Sausage and Feta Hand Pies

SAUSAGE AND FETA HAND PIES

makes 12

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 small head fenned (about 1 pound), trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2" dice
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tbs fennel seeds

Heat 2 tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble sausage into pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbs oil to skillet along with the onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add sliced fennel and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, and stir to combine. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Stir in feta cheese and parsley; set filling aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one piece of dough to a 16x11" rectangle. Trim to 15x10". Cut into six 5" squares. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. Place 1/2 c filling in the center of each square. Fold up all four corners around the filling, so that the points meet in the center but do not touch (leave about 1/4" of space between them). Repeat with remaining piece of dough and filling. Transfer to prepared baking sheets.

Brush tops of dough with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with fennel seeds.Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until pies are golden brown and filling is set, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.PATE BRISEE

makes enough for one double-crust or two single-crust 9" pies

For the flakiest crust, make sure all ingredients (including the flour) are cold before you begin.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 c ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbs at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Fresh Applesauce

We'll be having a roasted pork loin and a garlic and spinach saute for dinner tomorrow, so I made applesauce today in preparation. Again, this recipe comes from "The Healthy Kitchen." According to Dr. Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley, "You can use any type of apple you'd like, and because apples are pretty much available year-round, you can serve it as a warm side dish in the winter, or a cold side dish, or dessert, any time of year."

I adjusted the recipe to my taste. Additionally, you could add lemon juice, granulated sugar, and/or brown sugar according to your palate.

FRESH APPLESAUCE

serves 6

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced, about 6 cups (I used 8 Cortland apples)
1/2 c apple juice (I used 3/4 c apple cider)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 1 tbs ground cinnamon)

Put the apple slices and the apple juice in a saucepan with a lid. Cook, covered, over low heat, until the apples are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the type of apple you are using. Break up the apples using a fork or pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and stir until it is thoroughly integrated into the apples. Let the apples cool for a few minutes or longer, depending on whether you want to serve them warm or cold.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

I know, I know: I've been making a lot of Giada De Laurentiis recipes as of late. The thing is, although I'm not a fan of the "Everyday Italian" personality, her recipes are incredibly easy...and I picked up one of her cookbooks for $1.50 at a bargain booksale!

This is an Italian spin on traditional chickpea-based hummus. I served it alongside baked whole wheat pita wedges and red pepper and carrot crudites. Although I don't own a food processor, I was able to make do with a blender with a feed tube.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

makes 6 appetizer servings

4 pita breads, split horizontally in half (I used whole white pitas)
2 tbs plus 1/3 c olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges evenly over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 tbs of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 tsp each of the salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the pita wedges over and bake until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes longer.Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually mix in the remaining 1/3 c of oil until the mixture is creamy.

Season the puree with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside. (The pita wedges and bean puree can be made 1 day ahead. Store the pita wedges airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the bean puree.)

Roasted Fruit

According to the editors at Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, "This dessert is more interesting when prepared with a variety of stone fruits, but if you can't find one particular type, substitute more of another. You could also use apricots in place of any of the other three fruits." Instead, I used four peaches.

I served this as a side dish alongside homemade turkey burgers (which were stuffed with red onion and grated Gruyere) and baked beans.

ROASTED FRUIT

serves 4

2 peaches
2 plums
2 nectarines
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 to 3 tbs sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbs fresh lime juice
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a fork, prick the skins of the peaches, plums, and nectarines. Halve each fruit, and remove the pits. Halve the fruit again.

In a roasting pan, toss the fruit with the rosemary, sugar, butter, and lime juice. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the fruit is fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve warm over vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, if desired, and drizzle the pan juices over the top.

2 Variations on Banana Bread

This particular recipe comes from "The Martha Stewart Cookbook: Collected Recipes for Every Day."

I made two large loaves: one with 1/2 c of chopped pecans and the other with 1/2 c of semisweet chocolate chips. The photos depict what remains of the chocolate chip banana bread loaf!

BANANA BREAD

makes 1 large loaf or 4 small loaves

1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan or several smaller pans.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and combine with the butter mixture. Blend well. Add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir well. If using, stir in the nuts or chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Hot Crab Dip

I'm not a fan of Paula Deen, but, when it comes to fat-laden, butter-oozing recipes, few can compete with her Southern-fried expertise. My sister recently requested a warm crab dip and found this recipe from "Paula's Home Cooking." Truth be told: this dip will clog your arteries, induce coronary disease, take years off your life...and be totally worth it, it's that darn good.

I prefer a milder dip, so I left out the hot pepper sauce and substituted Monterey Jack cheese for the recommended pepper jack. I served this with plain Stacy's Pita Chips and sliced French bread.

HOT CRAB DIP

makes 4 cups

1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat, free of shells
1 c grated pepper jack cheese
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1/4 c green onions, minced, optional
5 to 6 roasted garlic cloves or 2 cloves minced
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot with crackers or toast points.

Ode to Dough

It's hot, it's summer, and I like unhealthy food. For no particular reason, here are some of my all-time favorite pizza photos:

My friends Adriana and Christina brace themselves for a slice from Papa's in Cambridge, MA:My friend Eva goes bananas over a slab of mozzarella in Rehoboth Beach, DE:And, my all-time favorite pizza, Mack & Manco's in Ocean City, NJ:

Crunchy Caramel Corn

Perhaps in anticipation of the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" this Thursday (yes, I've had my ticket for weeks), I whipped up a batch of crunchy caramel popcorn. The recipe is from an issue of Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine, to which I subscribe.

I've made this recipe twice within the past month. This time around, I undercooked the popcorn--something like 25 minutes instead of the recommended 40--as a matter of personal preference. Also, on both occasions that I made this, I neither tossed the popcorn while it cooked nor transferred the cooked popcorn to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

CRUNCHY CARAMEL CORN

serves 6

4 tbs butter, plus more for baking sheet
10 cups plain usalted popped popcorn (from 1/2 c kernels or a 3.3 oz bag of microwave popcorn
1 c cashews, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
Coarse salt

Butter a large rimmed baking sheet; set aside. Place popcorn in a large bowl; if using cashews, add to bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, and 2 tbs water to a boil, stirring constantly.Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet.Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.Transfer hot popcorn to parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; let cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.