Anna Sultana’s Lobster Quiche / Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits in a loaf, Shrimp Scampi, Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms / Chocolate Truffles / Valentine's Day

 

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Goodness! Valentine’s Day is next week!
I mean, wasn’t Christmas last week?
It sure feels like it was.

Oh, well… those planning to go to a favourite restaurant have, hopefully, made reservations.
But not everyone wants to go that route.
Celebrate, sure, but for many - especially after following restrictions during the past few Covid-19 years - restaurants have lost their appeal.
It wasn’t that long ago we had to prove we lived in the same house to be able to sit at the same table.


Well, food in restaurants are prepared by humans following recipes.
Recipes that can be followed by everyone.
And, if you cook at home, you won’t need to worry about masks and restrictions.

Hints:



About the Lobster Quiche…
You can also add diced peppers and chopped mushrooms.



About the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits…
Eight large biscuits can fit on a baking sheet. If you’re making smaller biscuits, prepare another baking sheet and make each biscuit about 1/4 cup.
Place the biscuits in the oven as soon as possible after placing them on the baking sheet. Biscuits that wait before going into the oven do not plump up as high as they could.

About the Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a Loaf…
The flour coating helps prevent the cheese from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Slice and enjoy slathered with butter, or serve with fruit jelly or cheese and a cup of tea.



About the Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi…

Allow the pan to cool before adding butter. If the pan is too hot the butter will separate.


About the Chocolate Truffles…
Don't have sweetened condensed milk? No problem. Place in a saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted.
Let mixture cool for 10 minutes before using.

                       Lobster Quiche

Preheat the oven to 425º F

Place on a cookie sheet
9 inch frozen pie crust in a pie pan
Place cookie sheet and pie pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove both from the oven and lower heat to 300º F

While the crust is baking place in a medium bowl
2 eggs
Beat eggs and add
3/4 Cup milk
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of parsley flakes
Mix well.

Place and spread in prebaked pie crust on cookie sheet
3 ounces lobster meat, chopped
5 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup onion, minced
Pour egg / milk mixture over food in pie crust and return sheet and pan to oven.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted an inch from the edge comes out clean.
Let quiche stand 15 minutes before serving.


                       Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

Place in a microwave-safe medium bowl
1/2 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Place in a large mixing bowl
2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 425° F

Add to the melted butter
1 Cup whole milk
Stir well.
Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Add
8 ounces mild (or sharp) Cheddar cheese, grated
Fold in until cheese is evenly distributed.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough and drop onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until biscuits are just barely golden brown.

While biscuits are baking place in a microwave-safe small bowl
1/4 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Take out and add
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Stir to combine well.
Remove biscuits from the oven and brush with butter / parsley mixture.
Serve hot.



                       Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a loaf

Grease a 9 × 5 inch loaf pan

Cut into 1/4 inch cubes
4 ounces Cheddar cheese
Set aside.

Place in a large mixing bowl
3 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Whisk together, then stir in the cheese cubes.
Carefully stir until cubes are covered in flour.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a medium mixing bowl

1 1/4 Cups milk

3/4 Cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten
Whisk together until well blended.
Fold the liquid mixture into the flour / cheese mixture.
Stir until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour batter into the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes and then remove loaf from pan.
Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.



                       Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

Squeeze for the juice
1/2 fresh lemon
Set juice aside.

Place in a large skillet
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium heat. Add
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cook until tender and no longer translucent, then reduce heat.
Remove shrimp and set aside. Add
2 Tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add 

1 1/2 Cups white wine, such as Chardonnay

the fresh lemon juice
Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced add

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Reduce heat to low, then add 

1/2 Cup softened butter
Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, then add

1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Stir together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese


                       Red Lobster Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Butter a baking pan

Finely chop enough to make
1/4 Cup celery
2 Tablespoons onions
2 Tablespoons red bell peppers

Wash mushrooms and remove stems of
1 pound fresh mushrooms
Set caps aside, and chop half of the stems.

Heat in large frying pan
2 Tablespoons butter
Add chopped mushroom stems, celery, onions and red bell peppers
Sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool for about an hour.

Slice into enough pieces to have a piece for each mushroom cap
6 slices white cheddar cheese

Add to the sautéed vegetables
1/2 pound crab meat, chopped
2 Cups oyster crackers, crushed
1 large egg
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix well.

Preheat oven to 400º F

Place mushroom caps in buttered baking pan stem side up.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of stuffing in each mushroom cap.
Cover each cap with a piece of sliced cheese.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.



                       Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 6 dozen truffles

Place in a large saucepan
3 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
Stirring regularly, cook over low heat until chocolate melts.
Remove from heat and stir in 

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Pour into a medium bowl, cover and chill 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in any of
finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate or coloured sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, confectioners’ sugar or coloured sugars
Chill 1 hour, or until firm.

                                                                                ~~~
In 2004 the gang at CKUW’s ‘2000 & Counting’ decided to give their mature views on Valentine’s Day. I was a mere child of 53, but they allowed me to add my two cents worth to the presentation. Now that I’m 72 I find that some of the ideas are still good.
Wishing you and yours a lovely Valentine’s Day!


Ah, February in Manitoba. Time to heat things up with Valentine's Day. The love in the air is as thick as exhaust fog. Hurrah for L' Amour! If saying L' Amour reminds you of Dorothy, Bing and Bob going on a road to someplace exotic then you've probably eaten your own weight in Valentine chocolates.

And you have the love handles to prove it.

Lighten up. Really. Celebrating love doesn't require a ten course dinner followed by a honking big high-fat dessert. We've just eaten through the holiday season. We all have more cholesterol and sugar flowing through our veins than we need.

Remember those resolutions?

Maybe the poet had the right idea when he wrote, A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou. All you need to add is a lovely country location. Picture it. You and your sweetie enjoying an easy on the waistline picnic. Then, for dessert, laying back and watching the fluffy white clouds floating on the breeze.

Okay… This is Manitoba, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain and can freeze skin in less than two minutes. Let's get real. This is not the time anyone sane sits in the snow.


But, by golly, this is a new millennium. If you're like me, you've followed traditions for over fifty years. It just may be time for a change from the dinner out, followed by a show rut. Why dinner? This is Valentine's Day, not a fundraiser. Are you having a guest speaker? Do you need to plan seating for 500? Do you think love only blooms under candlelight?

Think outside the box.

Why not celebrate with a special lunch or breakfast? It's February. The mornings are dark. The moon doesn't set until 10:00 a.m. Face your chairs west and start humming When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Think of Cher in the movie Moonstruck. Who knows what can develop after a candlelit breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, an egg white omelet and mimosas?

And what about that show after your Valentine feast? No problem. Can you say matinee? Let's be honest. Comfortable chairs and darkened theatres have put more than one senior Romeo - or Juliet - to sleep. Please, we hear enough snoring at home. We want to stay awake, see the show, do some cuddling and finish the popcorn. Give yourself a fighting chance. Early or late, the show's the same. Go early.

Life is complicated today. Meetings, odd work shifts, Sunday shopping and relatives, both young and old, have made life a scheduling nightmare. Can your daughter help it if her mother-in-law's birthday is on February 14? Have pity on the girl and go to the family gathering. You already have 20 hours of must-do activities scheduled for the big day. You're seeing red, and not in heart shapes.

Think VCRs. If you can tape and enjoy a show at your leisure then surely you can pick another day for a private celebration. I have friends who toasted the New Year on January first while watching the ball drop on The Tonight Show rerun at 9:00 p.m. Your sweetie is a reasonable soul, right? Be different. It's legal. The Valentine police will not come pounding at your door.

Te quiero.
Je t'aime.
S'ayapo.
Ich liebe dich.

There are many ways to say I love you and to celebrate.
Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

Eaton’s Chicken Pot Pie and Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls / April's Full Pink Moon

Happy Earth Day!

It’s been a long winter here on the prairies, and we have just gotten into double digit temperatures this past week.

Everything is a bit behind schedule, including the return of our geese.

We’re a bit late seeing greenery, but at least it isn’t a test of endurance to go outdoors.

Hope you’re enjoying Earth Day with proper Spring weather, birds and foliage.

A few years ago I posted the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake that was served in Eaton’s, a local department store.

Eaton’s was a mainstay of downtown Winnipeg, providing the complete department store experience, plus many delicious meals.

It was torn down and replaced by Bell MTS Place, an indoor arena.

A few people have asked if I had any other Eaton’s recipes.

These recipes are from the book A Store Like No Other: Eaton's of Winnipeg by Russ Gourluck, a book filled with the history of the store and its importance in Winnipeg.

It also had a few surprises. 

Apparently Eaton’s Grill Room had a slightly pudgy ghost!

The chapter The tastes of Eaton’s brought back many memories.

The introduction to the Chicken Pot Pie recipe and Asparagus Rolls says that the recipes come directly from food services manager Alan Finnbogason.

In Winnipeg the individual Chicken Pot Pies were served in oval green bowls.

The Asparagus Rolls were served, three on a plate, with a generous serving of Eaton’s own Thousand Islands Dressing in a silver sauce boat.

A meal in Eaton’s was not eaten with plastic cutlery or on paper plates.

Yes, a meal in Eaton’s was a dining experience.

But times change, and some places are just a memory now.

I hope that pudgy ghost is happy in Bell MTS Place.

Hints:

About the Chicken Pot Pie:

If you have chicken stock you can use 4 Cups of that instead of the water and chicken soup base mixture.

You can also use the puff pastry that can be found in the frozen food section.

These notes weren’t mentioned in the book, but they answer a few questions:

Tuck the crust into the ramekins or casserole and pinch the edges against the sides of the dish. 

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. The casserole doesn't need a baking sheet. 

Cover the pie(s) loosely with aluminum foil before placing in the oven. 

Check the pie(s) a few minutes before the end of baking time. If the crust isn't browning properly, remove the foil and continue baking.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty: 18-20 minutes if using ramekins, 25 to 30 minutes if using a large casserole.

About the Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls:

Some people add a bit of garlic.

A few people insist that sandwich bread is better than regular bread in this recipe.

In a rush? You can use processed cheese spread and/or canned asparagus.

The rolls can also be served with a spritz of lemon.

                        Chicken Pot Pie 

6 servings

Heat in a medium pot

4 Cups water

Stir in

1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons chicken soup base

Place in a dutch oven

1/3 Cup margarine

Heat over low heat.

Add

3/4 Cup carrot, sliced

3/4 Cup onions, chopped

3/4 Cup celery, sliced

Cook a few minutes.

Stir in

1/4 Cup cornstarch

Stir in

the heated chicken stock

Bring to a boil.

Add

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon savoury

1/4 teaspoon basil

3/4 Cup green peas

Place cooked chicken in 6 ramekins or a large casserole.

Cover with sauce, mix, then top with raw pastry.

Bake at 350º F 

Bake until the pastry is browned and the contents are heated thoroughly.

                        Toasted Asparagus and Cheese Rolls

Cut the crusts from one large fresh loaf of bread and cut into 3/4 inch slices.

Place a slice of good quality cheddar cheese, sliced thin, on each slice of bread and place some butter and a fresh asparagus spear in the centre of each slice.

Roll each bread slice and hold it together with a toothpick and place them on a cookie sheet.

Add a bit of melted butter to the top of each slice and place under a broiler for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove toothpicks and serve with Thousand Islands Dressing.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

Hope you enjoyed the Lyrid meteor showers this weekend. Its meteors are often bright. The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years; Chinese records say “stars fell like rain” in the shower of 687 B.C. Quite spectacular displays have also been witnessed at least a dozen times since. These meteors are the dust left behind by Comet Thatcher, which visited the inner solar system in 1861.

If you missed them, don’t fret. They return every April when Earth passes through the dusty tail of the Comet Thatcher, consisting of debris traveling at 110,000 mph, disintegrating as ‘fireball’ streaks of light when they hit the earth’s atmosphere.

April 22 - First Quarter Moon, 5:46 p.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way toward full.

April 29 - April's Full Pink Moon will be astronomically full at 8:58 p.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Though the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it will appear full for about 3 days. This is the first full Moon of the spring season.

Anna Sultana’s Easy Shepherd’s Pie / Mercury and Venus Pair Up

Goodness, we’re almost halfway through March!

We had a bit of snow last week, but, with the warmer weather, it’s been melting nicely.

Hope March is being kind to you, too.

Well, the last post was about Saint David's Day and had a Welsh Pancakes recipe.

It’s always handy to have another pancake recipe on hand.

Now it’s time to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

Shepherd’s Pie is also known as Cottage Pie.

it’s a nice basic recipe that has familiar ingredients.

The kiddies never get spooked by ground beef or mashed potatoes.

And it’s a great way to use up leftover bits in the fridge.

After all, we have to start making room to defrost the Easter turkey.

Looking for a few more Irish dishes to round out your family’s dinner? Try

Anna Sultana’s Irish Cakes / Boxties

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie (Yes, there are other recipes.)

Potato and Cabbage Casserole

Anna Sultana’s Colcannon and Irish Cream

Irish soda bread

Don’t forget to top off your meal with a glass of Irish Coffee!

May you always have 

Walls for the winds, 

A roof for the rain, 

Tea beside the fire, 

Laughter to cheer you, 

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire! 

Hints:

Have a bit less than a pound of ground beef? Kidney beans, or any other beans, can be added to up the protein.

If you’re serving vegetarians, the beans can totally replace the meat.

Like your Shepherd’s Pie filling spicy? Add, to taste, any of the following:

cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion soup powder, chili powder or chili sauce. 

A mixture of thyme and crushed rosemary leaves (about 1/2 teaspoon of each) also adds a nice touch.

Don’t have any gravy on hand? 

Use BBQ sauce or a can of tomato or mushroom soup diluted with 1 can of water.

If you have leftover or canned mixed vegetables or mushrooms or corn or peas (or a combination), you can use that instead of the frozen. Creamed corn adds a bit more moisture, which is handy if you don’t have much gravy.

Have a bit of mozzarella or herb and garlic cream cheese in the fridge? You can use that instead of the plain cream cheese. Or you can leave the cheese out entirely.

You MUST allow the filling to cool down before adding the mashed potatoes. If you don’t the potatoes will sink into the filling. If you are in a rush let the filling cool in the refrigerator while you make the potato topping.

To get really creamy mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer or sieve. Be sure the mashed potatoes are hot when you spread them. Cold mashed potatoes is harder to spread. You want a textured surface on the potato topping, so rough it up a bit. It’s like adding the meringue to a lemon meringue pie - the points become nicely browned bits and make it look more appetizing.

If your mashed potatoes seem a bit dry or not quite enough, you can add sour cream.

Want to get fancy? Top the potatoes with pieces of bacon and fried onions.

You can prepare the pie in a casserole in advance, then refrigerate or freeze.

Cooking for one or two? The pie can be made into individual or for-two pies, using smaller pans. You can freeze the extra servings. Remember to defrost at room temperature before baking as directed in the recipe.

For a crisp golden topping, flash under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

The kiddies might like a dollop of ketchup on their servings.

                        Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Finely chop 

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

Place in a large skillet

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil over medium high heat. 

Add the chopped garlic and onion.

Cook for 1 minute.

Add

1 pound extra lean ground beef

Cook, stirring, until browned.

Stir in

2 cups beef gravy  

4 Cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas)

Pour the filling into a 6 cup casserole. 

Set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.

Peel and cut into 1" cubes

2 pounds potatoes

Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Turn off the stove.

Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and place it on the burner you had used. 

Shake the pot briefly and allow the potatoes to steam dry for about a minute.

If there is excess liquid in the potatoes it will make the topping watery.

If you have a potato ricer or sieve, use it and return the riced potatoes to the pot before adding

2 Tablespoons butter

Mash until melted.

Add

1/2 - 3/4 Cup milk

salt to taste

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

Mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Spread the potatoes onto the filling, and rough up the surface.

Sprinkle with 

1/2 Cup shredded old cheddar cheese  (optional)

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. 

Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 15 - Look to the western horizon after sunset to see Mercury and Venus paired up. Search for them low above the western horizon about a half hour after sunset. While both should be evident to the naked-eye, binoculars will certainly enhance their visibility against the bright twilight.

March 17 - New Moon at 9:12 a.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

March 18 - About 45 minutes after sunset, look low toward the western horizon to sight an extremely narrow (2-percent) crescent Moon.  About 4-degrees to its upper right shines Venus, and a similar distance to Venus’ upper right will be Mercury, still shining at a respectably bright +0.4.

March 24 - First quarter Moon at 11:35 a.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way to full.

March 26 - The Moon is at perigee,at 1:26 p.m., which means that it is at the closest point to Earth in its cycle.

Anna Sultana’s Scalloped Potatoes and The International Space Station

Many Maltese feel that a meal isn’t complete without a starch, preferably of the wheat type.

A few years ago we were vacationing in Halifax with my parents.

The only nearby restaurant was a Chinese one.

Pop announced he didn’t like Chinese food “Because they don’t serve bread.”

Noting that lack - and the rumbling of our stomachs - we and Ma decided to eat there anyway.

Pop came along… but he wasn’t happy.

Quite a few other people must feel the same way about the importance of starches, especially pasta and rice.

The post with the recipe for Ma's Imqarrun il-forn (Baked Macaroni) has had 8,313 visitors, while her recipe for Ross il-Forn (Baked Rice) has been used by 4,350 people.

Ah, pasta and rice… got to love them!

If you’re trying to cut back on pasta and rice, potatoes are a happy alternative.

They are vegetables, but can be counted on to add that nice bit of heft to any meal.

I recently posted a recipe for Ma’s Tres Leches Cake, a sneaky way to get more calcium rich dairy products into the kiddies.

If you’re looking for another sneaky milk recipe, Scalloped Potatoes is a good one.

Scalloped Potatoes is one of those lovely recipes that, along with being a bit devious, can be varied to suit your preferences, and whatever you have in your cupboards.

Hints:

Don’t like onions or prefer chopped green onions? Suit yourself.

Want to use Cheez Whiz or prefer more or less or no cheese? It will be fine.

Like a dash of garlic or nutmeg, or more or less pepper? No problem.

Have a leftover sweet potato you want to use? Sure, add a few slices to the pan.

Only have some frozen hash brown potatoes? 

Stir them into the sauce and cut the baking time down to 30 minutes, uncovered.

In a rush? Microwave the potatoes until they are about half cooked. Then slice them and add the baked slices to the sauce and bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

This recipe will also work with condensed cream of mushroom or broccoli soup.

If you don’t have a tin of cream soup on hand, coat the potato slices and onion slices with flour, place them in the greased pan, and add the remaining ingredients, then use 1 1/2 cups of milk in place of the soup. 

Want some meat with your potatoes?

Top the potatoes with what’s on hand. Pork chops or ham slices work particularly well.

If they are thick pieces just give them a check to be sure they’ve cooked through before serving.

                        Scalloped Potatoes

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Heat oven to 375º F

Thinly slice

3 pounds potatoes 

1 large onion

Chop

3 slices bacon (optional)

In a large bowl combine

1 10 ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper 

Add the sliced potatoes and onion

Toss to evenly coat. 

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle the chopped bacon pieces over the potatoes and cover with aluminum foil. 

Bake 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. 

Here are a few more old favourite potato recipes:

Anna Sultana’s Smothered Potatoes, Maltese Style / Patata Fgata

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Style Potatoes (Patate Alla Pizzaiola) 

Carmela Soprano's Potatoes and Eggs Sandwiches / Potato Omelet

Carmela Soprano's Pasta e Patate - Pasta and Potatoes

About the sky later this month, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

May 12 - The waning gibbous Moon is at apogee, its farthest point from Earth. 

(Apogee = Away)

May 13 - Look to the southeast in the late evening to see the  Moon and the planet Saturn paired up on the horizon. See if you can also spot the star Antares to their right. You can also spot this same trio in the western sky before dawn.

May 17 - Mercury, the planet nearest to the Sun, reaches its greatest elongation of 26°, the farthest west of the Sun it gets in 2017.

May 18 - Last Quarter Moon, 8:33 p.m. At this phase, the Moon appears half full. 

May 21 - Before sunrise look to the eastern horizon to see the waning crescent moon with Venus right above it. Mercury is also up before dawn now, hugging the horizon. 

May 23 - The International Space Station will be making a number of passes across the United States and southern Canada and can be viewed several times during a single night.  

For a complete schedule of visible passes over your hometown, click here.

May 25 - New Moon, 3:44 p.m. The Moon is completely invisible to the naked eye. The Moon is also at perigee, its closest point to Earth for the month. This means the closest supermoon of 2017 is a New Moon, and won’t be visible!

May 27 - Look to the southeast to see the ringed planet Saturn near the bright star Antares, Heart of the Scorpion, in the constellation Scorpius. Both Saturn and Antares rising into the eastern half of the sky (southeast as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere) by early-to-mid evening in late May 2017. 

Tourtière Pie with Cheddar Cheese, the Beehive Cluster and the Full Worm Moon by Margaret Ullrich

It's March, but it seems that winter isn’t quite ready to leave us just yet.

We’ve had a couple of days of blustery weather, with heavy snow and high winds.

The Trans-Canada Highway was closed for a while, and everyone had to stay where they were for safety’s sake.

Oh, well… it’s March in Manitoba and we're used to getting a few surprises.

I recently posted the recipe for Manitoba Tourtière Pie.

A friend mentioned that her son loved cheeseburgers.

She wondered if cheese could be added to the filling.

Well, why not?

Hints:

The dough for the crust can be made two days in advance.

Don’t skip chilling the filling. This prevents the crust from becoming soggy. 

The dough that is leftover from trimming can be used to make decorations for the pie.

Either roll flat and use cookie cutters or roll the dough into a rope to make spiral decorations.

To freeze an unbaked pie: wrap well and freeze for up to one month. 

Defrost in refrigerator for 24 hours, then bake.

For best results, bake pie on bottom oven rack.

In a rush? You can use a package of refrigerated pie crusts. You’ll need two crusts.

But don’t make the pie and freeze for a later meal. 

The crust won’t be as good as it could be.

                        Tourtière Pie

Crust

Cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3/4 Cup solid vegetable shortening

Chill 30 minutes.

Also chill 1/2 Cup water.

In a medium mixing bowl blend

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Using a pastry blender, cut the chilled shortening cubes into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle over the flour mixture

4 Tablespoons cold water

Using a fork stir and draw the flour from the bottom of the bowl to the top, distributing the moisture evenly into the flour. 

Add more water by the tablespoon until the dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together.

Divide the dough into two pieces, making one piece slightly larger than the other. 

Flatten into 1/2 inch thick disks, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. 

Chill for 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.

Filling

Finely chop 

1 onion 

2 stalks celery

3 cloves garlic

Peel and grate or chop 

1 pound baking potatoes

In a dutch oven place

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 

Heat oil over medium-high heat. 

Add 

1 1/4 pounds ground pork, beef or veal or a combination

the chopped onion, celery and garlic

Stirring frequently, cook until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. 

Add 

1 Cup beef broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

the grated potatoes

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  

Uncover and simmer for another 10 minutes. You want most of the liquid to evaporate.

Remove the filling from the heat.

Chill in the refrigerator until cool, about 30 minutes. 

While the filling is cooling:  

On a lightly floured surface roll out the larger piece of dough.

Fit the dough into a 9 inch pie plate. 

Roll out the remaining pastry and leave on the floured surface.

Stir into the cooled filling

1 to 1 1/2 Cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, as mild or as strong as you like

Mix well.

Spoon the filling into the prepared pie plate. 

Preheat oven to 425°F 

Beat together  

1 egg

2 teaspoons water

Brush some of the egg mixture over the edges of the pastry in the pie plate.

Place the top layer of pastry over the filling. 

Seal the edges, then trim and flute the edges. 

Cut steam vents in the upper crust.

Add the extra dough decorations (see hints).

Brush the remaining egg mixture over the top of the pastry, and decorations. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

Leaving the pie in the oven, reduce the heat to 375°F.

Bake for an additional 45 - 50 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

Serve as is or with chili sauce, or ketchup, or chutney.

A cooked vegetable or a salad would also be a nice touch.

Tourtiere Pie, in all its variations - with or without cheese - is a delicious meat pie.

But do try Ma’s Timpana recipe.

Really. It’s great!

About the sky this week, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 8 - Look to see the waxing gibbous Moon just 4 degrees from the Beehive Cluster (M44), also called Praesepe, the Manger.

March 10 - Although the waxing gibbous Moon will be bright, see if you can spot the star Regulus a mere 3 degrees from it. Regulus is one of the brightest stars in our sky, and is part of the constellation Leo, the Lion.

March 12 - The Full Worm Moon at 10:54 a.m. Watch this short Farmers’ Almanac video to see how this Moon got its many names.

Anna Sultana’s Chicken Pot Pie, February’s Full Snow Moon and The Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon

A little over a week ago ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Coconut Cream Pie.

It was based on the Impossible Pie that was featured on the box of Bisquick™ a few years ago.

If you're my age I'm sure you remember how popular that was a few years ago.

I got an e mail from a young lady who’d decided to buy a box of Bisquick™ and use that in the recipe.

She’d like to know if Ma had any other recipes that could make use of the rest of the Bisquick™.

Well, of course she did.

Ma had originally gotten a recipe which used Bisquick™ as a biscuit topping for chicken stew.

As with the Impossible Pie, Ma preferred not using a biscuit mix.

I’ll give you the recipes using both, as I did with the Coconut Cream Pie.

If you’d like to make the biscuit topping using Bisquick™:

Do not combine together the oil, milk and vinegar.

You'll just be adding the sour cream and milk for the liquid in this version.

In a medium bowl place

1 Cup Bisquick™

1/4 Cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons milk 

Stir just enough to make a stiff dough.

Spoon the dough in 6 mounds over the chicken mixture.

Hints:

This recipe is a good way to use leftover rotisserie chicken, or cooked turkey or ham.

You can use a can of condensed cream of broccoli or asparagus soup, instead of the condensed cream of chicken soup.

You can also use canned or leftover cooked vegetables. 

A bit more or less of the vegetables - or meat - doesn’t matter.

If your family really likes biscuits, double the biscuit recipe and bake the extra biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet while you are baking the pie.

If you’d like the pot pie with a bit more flavour, add finely chopped scallions or your favourite spices to the meat/vegetable mixture or to the biscuit mix.

If you’d like to reduce the fat content, you can use a can of low fat soup, and skim milk, as well as light sour cream and cheese.

You can also leave out the sour cream and/or the cheese.

                        Chicken Pot Pie

Thaw

3 Cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas)

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan

Preheat oven to 375º F

In a measuring cup stir together (this is for the biscuits)

1/4 Cup oil

1/2 Cup milk

1 teaspoon vinegar

Let sit while preparing the pie filling.

Pour into the prepared pan

1 can (10 fl oz) condensed cream of chicken soup 

1 can water

3/4 Cup sour cream

Stir just enough to blend.

Add

4 Cups chopped cooked chicken
The thawed vegetables
1 Cup shredded old cheddar cheese 

In a medium bowl combine

2  Cup flour                               

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Stir in the milk mixture.

Stir just enough to make a stiff dough.

Spoon the dough in 6 mounds over the chicken mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

Serve warm.

If you'd like more vegetables, a salad or a cooked vegetable would be fine.

About the sky this week, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

February 3 – Midpoint of winter. This is the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. First Quarter Moon, 11:19 pm.

February 7 – The large waxing gibbous Moon will appear inside the very large asterism that we in the Northern Hemisphere call the Winter Circle, sometimes called the Winter Hexagon. 

February 9 – The large waxing gibbous Moon will be just 4 degrees from the Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesape, and M44.

February 10 – February’s Full Snow Moon at 7:33 p.m. Learn how February’s full Moon got its many names in this short Farmers’ Almanac video. 

February 11 – The Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse favours the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, where the Moon enters the Earth’s outer (penumbral) shadow soon after moonrise. 

For the rest of the United States and Canada, the eclipse will already be underway as it rises. The Moon will be passing through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow and at maximum its upper limb will come tantalizingly close to the much darker central shadow (the umbra). 

So at maximum, a subtle, but perceptible dimming will be evident along the Moon’s upper limb. 

Moon Enters Penumbra: 5:34 pm

Maximum Eclipse: 7:45 pm 

Moon Leaves Penumbra: 9:53 pm

Magnitude of the Eclipse: 0.988