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Round 2: Sarah vs. Pie

Last week, it was HAND PIES!!! Wootie woot! What kind of hand pies, you ask? Delicious ones! What kind of delicious ones?! The empanada kind!

Of course, first things first. The dough.  Yes. This again. Pulse together 2 ¼ C flour, 1t salt, ½ C cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes), 1 egg, ⅓ C ice water and 1T vinegar. As for the water, I measure in a large measuring cup, add ice and put it in the freezer while I am doing the other things on the list. In regards to the vinegar, since I didn’t have white vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar. Vodka will also work. Since each of these (vinegars and vodka) have a lot of water content while processing the dough, the alcohol will burn off in the oven and give a more flaky crust when baked!

Once all pulsed, form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

While the dough is chilling, grab some fresh veggies – I like leeks, mushrooms, red bell peppers, garlic and onions. *Although, I think next time spinach or kale would be a good idea too! Duly noted.*

Get them all nice and chopped.

In a large sauté pan, add some olive oil and sauté the leeks and onions. Add a dash of salt to make ‘em sweat. Add in the garlic.

Once translucent and nice and soft, add in them shrooms and peppers. Sauté.  Add some spices like cumin, crushed red peppers, cayenne, black pepper, etc.

Once sautéed until done, turn off the heat and let the favors meld while you get to working on the little pie crusts.

Take the dough of the fridge to rest for 5 minutes at room temp. Have some beer. Eat some cheese. Entertain yourself.

Make sure you pre-heat your oven to 400⁰F!

Now for the fun stuff! Lightly flour your pastry mat. You can do this one of two ways. Number 1: You can roll the dough out until it’s about ½ to ¼ inches thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut 12 circles. However, I find that it is easier for me to do this method: Cut the dough in half, roll each half into a 10”-12” rope. Cut each rope into 6 pieces. Using a floured rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle, or in my case, mostly squares...

Fill each circle (or square thing) with about 1-2T sautéed filling. Top with some shredded sharp white cheddar cheese.

Fold the circle in half to make a half moon shape. Press the edges together with a fork to seal completely. No skill required for this! It’s nothing like trying to crimp pie crust haha

Repeat for remaining dough and fillings. Prepare an egg wash with one egg and 1T water. Brush over the empanadas, especially the edges.

Throw them bad lads in the oven for 20 minutes.

Take them out. You can try and let them cool, but I dare you to try and wait once you smell them! Dip in a marinara sauce or top with Sriracha or Chipotle Tabasco. ENJOY!!! And try to stop at 2. So delicious!

And so, we finish at: Round 2 – Sarah 2, Pie 0. Who will be victorious next week in Sarah vs. Pie? Check back to find out!

[kookingwithkitties]

Round 1: Sarah vs. Pie

While I did not take any pictures of the process like I had wanted to, I did, in fact, make the pie. I have been busy throughout the last weeks what with the holidays and all and, of course, making other tasty foods like Vanilla Buckwheat Banana Waffles,

Cran-Raspberry Oatmeal Bars,

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with a Sage, Brown Butter and Balsamic Sauce,

and without a doubt the best Paneer Tikka Masala I have ever made!

(Just let me know if you want the recipe for any of these) :)

However, I was very excited about making my first pie for this challenge. It was a tough decision on which pie to start with, but in the end, I chose a classic. Apple Pie! I figured I’d start off slowly with my pie crust ineptitude and go Dutch. With that being said, Sunday morning, John and I performed our ritual farmer’s market excursion to stock up on this week’s fresh veggies and fruit. The apple stand was gorgeously stocked with Pink Ladies and Granny Smiths…

I grabbed 4 grannies and 1 lady since I like my apple pie more tart than sweet. I peeled, cored and quartered and proceeded to toss them in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of vanilla. Next was the topping – brown sugar, cubed butter, flour, more cinnamon and quick oats.

I had put off the crust long enough. It had to be done. The night before I consulted the book The Lost Art of Pie Making: Made Easy, courtesy of Vicki, and decided to try “Barb’s Butter Crust.” As I said, I am completely inept at making crust, so I chose this one first as a starter crust. I followed her guidance and combined the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, butter and ice water. Apparently, the baking powder gives the crust a little lift, making it flakier, and a bit of sugar makes the crust brown nicely. I kept it in the fridge overnight and come time, I pulled it out and thawed it a bit on the counter.

I stared at it. Just stared. Like it was some strange creature that I was trying to figure out. It, in turn, was challenging me. It wanted to sucker punch me and beat me at its own game. Well, I wasn’t going to have it!

I dusted my new pastry mat with flour and grabbed my rolling pin. I threw the disk of dough on the mat and rolled it flat. I then carefully rolled the dough on the pin and unrolled into my pie dish. So far, so good!

I tried my best at crimping the edges; I may have to watch a YouTube tutorial for next time (ouch)…but I spooned in my apples, covered them with the topping mix and put it in the oven. 60 minutes later, we had this–

I am quite proud for it for 3 reasons:

My first pie of 2014

The first crust that wasn’t completely full of holes

The first crust that tasted delicious

It was just wonderful to share with my boo, Nate and Hailey and to ring in the New Year with friends, as the cats slept soundly in the bedroom.

Round 1 – Sarah 1, Pie 0. Who will be victorious next week in Sarah vs. Pie? Check back to find out!

Happy New Year Everyone! Cheers to 2014!

  Recipe adapted from Completely Delicious

[kookingwithkitties]

Crockpot Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

So, apparently I left this in my drafts folder from a few weeks ago...Enjoy!

It started raining yesterday!!! I love the rain. It brings soups, stews, cuddly kittens (since they don't want to go out) and more cups of tea than I would ever be able to count...

(by them not going out because of the rain, this means more Snead and Vader time in the kitchen with mommy!)

Since I volunteer with WEAVE every Wednesday evening after work, the last few weeks have become known as Crockpot Wednesdays. This way, when I get home at 10PM, there is something ready for dinner. Because honestly, who doesn't want dinner to cook all day while you're out doing other things?! Especially in the fall and winter, my crockpot is my favorite kitchen appliance. :)

While I tried my hand at crockpot enchiladas with a roasted green chile and garlic cream sauce and then a coconut red lentil curry last week, this week, due to the rain, I thought something a bit more comforting and familiar was in order.

Hence the split pea soup a la vegetarian. We add the smoked paprika since it will give it that smoked flavor that you would usually get from ham. We also use the no-chicken veggie stock as it is not tomato based and as such more like real chicken broth. With that being said, let's do it!

Crockpot Vegetarian Split Pea Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients (all organic, if available)

2 cups dried split peas, cleaned and sorted

2 cups diced carrots

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

4 cups no-chicken or vegetable stock

3 bay leaves

1-3 tablespoons smoked paprika

Pepper, fresh ground

Salt, if needed

Directions

In a large slow cooker, combine split peas, carrots, onion, celery and garlic.

Pour stock over peas and veggies.

Add bay leaves, smoked paprika and pepper. Stir to combine.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until peas are tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy.

Add salt, if necessary.

(and I was so hungry that I forgot to actually take the photo...sorry folks )

Serve hot with warmed, crusty sourdough bread in a big bowl and settle in for a cozy evening while listening to the rain on the windows.

Cheers,

Sarah

[kookingwithkitties]

Sarah vs. Pie

In the Right Corner: The Kitchen –

Cute and quaint with little counter space. Outdated gas oven from the 1940’s. 2 Ankle-rubbing cats stalking the floor, hunting for fallen bits of food.

  In the Left Corner: The Contender –

Beer snob, cat lover and veggie food junkie extreme. University employee by day. Pie lover by night. Too old for Lincoln logs. Too young for knitting.

  The challenge:

To cook a different pie a week for every week in 2014, starting January 1st. 53 pies. Sweet pies. Savory pies. Hand pies. You name it.

  Can it be done? How far will it go? We can only read (and drool) and see…

  Sarah vs. Pie. Coming soon to a blog near you…

[kookingwithkitties]

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne with a Leek and Pesto Ricotta

So, Monday was Group Pasta Night!

Just a little background: since John and I started dating back in May of 2011, we have made (and devoured...) pasta every Monday night. It just became our little thing. My dear friend, Meagan, and I subsequently started hosting a group past night with all our friends once a month. Once John and I moved in together, we continued the tradition. I love group pasta nights because it forces us to see everyone and catch up on each others' lives, instead being a hermit with beer and our 2 cats. Though that's not the worst thing in the world...

Anyway, I had made a lasagne a couple weeks prior and LOVED it. So, obviously, I decided to make it again for all our meat-eating friends to gauge their reactions. Result? Total success!!!

Fall is wonderful for squashes and while I thought butternut squash would work, I didn't want something too sweet in my lasagne either. Thus born the spaghetti squash lasagne. This lasagne is light from the spaghetti squash, a touch decadent from the ricotta mixture, and simply put - the best lasagne I have ever had. Oh, and seriously, if you haven't tried spaghetti squash, what are you waiting for?! Delicious and low carb? I mean, unless  you're a cheese lover like me and my boo and you cover the low carb goodness with even more cheesy goodness...yeah, delicious!

While our cats love to watch me cook, especially if I'm cooking with cheese (and honestly, what night am I not cooking with cheese?!) since they get little samples, group pasta night is not their forte. Lots of people, drinking and shouting at board games makes little kitties run and hide in their secret "in-the-boxspring-fort-that-we-created-with-our-razor-claws." Seriously, the thing is destroyed.

Either way, the night was a success - people loved the food, which is always my goal, we shared wine and beer with close friends and caught up on the craziness of each others' lives.

Enjoy the recipe, let me know if you have any suggestions, and for god's sake, if nothing else, try some spaghetti squash!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne with a Leek and Pesto Ricotta (serves 6-8)

Ingredients (all organic, if available)

1 medium spaghetti squash

4 leeks

3 cups fresh baby spinach

15 oz. Ricotta Cheese

8-10 oz. pre-made pesto, or you can make your own!

1 package no-bake lasagne sheets

Olive oil

2 jars Pasta sauce

1 yellow onion

Dried herbs - thyme, oregano, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, etc.

1 small bunch fresh basil

1-2 balls of fresh mozzarella, shredded

Parmesan cheese - as much as you want for topping!

(Snead and me getting ready to make some lasagne! Vader was MIA, per usual...)

To cook the squash (steaming process)

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Clean the outside of the squash.

Cut in half, lengthwise. Now, this can be a difficult process. I suggest having a strapping young man around to assist. Otherwise, it might be wise to cut in half width-wise and then cut again lengthwise.

Remove the seeds.

Lay squash cut-side down in baking dish.

Add 1/2 to 1 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish.

Place in the oven for 1 hour or until the squash is tender and cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cool, rake your fork through the squash to separate the strands of the squash. Put in a separate bowl to finish cooling.

To make the sauce

Saute the onion in a medium sized sauce pan with olive oil until translucent. 

Add sauce. 

Add dried herbs. 

Julienne basil and add to sauce.

Simmer until cooked/warmed through.

To make the leek, pesto ricotta

Cut leeks in half lengthwise.

Trim ends off and rinse thoroughly to ensure dirt is removed.

Thinly slice leeks.

In a large sauce pan, saute leeks over medium low heat and sweat slowly for about 10 minutes, or until soft.

While leeks are cooking, rinse spinach thoroughly.

Add the spinach and cook for another minute or two until wilted.

Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes.

Drain off any excess liquid.

Mix the pesto and ricotta into the pan and season well with salt and pepper.

To assemble the lasagne

Spoon sauce on the bottom of a large, oven-safe baking dish.

Add lasagne sheets to layer.

Add ricotta mixture.

Add another layer of lasagne sheets.

Add spaghetti squash layer to lasagne.

Add layer of sauce.

Add another layer of lasagne sheets.

Top with the rest of the sauce.

Cover with shredded mozzarella!!!

(I was too excited for the lasagne to start cooking, I totally forgot to take pictures. My bad...)

To make the lasagne

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

After that, remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the lasagne is golden and bubbling.

Serve hot with hot garlic bread, fresh salad, and enjoy with good friends. :)

I hope you enjoy!!! Leave any comments or suggestions!

Cheers,

Sarah

[kookingwithkitties]

Let's Get Started!

Alright!

So, I'm starting a blog for my everyday cooking adventures with new recipes, my own innovations and (hopefully) some good pictures to go along with it.

Everything I cook is vegetarian, and I get by with a little help from the love of my life, John, who brews for Knee Deep Brewing Co. and our two little nuggets - Snead and Vader. We've lived together for a year and are loving every minute of it.

While I will be updating with new recipes from here on out, here are a few pictures of our favorite recipes from the last year:

Buffalo Cauliflower with Knee Deep Brewing Co. Batch 138 (adapted from Now You're Cookin')

Eggplant Meatball Sandwiches!!! (adapted from The Small Boston Kitchen)

Veggie Empanadas with marinara dipping sauce (adapted from Healthy Recipes)

Soft Pretzels with buffalo cheese sauce (adapted from Half Baked Harvest)

...

These are just some of the recipes we've made in the last 12 months.

Stayed tuned for more recipes, such as my Spaghetti Squash Pesto Leek lasagne that I will be making for our group pasta night tonight!

Also, starting Jan 1, 2014, I will be making a pie a week for the entire year of 2014. Because, who doesn't like pie?! Savory, sweet, help in you hand? They are perfect for every meal and every occasion. If you have any ideas for pies, leave a comment and let me know!

Keep eating people because as Anna Thomas put it: " We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly."

Cheers!