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Southwestern Meat Pie

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Southwestern Tortiere
Southwestern Tortiere

Last week we made a traditional Tortière.  This week we’ve added a little Southwestern flair to the meat pie by adding in our favorite fruit, Green Chile!  We had to add a couple of other ingredients to take the heat level down a bit, so the Northern boy’s could still eat this.  We also discovered that topping these with flakes of cheese, doesn’t really work.  That is what those flakes that look like chocolate are on the crust.

Serves: 16 – 22 (2 pies)

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 lb of Ground Pork
  • 1 lb of Ground Beef
  • 1 cups Water
  • 1 large White Onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Russet Potatoes, cubed to 1/2 inch size
  • 6 Roasted Green Chile, cleaned and diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp All Spice
  • 2 Tbsp Sage
  • 1 tsp Rosemary
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • Salt to taste

The Rest

  • 2 9 – 1/2 inch Pie Pans
  • 4 Pastry Pie Crusts, 2 for each pie (this time we tried Gluten Free)
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Mexican Crema or Creme Fraiche
  • 1/2 cup Asadero Cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Preparation

Filling

First prepare your roasted Green Chile.  I pick up good Anaheim or NM Big Jim Green Peppers and roast them on the grill until the skin is turning mostly black.  Then allow them to cool until your can handle them.  Clean by removing the skin and stems.  Dice this up into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large skillet (cast iron if possible), over medium-high heat, add the meat and water and bring to a boil.  Add everything else except for the Salt.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue cooking for one and a half hours.  Stir this about every 15 – 20 minutes.  Add a little more water if the mixture dries out.  Near the end add the Salt.  When done this mixture should contain just a thin layer of liquid in the bottom of the skillet.  Remove from heat and place in a container and refrigerate until final assembly.

If you really want to get tricky, de-glaze the skillet with 1/4 cup of red wine, and save that separate to add in during final assembly.

Pie Crusts

Again I used store bought crusts, these were from Trader Joe’s and were gluten free and even tastier than the others.  Just remember that you need enough for the top and bottom of the pie.

Final Assembly and Cooking

Preheat oven to 420 F.  In a large mixing bowl and add in the Eggs, Crema and Cinnamon and mix thoroughly, whisking for at least 4 minutes.  Then mix in the filling you prepared above and the Asadero Cheese.  Halve this mixture and place into each of the pie crusts.  Place the top layer of crust on top of the filled pie.  Trim the pastry and make sure to seal the edges.  Cut some steam vents in the top crusts.  This is where I went wrong with the sprinkling of some Cheese on the top of the meat pies.  Just don’t do it.  It doesn’t ruin the flavors, it just raises questions.  Wrap the edges with 2 inch strips of aluminum foil.  Put into the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil strips and reduce the heat to 375 F, and bake for another 25 minutes or so.  Remove when the crust is golden.  Either serve or pack them up to take to the to the rink.

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Tourtiere (French for Meat Pie)

Tourtiere (French Meat Pie)
Tourtiere (French Meat Pie)

Tourtière is a French-Canadian name for a meat pie traditionally eaten at Christmas in Eastern Canada.  I had never heard of this until a few days ago when searching for a new dish for the weekend game.  I literally stumbled across these at the bottom of a search for meat pies.  It looked good, so what the heck.  The fellas all liked this and some even said they preferred this to the regular quiche.  Although this is not quite the traditional recipe, I added a few more eggs to hold it together better, it seems to taste exactly like the traditional tourtière.

Serves: 16 – 22 (2 pies)

Ingredients

Filling

  • 1 lb of Ground Pork
  • 1 lb of Ground Beef
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 large White Onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Russet Potatoes, cubed to 1/2 inch size
  • 1 Tbsp ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp All Spice
  • 1 Tbsp Savory
  • 1 tsp Rosemary
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • Salt to taste

The Rest

  • 2 9 – 1/2 inch Pie Pans
  • 4 Pastry Pie Crusts, 2 for each pie
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Half and Half
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Preparation

Filling

In a large skillet (cast iron if possible), over medium-high heat, add the meat and water and bring to a boil.  Add everything else except for the Salt.  Continue cooking, reduce the heat to low, and cover for one and a half hours.  Stir this about every 15 – 20 minutes and add more water if the mixture dries out.  Near the end add the Salt.  When done this mixture should contain just a thin layer of liquid in the bottom of the skillet.  Remove from heat and place in a container and refrigerate until final assembly.

Pie Crusts

I’ve used store bought crusts and strangely they were pretty good.  If you make your own crusts, start early.  Just remember that you need enough for the top and bottom of the pie.

Final Assembly and Cooking

Preheat oven to 420 F.  In a large mixing bowl and add in the Eggs, Half and Half and extra Cinnamon and mix thoroughly, whisking for at least 4 minutes.  Then mix in the filling you prepared above.  Half this mixture and place into each of the pie crusts.  Place the top layer of crust on top of the filled pie.  Trim the pastry and make sure to seal the edges.  Cut some steam vents in the top crusts.  Wrap the edges with 2 inch strips of aluminum foil.  Put into the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil strips and reduce the heat to 375 F, and bake for another 25 minutes or so.  Remove when the crust is golden.  Either serve or pack them up to take to the to the rink.

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Lasagna Frittata

Lasagna Frittata
Lasagna Frittata

Almost every hockey player knows that one of the best recovery foods is comprised of either beef or chicken, tomatoes and pasta.  If you’ve ever been around a game that goes to multiple overtime periods, you’ll find trays of meaty lasagna or other meaty pastas being devoured by the players in the overtime intermissions.  So why not make a quiche.  Here is and update to the original Lasagna Quiche from the Real Men DO Eat Quiche cookbook.  This actually makes mini-lasagna in each pie pan, instead of what we came up with before.

Serves: 16 – 22 (2 Quiches)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Hamburger
  • 1 lb Italian Sausage
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 large Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Shallot, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 cups Porcini Mushrooms (chopped)
  • 1 cup Spaghetti or Bolognese Sauce (pick your favorite)
  • 12 pieces of Lasagne Pasta
  • Base Quiche Mix
  • 6 tsp Butter
  • 2 Pie Pans
  • 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Preparation

In a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat add the Olive Oil.  When the oil is hot, add in the Onions, Shallots and Garlic and stir.  After about 2 minutes add in the Pepper, Salt and Cinnamon and continue to stir until the onions are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes more.  Add in the Beef and Sausage and raise the heat to high.  Continue cooking this until the meat is just starting to brown, about 5 – 10 minutes.  Add in the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  You’ll know your done, when the meat is starting to get a crisp browning and the mushrooms have soaked up most of the grease.  Remove and stain to reduce the grease.  If you want you can use the grease later in the Spaghetti Sauce and Base Quiche Mix to add flavor, I don’t because this makes a greasy quiche.  Put the strained mixture in a container and refrigerate until final assembly.

Although I’m told that some Lasagne Pasta doesn’t need to be cooked first, I cook it by the instructions anyway.  Instead of cooking these in a large pot with a lot of water, I’ve taken to using a skillet or large pot with just enough water to cover the pasta.  To the water I add a dash of Olive Oil and Salt.  Then when the water is boiling, add in the pasta and cook for about 6 – 8 minutes.  This is a little faster and uses a whole lot less water.  Strain the water out and put the pasta back in the hot pot and add in 4 teaspoons of butter and make sure this is all melted and fully coating the pasta.  If you need to add a little heat to get this done.  Transfer the pasta to a container and refrigerate until final assembly.  If you want to you can line your pie pans with 1 teaspoon of butter each and refrigerate.

Final Assembly and Cooking

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the Base Quiche Mix in a large mixing bowl as you normally would.  Add in the Spaghetti or Bolognese Sauce and continue to whisk for an additional 3 minutes.

Place one layer of pasta in the bottom of each pie pan.  Then spoon in a layer of the meat mixture.  Slowly add the eggs/sauce mixture to form a layer.  Top this is a thin layer of the shredded cheeses.  And repeat this step until almost to the top edge of the pie pans.  Three layers is usually enough.  Top the last layer with all of the remaining cheese.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 – 40 minutes.  Keep an eye on the cheese so that you don’t burn it, but a little browning makes for a good flavor.  Remove from the oven and either serve or pack it up for the rink.

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Halloween Frittata

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Halloween Frittata with Zombie Chunks and Cheesy Maggots
Halloween Frittata with Zombie Chunks and Cheesy Maggots

Here is an early Halloween themed frittata.  The ingredients include a whole bunch of Zombie Chunks, everything from random body parts to eyeballs.  And somehow it’s been infected with a small colony of Cheesy Maggots.  Just what you want to eat around Halloween.  In spite of the way it looks and whats in it can be eaten.  Only because its cooked enough to finally destroy all the Zombie and Maggot power.

Serves: 16 – 22 (2 frittatas)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Hamburger
  • 1/2 lb spicy Italian Sausage
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 4 tsp Olive Oil
  • 6 extra Eggs
  • 3 Green Olives with Pimento
  • 1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Orzo Pasta
  • 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded
  • 2 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 2 pie pans

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix together the Hamburger, Sausage and chopped Onion  Chill these in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  While these are cooling, hard boil the Eggs in boiling water for 8 – 10 minutes.  While these are cooking, take the olives and cut them in half through the middle so that the pimento is in the center of each piece of olive.  Remove the eggs from the bowl and place in cold water.  When cooled enough to handle, peel them and halve them.  Then carefully using a knife hollow out the end of each egg half to the diameter of each cut olive.  Place the cut olives into the hollow of the eggs.  These will look like eye balls sliced in half.  Put these in the refrigerator until ready for final assembly.

Remove the Hamburger and Sausage mixture from the refrigerator and form into patties that shouldn’t be thicker than 3/4 inch or 3 inches in diameter.  In a skillet over medium high heat, use 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil and allow it to get to full heat.  When ready, cook the patties in the skillet until the each side is starting to char, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove and place on paper towels to drain and cool.  When cooled tear the patties up into random sized chucks.  Chop up the Sun Dried Tomatoes and mix them in with the meat chunks.  Put these away until ready for final assembly.

Prepare the Orzo Pasta as directed on the package and when done and drained, transfer to a container and add 2 teaspoons and mix thoroughly.  Place in the refrigerator until ready for final assembly.

Final Assembly and Cooking

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Oil or butter the bottom of your pie pans.  Them take the Egg eye balls and arrange them equally into each pie pan, Olive iris side up.  Then equally arrange the meat and tomato mixture around them in the pans.  Prepare the usual base quiche mix, and add to this the Pepper and Salt.  For an extra flavor add 1 tablespoon of Truffle Oil.  Whisk this up until fluffy.  Pour this over the ingredients in the pans and sprinkle about half of the Orzo Pasta over the top.  Then add on the mixture of the two cheeses.  Then finish topping with the remaining pasta.  Sprinkle a little more pepper over the top and pop them into the oven.  Cook for 30 – 40 minutes or until the cheese is just starting to turn golden brown.  Remove from the oven is either serve or pack up for the rink.

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Georgian Sausage with Walnut Sauce Frittata

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Georgian Sausage and Walnut Sauce Quiche
Georgian Sausage and Walnut Sauce Quiche
While in the country of Georgia, not the state, the country over just South of Russia, I got to experience a lot of different foods from around the region.  The culture is very diverse and has a wide range of really good organically grown food.  Additionally some of the best wine I’ve every had is grown and made there!

But back to breakfast.  This dish is made with Georgian Sausage, or as best as I can get it with the limited access to Silk Road spices, and Georgian farm fresh ingredients.  Topped with a little Sulguni Cheese, it’s quite tasty.  And for those of you doubter out there, the one in the picture above is not burnt.  The Megrelian ajika and the Walnut Sauce turned it this color.  This is also best eaten as a frittata.

Serves: 16 -22 (2 frittatas)

Ingredients

Georgian Sausage

  • 1 – 1/2 lbs Ground Pork
  • 1 large Onion, finely chopped
  • 1 – 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Dill, or 1 tbsp of dried Dill
  • 1 Tbsp ground Coriander
  • 1 tsp dried Red Chile Flakes
  • 4 oz Pomegranate Juice
  • 1 tsp Cooking Oil

Megrelian Ajika

  • 2 – 4 Hot Red Chile Peppers
  • 1 – 2 Sweet Red Peppers
  • 1/2 cup chopped Parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped Celery Leaves
  • 1/4 cup of chopped Basil
  • 1/2 cup of Garlic (about 6 cloves)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Fenugreek
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Marigold
  • 1 Tbsp  Dill
  • 1 tsp Salt

Walnut Sauce

  • 1/2 cup finely ground Walnuts
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek
  • 1 tsp of Marigold
  • 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon
  • 2 crushed Garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp White Wine Vinegar

The Rest

  • 1 cup shredded Smoked Sulguni or Smoked Mozzarella Cheese (or plain Mozzarella if you can’t find it smoked)
  • 1/2 White Onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp Cooking Oil
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)

Preparation

 Georgian Sausage

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Add the Pomegranate Juice in last but make sure everything is thoroughly mixed. The traditional method would have this mixture in casings but since this all gets chopped up anyway why bother.  Make into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick patties (should make about 8 – 10) and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm them up.  Prepare a skillet on medium high with with a dash of cooking oil (I use olive oil) and when ready, place in and cook all of the patties that you’ve prepared for about 5 – 6 minutes per side.  They should be just a little charred on the outside.  Remove from the skillet and allow to drain onto some paper towels until cool.  When cooled chop them up into 1/2 inch pieces and refrigerate until ready for final assembly.

Megrelian Ajika

This will make a little over 1 1/2 cups of this seasoning.  Remove the tops of all the peppers and remove all the seeds and stems and discard them.  Quarter cut the peppers so they’ll fit into a food processor.  Fine chop the parsley, celery leaves, basil and garlic.  Put each of previous ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a finely chopped mush and everything is fully mixed.  Add into the processor the fenugreek, coriander, marigold, dill and salt.  Continue to mix by pulsing the processor until everything is fully mixed.  Remove from the processor and store in a container until ready to use in the final preparation.

Walnut Sauce

This will make a little over 1/2 a cup of this key ingredient.  Using a food processor finely chop walnuts until you have at least 1/2 cup of finely chopped or ground walnuts.  Then add in the other ingredients, except for the White Wine Vinegar and thoroughly mix in the processor.  This powder should be easily removed for the processor and placed in a bowl.  Add the White Wine Vinegar in and mix well.  Then you should simply add a little bit of water and mix until the mixture is a thick paste.  When you get the right consistency, put it away until final preparation.

 

The Rest

Shred your cheese and chop your 1/2 onion.  In a pan, put a little cooking oil and when hot, add the chopped onions and cook over medium high heat until they turn translucent.  Remove from heat and put both away in separate containers until ready for final preparation.

Final Assembly and Cooking

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line your pie pans with a little oil or butter to help the frittata release.  Take the chopped sausage and chopped onions you’ve prepared and roughly mix them together and place equal parts into your two pie pans.  Prepare the base quiche mix, but reduce the amount of half and half to 1/4 cup.  Add into this mixture the Ajika and Walnut Sauce and mix well.  Pour this over the sausages and onions in the pie pans.  Top this with the shredded cheese and cook in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, or when the cheese is starting to turn golden brown.  Remove from the oven and either serve or pack them up for transport to the rink.  Also, if you want to add a pleasant surprise, drop on some pomegranates on top of each pie after about 20 minutes of cooking.