recipe

KNR, p. 295 “Blueberry Pie”

Here in the Eastern United States, the fresh blueberry season has come to a close, but if you’re an avid blueberry lover, you have plenty stockpiled in the freezer. Chin’s recipe takes advantage of the frozen blueberries available most of the year and is an easy go-to pie without a lot of fuss. Dress it up with ice cream (the photo shows Breyer’s Very Berry Cobbler ice cream) or whipped cream if you like, but nobody ever turned down his blueberry pie. I’ve even been known to have a slice for breakfast. Or as an afternoon snack with ice cream. It doesn’t last long at our house, and even better, nobody has keeled over yet after devouring a second helping. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie

Chin Bawambi
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • pie crusts for lattice top pie
  • 5 cups frozen blueberries
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup real maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Prepare bottom crust and lattice pie crust strips and set aside.
  • Place frozen blueberries in large bowl.
  • In separate bowl, mix flour and sea salt together.
  • Add flour mixture to blueberries and toss together until blueberries are well-coated.
  • Add maple syrup and toss again.
  • Evenly spread pie filling mixture in bottom pie crust.
  • Place lattice strips on top of pie filling and weave together in lattice pattern, leaving a one inch overhang at both ends of the strips.
  • Tuck each of the lattice strips overhang under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp to seal.
  • Place pie protectors around the edges to keep the crust from over-browning.
  • Bake at 375 on center oven rack for 60-70 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice is bubbling.

Notes

Makes 9" lattice top blueberry pie.
We used amber maple syrup from northern New York.
Prep time listed does not include time for making the pie crusts.

 

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KNR, p. 286 “Puttanesca Sauce” (Staten Island Gravy)

Our good friend and enthusiastic cook, Chin Bawambi, sent us a recipe for Puttanesca Sauce. Sheila and I followed the recipe and it’s a WOW! We took the photos before and after taste-testing and tried it with pasta as well as beef and chicken dishes. We can honestly say it’s a truly versatile sauce. Guarantee: no bodies were found anywhere on the premises while cooking. Sheila tells me that I did fall asleep on the couch with a satisfied smile after dinner, though. I believe her.

Puttanesca Sauce (Staten Island Gravy)

Chin Bawambi
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Equipment

  • Crock-pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon powdered or minced garlic
  • 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon capers
  • 1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives
  • 1 2 oz can anchovy fillets in olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning (or to taste)

Instructions
 

  • Turn crock-pot on high.
  • Place crushed tomatoes, sea salt, oregano, and garlic in crock-pot.
  • Drain diced tomatoes and add to crock-pot.
  • Drain and mince capers, add to crock-pot, and blend.
  • Finely chop olive slices, add to crock-pot, and blend.
  • Pour olive oil from the anchovy can, plus the two Tablespoons of olive oil, into the crock-pot, keeping the anchovies in reserve.
  • Finely chop anchovies and add to crock-pot, blending in.
  • Add Montreal steak seasoning.
  • Stir all ingredients thoroughly.
  • Cook on high for 30 minutes, stir and drop temperature to low.
  • Cook an additional 45 minutes, stir again and check for flavor. If needed, add more steak seasoning to taste.
  • Cook for an additional hour.
  • Serve while hot or let cool for a bit and refrigerate up to a week in glass jars.
  • Serve with pasta, poultry, veggies, or meats.

Notes

Yields 48 ounces. We pour the sauce into Ball/Mason jars and refrigerate up to a week if not serving it right away.
Keyword Sauce

KNR, p. 286 “Puttanesca Sauce” (Staten Island Gravy) Read More »

KNR, p. 282 “Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Bars”

By now, you know that we love pumpkin in soup, smoothies, cookies, or other desserts. The flavor works well with several different spices and even complements chocolate.

This year, Sheila has been experimenting with ways to make a foolproof pumpkin bar. She tried a few recipes developed by some pretty famous people and found them to be too sweet or too complicated. She finally threw up her hands and created her own.

As always, I was the taste-tester. I might have gained a pound or two while I chomped away on the samples.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Sheila Kerrian
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 5 Tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped fine
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 extra large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Combine flour and brown sugar.
  • Cut in butter until crumbly.
  • Stir in finely chopped pecans, then set aside 1 cup for topping.
  • Lightly butter sides and bottom of 8-inch square baking pan.
  • Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan.
  • Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
  • While the crust is baking, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  • Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and pour the mixture evenly over the crust.
  • Sprinkle with set-aside crumb mixture.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and puffs up in the center.
  • Cool on wire rack and cut into 9 bars.

Notes

May all your holiday snacks be delightfully delicious!

 

KNR, p. 282 “Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Bars” Read More »

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