Vegetable Pot Pie (Vegan)

Ingredients
1-2 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg Beyond Meat (beyond chicken) cubed
1/8 c diced celery
1/8 c diced onion
1/4 c diced mushroom
diced garlic cloves (1-2)
flour for roux, hot water
Oil for saute (safflower, sunflower, or canola)
Pie shells (1-2) 9 inch

Preparation:
Heat a large skillet, add oil, season, then lightly saute celery, onion, mushroom, and garlic cloves.  Remove to an adjacent plate or dish. Mix 2-4 teaspoons of flour with equal parts hot water to make a slurry.  Add more oil, saute beyond chicken cubes until brown bringing up heat to create a slight tacky sear.  Add a little more oil, pour in slurry, stir, and more water 1/2 cup at a time, creating a roux around your beyond chicken pieces.

Your roux should be thick and creamy.  Add in your mixed vegetables and your saute vegetables.  Take your skillet off of the heat to bring down temperature.

Cover your crust edges.  Pre-bake your crust for 10-15 minutes on 300-350 but watch it so that is not over browned.  Let it stand for 5-10 minutes.  Fill your pre-baked shell to your desired height, taking into consideration the size of your second shell for the cover/seal. Close your pie with the second crust. Recover the outer edge, bake at 350-400 (350 if convection).

Slice or prick the center to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes until golden brown/crust is flaky. 

banana pudding

 Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, peeled and pureed

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs, separated

2-4 cups evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

45 vanilla wafers (will vary)

1 pinch cream of tartar (or corn starch)

Directions

***The amount of milk and cookies will vary.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the banana slices and lemon juice in a small bowl and puree until smooth.

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar, the flour and salt in a 3-quart saucer. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the evaporated milk and carefully whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 172 to 180 degrees F, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken and bubble around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Spread a small amount of the pudding in the bottom of an oven-safe 1 1/2-quart glass-mixing bowl. Cover with a layer of vanilla wafers, then pudding, and repeat until you have reached your desired results. Pour 1/3 of the remaining pudding on top of the bananas and repeat, ending with a layer of pudding.

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue over the warm pudding, being sure to cover the edges. Bake until the meringue is evenly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pudding from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cool completely before refrigerating. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

peach cobbler

2-3 15 oz. cans yellow sliced peaches

1/8 t. cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg
1/4 brown sugar
1 t. corn starch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Separate peaches from juice except one can. Pour juice into sauce pot. Whisk in corn starch. Bring to a boil. Add sugar, and half of other spices. Reduce to low. Add peaches.

for the crust:
3/4 stick butter
1 c. ap flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. milk

Melt butter in baking dish. Allow to cool. Whisk ingredients together and the remainder of the spices. Cover with saran and allow to aerate. Spoon batter into baking dish on top of butter. Do not mix. Ladle peaches onto batter. Do not stir. Place into oven on center rack. Back for 30-45 minutes or until cake is brown, moist but not wet.

eggplant parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

It's a great time of the year to pluck an eggplant or two. The price is right. My favorite dish, is the Eggplant Parmesan. It's a busy job, so prepare your workstation. Use gloves to avoid the messy. You will need: Buttermilk, Bread Crumbs, and Seasoned flour.

On occasion I prepare the 'wet' ingredient of a flax egg. Any substitutions are okay as long as you understand that I can barely assure you that if you follow this preparation that your results will resemble mine. I certainly cannot stamp my approval on a complete recipe makeover. Follow carefully the first time and adjust at a later day.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, cut 1/2 inch thick slices (discard the stem and base)
salt
buttermilk
seasoned breadcrumbs
seasoned flour
Olive oil for frying
pasta sauce (make your own or use a commercial brand of your choice)
Mozzarella cheese

other
baking pan
frying pan
cookie sheet

Eggplant Parmesan over
Whole Grain spaghetti with
gluten-free Cheesy Garlic toast

Preparation.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The purpose of the salt is to sweat your sliced eggplant in order to release the water or as much as possible. In doing so, you will avoid a soggy dish. Assemble your slices on a cookie sheet and sprinkle salt on each side. After 2 hours, they should be ready to go.

Heat oil and reduce temp to medium high. Shake slices, individually in seasoned flour, then dip into buttermilk, and finally toss into bread crumbs. Set aside, repeat. You will fry each side of the eggplant slices until brown. Blot with paper towels. Repeat this process until all slices are browned. Place a layer of sauce at the base of your baking dish.

Place slices in shingle fashion sprinkling cheese then adding sauce. Repeat. On top, apply sauce and a layer of cheese. Sprinkle dried basil. Cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes covered but tent the foil to avoid sticking. In the last minutes, remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is toasted.


Remove from oven. Cover and set for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta, cheese sticks, salad, or whatever you choose. Enjoy!

my mom's caramel cake...sort of

Hot Cakes on Cooling Rack

My cousin absolutely loved my mother's caramel cake. She was always my mother's favorite niece and nary a moment went by that she wouldn't remind us 'kids'.

My mother's birthday is April 28th and she'd be 84 years old. In honor of her I decided to make this rich traditional favorite for the month of April, expecting it would be fitting for Easter Sunday. Instead I delivered it on today at my younger cousin's baby shower.

The recipe has been refined. As any cook would do, I made the recipe my own by tweaking a few elements. It is basically the same. My mom used Swan's Down Cake flour.
I was never a fan of purchasing 'special' items when you can simply make your own...that's scratch right? Well according to my cousin, it was delectable. And I am glad that it was because it was truly a labor of love. 

Liquid Gold...

Rules to baking: Room temperature for all ingredients unless told to do otherwise. For even cakes, divide batter and use a scale!

Ingredients:
Cake
2 sticks of unsalted butter or margarine
3 1/4 cup 'cake' flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 c sugar
2 t vanilla flavor/extract


Ready for delivery...

4 eggs
1 1/4 c milk

Caramel
3 1/2 c sugar
2 sticks of salted butter or margarine
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
1 t vanilla flavor or extract

Cake Preparation...
Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Grease two 9 inch cake pans with 1 T unsalted butter and dust with flour. Tap out excess and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside. Beat remaining unsalted butter for cake with 2 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in three batches, beating smooth after each addition. Divide batter between pans, and scale for evenness. Bake until golden brown 30-35 minutes. Allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Prepare Caramel...
Cook 3 1/2 cups of sugar, salted butter, in a pot over high heat stirring constantly until light brown. 7-8 minutes. Carefully stir in evaporated milk and reduce heat to medium low. Cook stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir constantly for 1/2-1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla flavor and beat with a spoon. As it cools, the icing will become thick and glossy. Allow caramel temperature to cool before spreading on bottom layer. Place top layer and spread evenly and on sides. Chill to set. Enjoy!