spring into gardening

 

 

Homemade Pot Pies

Homemade pot pies totally hit the spot when it's been raining outside all day. And it's extremely satisfying knowing all your hard work paid off when you break through the crust and taste how amazing it is! It was really easy to adapt the recipe to my liking; making a homemade savory crust and taking out the expected shredded chicken. The recipe was definitely time consuming, but totally worth it.

Herbed Parmesan Pie Crust

• 12 oz. all purpose flour
• 6 oz. butter, slightly room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried herbs
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 oz. cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Sift the flour and mix in the cheese and herbs. Cut in the butter until no lumps remain. Beat the egg yolk with the water and salt. Then add the water to the flour mixture. Gently mix with a spatula until the water is absorbed evenly. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment or foil and press it evenly to create 1/4" thick. Then refrigerate until needed.

 Pot Pie Filing (adapted from the Food Network: Emeril Live)

•  5 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diagonally sliced celery
• 2 cups roughly chopped cremini mushroom
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cups diced potatoes, blanched in boiling salted water
• 1/2 bouillon cube, plus 3 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups frozen vegetable medley of carrots, peas, corn and green beans

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 4 minutes to make a blond roux. Stir in the bouillon cube and water then bring the liquid up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the milk, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper, potatoes, carrots, peas and green beans. Mix the filling thoroughly and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, if needed. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins.

With a knife cut out circles of dough big enough to cover the top the of the ramekins. Press the dough evenly around the edges to create a seal. Egg wash the dough. Put the pot pies on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper because they'll most likely boil over. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Bon Apetit!

Les Champignons

New addition to my room- there's even Chanterlles!

Chocolate Fix

When it comes to chocolate, I definitely stand in the middle of the spectrum. Some days I want milk chocolate, some days I want dark chocolate. At the end of my trip to the grocery store, you'll be able to find me picking up different bars and wondering which one will satisfy me the most. But on the days where I cant decide between the two, I pick this guy.

The best of both worlds is in this bar. It's rich and pure like dark chocolate yet creamy like milk chocolate. Milk chocolate tends to immediately melt in your mouth, but this one doesn't. It takes several seconds to blend on your tongue like dark chocolate and when it does it delivers that silky smoothness of milk chocolate. I highly recommend this bar!

Birthday Cupcakes

It was my niece Ruthie's 5th birthday last weekend! Her favorite color is purple, so purple cupcakes were a must!

I used the red velvet recipe from Food Network's Throw Down with Bobby Flay (again) and switched red for purple food coloring. Super Yummy!