Cooking

Sweet Tart Pastry

Filed Under: Cooking

Sweet Tart Pastry

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter — cubed
  • 1 egg — beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Sift together the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.
  2. Toss butter through flour mixture to coat pieces. Using fingertips, rub fat into flour, working it until you have created a coarse meal with a few pea-size particles of fat.
  3. Empty crumbs onto a cool surface. Form mixture into a mound. Make a 4 to 5 inch well in center of the mound. Combine egg and vanilla and pour mixture into the well. Using a fork, draw crumbs into egg mixture, about 1 – 2 tablespoons at a time. When all crumbs are added, toss mixture a few times with a pastry blender to form large clumps, then scrape into a mound.
  4. Using the heel of your hand, push 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dough at a time, outward in 6 to 8 inch sweeps. This will blend fat and flour and give crust a delicate texture. If your hand becomes sticky, flour it as needed. Repeat process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into a mound again. Repeat procedure 2 more times.
  5. After third time, flour your hands. Gently knead the dough 5 or 6 times to make it smooth. Shape into a 5 inch disk. Dust disk lightly with flour, score with side of your hand, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 20 minutes before shaping. DO NOT LET DOUGH BECOME TOO HARD or it will be difficult to roll. If this happens, let pastry soften at room temperature.
  6. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. After dough has been rolled, position rolling pin 4 inches from top of the pastry. Lift dough over top of rolling pin and gently roll dough toward you. Lift pastry up. Make sure you keep a finger pressed against barrel of rolling pin to keep it from slipping. Position pastry, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of dough hanging over edge of pan on side closest to you. Then unroll pastry over an ungreased tart pan, moving pin away from you. Immediately lift overhang into pan to prevent sharp edge of the pan from cutting dough.
  7. Working a small portion of the dough at a time, mold it into crease of the pan. Trim excess pastry from top edge of pan. Chill pastry in refrigerator or freezer for up to 30 minutes. Tear an 18 inch square of tin foil. Make a buttered circle in center of foil 2 inches larger than size of pan. Place foil buttered side down, centering it into the baking pan. Using your hand, press foil flush against the sides.
  8. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position shelf in lower third of oven. Fill pan with enough dried beans or baking nuggets to just cover surface of pan. DO NOT OVERFILL. Bake pastry shell on a shallow pan with sides. Bake crust 15 to 18 minutes or until sides begin to brown. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand about 30 seconds. Gently remove foil and beans. Reduce oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Continue to bake crust for 3 to 5 minutes or until it is golden. If bottom of pastry shell puffs up, tap it gently with bottom of a fork to expel the air. Do this carefully so the pastry crust doesn’t break. When crust is done, cool completely before filling.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Vegetables and Lo Mein Noodles

Filed Under: Cooking

Stir-Fried Chicken with Vegetables and Lo Mein Noodles

  • 3/4 cup fat-free (less-sodium chicken broth)
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon or water
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound skinned (boned chicken breasts — cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips)
  • 10 ounces uncooked wide lo mein noodles or fettuccine
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil — divided
  • 1 cup small broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup diagonally sliced carrot
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions — (1-inch)
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms — quartered
  • 8 ounces frozen sugar snap peas — thawed
  1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine 1/4 cup broth mixture and chicken in a bowl. Reserve the remaining broth mixture.
  2. Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting salt; drain noodles, and keep warm.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet until hot. Add the chicken mixture, and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until done. Remove the chicken from pan, and keep warm. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in pan until hot. Add the broccoli and remaining ingredients, and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Return the chicken and reserved broth mixture to pan; cover and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over noodles.

Split Pea Soup

Filed Under: Cooking

Split Pea Soup

  • 5 1/2 cups water
  • 4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
  • 2 cups green split peas
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 6 oz Diced Canadian Bacon
  • 1 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in carrot, celery, pepper, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes or until peas are tender and soup thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Serve immediately.

Spinach Salad with Spiced Pork and Ginger Dressing

Filed Under: Cooking

Spinach Salad with Spiced Pork and Ginger Dressing

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin — trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha — (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
  • 1 cup red bell pepper strips
  • 1/4 cup low-fat sesame ginger dressing — (such as Newman's Own)
  1. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch slices; flatten each slice slightly with hand. Combine pork and Sriracha in a bowl, tossing to coat. Add sugar, garlic powder, and salt; toss well.
  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork mixture to pan, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat; keep warm.
  3. Combine spinach, cabbage, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add sesame ginger dressing; toss well. Arrange 1 1/2 cups spinach mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 3 ounces pork.