tip: Canned apple pie filling will work instead of topping. It will be a bit thicker, but still yummy!

FYI: This recipe is very similar to a Yorkshire Pudding or Popovers, it is, however, a bit eggier tasting than it's English cousins. :o)

The Wooden Spoon: Bread & Soup Night II

Another offering for Bread & Soup Night -- Next to this recipe in my cookbook I have written "Yummy!"

Mashed Potato Soup

2 T. Butter
1/4 to 1/2 c. diced onion (or 1 to 2 T. dried onion)
3 T. flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. water
2 c. leftover mashed potatoes (more or less)
4 c. milk
1 c. cheese

Melt butter and saute onion (if using fresh).
Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring to form a rue.
Add water a little at a time -- stirring constantly (use a whisk)!
When smooth, add potatoes and whisk until smooth.
Add milk and cheese (and onion if using dried).
Stir while it thickens and the cheese melts.

This serves our family of 7 easily. Recipe can be halved easily.

Note: The amount of potatoes used in this recipe is not crucial. Just use more or less depending on what you have left over!


I adapted the following from a bread recipe. I made these rolls about 3 years ago for Christmas Eve. They quickly became the new favorite roll recipe of the house (although with a few members angel biscuits still rule; it is a neck and neck competition - lol!).

Oatmeal Rolls

4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (or 2 packages of yeast)
1 1/4 c. warm water (temp. 105 to 115 degrees F)
1 1/4 c. warm milk (temp. 105 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 c brown sugar

2 c. old-fashioned oats
3 c. bread flour (or all purpose flour)
3 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt

2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. honey

(Optional: 1/2 to 1 c. old-fashioned oats for sprinkling top)

In a small bowl dissolve yeast in water and milk. Whisk smooth.
Add sugar.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Stir in yeast and sugar mixture. Stir in oil and honey.
Mix well. Knead for 5 minutes then let rise to double in size.

Punch down and knead again.
Shape into rolls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with more old-fashioned oats. Lightly press into dough.
Let shaped rolls rise to about double in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Tip: Swirl the 2 T. of oil around in the 1/2 c. before you put in the honey. Honey will slip right out!

I let more time lapse than I intended on this series, so here is a link to why our family does this and how I put the meal together, and for my previous soup recipes check here.

The Wooden Spoon: Bread & Soup I

This first recipe is a family favorite, and because it is soooo quick and easy, I often serve it for lunch on a busy school day.

Refried Bean Soup

1 large can of refried beans (or leftover homemade beans mashed)
1 can of beef broth
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of Rotel tomatoes

optional: 1/2 onion softened in 1 Tablespoon of butter or margarine
or 1 Tablespoon of dried, minced onions (my choice)

1. Soften onions in a little butter in the soup pot (I skip this step).
2. Put beans and broth in soup pot. Use a whisk to blend until creamy.
3. Add tomato sauce and continue to whisk.
4. Stir in Rotel tomatoes.
5. Add dried onions if you skipped the fresh in step #1
(or leave out completely, if you prefer).

Heat until hot.
Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Optional toppings: shredded cheese, chopped fresh onion, chopped chiles, salsa

Bread: tortilla chips (store bought)

***********************************************

This next recipe (my hubby's favorite) is what I call a loosy, goosy recipe, my favorite type! You can freely add any ingredient that would appeal to your family and delete what you don't like. Here is how I put ours together.

Deputy V8 Soup

1. 5 to 7 potatoes peeled and diced (Begin to boil these).
2. Peel and slice carrots to equal a cup or two - set aside.
3. Slice 1 Kielbasa sausage - set aside.
4. Open 1 large can of Italian Green Beans - Drain.
5. Open 2 small cans of Blackeyed Peas - Drain.
6. Measure out about 1 to 2 cups of Frozen Corn - set aside.
7. Open 1 large can of Vegetable Juice (like V8)
8. Once Potatoes are soft, drain off hot water and return potatoes to soup pot.
9. Add Vegetable Juice, Sliced Carrots, Italian Green Beans,
10. Blackeyed Peas, Frozen Corn and Kielbasa.
11. Add water if necessary to cover ingredients.
12. Cover and cook at a low simmer until carrot are softened.
13. Salt & Pepper to taste.

This easily feeds our family of 7 -- usually with enough left over for lunch! To adjust to a smaller family just cut back on the amount of each ingredient, and you probably won't need to add water.

Bread Suggestion: Angel Biscuits -- dangerously yummy! (recipe follows)

Angel Biscuits

2 packages yeast
1 c lukewarm water
1 c boiling water
1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 teaspoon salt
6 c plain flour

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
Measure shortening and sugar into large mixing bowl.
Pour boiling water over shortening & sugar.
Stir until almost completely dissolved. COOL to warm.
Then add egg, yeast/water, salt and flour.
Mix well and cover (For Make AHEAD Tip: See Below).
Allow to rise till double. Punch down.
Roll and cut, place cut rolls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Let rise.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Makes about 25 rolls.


Make AHEAD Tip:
When rolls are mixed, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours
(I refrigerate overnight).
Three hours before baking, turn dough onto floured surface.
Punch down. Roll and cut, place on greased cookie sheet.
Let rise for 3 hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

[Note: these freeze well and are delicious warmed up.]