Gashed & Slashed Blueberry Pie

Pie is essentially a deliciously jelly sandwich. Two delicious buttery crusts (bread) with a generous helping of fruit filling (jelly) in between. It is the most delicious thing you can put in your mouth. My favorite pie is Blueberry Pie. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart, plus the color is a rich purply blue. It's a piece of art.

Now you're probably wondering why I call this pie Gashed & Slashed Blueberry Pie. Let me example, I like scary movies. I'm a big fan! I especially enjoy the classics, Haunted House On a Hill (the original, with Vincent Price), Bad Seed, Beetlejuice and  anything Hitchcock ever made and so on.  So when I curl up and watch one the many classic and modern day horror films; pie is a wonderful comfort food. Now you know how much I love themes, so I figured I change the look of the pie, ever so slightly so that it will pair with any horror flick. Now a pie needs slits to release the air in the pie so it doesn't explode. I thought why not make some slits long, jagged or off center so when the juices bubbled up it'd look like the pie has been gashed, slashed and bleeding. Yes, I am aware of how it sounds and why in the world would be I be thinking this but what can I say, this is how my mind works. :)  If you don't want to gash or slash your pie, you don't have to, make slits like regular and you will have yourself a delightful piece of pie.

Buen Provecho!

Make the crust. Add 2 1/4 cups of flour in a food processor.

Sugar 2-3 Tbsp

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks of very very cold butter. In fact I used frozen butter. Cut it into big cubes.

Pulse until you get a sand consistency.

Once you have "sand" turn processor on and let it run while you pour iced water through tunnel. One TBSP at a time until you see.....

this. The dough will ball up. Take out and mold together.

Divide into 2 equal balls and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can totally make this dough ahead of time and put it in the fridge for a few days.

Put 24 oz of blueberries (i use frozen) into a medium pot, medium heat.

Add 1/2 cup sugar (you can add sugar later if you like)

Zest of 1 lemon

A pinch of salt. Always need a bit of salt with sweet.

Cook until blueberries burst.

Make a slurry. 1Tbsp cornstarch & 2 Tbsp water.

Add to blueberries and bring to a boil.

Let the mixture thicken and stir to avoid sticking on the bottom.

This is the consistency you want. When you run you finger across the spoon and nothing moves. BE CAREFUL THE BLUEBERRY FILLING WILL BE HOT!! At this point feel free to add more sugar if you like.

Roll out dough according to the size of your dish and place in dish.

Slowly pour in your lovely blueberry filling. Then top with second crust

Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Then make the slits.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown.

Gashes and slashes and juice oozing out, that's what you want!

Enjoy with your favorite horror flick!

Gashed & Slashed Blueberry Pie

Pie Crust:
2 1/4 cups Flour
2-4 tbsp Sugar, desired sweetness
1/4 tsp salt
2 stick of butter, cut into cubes and chilled

4-6 Tbsp Water, iced
1 egg, whisk (egg wash) 

Blueberry Filling:
24 oz of frozen or fresh blueberries
1/2 - 1 cup Sugar, desired sweetness
pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1-2 Tbsp Water


Road Map:

1. Make Pie Crusts: Into a food processor place flour, sugar, salt and butter. Process until it looks like fine sand. Continue to run processor and the through the tunnel on top add 1Tbsp of iced water at the time until the dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Wrap them in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven 400 F. While dough is resting and chilling make the filling. In a medium pan on medium heat add blueberries, sugar (add 1/2 cup first then adjust if you want it sweeter), salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine, cook until blueberries burst open. Stir occasionally to ensure that the filling doesn't stick to the pan.

3. Make a slurry. In a cup add 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1-2 Tbsp of water, combine until well mixed. Slowly pour slurry in blueberry mixture, allow it to come to a boil, the mixture will thicken. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer until you get your desired consistency. At this point feel free to adjust the sugar if you like. Set aside.

4. Roll out dough: lightly flour your surface. Take 1 dough ball and roll out, according to your pie dish. Carefully place dough in dish. Slowly pour blueberry mixture into dough and set aside. Roll out second dough to desired size and top the pie. Crimp the edges. Brush pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Then make the menacing slits, long, jagged and/or off center. 

5. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Tis the season for comforting soups. The most popular by far must be tomato soup. It's a memory food for sure. A nice bowl of tomato soup with it's best friend grilled cheese. It's the perfect childhood memory.

Now I didn't grow up with tomato soup, but as I got older I discovered this wonderful American comfort food, and I simply feel in love. When I'm tried, sick and feeling a little blue, my go to is tomato soup. It has the capacity of hugging you from the inside and making you feel better. Pairing it up with a buttered grilled cheese doesn't hurt either.

Seeing that tomato season has come and gone, the tomatoes aren't looking so good. They weren't their typical ruby red, so I decided to help them along by roasting them. I blended them up with broth and other goodness. I left the soup with texture, however if you want a more silky soup, pour it through a sieve.

Enjoy your hug!

Buen Provecho!

Preheat oven 400F. Cook tomatoes in half and season with salt, pepper, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano

Saute onions and set aside

Make a garlic pouch. Separate cloves leaving the skins on, drizzle olive oil season with salt and pepper. Add to oven during the last 30 mins of roasting the tomatoes.  Allow to cool before handling.

Nice and roasted, juicy tomato!

Add tomatoes, roasted garlic,....

and onions. Puree!

Add Olive oil to a medium pot. Pour puree into pot.

Add remaining stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add a dollop of sour cream for garnish. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs roma tomatoes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 large onion, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, (skin on)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Olive oil

Roadmap:

1. Preheat oven 400F. Cut tomatoes in half and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Place in oven and roast for 40-50 minutes.
In a small piece of foil, add garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil, 1 tbsp, season with salt and pepper. Wrap up foil and set aside. Place garlic foil wrap in oven for the last 30 minutes of the tomato roasting. Allow to cool before handling.

3. Meanwhile in a small pan on medium heat, add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add diced onions and saute until soft. Set aside.

4. Add roasted tomato, roasted garlic, sauteed onions and 1 cup of broth into a blender. Puree. Add tomato puree into a medium pot with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and add remaining broth. Bring to a boil then lower heat. Allow the soup to simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add a dollop of sour cream if you like. Enjoy!

Side-note- You can blend the soup with a immersion blender if you have one. If you want to make the soup silky pour it through a sieve.

Asian Turkey Sliders (Fuision Edition)

I'm a big fan of mini, especially when it comes to food. One of my favorite mini foods are sliders. I enjoy a good burger, but normal size burgers are so big, that afterward I feel a bit guilty for downing the humungous burger. However, when I have sliders, I don't feel as bad. I can eat 2-3 and still feel like I didn't overindulge. It's portion control, as long as you control your portions. :) Apart from the sensible reasons I enjoy sliders, the truth is that they are just so cute! Yes, cute! Tiny little burger on a tiny little bun, adorable! Not only adorable but completely flavorful and satisfying. 

These turkey sliders have gone through may different incarnations. The one we have most often at home is this version. I love the Asian flavors in this slider. They are bright, pungent and work amazingly with each other. I took the basic flavors, ginger, garlic, green onion, teriyaki and hoisin to make a pretty delicious burger. If you're not slider obsessed like me this burger would totally work as a regular sized burger, no problem.

This is one of the many tasty benefits of when east meets west!

Buen Provcecho!

Asian Turkey Slider

Grate garlic into 1 lb of ground turkey

  

Grate Ginger

Add poultry seasoning

Add teriyaki sauce

Grate whites of the green onion

chop green onion tops

add to mixture

Mix until combined well, don't over mix

Cook up a test to make sure seasoning is just right!

Divide into 8 balls, about 2.4 oz each

Ready to be formed

Thinner in the middle and thicker on the edges.

Cook for 5 minutes on each side. After the flip baste burgers with Hoisin sauce. Cook until internal temperature is 165F.

Toast the buns! I slather ghee on the bread and toast on a griddle.

Spread Hoisin on both top and bottom.

Add slider

Top with crushed pineapple and a couple of cilantro leaves.

Ready to eat!

Asian Turkey Slider

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2- 1 inch ginger, grated
1 tbsp Poultry seasoning
2-3 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 green onion, white grated, greens chopped
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce, for spread & basting
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
handful of cilantro
8 Hawaiian Rolls
Salt n Pepper



Road Map:

1. To ground turkey add, grated garlic, ginger, green onions, poultry seasoning, teriyaki sauce, cilantro and salt & pepper. Blend until combined. To make sure seasoning is correct take a small bit of the mixture and cook it up and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

2. Divide mixture into 8 balls (about 2.4 oz each). Shape the patties, thinner on the inside thicker on the edges.

3. Add oil to a medium pan. Add patties to hot pan. Cook each side for about 5-7 minutes, until internal temperature is 165F. After the second flip, baste the slider with hoisin sauce. While sliders are cooking, split rolls and toast. I add butter and toast on a griddle.

4. Assembly sliders. Spread top & bottom of buns with hoisin sauce. Place a slider on the bun. Add about a 1 tsp of crushed pineapple, a couple of leaves of cilantro and top with bun.

5. Enjoy!