Apple Pie!

After working with several different recipes, I feel like I have found a good combination!  Even my picky brother likes it!  Enjoy! ~ Haley

Crust

2 cups flour (1 c. wheat, 1 c. white)

1 ¼ tsp salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 ½ tsp vinegar

1 egg

1/3 c. cold water

Using a food processor, mix flour and salt.  Then add COLD butter, chopped into large pieces and pulse until mixture is coarse and crumbly.   Mix water, egg and vinegar and then slowly pour into food processor as you pulse the mixture and a dough forms.  Take out, wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge to chill for 20-30 min while you prepare filling.  (Note:  Using half wheat flour makes for a more forgiving and pliable crust.)

Filling

8-9 large apples, cored and sliced (Good to mix Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, JonaGold, etc.)

1-2 TB lemon juice

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cups brown sugar

1/3 cups flour

2 ½ tsp cinnamon

Cut and prepare apples and toss with lemon juice.  Then add sugar, flour and cinnamon and gently mix.  (I love using Jonagold, Granny Smith, fresh Golden Delicious, etc.)

After dough has chilled and filling is made, take out and divide dough in half.  Using flour or two sheets of saran wrap on top and bottom, gently roll out dough until it is big enough to drape over the sides of pie pan.  Gently place in bottom of 9 in pie pan.  Pour in filling.  Roll out other half of dough and drape over the top.  Cut overhanging dough until a quarter inch remains hanging.  Then fold edges under and gently press together to form a seal.  Finish crust by fluting edges or pressing all around the edge with a fork.  Cut slits in the top for air to escape during cooking.  Brush entire crust with egg whites or milk and sprinkle with sanding sugar and cinnamon.  Cook at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes and let cool 1-2 hours.  ENJOY!

Classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I found this gem in my June 2015 issue of Country Living Magazine.  Trisha Yearwood sure knows how to make some good fried chicken!  The thing I love about this recipe is that you finish cooking in the oven, keeping the chicken crispy and delicious right up until you serve it.  Also, the overnight or 6-8 hour marinade time really gives it amazing flavor.  So you may need to plan ahead for this one but it's oh-so-worth it!

BUTTERMILK MARINADE
5 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 sweet onion, grated (grating releases more of sweet flavor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pepper
5-6 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
(For a "healthier" version, I chop up skinless, boneless chicken pieces and still think its amazing)

1.  Whisk hot water and 5 tsp salt in large bowl until dissolved.  Then add buttermilk, eggs, onion, garlic and pepper and whisk together.  Add chicken and turn to coat; cover and refrigerate 8 hours or up to overnight.

2.  Drain chicken and discard buttermilk mixture.  Whisk together in large bowl or bag:
4 cups self-rising flour
3 tsp kosher salt

3.  Toss chicken in flour mixture, one piece at a time until coated and remove until all pieces have been coated.  Return all the chicken to flour mixture and gently toss until coated.  Let sit 15 minutes.  This allows flour to adhere to chicken, yielding an extra-crispy crust.  (Even on skinless chicken!)

4.  Preheat oven to 325 and line a large rimmed baking sheet with oven-safe wire rack.

5.  Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil (an bacon drippings if desired) in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.  Fry chicken in batches, skin-side down until golden brown.  About 4-5 min per side.

6.  Transfer chicken to cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until done (165 degrees internal temp).  Let stand for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Fluffy Whole-Wheat Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Have you ever wanted a nice, light whole-wheat pancake without having to use your blender?  This is it!  I adapted it from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated magazine.  I love them with blueberries and cinnamon syrup!  Enjoy...

Pancakes

2 1/3 cups whole-wheat flour

2 TB sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk  (Or mix 1 TB lemon juice with 2 c. regular milk)

5 TB vegetable oil

2 large eggs

Optional: 1/2 cup blueberries, dash of cinnamon

Heat griddle or cast-iron pan to medium heat and oil lightly.  Mix dry ingredients in large bowl; then mix wet ingredients in smaller bowl, beating eggs and whisking the rest.  Gently pour wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk together.  If desired, add blueberries and a dash of cinnamon.  Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat and flip when side is golden brown.  Serve with Cinnamon Syrup or your favorite syrup!  

Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

2 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup milk or evaporated milk

Mix first four ingredient in medium-sized pot and bring to a full, rolling boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.  Then stir in milk and enjoy!

Gourmet No-Knead Bread from Lindsay Kjar

I love this bread!  It's easy, it's delicious and it looks so good!  Hope you will try it!

Measure into large bowl:

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tbsp. Yeast

1 1/2 Tbsp coarse salt

Let sit a few mins while yeast activates. Use a hefty spoon and mix in

6 2/3 cups flour.

Stir (don't knead) for a min or two until the flour is well incorporated (can use mixer with dough hook or Bosch). It will be quite dry. Cover loosely and let sit 2 hours (or up to 12 hours). Heat oven to 450 with an empty cookie sheet or broiler pan on bottom rack, and another rack set to the middle of the oven.

Divide dough into 3 pieces (it will be quite sticky- I use a plastic spoon to handle it) Drop dough into a bowl of flour to coat all sides, then tuck edges under to make a round loaf. Use parchment, Silpat liner, or a dusting of flour on a cookie sheet and place all 3 loaves on pan in a "v". Place pan in oven on middle rack, then pour 2 cups hot water onto the empty sheet on the bottom rack. Close oven door quickly to trap steam in. Bake for 30 mins.

Greek Turkey Burgers by Katie Broadbent

I just tried these last night and they were great!!  A nice, light, fresh version of the old American burger!

Greek Turkey Burgers

In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients, and mix well:

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons plain low fat yogurt

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Step 2:

Add 1 pound of ground turkey to the above mixture, fold in, until blended well.

Cooking Directions:

Form into 4-6 burger patties and broil or grill 7-9 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (160 F).  Make sure to grease the grill! (OR)  On the stove top, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, over medium-high heat.  Once the pan is hot, cook burgers until done.

Serve in pitas or on a whole wheat bun with greek salsa (recipe below) and more feta if you like.

Greek Salsa

Combine in a small bowl

2 T. white vinegar

2 t. olive oil

2 ½ t. Italian salad dressing mix (like Good Seasons)

Stir well then add:

1 c. chopped tomato

¼ c. chopped cucumber

¼ c. chopped olives (I prefer kalamata, but whatever)

Fresh chopped parsley

 (I have also added green onions or purple onions, any color bell peppers, celery, finely chopped celery, grated carrots for color and sweetness . . . all of that has been delicious! Just add a bit more vinegar and oil if you need a bit more dressing because you added a bunch of veggies)

I also have served with fresh spinach leaves and of course avocado goes nicely, but when doesn’t it?

Strawberry Hand Pies

I made these hand pies last weekend and loved them!  They were delicious!  Since I love rhubarb, I used strawberry-rhubarb jam instead of regular strawberry jam and it was great!  I saw the recipe in Country Living magazine and had to pass it on!  

Strawberry Hand Pies by Patti Davis, featured in Country Living

2 1/3 cup(s) (plus more for dusting) All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1 stick(s) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 large Egg Yolks

1 teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract 

3/4 pound(s) Strawberries cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

1/2 cup(s) Powdered Sugar 

3 tablespoon(s) Strawberry Jam (I used Strawberry-Rhubarb jam!)

1 tablespoon(s) Sanding Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add 1 egg yolk, 1/2 cup chilled water, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and mix until just combined. (If dough is dry or crumbly and doesn’t stay together, add up to 3 tablespoons more chilled water.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 2 to 3 times, just until dough comes together. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make filling: In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, confectioners’ sugar, and jam, plus remaining flour, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat remaining yolk and 1 tablespoon water for egg wash; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into 6 rounds.

Roll 1 round into a 6-inch circle. Spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons filling onto half of circle, leaving 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with egg wash, then fold dough over filling. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal hand pie. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough rounds and filling.

Using a toothpick, poke a few holes in the top of each pie. Brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle each pie with 1/2 teaspoon sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Read more: Strawberry Hand Pies Recipe - Country Living 

Romulo Yanes

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Beef Empanadas with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Here is my all-time favorite empanada recipe I received from my cousin's wife who served a mission in Argentina.  I altered it a bit and it's a favorite at our house!  Hope you enjoy it!

EMPANADA DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour (I found using wheat flour made dough even easier to work with)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 eggs
1 tsp vinegar
3 TB buter

In a bowl, beat water, eggs and vinegar together.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt.  Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.  Then make a well in the center and pour the liquid ingredients in.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.  

Knead on a lightly floured surface until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth.  Wrap dough in plastic and put in fridge for at least 1 hour but not more than 24 hours.  Then take dough out and pull off golf-ball sized pieces and roll out into circles for empanada shells.  

FILLING:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 to 1 cup green olives, chopped
3-4 boiled eggs, diced

Brown beef with onions and add 1/2 package of taco seasoning.  Add chopped green olives and eggs.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Put large spoonful in half of empanada shell, fold over and seal with fork.  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or fry in canola oil.  (Fried empanadas taste the best!)

Top with Tomato Avocado Salsa
http://haleysrecipeswap.blogspot.com/2010/12/tomato-avocado-salsa.html