Blueberry Pie

The line “I’m as normal as blueberry pie” in the South Pacific song always struck me as odd because for my first 18 years, I had never even seen blueberry pie let alone tasted it.  I figured since my encounters were so limited, it couldn’t be that normal of a dessert.  And since I don’t generally go out of my way for just “normal” desserts anyway, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

In the past few months, however, I have been developing a love for pie where once there was only lukewarm appreciation.  So at the height of summer, when blueberries were beautifully abundant, I decided it was time to try this apparent classic.

Now that I have cast off my ignorance and tried the pie, I understand the line of that song completely differently.  It isn’t that blueberry pie is boringly normal, but rather, it should be a normal part of everyday life because it’s too good not to eat regularly.  I have vowed to make the necessary lifestyle changes to make this possible.

I have made this pie with both fresh and frozen blueberries.  The texture of fresh blueberries is a bit more tender and enjoyable, but the flavor of both is phenomenal – sweet and intensely blueberry-ish either way.  This pie has a small amount of cinnamon to add some depth without overwhelming the blueberries, and I like to add a tablespoon of lemon juice to make the flavor brighter.  (It doesn’t make the pie taste like lemon at all, though, in case you’re worried about offending lemon dessert-hating palates.)

The other nice thing about this pie is that it will get eaten so fast that no one will have time to judge your sloppy, asymmetrical lattice top crust….unless you take a picture of it and post it on the internet….

Fun Fact: Blueberries get their blue color from a class of pigments in their skin called anthocyanins. Not only do anthocyanins make pretty colors, but they also have antioxidant effects, meaning they destroy oxidizing agents in the body that can lead to heart disease and cancer. Maybe this will help with all of the butter you’re about to eat in the pie crust.

Blueberry Pie

Crust adapted from smittenkitchen.com

2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, frozen for 15-30 minutes

2½ cups flour, chilled

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ cup ice-cold water

Mix flour and sugar together in mixing bowl.  Using a coarse grater, and working from square side of the stick of butter (you don’t want really long curls), grate both the sticks of butter into the flour/sugar mixture.  Avoid getting large piles of butter by occasionally moving the grater to different spots of the bowl and lightly tossing the already grated butter with the flour from time to time.  Make sure the butter is pretty evenly distributed through the flour – you’re aiming for pieces of butter the size of peas spread throughout. (You can always go with the pastry blender or food processor method if you prefer.)

Pour ½ cup of the cold water into the mixing bowl, and stir to combine.  Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is moist enough to clump together.  Divide the dough into two balls, then flatten lightly into discs, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.  Makes enough for one double-crust pie.

Blueberry Filling adapted from allrecipes.com

¾ cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons cornstarch*

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (the cinnamon is more pronounced with ¼ teaspoon, but neither amount is overwhelming)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (frozen weight is about 20 oz.)

1 tablespoon butter, diced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.  Toss in the blueberries and lemon juice, and stir to combine.  Roll out one of the pie crusts until it is large enough to drape over the sides of a standard 9-inch pie plate.  Roll out the second pie crust, and cut into strips for a lattice, fun shapes to dot the top of the pie, or no shape if you want a standard double-crust pie (just be sure to cut steam vents).  Place the blueberry filling in the first crust, then dot the top with the diced butter.  Place the second crust, however it’s shaped, over the top, and crimp the edges.  Cut away the excess crust – you can bake it separately with cinnamon sugar.

Line the edges of the pie with foil, and bake for about 50 minutes**, until crust is golden brown.  Let the pie cool thoroughly before cutting into it or you’ll have a runny mess like I did.  I like this pie better the second day, after it has chilled in the fridge, but I can never wait that long.

* I have used 4.5 tablespoons both times I made it, and it has been slightly too runny both times.  I like the juiciness of it, though. I’d rather err on the side of juicy than gummy, but feel free to try 6 tablespoons.

** It may take a bit longer with frozen blueberries.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

One day, I made cilantro pesto as I am wont to do when I have extra cilantro and Parmesan cheese on hand.  Then I realized that I also had leftover cream cheese.  And there was much rejoicing.

This pasta concoction turned out to be one of my happy let’s-throw-several-yummy-things-together-and-see-what-happens success stories.  The first time I made it, I used spaghetti noodles, and the second time, I used whole wheat rotini.  I enjoyed it thoroughly both times, so you can really use any pasta that suits your fancy.  The flavors are bold enough that they stand up well to whole wheat, though, and I appreciate the wholesome heartiness.

I’m not a huge pasta person in general, but I do consider pasta an excellent vehicle for pesto.  The cream cheese lends a nice texture, but there’s not so much of it that the dish becomes heavy.  I really enjoy the slight sweetness of the broiled zucchini, and the almonds add a nice crunch.  Also, this pasta is fantastic warm or cold, which makes it an ideal leftover kind of food.  The herbs and nuts you choose to use in the pesto are variable too.  This would be fantastic with traditional basil pesto or a parsley-walnut pesto.  Go crazy.

Fun Fact: Garlic contains a phytonutrient called allium, which may contribute cholesterol-lowering benefits (evidence is still limited).  However, garlic extracts and pills may not contain the same substances that would cause this effect, so embrace the garlic breath and eat some pesto.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

Pesto

1/3 cup raw almonds

1 oz. parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 cup packed cilantro

4-6 Tablespoons olive oil

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until golden and fragrant.  Let cool.  Cube the Parmesan cheese.  In a small food processor, pulse/grind the Parmesan until finely ground.  Remove from machine, and set aside.  Add the almonds to the food processor, and pulse until well chopped but still chunky (don’t turn them all into dust).  Remove almonds from bowl and add to Parmesan cheese.  Place the garlic and the salt in the food processor, and process until finely minced.  Add the cilantro and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and process again until finely minced.  Place the almonds and cheese back into the food processor with the herbs, and continue to pulse while drizzling the remaining olive oil into the pesto.  Add oil, and pulse until it achieves the consistency you want.  I prefer mine not too oily with the almonds still a bit chunky.

Pasta

8 oz. whole wheat rotini

1-2 small zucchini, halved and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices

Olive oil

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

10 Tablespoons pesto (about one full batch)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Additional cilantro, toasted and chopped almonds, and shaved Parmesan to garnish

Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil, and add the pasta.  Boil about 10 minutes, until soft but not mushy.  Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, and drain the rest.

In the meantime, line a baking sheet with foil, and spread the zucchini out in one layer.  Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil (1-1½ tsp.), and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Broil for about 5-10 minutes until the zucchini is tender and browned in spots.

Add the cream cheese and pesto to the still hot pasta, and stir to combine, adding pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the broiled zucchini (as much or as little as you want), and toss.  Serve with additional cilantro, toasted almonds, and shaved Parmesan cheese.   This dish is good warm or cold.  Serves four generously.

My Friend, Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a friend that I once took for granted.  It has always been there for me, but not until recently did I show it the appreciation it deserves.  If you, too, have been neglectful toward this noble condiment, simply using it as a last resort, I-only-have-thirty-seconds-to-make-lunch ingredient, I hope these two recipes will inspire you to spend a little more quality time with this valiant kitchen staple.

My roommate works at a smoothie place with the initials JJ. She once described a peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie that sounded so good, I tried it at home the next day. I still haven’t tasted the “JJ” version, but I’m too happy with this version to care.  This smoothie is thick like a chocolate shake, but it has enough redeeming ingredients in it to call it breakfast.

Picture of actual smoothie is forthcoming.  I was struggling to make a picture of brown sludge (albeit delicious brown sludge) look attractive.

This peanut sauce is good on everything: chicken, raw vegetables, noodles, fingers...  It’s peanut-y, pleasantly spicy (if you want it to be), and perfect.  I highly recommend it.

Fun Fact: Bananas are a climacteric fruit, which means they continue to ripen after picking.  As bananas ripen, one of the changes that occur is that the starches break down into sugars.  When stored in a chilled environment, however, the conversion of starch into sugar can be halted.  In other words, once the bananas reach your preferred level of ripeness, you can throw the whole bunch into the fridge.  They will change color on the outside but still be great on the inside.  On the other hand, if you want to make something sweeter like banana bread (or the chocolate smoothie below), then letting those starches disintegrate is great! And you were expecting something about peanut butter, weren’t you? 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1/3 cup milk

1 large, very ripe banana, sliced and frozen

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa powder (Dutch process or not Dutch process)

1 generous tablespoon peanut butter (natural or unnatural)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  (If using an immersion blender, it’s best to blend the banana a few slices at a time in the milk, scraping the bottom with a spoon between blends.)

Thai Peanut Sauce

Adapted from notderbypie.com, in turn adapted from In the Small Kitchen

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 gloves garlic, minced

1½ - 2 tablespoons sugar (use less if not using natural peanut butter)

2-3 teaspoons chili paste (sambal oelek or sriracha; both are excellent)

½ cup peanut butter

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (start with less and add to taste)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup water

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  This can be done with a blender or food processor, if desired.  Add additional sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili paste to taste.  Keep refrigerated.

The lettuce wraps pictured above contain the following:

tofu (see two of my favorite recipes here and here)

julienned carrots

julienned red bell pepper

sliced water chestnuts 

ramen noodles tossed with sesame oil and soy sauce 

seeded and sliced cucumbers (sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt and sugar to draw out water and concentrate the flavor) 

cilantro

limes

peanut sauce

extra sriracha

Other great lettuce wrap fillings include:

grilled chicken

bean sprouts

toasted sesame seeds

mushrooms

other noodles (udon, rice, etc.)