OLD-FASHIONED CAULIFLOWER PIE with POTATO CRUST

I recently made this for dinner, and loved it!  It takes about an hour to pre-prepare, but the potato crust is well worth the effort.  I prepared it when I had time in the afternoon (you could do so the evening before as well), and then did the final baking before serving dinner.

POTATO CRUST

2 firmly packed C. of grated raw potatoes

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 C. grated onion

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the raw potato strings in a colander. Add salt to the potatoes & let them set for 10 minutes, then, using your hand, squeeze out the excess water.

In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, & the onions & stir to mix well.  Pat the potato mixture into the greased pie pan gently with the back of a spoon.   Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the pie pan from the oven & let rest & cool a bit before adding the cauliflower mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).

 FILLING

½ tsp. salt

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 C. half & half cream

2-3 Tbs. Mascarpone (cream cheese)

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

Make the potato crust & bake it while you are preparing the pie mixture. In a small bowl, beat together the salt, eggs, half & half, pepper & paprika, then set aside.  You may be tempted to make more liquid than this, but believe me, this is enough!

3 Tbs. butter

½ C. onion, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. savory

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried oregano

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 large cauliflower, broken into small florets

In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic & seasoned salt until the onions soften & the garlic just begins to colour.  Add the savory, thyme, oregano, parsley & cauliflower & cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

1 C. grated Cheddar cheese

1 C. grated Swiss cheese

Paprika, for garnish

Optional:  Top with pretzels, coarsely crumbled, for a nice crunch

Layer the baked potato crust with half of the cheeses, then the cauliflower-herb mixture, then all the remaining cheese.

Pour the cream mixture over the top.  Bake 35-40 minutes at 180°C (350°F), until the pie is firm & set & the top is just beginning to brown up.  Remove the pan from the oven, let sit for 10 minutes to firm up, sprinkle with paprika & serve.

Quick & Easy 3-Bit Frosting

This frosting is so stinkin’ easy, it’s really my only go-to frosting when I want to top off a great cake or cupcakes!  No cooking, no fuss, no special ingredients – just straightforward frosting, whether you need a lot or a little.

1 pint (~475 ml.) heavy cream, well chilled
1 cup sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the chilled cream until frothy.  Add the icing sugar and vanilla gradually while beating.  Add in your preferred flavourings, and whip until light and a thick enough consistency to spread as an icing.  Chill until ready to use, and spread onto a cooled cake or cupcakes.  Serve immediately, or keep in a cool place (or the cream will melt).

Additional Possibilities:

CHOCOLATE 1
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted in with the icing sugar

CHOCOLATE 2
1/2 bar of your favourite chocolate, gradually melted/stirred/melted stirred in the microwave on a low setting.  Pour into the basic mix, and whip again until stiff.  Adjust sugar downward accordingly.

COFFEE
1 tablespoon instant coffee, dissolved in the cream

LEMON
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 finely grated lemon, rind of, in place of the vanilla

ORANGE
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 finely grated orange, rind of, in place of the vanilla

NUT
1 teaspoon almond extract, in place of the vanilla
3/4 cup minced nuts, of your choice, folded in

TIPSY
1 -2 tablespoon brandy or 1 -2 tablespoon rum or 1 -2 tablespoon Bourbon, in place of the vanilla (For extra tipsy, pierce the cake layers and dribble with more of the same type of liquor and let stand)

 

Savoury Curry Fruit & Vegetable Pie

This savoury pie may be a bit counter-intuitive as far as flavour combinations go, with apricots and curry, but the combination is delicious!  If you don’t have puffed Amaranth on hand, you can sprinkle the top with something else, such as breading mixture, or crumbled crackers or even crumbled pretzels.

Here’s an image of puffed Amaranth, with a lentil, for size comparison:

puff pastry, enough for 1 regular pie plate
a little oil of choice (e.g. coconut oil)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 -2 tsp. of curry powder
2 medium sized potatoes, cubed quite small
3 medium carrots, cubed the same
about 10 dried apricots, chopped
1 apple, peeled then finely chopped
¼ C. vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs, whisked
1/2 C. Cream

Amaranth, puffed

In a frying pan, fry the onion & garlic in the oil, then add the curry powder. Add the fruit & vegetables & pour over the wine or stock. Cook for a few minutes until everything is well combined & starting to soften.

Grease your pie plate, and lay the pastry into it, poking it with a fork a few times in the base. Pour in the pan vegetable mixture.

Either in the pan or in a separate container, mix together the eggs and cream; you can spice to taste if you’d like, but none is necessary at this point.

Pour across the pie mixture, and sprinkle puffed Amaranth over the top.

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20-30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.