Veggie Pot Pie

Holy crap, people. I made this like two weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting. My tardiness is no reflection on this dish, however, it is simply delicious. Comfort food at it's best, which is extremely necessary now that it's winter. I think that I must have seasonal confusion disorder (yeah, I made that up). It's officially winter now - in June. And there's no Christmas? And my July birthday is now a winter event? I keep forgetting birthdays and other yearly occurrences that I have come to associate with seasons. How could it be Father's Day already? Isn't that in June...wait.

So while it 'tis the season for sweaters, and a few extra pounds could come in handy to fight the chill, I have my upcoming wedding in the first days of spring, so... yeah. I'm hungry and I forgot your birthday. Sorry. Don't worry though, I'll make it up to you at one of my three (repeat three) receptions.

As I mentioned, I made this a few weeks ago and now all I can do is dream about it. All of that flaky, buttery goodness isn't going to look so hot on my bridal ass. Oh hell, maybe I'll make it with just the top crust.

Veggie Pot Pie

• All butter crust, made partly with wheat flour
• 1 T. butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
  
• 1 carrot, sliced thin and cubed
  
• big handful of mushrooms, sliced (I browned these on the side, but it isn't necessary)
  
• 1 large potato, cubed
• (Peas or corn would be great also - I ran out of room)
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• Salt (about 1/2 t. depending on saltiness of stock) & pepper to taste
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. soy sauce

The crust was a bit tricky - I substituted 1/2 c. of white flour with wheat flour and almost lost it all. You'll definitely want to sift the wheat flour or use pastry wheat flour if it's available to you. It takes more than double the amount of ice water - just keep adding until it sticks together enough to wrap. I had to let it warm up slightly to roll out - and it wasn't pretty, but it did work. Although it was troublesome, I'd do it again because it adds an extra layer of crunchy to the crust. Use more salt than sugar for the crust of this savory pie.

Melt butter over med heat and add onions and garlic, cook a few minutes before adding additional veggies. I don't have a proper pie plate so this is all that I could get in, but you could definitely add other veggies. Add a bit of olive oil to pan if needed - saute until the veggies start to get soft (about 5 minutes). Add stock and seasonings, bring to a boil then drop to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch into soy sauce (add a drop of water or stock if necessary) and then stir into pot - cook another few minutes until mixture thickens.

Add mixture to pastry lined pie pan and cover with top crust, seal edges. Bake on high heat - 205C (400F) for 30 minutes. Rotate half way through cooking time. Mmm..super tasty TV dinner.

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

Listen, spinach is so good for you. So mix it with mashed potatoes and eat it, already.

• 4 medium potatoes
• 3-4 c. (loosely packed) fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 T. olive oil
• 1/4. c. milk or sour cream
  
• 1-2 T. butter
• 1/4 c. veg stock
• Salt & pepper to taste

Scrub, peel (or not), chop and boil potatoes in salted water. Wash spinach obsessively and lay out on a towel to absorb some of the moisture. When the potatoes are almost done, saute the spinach in olive oil on med-high heat until wilted (about 2 minutes). I added a splash of veg stock, but not too much since it's already wet. You could saute chopped garlic for a few minutes before adding the spinach, if you like. Season with salt and pepper. Warm up milk (or sour cream), butter, and the rest of the stock. Use as much of this mixture as you prefer, remember that the spinach is quite moist. Drain the potatoes and immediately mash with liquids, salt, and pepper (I've also heard that a touch of nutmeg is nice), and fold in spinach.

As Irish As I Wanna Be (or I'm Becoming My Mother)

There's no parade here today. No green rivers. And I could pinch just about everyone I pass on the street (though my desire to not be punched in the face prevents me from doing so). So I'm desperate for a way to celebrate the one day of the year when I feel proud about my reddish hair and weird middle name.

I will be at an 'Irish' pub tonight but they don't have Guinness or Harp on tap so this day is what I make it! That's why I mixed traditional pub food with a tacky touch - just to get it all in! I won't lie, Guille didn't really want to eat my green food but he did enjoy it once he got over the color. You see, my mother always dyes food green on St. Patrick's Day and it just makes me think of fun.

So here are some recipes for filling up with a hearty meal before running to the pubs, where you will surely lose your sense of taste, and decency.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Guinness


There are many takes on Shepherd's Pie out there, but I decided to add a combination of Guinness and sauted mushrooms to create the illusion of meaty flavor. Oh, and I dyed the mashed potatoes green (don't judge me!).

• 2 T. butter
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 large carrot, chopped into small cubes
  
• 1/2 kilo mushrooms (I used cremini), sliced
  
• 1 small can (350g) peas
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried rosemary
• s & p to taste
• 1 cup Guinness
• 1 T. soy sauce
  
• 1/4 t. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water
  
• 2 - 3 cups mashed potatoes

Add butter, oil, garlic and onion to large skillet or non-stick pot. Saute on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add herbs, s&p, and mushrooms, stirring often, and cook until they are moderately browned. Add peas, Guinness, and soy sauce, drop heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes - you want the veggies tender. Add the cornstarch towards the end of this cooking time. Keep an eye on the mixture and add more Guinness (or veg stock or water) as necessary. Transfer mixture to casserole dish and spread the potatoes on top, to the edges. I used only 2 cups but it depends on how thick you want the layer to be. Bake at 190C (375F) for 20-25 minutes.

Irish Soda Bread


I followed this Joy of Baking recipe exactly, adding the oats as suggested. I chose this version because it didn't include raisins or shortening, but search around for the one that sounds best to you. It was amazingly simple to throw together and was perfect with our pie. I'll probably cram in a few more buttered slices before I leave tonight.

Irish Surprise Lemon Layer Cake



Yeah, this really isn't Irish but it's so pretty! The Lemon buttercream frosting was way too sweet, so shoot for something a little easier on your teeth. It was surprisingly easy to make this homemade cake (food coloring added) and I love that it is adapted from a 1945 recipe in Gourmet magazine. I would like to try their frosting but I wasn't in the mood for dealing with lemon curd today. I followed SmittenKitchen's cake tips and froze both layers yesterday, this made it easier for me to trim them into shape and frost. I also iced the entire cake with a thin layer, put the whole thing in the frige for 15 minutes, and then spread the rest of the frosting on top of the hardened layer, thus preventing the green crumbs from poking out and ruing the surprise!


So sorry for linking to recipes, but in the tradition of my father and my father's father, I've got some drinking to do.

And it's no, nay, never,
No nay never no more,
Will I play the wild rover
No never no more.

A Very Argentine Thanksgiving

The goal was to cook an authentic Thanksgiving feast for my Argentine friends. Quite tricky with the 90+ degree heat. Of course, I don't eat turkey, and they're few and far between here anyway, so here's what I was able to whip up. The recipes are traditional, but altered to fit available ingredients and could be of use to other ex-pats.

The Menu:

• Green bean casserole
• Scalloped corn
• Stuffing
  
• Hashbrown casserole
• Dinner rolls (previous post)
  
• Deviled eggs
• Cranberry Sauce (I splurged on this - 11 pesos - found in the int'l foods aisle at Jumbo)
• Apple pie
• Baked chicken
  

Green Bean Casserole

• 2 cans (350 g. each) green beans
• 1 package Knorr mushroom sauce (for pasta) cooked according to package directions
• dried onions to cover top (found next to the spices)

Mix beans with sauce in baking dish, bake at 180C for 30 minutes. Add dried onions on top and bake another 10 minutes.

Scalloped Corn

• 2 cans (350 g. each) cream style corn
• 3/4 stack saltine crackers, crushed
  
• 48 g. butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cans (use the corn can) milk
• dash of salt

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in shallow baking dish at 180C for 1 hour.

Stuffing
inspired by SimplyRecipes

• 10-12 c. cubed day-old bread (I used french bread)
• 2 c. celery
• 2 c. onion
• 85 g. butter
• 2 green apples
• 2 c. veg stock
• 1/4 c. chopped parsely
• 1 t. dried sage (salvia)
  
• 1 T. fresh thyme (tomillo)
  
• 1 T. fresh rosemary (romero)
• 1 t. salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar

Melt half of the butter in a saute pan, stir in bread to coat and allow to toast. You may want to do this in a couple of batches if you don't have a super large pan. In a separate pot (dutch oven or non-stick pot would be ideal) saute onions and celery until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, apples, herbs, s&p and bread. Stir in stock to moisten all of the bread. Cover and cook on low for approximately 30 minutes, adding stock as necessary. (Mine only took 30 min but it would take longer in a heavier pot.)

Hashbrown Casserole

• 4 c. shredded potatoes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 package Knorr mushroom sauce (for pasta) cooked according to package directions
• 20 g. butter, melted
• 2 c. shredded cheese (I used Sardo)
• 1 large package Casan cream
• Bread crumbs to cover top

Peel and shred approx. 4 potatoes. Squeeze out excess water using a dishcloth. Mix potatoes with onion, sauce, cream and half of the shredded cheese. Spead into a greased baking dish, top with cheese, bread crumbs and melted butter in that order. Bake at 180C for approx 45-50 minutes.

Apple Pie

• All butter crust, refrigerated
  
• 6 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. flour
• 3/4 t. nutmeg (nuez moscada)
  
• 3/4 t. cinnamon (canela)

Roll out half of the crust and place in pie pan. Mix sugar, flour, and spices together. In a large bowl, mix together water and lemon juice and add apples as you cut them. Drain apples and toss with sugar mixture. Add to pie pan.
Roll out other half of the dough and place on top. Pinch crusts together and cut slits in top. Brush milk on top and add sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 190C for 30 minutes.

Thanksgiving Part Two

After 10 guests on Thursday, we were running a little low on leftovers so we added the following dishes for family Thanksgiving on Friday.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

• 5 baking potatoes, cubed and boiled in salted water until tender
  
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c. veggie stock
• 2 T. milk
• 1 T. butter

Drain potatoes and immediately add remaining ingredients. Mash with potato masher. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Green Beans with Almonds

• 3 cups fresh green beans, snapped
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
  
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/3 c. almonds

Boil beans in salted water for 10-15 minutes. Slice and toast almonds (I toasted these in a pan over low heat, flipping often, for 5 minutes but a toaster oven works well too.) Saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Drain beans and add to onion. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the beans reach your desired consistency. Toss with almonds and serve.

Lunch Specials

Potato Tortilla


Work has calmed down quite a bit, which means I'm home for lunch. Tortillas are popular here and easily whipped up for a quick meal. These are also great for using up leftover cooked vegetables -- green beans, zucchini, sweet potatoes, asparagus, peppers, whatever!

• 3 eggs
  
• 2 medium potatoes
  
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 red or green pepper
• herbs, salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 c. shredded parmesan cheese
  

Dice potatoes and boil in salted water until al dente, drain. Saute onion and pepper with olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. After a few minutes, add the potatoes and saute until they begin to brown (about 10 minutes). Whip the eggs with salt, pepper, herbs (we used a teaspoon of dried oregano), and most of the cheese (reserving a few pinches to sprinkle on top) and pour over the vegetables. Cook, allowing the raw mixture to seep under the set eggs by lifting the edges with a spatula. When it is mostly set, and before it gets too brown on the bottom, flip the tortilla onto a plate by covering and flipping the whole pan, then slide back into the pan and cook another few minutes until completely done. Top with more cheese.

Bowl O' Sushi
from 101 Cookbooks


Why didn't anyone think of this sooner?? Sushi is not in abundance here but this simple dish has all of the flavor. I made half of Heidi's recipe, though we're not stocked-up on so many natural ingredients, and it was perfect for 2. Here's what I ended up using:

• 2 cups cooked rice

• grated zest and juice of half an orange
• grated zest and juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce + more for table
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (I only had apple cider vinegar, but I would use brown rice vinegar, as suggested, if on hand)

• 2 thin sheets (about 4"x4") extra-firm tofu
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced into strips
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Guille convinced La Casa de Nicolas to sell us a block of tofu (not available at supermarkets) so we could have it on hand. Slice off a couple of sheets and set on a paper towel to dry a bit. Lightly spray a pan with cooking spray and fry the tofu on each side for about 5 minutes, adding a little salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and slice into strips. Put these back on the heat for a few minutes to brown the tofu on all sides.

Cook the rice (I use the standard method of 2 (water) to 1 (rice), bring to a boil, cover and simmer on lowest heat for 10-15 minutes). In a small pot, bring the juices and sugar to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then add the soy sauce and zest and boil for another minute. Mix the sauce into the rice and serve in a bowl, topped with the avocado, cucumber, tofu, and sesame seeds. Add a splash of soy sauce for more flavor.

You could also swap out the citrus dressing for soy sauce (perhaps mixed with wasabi and/or ginger) for a super quick lunch.