Pie Day Friday ( Better late than never) Bacon and Egg Pie

Yeah!  Wooo hooo!  It's Monday, my favourite day of the week.  Bah!  Who am I trying to kid?  I can't help it if I just like being at home too much.  I am fine once I get to work but I am even better on a Wednesday afternoon when I have finished for the week.  I used to work full time, but I felt like I was not doing a great job or being a great Mom.  Work/life balance is much much better now I work part time.  I do not take the situation for granted.  Every week I am grateful that I can 'come up for air' and do a couple of school runs myself.  The dog is also very happy when I am home, so is the budgie and the chickens!  We all prefer Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
          I wasn't late with Pie Day Friday, I am just late with this post.  I saw this Bacon and Egg Pie Recipe over at Lavender and Lovage last week.  I have never tried one.  The photographs over at Lavender and Lovage put my pie to shame.  I did bake it between 7am and 7.30am though in quite a rush.

 I also used my trusty enamel pie plate rather than a pie dish so this has turned out rather flat.  Not to worry it tasted great hot or cold.  I think it would make another good picnic pie too.  I am getting rather slap dash with these pies and should slow down a bit and take more care with the presentation.  I am not winning the sweet or savory pie 'battle' either, if it is not sweet, they are not interested in this house.  Blueberry Pie is on my list of Pies to make. . .I am sure that will be popular.
Hope You have a Happy Monday X

'Cherry Pie' Day Friday and Hooray it is National Chip Week!

This Pie is proof that beauty is skin deep.  It pie may not be the most beautiful of pies on the outside, but, oh my!  On the inside it is full of juicy, cherry lovliness.   Now this is what I am talking about. . . . this is what Pie Day Fridays are made for.

This pie was far far more popular than Pilchard Pie.  Cherry Pie with a bit of Squirty Cream, what more could you ask for?. . . Well yeah . . . ok. . . .  maybe a nice bit of clotted cream, or double cream or ice cream.  The boys deserved a Cherry Pie before they became 'Pie Phobic'.

Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
2 jars of Dark Cherries in Syrup (470g jars)
20g of cornflour
30 mls of water
25 g sugar
egg and milk beaten together to glaze the pie.

Method
Strain the syrup from the cherries and place in a pan.  Warm the pan of syrup, until it reaches a slow simmer.  Add the sugar and stir.  Mix the cornflour with the water and add it to the syrup, simmer and stir for a couple of minutes until the syrup has thickened.  Gently stir the cherries into the syrup and let it cool.  Line your pie dish with pastry.  Put the cherries in the pie and top with a pastry lid.  Brush the lid with a mixture of beaten egg and milk.
Bake in a medium to hot oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the pie is golden brown and shouting 'Eat Me!' when you look at it!

Your comments on yesterdays post made me laugh, yep I was/ am happy, sunshine and Spring flowers are meant to do that!  I also discovered wisdom in my Doormat. . . . If you are going to be a doormat . . . there is nothing to stop you being a glam, happy doormat.  Hoorah for doormats everywhere.  Love your doormat today!  I think National Doormat Day would be good, the one day where you pay homage to trusty old doormats, a bit like 'Mothers Day'.  Talking of National Days...my day got even happier when I discovered Here at Lavender and Lovage it is National Chip Week!  Blimey life is so bright you gotta wear shades!  Pancake day and National Chip Week in the same week.  If National Chip Week has passed you by so far, the great news is you still have time to catch up.  Chips chips chips!  Eat as many as you can!  Chip Butty for lunch and Egg and chips for tea!  Now that is fine dining!   Pop over to Lavender and Lovage for fascinating chip facts and a new spin on the humble chip 'Crispy Squashed Chips'  I am definitely crisping and squashing my chips from now on.
Happy Pie Day Friday Folks. . . hope you are all having a good one.  X 

Pie Day Friday - Another Under Rated Pie To Try

"QUALITY CANNED FISH FOR OVER 50 YEARS. CONTAINS OMEGA 3. GLENRYCK PILCHARDS are of the finest quality and freshly caught from the ocean for canning. "In value for money, GLENRYCK PILCHARDS provide more first-class protein than does beef steak." GLENRYCK PILCHARDS contains more calcium than cow's milk. A serving of GLENRYCK PILCHARDS can provide 33% of the "Recommended Daily Intake". (One can contains four servings). "Omega-3 fatty acids naturally found in GLENRYCK Pilchards add to the dietary value of a good, hearty meal". Allergy Advice Free From Additives, Free From Artificial Preservatives Ingredients South Atlantic Pilchards (64%), Tomato juice from concentrate (34.7%), Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Thickener - Guar Gum, Spices" 
(Taken from the Information on the can).

Sounds like good stuff to me.  Not to anyone else in the house though.  I am continuing with my plight to work my way through our 'Store Cupboards' and the Freezer.  If I get on my hands and knees and feel about in the back of the cupboard, I am coming across all sorts of things like these Pilchards.  It is a shame to throw food away if it is edible.  As a child I can remember eating Pilchard Sandwiches, Pilchard and Tomato Sandwiches, Pilchards on Toast and once a delicious Pilchard Pie made by my Uncle.  Uncle Keith whose name was Dave was my dads older brother.  There was a lot of that in those days wasn't there?  Jack who was Reginald, Nancy who was Kathleen, Bill who was James, I have never really understood how that happens.  Uncle Keith went back to being called Dave after about thirty years, but I never got the hang of it, he was always Uncle Keith to me.  He sticks out in my memory for many things, he was an ex Paratrooper and suffered with a very bad back.  He told me 'You are not safe unless your feet are on the ground!'  That makes perfect sense to me.   He had four children and I think home cooked nutritious meals that did not break the bank were crucial to many families.  I can remember a very tasty Pilchard Pie that he bought to our house for my Dad.  Pilchards seem like a 'super' food to me if you read their nutritional resume.  My sons would rather go hungry than eat a pilchard though!  Not for all the tea in China would they eat a Pilchard.  I am on my own again with this Pie.  I am really getting the hang of this 'Pie Making' lark and can rustle one up in about ten minutes, I used to think pies were tricky but like anything the more you make them the easier it gets.


Ingredients
2 x 150g Cans of Pilchards in Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Large Onion Peeled and finely chopped
1 small yellow pepper finely diced
1 small red pepper finely diced
1 small green pepper finely diced
1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup
A Jolly good squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper


Method
Line a pie dish with shortcrust pastry and roll out the top of the pie crust.
Fry the vegetables in olive oil until they are tender.  Mix all the ingredients together well and season well to taste.
Put the pie filling in to the pie and place the pastry lid on.  I liked decorating the top of my pie with two little smiley fish, with little swishy tails and scales and everything!  Ok I had a bit too much fun making little fishies to decorate the pie.

Bake in a medium to hot oven until it is golden.
Serving suggestions:
This pie is tasty hot served with New potatoes and green vegetables such as peas or beans or it is also delicious served cold with a salad.

Late 'Pie Day Friday' Post - Banoffee Pie

Pie Day Friday has been lacking support in this house.  I have been informed 'Pudding Pies' are still acceptable.  I have never made a Banoffee Pie before.  I don't like the idea of making the caramel, I worry it will burn in the pan or explode in the tin.  Seriously I know what I am like.  So when I saw this:

I knew there was no excuse.  There really is no 'Cooking' as such with this pie, it is more a case of assembling.  It appears to be a favourite in this house.  I used a classic crushed biscuit and butter base in a flan dish.  Plonked the canned caramel on top.  Topped the caramel with slices of banana and topped the banana with cream.

What this pie lacks in presentation and technical skill, it sure made up for in taste.  

Pie Day Friday - Cheese, Potato and Onion Pie Mmmmm

I like the left over pastry snacks on Pie Day Friday sometimes more than I like the pie.  These are Cheese and Marmite Pinwheels.  (The little Bart Simpson plate says 'I do what I want, when I want!'  Very apt!)  I topped the Pin Wheels with a three seed mix and they were delicious baked.  Enthusiasm is certainly dwindling for 'Pie' in this house.  My brood are fussy little 'so and so's'!    I took it upon myself to consume almost the entire 'Cheese, Potato and Onion Pie' single handed, it does keep for at least three days well!  It is also delicious cold.  I love the simple combination of cheese, potato and onion. It's a good job too when you are eating it for breakfast, dinner and tea, for three days!)  I am amazed three simple ingredients can make such a delicious flavour.  Obviously I am on my own in that opinion in this house. They thought that it was an 'Apple Pie' and never got over the shock or disappointment.

I made a batch of Shortcrust Pastry.
Ingredients for the Filling:
200g of Grated Strong Cheddar
2 Onions peeled and Finely sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
200ml cream
1 egg

Method
Line a pie plate with half of the pastry.  Layer the base with the potatoes, onion and cheese.  Beat the cream and egg together and pour it carefully over the filling, reserve a tablespoon of this mixture to brush on the lid of the pie before baking.  Put the Pastry lid on the pie.  Brush with remaining egg and cream mixture.  Bake in a medium oven for 45 minutes.  Voila, one magic pie, made from very simple ingredients.

I am sure these boys would eat my Pie!  They don't look fussy!

Hope you are all set for a relaxing weekend.  X 

Ye Olde 'Coconut and Raspberry Tarts' ;) 'Pie day Friday.

It is lovely to see new followers on this Happy Pie Day Friday.  Hello (Waves), Happy Pie Day Friday.
Here is a bit of a twist on Ye olde 'Bakewell Tart'.  I made these Coconut and Raspberry tarts.  Bakewell Tart traditionally has ground almonds in the mixture, I didn't have any almonds but I did have desiccated coconut, in true 'Inthesky' style I made a substitution and even if I do say so myself they were quite agreeable on ones palette.  These were a thrifty nifty little bake as they use the homemade Raspberry jam that I made in the Summer.  I didn't fuss too much with the quantities, they are basically a Jam tart with a Coconut Sponge topping.  I can make these by guess work and live with the imperfections.

Pie Day Friday has been scuppered with lack of enthusiasm of the family front.  Henry is in his fourth week of being a vegetarian.  The other half has given up red meat.  I am using meat from the freezer but have not bought any and Euan is trying very hard to remain an omnivore.  We have been eating a lot less meat as a family.  Nut Roasts on Sunday, Vegetable curries, Vegetable stew, Vegetable soup, Vegetarian Lasagne, Vegtable 'Shepherds' Pie, Falafel,, Bean Burgers and other concoctions.  I wonder how long we will keep it up?

The Hairy Bikers like meat in their Pies!

Pie Day Friday (4) 'The Queen of Hearts' 'The Humble Tart'

The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts

She made some tarts,

All on a Summers day;

The Knave of Hearts

He stole those tarts

And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts

Called for the tarts

And beat the Knave full sore.

The Knave of Hearts

Bought back those tarts

and vowed he'd steal no more.

According to Wikipedia this poem was first published in 1782.  A lot of tarts have been eaten over the centuries!  This little plate of Jam Tarts were made all the tastier for placing a little heart on top of each one.  It is like sandwiches in this house they always taste better in triangles, rather than rectangles or squares.  Everyone knows triangles taste better than squares!
Yeah it's Friday!

Pie Day Friday (3) - Delicious Calzone

My word is it 'Pie Day Friday' already?   I followed the recipe exactly from my 'New' Hairy Biker Pie Making 'Bible.

Calzone is basically and inside out Pizza.  You use a Pizza dough like a 'Pasty Shell' and put all you Pizza topping inside as a filling.  Henry's High School canteen sells them as 'Pizza Pockets'.  They are very portable and would make a great lunchtime snack for 'Teenagers' with places to go and people to see.
They use a basic Pizza Dough.  I made these once before but they were not a hit as the dough was about  3cm thick.  This time I got it right and used the rolling pin to roll out the dough to about half a cm.

I wanted to get creative with the topping/filling but kept to the recipe, which turned out delicious.  I found it useful to assemble all my ingredients together in smaller bowls as soon as the dough had been put to rise.  The Kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it, but these are really worth the effort.

Tomato Sauce:
Finely Chop an Onion and fry it gently until it starts to brown.  Add one clove of finely chopped garlic.  Cook for one minute.  Add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar.  Let it cool.

Fry 150g of finely sliced Mushrooms in butter until they start to brown and let them cool.

I had some pepperoni in the fridge but in future would keep these 'Vegetarian'.

Two Mozzarella Balls, drained and diced.

Ground Black Pepper for seasoning.

Fresh Basil leaves.

Assemble your Pizza Topping, then I used water to moisten around the edge of the dough so it would stick when I folded it over.

Make sure the Calzone is sealed well to keep all those flavours in while they cook.  Bake in a hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes.  I made eight of these lovlies.  Very tasty, economical and filling...might make a change from turkey :)  

Happy Pie Day Friday (2) - Tasty Vegetable Somosas

I was delighted to find a 'Hairy Biker' Somosa Recipe in my New Bible of Pie Making.  I will take the opportunity to just flash you another picture of the 'Sacred Text' here:

Oops!  Sorry wrong Picture....

Aaah, that's the one...this is a truly spiffing book.

I would be delighted over the festivities to find Authentic Indian Food on offer.  In fact I would cheerfully eat these Somosas in place of much of the 'traditional' Christmas foods.  Supermarkets do sell ready made Somosas but they are disappointing imposters.  I always though 'Somosa' making was out of my league, until I discovered this recipe (Which as usual, I have adapted a wee bitty bit!).  I can't believe how simple these are to make.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

250g of Plain Flour

1 egg ( from your bestest Clucky Friends) Separated in to the Yolk and the white.

1 tsp of salt

2 tbls of vegetable oil

75 - 150 mls of warm water

For the Filling

1 Onion finely chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped

1 Medium Potato (diced)

1 Sweet Potato (diced)

50g of Frozen Peas

2tsp of Garam Masala

1 tsp of Chillie Flakes

50ml water

The Juice of 1 Lemon

Salt and pepper

fresh Coriander

Method

Gently fry the onion until it is soft.  Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.   Add the potato, Sweet potato and the spices and fry gently for five minutes.  Add the water, lemon juice and peas, cook gently until the potatoes are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Leave to cool.  When Cool stir in chopped fresh coriander.

    The pastry is very easy to make.  Put the egg yolk, flour, oil and salt into a bowl.  Mix lightly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add enough water to make a ball of 'pastry dough'.   Roll out the pastry so it is approximately 3mm thick.  Cut into rounds (I used a tea plate).  Cut the rounds in to semi circles.  To fill, fold the semi circles in to cones, half fill with the filling and use the egg white as 'glue' to seal each somosa.  Deep Fry the Somosas in small batches for 4-5 minutes and drain on Kitchen paper. 

I enjoyed mine dipped in Home made 'Tamarind Sauce'.  I will definitely be making these again and will experiment with Aloo Chana Chaat (Chick pea and Potato Curry as a filling).  I will let you experiment with whatever filling you like.  I am thinking of making my 'Mince Pies' Somosa style today.  

To be or not to be...is that even a question?

Today has been a baking day.  Euan and I like the idea of 'Pie Day Friday'.  I have bought a new cook book.

I like Hairy Bikers and I like pies.  Euan read this to me last night as his 'Reading Book'.  Inspired by my new book I made a large batch of wholemeal pastry.  We have had some recent debates in this house about us consuming too much red meat.  In the past I spent about eight years as a Vegetarian, but during pregnancy craved 'Bones and heart!' I know it isn't nice but anyone who has experienced pregnancy cravings knows their is no reasoning with them, so I went with it and chewed on 'Spare rib bones' and did eat braised lambs hearts!  I felt a bit like Hannibal Lecter.  I never went back to vegetarianism.  If I keep my head in the sand I am fine eating meat but if I educate myself with online sites and worse videos, the meat industry horrifies me.  I try to be a conscious consumer.  I am not sure if I will be vegetarian again or not, but eating less meat has to be good.  Euan's argument is, I quote him 'It is ok to eat animals that we don't know personally'.  Obviously he thinks farms are like 'Old Macdonalds' farm with happy critters running around living a blissful life in sunny fields.  Todays baking in preparation for our first Pie Day Friday, was an old favourite from my veggie student days.  Wholemeal Vegetable Pasties.  They are like the good old 'Cornish Pasty' with a filling of root vegetables, onion and beans.  They sure are tasty and filling.

I made about eight hefty pasties.  The vegetables cook sealed in the pastry case and the flavours are delicious.

I had enough pastry left to make a pastry case that I will do something with tomorrow and also I made some 'Cheese Straws'.  My Dad is very partial to a cheese straw.  I will save him some.

I think all this talk of vegetarianism has unnerved a certain seven year old.  I found a 'silent protest' on my bed.  Somebody has asked his big brother for spellings and left me a couple of 'Post it' notes:

The first reads 'I want to be an Omnivore'.

Then just to clarify the second reads 'I don't want to be a vegetarian'.  Shame as I have made a huge 'Nut Roast' in place of a joint of meat for the weekend!