Blueberry pie

You can see layers of fat. The Canadian Living pastry recipe makes enough for 2, double crusted pies

Not enough in the can of blueberry pie filling. I had frozen blueberries; I mixed 180 ml of sugar with
50 ml of cornstarch, then stirred it into the berries.

Cornstarch will give a clear, not cloudy filling.

My berries were frozen so I microwaved and stirred. Cloudy means filling has not thickened.  

Clear and thick sauce.  

I added my berries to the canned ones, layering them on top.

I used water to brush the pie top, then sprinkled with turbinado sugar. Remember the steam vent. 

Baked at 375 in my counter top convection oven.  30 minutes.

Chicken pie assembly

Finished pie......

I left my pastry in the fridge overnight.  Generously flour the top of the pastry and the parchment paper.
Pie plate is from Knott's Berry Farm (38 years old)....

The bottom pastry round looks like a mess. Doesn't matter, no one will see it. Save your energy for the pie top.

to get the crust the correct size I add chunks of dough and press them in with damp fingers.

I put the plate on top of the pastry, slide my hand under the parchment and flip it over.

Messy way to put the pastry in the pan, avoids stretching the dough.

Make sure the pastry goes over the edge of the pan. (Filling is thick, taste and season as needed)

Top layer is longer that the bottom layer - good!

I get my fingers wet and cram the 2 layers of pastry together by tucking the top over the bottom layer. I use my knuckles to punch the design into the pastry.  Steam vent is a C 

Pastry ridge is high, needs to be so the edge doesn't burn while cooking.

Chicken pie filling

I used allrecipes.com I check the ratings and how many the recipe received. Around 1,000 is a good indicator of the recipe's success.  Assemble your equipment and ingredients. 

To make the roux, melt butter and whisk in the flour; this avoids lumps.

Add chicken stock and whisk again. I added thyme, rosemary, pepper and Johnny's garlic powder (Costco)

Boil the butter, flour, stock mixture until it boils, Once boiling it reaches maximum thickness.

The white sauce looked too thick. I added chopped deli chicken, frozen peas, orange pepper, diced and minced onion.

The vegetables added extra moisture. 

I cut the parsley with a utility scissor. 

Parsley stays fresh if you rinse it, wrap in paper towel and seal it in a plastic bag.

Pastry using lard and butter - Canadian Living magazine

I put my favourite, often used recipes into this book.  Some hand written, some like the snap shop below.

very fuzzy shot.... google search it

Always gather your ingredients together to make mixing go quicker.

butter cut using the line on the wrapper (oops, crooked)

An Alton Brown tip - use a large hole grater instead of a pastry cutter. Quick and easy when using cold, hard lard and butter. Grate a small amount then toss into the flour (about 6 times).

Add liquid in three portions.  After each toss the ingredients together for easier mixing.

you don't want to over heat the butter and lard.

It looks dry but will push together.  Baking is chemistry   Do not add extra water.....

Flip the dough in the well dusted parchment paper

Roll in the parchment and refrigerate.

lettuce wraps AND ground beef tacos

More fat in the lean ground beef than I expected.  I tilted the pan on a bamboo spoon handle to drain.  I used paper towel to absorb the fat.

I divided the cooked crumbles into 2 bowl. One for lettuce wraps the other for tacos.

I added chopped celery, chopped onion, crushed ginger, and hoisin into the meat.  Microwaved the meat until hot. I don't add bamboo shoots or water chestnuts  (I don't like them).  

I peeled the outer layers off a washed head of lettuce.

I do like sticks of green onion in my lettuce wrap.  

I added peanut sauce before wrapping.

ready to eat. I buy the sauces at Saigon  restaurant in Abbotsford.  They are available at Safeway and Save On foods.

I saved one portion of the meat for tacos, the other half is for lettuce wraps

Cooke the meat with taco seasoning and water, to taste.  Cook off the water.

vegetables and cheese for the tacos, add what you enjoy (salsa is from a jar).

Bake taco shells and assemble with meat and veg (I forgot to take a  photo of the finished product)

Pork Loin - stuffed and bacon wrapped

I quartered little potatoes, sprayed the, with oil then tossed with garlic seasoning mix 

I wanted an a pork loin roast but the tenderloin was the cheaper this week.

any bacon will work

Roasted the red peppers under the broiler, Peeled them, then sliced.

Using a boning knife I sliced the loin in a circle shape. They suggest flattening it.  Last time I used parchment and my frying pan.....broke the handle off....

Season the pork. Add your filling.  Apples work well.  I used apricots and the roasted peppers

Parsley and cabbage added colour

roll the pork up and stretch the bacon around the meat. Add seasoned potatoes and bake at 400 for 25 minutes

Let the pork rest 5 minutes for easier slicing

It is okay if the meat is a little pink.  That goes away as the meat rests.

Served with the roasted potatoes and broccoli cauliflower vegetables (I mix a frozen green giant pouch with raw broccoli )