dinks's posterous

Turkey Pot Pies

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I always talk to people that have way to much turkey leftovers and don't know what to do with it after a couple of repeat meals. Well, I have the answer. A couple of years ago, I got the idea to make pot pies out of the leftover turkey. They are super easy and super delicious. Plus, you can freeze them if you don't want them right away. Not to mention the fact that you can get rid of all those extra frozen and fresh vegetables you have. (We usually have several partial bags of organic frozen veggie in the freezer). Some may not want to venture into the word of pastry dough so you can always buy the pre-made stuff. You will need dough for a top and bottom for each pie pan. The following recipe makes 2 pot pies.

Crust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cold butter, roughly cut into pieces
3/4 cup cold water
1 t salt (add extra if you use kosher salt)
2 pie pans (9")

1 small onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
6 cups mixed vegetables ( peas, carrots, green beans, edamame, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach) Please note: if you decide to use fresh vegetables they will need to be cook longer than with frozen. Cook until tender.
1 cup leftover gravy or 4T flour mixed with 1 cup chicken/veggie broth

Using a food processor add butter, flour and salt. Pulse until crumbly. Add water slowly while pulsing. Dough will gather in a ball. Gather dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over med-heat. Add onion, shallot and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes until soft and aromatic. Stir in veggies and gravy/flour broth mixture. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in Turkey. Heat for 2-3 minutes more. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside to cool.

Cut dough into 4 equal parts for 2 pies. Roll out each dough piece to fit your size pie pan. Use more flour to keep from sticking. Place rolled dough in pie pan so that the edges hang over the sides. Fill the shell with cooled turkey filling until even with the sides. Place another rolled dough piece on top. Seal the edges and pinch together decoratively. Cut 4 vent lines in the crust top. Repeat for other pie pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. 

You can freeze the other pot pie. If you bake a frozen pot pie, it will take closer to 50-55 minutes to bake. Also to protect the edges from baking too fast, wrap foil around the sides but keep the middle open then remove for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.

Easiest Shrimp Pasta You will Ever Make!

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Last night's dinner is one of my go to favorite meals. The great things about it is that it is super delicious, not bad health-wise and wicked easy.

2 T Olive Oil
1 T butter
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium leek or shallot, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
12-20 shrimp, de-veined and skins peeled
Angel Hair Pasta or Spinach Fettucini
Grated Parmesan

In a medium saucepan over med-high heat add butter and olive oil until butter is melted. Add leeks and garlic. Saute until aromatic - about five minutes. Add tomatoes. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cover. Shrimp usually take 6 minutes or so depending on the size. You will know they are done when they start to curl and become a beautiful coral/rosy color. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions.
Place angel hair/fettucini on plates and pour shrimp mixture over the pasta. Top with fresh grated Parmesan.

(Dedicated to CRD)

 

 

Give me a beet...

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I love beets! It seems as though everyone I meet either people love them or hate them. I could see how a beet with its unique flavor characteristics could turn someone off but that is not the case for me. Every year my husband and I are lucky enough to help out a friend while getting fresh local produce by joining her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which means she drops off a box at our house once a week that is filled with organic produce from her organic farm located outside of town. Well last Tuesday in our bounty we received, amongst other delicious goodies, huge bunches of beautiful burgandy and golden beets. I was so excited I roasted some beets that night and topped them with goat cheese, fresh thyme and truffle oil. It was fantastic but I still had tons of beets left - well at least it seemed like a lot. So what do you make out of beets? 

The following day I began searching my library of cookbooks and found few recipes that tickled my fancy that involved beet. Luckily over the years I have learned to get ideas from recipes when needed but to alter them to my own preferences as I am sure most other foodies do. I found a mushroom "risotto" recipe that that sounded delicious and would fit in well with my desire to eat beets.
Now, I should probably explain that the reason I call it "risotto" is that it is actually not made like traditional risotto. The great thing is that it is way easier and healthier! A really good friend of mine turned me on to a cookbook by Ellie Krieger called "The Food You Crave". It has several deliciously yummy recipes that satisfy those food urges that we all get from time to time but the recipes are actually nutritious. Krieger's recipe calls for pearled barley instead of arborio, vialone nano, Caranoroli or another short-grain rice but my favorite part is that my least favorite part of making risotto is completely removed.

Let me step back, for those of you who have taken on making risotto you know that it is not necessarily labor intensive but time consuming. You have to saute the rice and then add to the rice in 1/2 to 1 cup increments of broth that is heated in another pot. With each new addition you have to constantly stir the rice until all of the broth is absorbed and then repeat for the other 5 to 6 cups of broth. Don't get me wrong there are times when I don't seem to mind the process. It is very meditative some days, however, sometime you just want the goods of deliciously creamy risotto without standing in front of stove top the whole time. (BTW Sweaty Guinea Pig had a fabulous post the other day about perfecting risotto). With this recipe, you just add the ingredients and cover for 40 minutes. How sweet is that? Check out the adapted recipe and see for yourself:

2-3 T Olive Oil
1 1/2 - 2 cups Beets, dice, julienned, shredded or chopped (depending on your preference - I went for diced!)
2 c mixed mushrooms, chopped (I used crimini, oyster and shiitake)
1 med leek, chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. pearled barley
6 c. Veggie or Chicken Broth
1/3 - 1/2 c grated parmesan
3 T cream (optional)
2 T unsalted butter (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-large pot, saute leek in olive oil for 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Add mushrooms, beets, broth and barley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 40-45 minutes. Last 2 minutes stir in cheese, cream & butter. 

Serve topped with truffle oil (optional) and grated parmesan. May be served as a side or delicious main course.


Warm (almost Winter) night...

Well as my friend Bryon always says "Wooo...tonight is one of those nights where you're happy you don't have to sleep on the ground." It has snowed in Montana today and not for an hour or two, it snowed pretty much all morning and through the middle of the afternoon. I didn't think I was ready for winter but now I am slightly more excited especially since we have a fireplace. So after my Monday evening yoga class with Colleen, who BTW is bad to bone, I came home, started a fire and poured myself a glass of bubbly. I also grabbed a little bit of cheese and some walnuts to have a little snack before my husband makes dinner. As I was gazing into the dancing fire I starting thinking about walnuts (of all things) so I decided to look up more information and eating walnuts is way better for you than I even remember!
Walnuts are incredible. They can help reduce the risk of heart disease, lower your cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, help you prevent dry skin and even have been known to help your hair grow aka reduce the chances of going bald. That's crazy! I didn't know all this. Not that I am exactly concerned with going bald but you know what I mean. I looked for some contraindications and the only one that seem to be a bother is that walnuts are high in calories so eat them but not a whole lot of them.
This is kick ass information about a food. I think it is so amazing that this is something that grows out of the ground. I realize that several foods grow out of the ground but how often do you think about it. Most people don't even realize that they are eating let alone what they are eating. So anyway, sit by the fire, relax and eat your walnuts.

Big Day...Huge! Gary V. likes PLONK

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better my husband ran into my office (yeah, we work together) and told me some wonderful news, that he and his partners had their wine reviewed on Wine Library TV with Gary Vaynerchuk. Even better, Gary liked it. Of course, I'm not surprised that he liked it even with all the wines available in the market these day and it isn't just because I am biased.
I was introduced to Gary at the Blog World Expo last year in Las Vegas. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet him personally but my husband recorded his presentation and I loved Gary! He was one of my favorite presenters. His enthusiasm blew me away. The great thing is that he has a job where he gets to talk about wine, taste wine and sell wine. Three of my favorite things :). Anyway, check out the review.

Whew...uh...it's been awhile

So I wish I could say that I was learning Spanish on the Mediterranean beaches of Spain, dancing in Buenos Aires, learning cooking techniques from French culinary geniuses in Provence, hiking in the Himalayas, meditating with Buddhist monks or hanging out in the forests of the Northwest. Unfortunately, I have committed the crime that so many others have committed I started out strong and then left my posterous to lay and collect dust for many months.
Well, I have dusted off the reigns and have taken control once again! I am making a concerted effort to once again join the race of humanity...well at least those contributing online.
So giddyup folks, here it comes...

How to make Crostini...

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I find it interesting that every time my husband and I are invited to a party our friends always ask me to make crostini. Crostini essentially is toasted bread. I am always surprised of this request because I am always more than willing to put in a day's work just to cook for the pure enjoyment of it.
I mean think about crostini, that's all you have to make. It reminds me of those friends in college that would come to pot-lucks and bring the bag of chips and a jar of store bought salsa. Of course, they always hunkered down on the homemade stuff. I suppose it is good that those friends knew there strengths and weaknesses. Cooking apparently was not a strength.
Without further ado, here is how I prepare Crostini.

Ingredients:

French Load of Bread, sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse Salt

Turn the oven on Broil. Lay the slices of bread on a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt (use as desired). I like to use coarse Kosher salt because it looks pretty and you don't have to use as much. Flip the slices over, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Put the bread in the oven for about 5 minutes. I would at least check it at this point. Depending on how hot your oven is, it may take more time.
After one side is nice and toasty, turn the slices over and put them back in the oven for about 2-3 minutes until toasty brown.
That's easy enough. I guarantee that if you bring these over to a friend's party, they will ask for the recipe. These little crostini bites are crunchy, chewy, salty, creamy, yummy goodness. Enjoy!

 

Saturday Afternoon Thai

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MMmmmm... I love having a late lunch on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I was craving something warm but spicy. A vegetable red curry is what I decided on.
A friend of mine has an organic farm about 30 miles outside of town. We decide to sign up for her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this season and I am so happy we did. The last drop off had some greens, red cabbage & potatoes, amongst other things, so I combined those with some cauliflower, coconut milk, some home-made red curry paste and of course some chopped serrano chilies. With the red curry yumminess, I made some steamed Jasmine rice and chopped some roasted cashews. No late saturday afternoon lunch is complete without a chilly glass of Pinot Gris. The tiny bit of residual sugar goes well with the spicy food. It was most definitely a nap-maker. Here is to celebrating life's little pleasures whenever you get the chance. Cheers!

 

Five days & Counting...

Two of my very dear friends and I very soon will have the pleasure of attending a performance by the Dance Troupe MOMIX. I am taking my girls for their respective birthdays. When I lived in St.Louis I was lucky enough to have attended several performances of this nature (Thank you Eric, wherever you are!) but ever since I moved to Montana, it has been few and far between. I am very excited to see MOMIX in particular, mostly due to the fact that one of my good friends, who is a dancer, has told me about them for a couple of years now. She has been fortunate enough to attend a couple of their performances in New York.
MOMIX is known for their illusionist dance style that pushes the edge; combining props, lights, shadows and of course the human body (paraphrased from Wikipedia). For those who love dance I would hope that you would have the pleasure of seeing them as well. (Listen to me, I haven't even see them yet & I already love them)
 

Yoga and Dinner...

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Every week my girlfriends come over, we practice yoga and then cook together. We drink wine,  be merry, ...all that jazz. Last week, Zucchnni Cheescake. Now to some this does not tantalize the tummy but for me it is like a beautiful symphony of flavors and aromas. The young and talented Ms Heidi Swanson threw this one at me, through a subscription to her 101 Cookbooks site.
Like all recipes, I changed it a little. I have been cooking for such a long time that I can't help it. Plus, I don't really like dill in anything except potatoes... oh, and cream cheese with lox and capers. Sorry, I didn't mean to go too far off in a tangent, but hey, it happens to us all.
Instead of the using dill and lemon zest, as called for in the recipe, I decided on fresh thyme. OOoooo...it was so delicious. Served with a small mixed green salad, olive bread crostini and a yummy glass of cava.
If you decide to make it you will be in heaven.

The regular recipe can be seen from the link below.