Recipes

So I'm giving heed to your requests, girls! :) Here are the recipes I featured in my last few posts. Enjoy!

Potato Tomato Soup
(I think I got this from allrecipes.com)

2 Tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cups peeled & cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; cook onions until tender. Mix in potatoes, celery, carrots, and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Pour in milk, gradually add the corn starch, and bring to a boil. Mix in tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.


Apple Pie
(Better Homes & Gardens; New Cook Book; Bridal Edition)

Pastry for Double-Crust Pie:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
8 to 10 Tbsp cold water

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size.

2. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 Tbsp water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Divide in half; form each half into a ball.

3. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle 12 inches in diameter.

4. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Transfer filling (recipe below) to pastry-lined pie plate.

5. Roll remaining dough ball into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Place pastry on filling; trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate. Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired.

Pie Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples (about 2 1/4 pounds) (I chose Granny Smith)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
milk (optional)
sugar (optional)

If desired, sprinkle apples with lemon juice. In a large bowl stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add apple slices and, if desired, cranberries. Gently toss until coated. Transfer mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate and cover with the top pie crust, as noted above. If desired, brush top pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. To prevent over-browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Make sure you put something underneath the pie to catch the drippings! The juice from inside the pie will leak out.