Ruffled Milk Pie

Original on http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/ruffled-milk-pie

Modified by Denny--I couldn't get this to work for me, so I mixed it up myself with the following and it came out YUMMY. The original recipe called for 14 inch pie pan and I don't own one that BIG! I use 1/2 box of the organic phyllo dough. It comes frozen at Whole Foods and I cut in 1/2 while frozen and return the rest to the freezer. Then I let it thaw out. I use this phyllo as my topping for my chicken pot pie too.

Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch pie
6 tablespoons melted unsalted Butter
8 to 9 sheets store-bought phyllo
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 generous cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (about 2tablespoons)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan with some of the melted butter; set aside.

2.Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on work surface with one long side parallel to edge of work surface. Using your hands, loosely ruffle phyllo by pushing short sides towards one another to create a long cylindrical shape. Place upright in center of prepared cake pan creating a spiral. Repeat process with remaining sheets, continuing spiral outwards until bottom of pan is covered.
3.Using a pastry brush, brush remaining clarified butter all over phyllo in pan; sprinkle with cinnamon. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

4.Meanwhile, heat milk in a medium saucepan until it just barely begins to boil; remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Gradually add heated milk, a little bit at a time, whisking constantly; whisk in vanilla.

5.Spoon milk mixture over baked phyllo, evenly covering surface. Return pan to oven and bake until filling has set, 20-25 minutes more. Dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon; serve immediately.

From The Martha Stewart Show, November 2009

Beef Stroganoff

Cooks Note-- this is the first Beef Stroganoff my hubby has eaten and liked in 10 years of marriage--it's a keeper! This meat just went on sale and I bought it to freeze for later!

Beef Stroganoff ---Serves 4. Published March 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated

I modified this recipe, because I do not use a microwave.

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak tips , trimmed of excess fat and cut lengthwise (with grain) into 4 equal pieces (see note below)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pound white mushrooms , wiped clean and quartered
2 teaspoons hot water
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
Table salt
2 teaspoons tomato paste
4 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon white wine or dry vermouth
1 1/2 cups beef broth (low-sodium)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves or dill

Instructions
1. Using fork, poke each piece of steak 10 to 12 times. Place in baking dish; rub both sides evenly with soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2. Here is were I modified---this is Cook Illustrated way--While meat marinates, place mushrooms in medium microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until mushrooms have decreased in volume by half, 4 to 5 minutes (there should be as much as ¼ cup liquid in bowl). Drain mushrooms and set aside; discard liquid.
This is my modified way--In a 12 inch pan saute the mushrooms for up to 20mins--they should degrees in volume by half. From here you would begin with step 5 in this pan.

3. Combine water, dry mustard, sugar, and ½ teaspoon pepper in small bowl until smooth paste forms; set aside

4. Pat steak pieces dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steak pieces in skillet and cook until browned on all sides and internal temperature registers 125 to 130 degrees, 6 to 9 minutes, reducing heat if fond begins to burn. Transfer meat to large plate and set aside while cooking sauce.

5. Add mushrooms, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt to skillet and cook until vegetables begin to brown and dark bits form on bottom of pan, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until onions and mushrooms are coated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/3 cup wine, beef broth, and mustard paste and bring to simmer, scraping ¬bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce has reduced slightly and begun to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes.

6. While sauce is reducing, cut steak pieces across grain into ¼-inch-thick slices. Stir meat and any accumulated juices into thickened sauce and cook until beef has warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let any bubbles subside. Stir in sour cream and remaining tablespoon wine; season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley or dill and serve.


Keys to Tender, Juicy Meat
1. CHOOSE BEEFY CUT
Steak tips (we buy whole steak) have far beefier flavor than tenderloin. (And they're cheaper.)
2. POKE HOLES
Poking holes in meat allows marinades to penetrate more deeply and contributes to more tender texture.
3. MARINATE
Marinating meat in soy sauce before searing boosts meaty flavor and enhances juiciness.
4. SEAR BIG PIECES
Searing large pieces allows meat to stay in pan long enough to create flavorful fond for sauce.
5. SLICE COOKED MEAT
Slicing rested cooked meat across grain into 1/4-inch -thick slices before adding it to sauce preserves juiciness.

Gluten Free Mealoaf

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup rice cracker crumbs
1 yellow onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced, divided
1 cup grated carrots
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce, divided
2 to 3 teaspoons gluten-free yellow or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a pan saute the chopped onions.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, cracker crumbs, sauted chopped onion, carrots, egg, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining tomato sauce with sugar. Pour sauce over the meatloaf and scatter sliced onions over the top.
Arrange pan on a small baking sheet and bake until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Set aside to let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cooks note: This recipe was great for being gluten free.

Easy Chicken Sausage with Tortellini

2 package of chicken sausage-heat and serve, Hans, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 TBSP olive oil
1 pacakge LaPasta tricolor Tortellini- FRESH pasta (local company in Maryland)
365 organic tomato sause
romano grated cheese - to taste
1/4 cup water


Heat nonstick pan, add oil, brown one side of the chicken sausage (5-7mins). Stir the sausage for get the other side brown. Add water to the pan and scrape up the brown bits "fawn."

Add tortellini (do not boil) and sause and allow it to simmer for 5 mins.

Top with grated cheese

NOTE: add water ever you want to...mushrooms, onions, pepper... I would saute these first, remove them from the pan...then brown chicken sausage...and add it all back with the sause.

Fried Rice with Peas and Bean Sprouts

I am going to try this and pair it with my chicken...I will let you know how it turns out.

1/30/2010- This came out GREAT and I won't change a thing! YUMMY

Fried Rice with Peas and Bean Sprouts
Makes about 8 cups
Serving 4 to 6. Published March 1, 2001.

1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
2 large eggs , beaten lightly
1 cup frozen peas (preferably baby peas), thawed
2 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons)
6 cups cooked white rice (cold), large clumps broken up with fingers
1 cup bean sprouts (about 2 1/2 ounces)
5 medium scallions , sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions
1.1. Combine oyster sauce and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside.

2.2. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes; add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add eggs and cook without stirring until they just begin to set, about 20 seconds, then scramble and break into small pieces with wooden spoon; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are cooked through but not browned, about 1 minute longer. Transfer eggs to small bowl and set aside.

3.3. Return skillet to burner, increase heat to high, and heat skillet until hot, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add peas and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds; stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and oyster sauce mixture; cook, stirring constantly and breaking up rice clumps, until mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, bean sprouts, and scallions; cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients
4 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced into strips

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup browsugar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup sesame oil
2 cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix all ingredients, except constrach and extra 2TB of oil and pour into a ziplock bag. Marinade for 4-10 hours.

Remove chicken from bag. In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp water, 2 TBSP of sesame oil. Coat the chicken with the mixture.

Cook chicken in batches in a 12 inch pan. YUMMY!

Pork Chops or Chicken with Apples and Onions

For those of you that don't know....my hubby is allergic to pork, so I don't cook it (except bacon). This weekend at Whole Foods I needed to demo Pork Chops, so I found April in prepared foods and picked her brain and the recipe below is the result. After cooking this recipe four times and hearing many customers wondering if it would be just as good with chicken, I decided to give it a try. The chicken was just a YUMMY! I would serve this over brown rice for a complete meal at home.

Pork Chops or Chicken with Apples and Onions
2 bone in or out Pork Chops, seasoned with Bosari
1 apple, cored, sliced Organic Fuji
½ yellow onion, sliced
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
¾ cup 365 Organic Apple Juice
2 TBSP oil

Heat pan, add oil, brown one side of the chop (5-7mins). Flip chop, add sliced onions and
apples sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add vinegar and apple juice to pan and cover (5-7mins--longer if the chop is thick). Check temp of pork, once it is 120 degrees F remove lid and reduce liquid until it looks like a glaze. The final temp of your chop should be 140degress F

Recipe by April in Prepared Foods