Natchitoches Meat Pies

½ lb. lean ground beef

½ lb. ground pork

½ green pepper, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2+ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

¼ tsp.Tabasco sauce to taste

1 can beef broth

Pie Crust

1 egg

1/4 c. cold water

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it’s about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.

Add 2 tsp. Tony’s and 1/4 tsp. Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Tony’s and Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind that the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.

Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, I use a bowl that’s about 6″ across the top; I just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough.

Place about ¼ c. of the meat mixture onto one half of the dough circle, keeping about a 1/2″-1″ margin from the edges.

Fold the other side over and gently pinch the edges shut.

Preheat oven to 400° and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place prepared pies onto your baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool a few minutes and then eat as soon as humanly possible. So good. There are…no words.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: You could do this one of two ways; you can freeze them unbaked and just add the egg wash and bake them for an extra 15-20 minutes, or you can bake them and heat them up in the oven or microwave, whatever suits your needs better.

Pie Crust

3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. salt

1¼ cups shortening

Ice water (probably about 3/4 cup)

Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add shortening in small cubes.

Cut in shortening (room temperature) until you get pieces that are about pea-sized.

Start sprinkling the ice water by about a tablespoon at a time over the flour/shortening mixture.

Very, very gently, turn the dough with your fingers so it gets exposed to the water. You’re NOT mixing, just trying to moisten all of the flour/shortening mixture. Gradually, all of the flour mixture will be moistened. Gently pat the dough into a ball (it should come together easily but not be sticky).

Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use.

Rolling the Dough

When you’re ready to roll out your pie crust, lightly flour your work surface and place the dough ball on the surface. One of the keys in making pie crust is to handle the dough as little as possible.

These recipes can be found here and here. 

Swig-let Sugar Cookies

5½ cup + 2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp., baking soda

½ tsp. cream of tarter

1 cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup canola or vegetable oil

1¼ cup sugar

¾ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. water

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.

Cream butter: blend in the sugars together for 2 minutes, slowly stream in the oil while beating. Add the water and vanilla and then beat in the eggs one at a time until combined.

Add the flour mixture ½ a cup at a time, mixing until combined.  Use 1½ inch scoop and place dough on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place ¼ cup sugar in a small dish with a pinch of salt. Take a glass and dip it into sugar. Press the glass into a ball of dough until it is ½ inch thick (the dough will form a jagged edge and spill past the edge of the glass). Repeat the process of dipping the glass into sugar and pressing it into a ball of dough.

Bake for 7 minutes only. Gently remove cookies from pan onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Place them in an air tight container in the fridge.

Frosting:

¼ cup solid vegetable shortening

¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine softened

½ tsp. almond extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately ½ lb.)

1 Tbsp. milk

Red food coloring (or whatever color you want)

In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.

Add milk and food coloring; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Spread over cold cookies and serve immediately or let the icing dry (it will dry to the touch) and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

The original recipes can be found here and here.  The original recipe called for a much larger cookie but I thought it was too big so I made them smaller. . . .here is a comparison: 

Irish Soda Bread

Make it early in the day, as it tastes best after sitting for a few hours.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor.

This recipe can be found here.

2 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Whisk ¼ cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 Tbsps. cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 Tbsps. milk, 3 Tbsps. vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth.

Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes.

This recipe can be found here.

Hard-Boiled Eggs {Pressure Cooker}

6 eggs

2 c water

Electric pressure cooker

Set up electric pressure cooker.

Put a trivet, metal rack or a metal steaming basket into the bottom of the cooker.

Add 2 cups of water and lay the eggs on top of your trivet.

Close the lid and lock it (according to your units directions). Plug it in.  Push the start button, and select 6 minutes.

After the timer goes off, unplug the unit and let it sit for 5 minutes. 

Open lid and remove eggs.  They will be hot! 

Spicy Honey Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs

2 tsp. vegetable oil

Rub

2 tsp. granulated garlic

2 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. coriander

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. chipotle chili powder

Glaze

½ c honey

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Preheat grill to medium-high heat or about 400°.

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Trim any visible fat off the chicken thighs, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Rub the chicken with the spice rub, coating all sides well. Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Prepare the glaze while chicken is cooking.  Warm honey in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Whisk in the vinegar.

Reserve 2 Tbsps. honey glaze and brush the rest on both sides of the chicken in the final moments of grilling.  Leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. (If you don’t have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!)

Drizzle the remaining glaze on top while it is standing.

This recipe can be found here.

Almond Toffee Bars

1½ cups flour

½ cup powdered sugar

6 ounces sliced almonds (1 package)

1 cup cold butter

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1.   Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, sugar, and ¼ cup of almonds in a medium bowl. Cut in butter (I use a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Line a 9×13” baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Press butter mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

2.  Stir sweetened condensed milk, toffee bits, chocolate chips, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour over hot, partially baked crust. Top with remaining almonds and continue baking 23-27 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Yield: 36 bars

Veggie Chili

2 Tbsps. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole large onion, diced

3 whole bell peppers, seeded and diced (any colors)

2 whole carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 whole jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

3 cups vegetable broth (can sub chicken or beef broth)

1 can (12 - 14 Ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (10 Ounce) Ro-tel (diced tomatoes and chiles)

2 Tbsps. tomato paste

½ tsp. salt, more to taste

1 tsp. ground oregano

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsps. chili powder (more to taste)

1 can each of kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans, drained and rinsed

1 whole large zucchini (or 2 medium), diced

¼ cup masa (corn flour)

½ cup warm water

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and jalapeno, and then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften. Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Pour in the broth, tomato sauce, Ro-tel, and tomato paste. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the beans and zucchini, stir, then cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Mix the masa with the warm water and stir it into the pot. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and/or cilantro.

This recipe can be found here.