Savory Pastry

Submitted by Stacey Hutchings

Stacey taught a pie class at Super Saturday. This is a recipe for a savory pie--like a chicken pot pie. This recipe is from Ina Garten off the Foodnetwork website.

3 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
8 TB cold fresh lard, diced (1/4 pound)
8 TB cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 1/3 Cup ice water
1 egg, beaten with 1 TB water or heavy cream, for egg wash

Directions

1. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the lard and butter and pulse 10 times, until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out on a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.



2. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half to fill a 9 or 9 1/2 round by 2 inch high ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish.

Perfect Pie Crust

Submitted by Stacey Hutchings --this pictures shows 3 different ways to do the edging on a pie.

I got this from Ina Garten off the FoodNetwork website. My adjustments will be posted below.

12 TB (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 Cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 TB sugar
1/3 Cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 TB (about 1/2 Cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8-12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tune and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

Yields: 2 ten inch crusts

Stacey's adjustments:
9 TB butter
2 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 TB sugar
4 TB lard

Strawberries Romanoff

Submitted by Tami Fortie

Another recipe from our previous recipe swap.

Strawberries
Sour cream
Brown sugar

Dip strawberries in sour cream, then roll in brown sugar.

Tomato Delight

Submitted by Tami Fortie

This recipe came from a recipe swap we did a few years ago.

1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic--crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB tarragon vinegar
2 tsp. mustard
sliced tomato

Marinate for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Pear Salad

Submitted by Trisha Price

2 heads romaine lettuce
1 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2-3 peeled and chopped pears
1 1/2 craisins

Dressing:
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
3/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup chopped red onion
1 Cup oil

Mix dressing ingredients in a blender until creamy. Toss together salad ingredients and add dressing just before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Submitted By Trisha Price

4 chicken breast (Boil, then shred)
2 cans (14 oz.) chopped stewed tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth
1 Cup salsa
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 TB butter
1 clove garlic
1 TB cumin
1/2 Cup fresh cilantro

Mix together in crock pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 8 hours. Top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, tortilla chips and lime.

Funfetti Party Bars

Submitted by Julie Twitchell

Okay, so the original recipe is for a Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix--the one with the candy bits. I used a carrot cake mix and I am confident you could use any cake mix you want. It is really delicious and so easy to make. Here is the original recipe.

• 1 pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix


• 1/2 cup melted butter


• 2 eggs


• 1/2 Cup chopped nuts(optional)


• 1 can Pillsbury Funfetti Pink vanilla frosting(I used cream cheese frosting)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 pan. I just used a 9 x 13 cake pan. The smaller the pan, the thicker the bars.


2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and eggs; stirring by hand until thoroughly moistened. Stir in nuts(if desired), and candy bits from cake mix.


3. Spread in greased pan. Bake for 13-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.


4. Frost cooled bars with frosting; sprinkle with candy bits from frosting. Cut into bars and serve.

Alfredo Wraps

Submitted by Barbara Barrow


Prepare French Bread dough using 4-5 cups of flour
Filling:
3 cooked chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1 jar Newman's Own Alfredo Sauce (of your favotire brand)
2 Cup shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese

Topping:
1 egg whisked until frothy
McCormick's "Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder"

Prepare the same as Pepperoni rolls, substituting the chicken alfredo filling. Bake the same as the Pepperoni rolls too.

Pepperoni Rolls

Submitted by Barbara Barrow

French bread dough--click here for recipe
Filling:
2 pkg. pepperoni
6 Cup grated cheese (a combo of cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan work well)

Topping:
1 egg whisked until frothy
McCormick's "Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder"

1. Prepare the French bread dough, using only 4-5 cups of flour. After the dough has mixed enough, separate in into 6 equal parts and let it rest for 5 minutes on a sprayed cookie sheet.


2. Spread each piece of dough out into a rectangle


3. Lay out some of the pepperoni.


4. Sprinkle about 1 cup worth of cheese over the top.


5. Roll it up! Roll from long side to long side. Be sure the dough gets wrapped around it well.


6. Whisk your egg up until it is frothy.


7. Spray a knife with cooking spray and then cut some slits in the top of each little loaf.


8. Slather the egg wash all over the tops and sides of the loaves.


9. Grind the seasoning over the top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the tops are staring to get golden brown. Turn oven down to 350 and cook for another 8 minutes. If you have a convection oven, cook at 375 for 7 minutes and then 325 for about 5 minutes. Click here to see some great pictures of this recipe.

Let them rest for about 5 minutes before you cut into them. Enjoy!

French Bread

Submitted by Barbara Barrow

My new favorite website is a cooking blog started by an old friend of mine. It is called Jame Cooks It Up! Jamie posts a new recipe every day and I have tried many of them. My family has not been disappointed at all. I credit Jamie for making me a better cook. Check out her website by clicking here. This recipe is one of my favorites. It makes delicious French bread and the dough can be used in other recipes. I am including the French bread recipe along with the two other recipes that use the dough. Enjoy!

Yields: 3 loaves

1 TB shortening
1 TB salt
2 TB sugar
1 Cup boiling water
1 Cup cold water
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 TB yeast
4 1/2- 6 Cup flour
1 egg

1. Place the 1 Cup hot water in the microwave for 3 minutes to get it boiling.


2. Dissolve the yeast into the warm water. Stir it around until it is all mixed.


3. Combine the salt, shortening, and sugar in the bottom of your mixer with a fork. The dough hook doesn't work very well.


4. Pour boiling water over the shortening mixture.


5. Pour the cold water over the mixture.


6. Pour the warm water and yeast into the mixer.


7. Begin to add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of the mixer.


8. Let the dough mix on high for 8 minutes.


9. Let the dough rise in the mixer for about 20 minutes.(This step can actually be skipped if you are in a hurry!)


10. Separate the dough into tree parts and place on a large jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit will make is Much easier to shape.


11. Spread the dough out on the jelly roll pan.


12. Then roll the dough up from from long side to long side.


13. Then bring the ends over and layer them on top of each other.


14. Turn the loaf so the seams side is down. Repeat these steps with the other 2 parts of dough.


15. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray.


16. Make your egg wash by whisking the egg until frothy.


17. Cut three diagonal slits in the top of each loaf. Cover with the egg wash being sure to get it into all the slits.


18. Place the loaves in a warm 170 degree oven and let rise for about 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees for a convection oven, and 400 degrees for a regular oven. Leave the loaves in while the oven increases in temperature.


19. Bake for 10 minutes for convection or 15 minutes for regular oven, or until the loaves are golden brown and crusty.


20. Turn the oven down to 325 for convection, 350 for regular and turn the pan around in the oven. Bake for another 7 minutes convection or 10 minutes for regular.

Click here to see this recipe on Jamie's website. She includes great pictures that may help with the preparation.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Submitted by Barbara Barrow

1 bunch spinach
1/2 pkg. craisins
1/2 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

Dressing:
1 Cup oil
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. paprika
(mix and refrigerate)

Combine craisins, nuts, cheese with spinach.

Add dressing and toss with the salad just before serving.

Tomato Soup

Submitted by Heather Hinckley

1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 medium diced yellow onion
2 tsp. garlic minced
4 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1-2 cups whipping cream
2 T dried basil

• Saute onion in oil. Add garlic and tomato with juices. Add tomato paste.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. at this point it should be chunky and start to thicken.
• Remove it from the heat and puree it in a blender (I had to use my smoothie machine because I don't have a stick blender)
• Return the soup to low heat and add the cream and basil.
• Bring back to a boil for 3 minutes.
• Season to taste.

This is great with grilled cheese sandwiches!

Taco Soup

Submitted by Heather Hinckley and Brooke Butler

1 15 oz. can black beans undrained
1 15 oz. can kidney beans undrained
1 15 oz. can corn undrained
2 14 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 pound ground beef
1 small diced onion
crushed garlic(optional)

• Brown beef with onion.
• While the beef is browning, open all cans and dump into a crockpot or a stock pot. Add envelopes of seasoning too.
• Add beef and onions to pot and simmer for 3-4 hours.
• Top this soup with sour cream and cheese and enjoy with tortilla chips.

So with Easter only 2 weeks away. . .

are you hosting a party?

going to a party?

want something fun to make?

Let's help each other out.

Send in your best recipes for

Easter.