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Pie … for dinner

Dish up a classic quiche or luxurious lobster pie for a delicious one-dish meal

Kirsten Harrington Correspondent

Say the word “pie” and most people think of Grandma’s fresh peach cobbler or their favorite holiday pie. But why not have pie for dinner? Whether you serve an elegant savory tart with fresh herbs or a hearty beef pot pie nestled under a puff pastry crust, pies are an economical way to use leftovers and please even the pickiest eaters.

“They’re good at breakfast, lunch or dinner,” says Marilyn Blair who serves quiche and pot pie at Sweetie Pie Café, which she owns with her daughter Julie Becker. “It’s comfort food.”

Start with the crust

Most savory pies involve a crust, but don’t be intimidated says Blair. Stick with the basic recipe (see below) and add a little more flour or water if you need to. “I like a glass deep-dish pie pan (for quiche) and the dough is easier to work with if it’s not chilled.”

While you’re at it, make several crusts at a time and freeze them right in the pan. “Just pull it straight from the freezer for your quiche – there’s no need to defrost it,” says Blair, who suggests brushing the crust with melted butter before baking to add flavor and keep the crust from getting soggy.

To save time, buy a frozen pie crust. Deb Green of Madeleine’s Café and Pâtisserie recommends Pepperidge Farms’ puff pastry and filo dough. Take six or seven layers of filo and brush each with butter, cut it to the right size for a pot pie topping and bake it. “I love filo dough. It’s rich and buttery and makes an amazing pot pie crust on top.”

Scott Diamond of Regal Street Seafood suggests adding herbs to turn up the flavor of store-bought crusts. “Chop fresh basil or oregano (or use dried) and press the herbs into the crust before baking,” he says.

Creative fillings

Madeleine’s Green likes to use colorful heirloom tomatoes, zucchini and herbs in tarts to showcase the season’s fresh produce. “Par-bake sweet squash and slice it into thin wedges just like fruit and layer it into a tart shell. Brush it with a little olive oil and brown sugar or maple syrup. Or par-boil and cool fingerling potatoes, slice and layer them with Swiss cheese and fresh thyme,” she suggests.

Using leftovers

“If you have a pot roast dinner on Sunday, you have the ingredients for Shepherd’s pie on Monday,” says Green. Leftovers from a whole roast chicken become the filling for chicken pot pie, or use leftover stew and top it with puff pastry. To save time, buy pre-cooked bacon or a rotisserie chicken to use in tarts and pies.

“You can use just about any filling,” says Blair. Leftover oven-roasted potatoes, ham, cooked turkey and sausage all work well. Meat should be cooked and firmer vegetables like asparagus and broccoli should be lightly steamed.

Elegant entertaining

Savory tarts are perfect for entertaining, since they can be assembled ahead of time and baked right before serving, says Green. “Any of the savory tarts can be done individually on a four-inch square of puff pastry. Build the filling in the center, fold the edges up, brush with egg wash and bake,” suggests Green. Serve with mixed greens tossed with blue cheese and champagne vinaigrette for an easy, elegant dinner party.

Bacon Mushroom Quiche with Thai Basil

Courtesy of Marilyn Blair, Sweetie Pie Café

1 9-inch pie crust, uncooked (see recipe below or use store-bought)

1 tablespoon of melted butter

Basic custard recipe:

4 eggs

2 cups heavy cream

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the filling:

6-8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled

3-4 mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 ½ cups grated cheese, divided. (Jack, cheddar, Swiss or combination)

1 tablespoon finely chopped Thai basil (or substitute regular basil)

Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place crust in a 9-inch pie pan and brush bottom and sides of crust with melted butter. Sprinkle a handful of grated cheese over the crust (enough to cover). Layer the bacon, sliced mushrooms and basil over the cheese and finish with remaining cheese.

Whisk together the ingredients for the custard until well mixed and then pour over the bacon and mushroom filling. Add 6-8 whole small basil leaves on top for garnish. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for additional 40 minutes or until center is set.

Yield: 8 slices.

Basic Pie Crust

Courtesy of Marilyn Blair. This recipe makes two 9-inch pie crusts. If you only plan to use one, place the second one in a pie pan and freeze it for an easy-to-make quiche later.

2 cups flour

1 cup Crisco shortening

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold water (not ice water)

Work the Crisco, flour and salt together with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add water and toss dough with a fork until the dough comes together and the sides of the bowl are clean. If the dough feels too wet, add more flour to the board when rolling out the dough. This basic crust can be used for quiche, pot pies or sweet pies.

Yield: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts

Caramelized Onion and Lobster Pot Pie

Courtesy of Scott Diamond, Regal Street Seafood. This recipe is for two pies with top and bottom crusts.

4 (9-inch) deep dish-sized pie crusts

1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano

Pot Pie Filling

2 leeks, washed, ends removed and finely diced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled until slightly under cooked (see note)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, diced or sliced

4 stalks of celery, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 lemon (juice and zest)

12 ounces fresh spinach

1 cup of dry white wine

2 6-8 ounce lobster tails (raw, cleaned, shells removed and cut into chunks)

8 ounces langostino (mini lobster tails), raw

12 large wild raw shrimp, shells removed (16/20 size)

For the Béchamel Sauce

4 cups heavy cream

1/2 of a yellow onion

½ teaspoon cloves (ground or whole)

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour 1 bay leaf

Prepare two 9-inch bottom pie crusts by pressing half of the herbs into each crust and baking them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Set aside and reserve remaining crusts for top of pies.

To prepare the filling, heat olive oil in large stock pot. Add two sliced onions and cook on high heat for 10 minutes until brown. Stir frequently so they don’t burn. Add the leeks, sweet potatoes, celery, garlic, carrots, lemon juice and zest and spinach. Sauté ingredients on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the wine. Reserve the seafood for later.

To make the béchamel, first prepare a roux by melting 2 tablespoons of butter and whisking in 4 tablespoons of flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the roux thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a separate saucepan bring the cream, onions, cloves and bay leaf to a boil. Turn down heat to low, simmer and add just enough butter and flour roux to slightly thicken the béchamel. Add this to the sautéed vegetables in the large stockpot. Add all of the seafood and stir.

Fill two pot pies with filling and cover each with second pie crust. Pinch down the sides and poke a few holes to vent. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden.

Note: Cook sweet potatoes until they are soft, but still firm enough to be diced without falling apart.

Yield: Each pie yields 6-8 servings

Organic Heirloom Tomato Tart

Courtesy of Deb Green, Madeleine’s Café and Pâtisserie. Look for heirloom tomatoes at area farmers’ markets.

One pre-baked 10- to 12-inch tart shell (store bought or homemade)

1/2 cup high-quality tomato sauce

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

3 to 4 organic heirloom tomatoes of different colors, (Ananas, Black Zebra, Big Orange Stripe, Green Zebra, Orange Russian), ¼-inch thick slices

1 1/2 cups small organic heirloom tomatoes, like Red or Yellow Pear, Black Cherry

8 ounces fresh chèvre or mozzarella

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 small bunch fresh basil 

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the tomato sauce over the bottom of the tart shell. Top with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella. Layer large tomato slices starting at the outer edge of the shell in a colorful arrangement. Every few slices, layer a piece of fresh chèvre or sliced mozzarella. Continue until you fill the shell. Line the outer edge with the small tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Arrange fresh basil over the top, and serve.

Yield: 8-12 slices

Shepherd’s Pie

Courtesy of Jane Heber, Taste Café who says this traditional English dish is a meal in itself but would be perfect with a green salad or roasted vegetables.

For the filling:

1 pound of minced lamb

2 medium onions, chopped

3 ounces carrots, peeled and chopped small

3 ounces frozen peas

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

1 level tablespoon all-purpose flour

10 fluid ounces of chicken stock

1 level tablespoon of tomato puree

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the topping:

3 ounces of mature cheddar (or gruyere)

2 medium leeks, cleaned and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 ounces butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fry the onions for 5 minutes in the oil, add the chopped carrots and cook for 5 minutes longer. Put them aside. Brown the lamb, season with salt and pepper, add the cooked vegetables and peas, cinnamon, thyme and parsley. Stir in the flour and then add the stock.  Add the tomato puree. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes with a cover on.

Cook the potatoes, drain, add butter and mash them, using an electric whisk, add pepper and salt to taste.

Place lamb filling into an 8-inch square baking pan and spread the mashed potato evenly over the top, sprinkle on the leeks, then add the cheese over the leeks. Bake until the top is crusty and golden.

Yield: 4 servings

Kirsten Harrington is a Spokane freelance food writer and can be reached at kharrington67@ earthlink.net.