Lamb Curry Meat Pie w/ Minted Pea Smash

Ingredients

3/4 LBS Lamb Boneless Top Round, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 White Onion, roughly chopped
Spices: 1/2 TSP Turmeric, 1/2 TSP Cumin, 1/2 TSP Ginger
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 TBS Red Curry Paste
2 Organic pre-made frozen pie crusts
3 Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 1/2 Cup Fresh Peas
1 Bunch of Mint
Olive Oil
Instructions

Cut Lamb into 1 inch chunks & rub with spices, add a splash of olive oil to even the mixture
In skillet, sauté garlic, onion until translucent in olive oil, adding in lamb and spices mixture continue to stir until cooked
Chicken broth can be added as needed to keep sauce thick
Pie crust and assembly:

Cut pie “tops” by placing ramekin onto crust and outline with knife
Create the pie crust with remaining scraps of pie dough
Boil potatoes until cooked, drain
Place chopped potatoes and lamb mixture, into each ramekin, cover with pie dough tops and pierce 3 vent slits
Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown
Minted Pea Smash Topping:

Cook 1 1/2 cup fresh peas, drain
In food processor add one bunch mint and a splash of olive oil, blend
Toss 2 TBS mint mixture with cooled peas and smash slightly with fork

http://www.thecuisinerd.com/2012/03/14/lamb-curry-meat-pie-w-minted-peas/

Digestive Biscuits

Digestive Biscuits (English Recipe)
Recipe from King Author Flour

These biscuits were developed during the latter part of the 19th century to increase fiber in Victorian diets, something that might be appealing to you at the beginning of the New Year. Digestive Biscuits are really just sophisticated graham crackers and are very simple to make. They are delicious with tea and fruit.

1/2 cup (2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cold milk
3 oz semi sweet chocolate pieces
drizzle of veg oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Measure the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture. Toss in the sugar and enough milk to make a stiff dough.

Knead this mixture on a floured surface until smooth. (All this can be done almost instantly in a food processor.) Roll the dough out to a bit more than 1/8 inch thick and cut into any desired shape. Traditionally, digestive biscuits are round and about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on greased cookie sheets, prick evenly with a fork, and bake until pale gold, between 15 and 20 minutes.
Melt chocolate with a drizzle of veg oil till smooth and dip each cooled cookie back into the chocolate place on wax paper and place in the fridge till set.

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Potato Rosemary Cupcakes

Loosely based on:
http://www.pauladeen.com/article_view/bake_sale_potato_rosemary_cupcakes/

Yield: 16 cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
1  cups Organic Pastry flour
1/2 cup PAN white cooked corn flour
2 teaspoons ground dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup peeled and mashed potatoes (no butter or seasoning), room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream (if needed)
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Cupcake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In medium-sized bowl, whisk together flours, rosemary, and baking soda and salt and pepper
In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, and eggs. Beat until smooth.
Mix the oil and  sour cream  into the potato mixture.
Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

Frosting Ingredients:
2 cups riced potatoes
½ cup mascarpone cheese
1/.4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you boil your potatoes with salt test before adding more)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Irish cheddar, grated

Frosting Directions:
Whip all ingredients together except cheddar
Mix in cheddar.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Brown tops under a broiler to serve.

www.cupcakeproject.com.

Philly Cheese Steak Egg Rolls

From http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/

1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (12.5 ounce) package frozen sandwich steak meat
1 (14 ounce) package egg roll wrappers
Slices of Provolone or other cheese
2 cups oil for frying, or as needed

Heat skillet with the tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add frozen steak into skillet.

Cook and stir until steak is no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula as it softens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface so it looks like a diamond; place a slice of cheese on each one, towards the bottom. Layer an equal amount of steak mixture on top of each cheese slice. Roll up egg rolls according to package directions, and seal edges, wetting with water if necessary.
Start at the bottom, then the sides, then roll the rest of the way.
Fry in oil in a skillet on all sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Makes about 12 egg rolls.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

cake and frosting adapted from Apple A Day, originally adapted from Saveur
cheesecake adapted from Martha Stewart
http://www.erinsfoodfiles.com
Ingredients:
For the cheesecake:
1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. confectioners' sugar

1 bar white or dark chocolate (Optional for decoration), I used Ghiradelli

Directions:
For cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely, then level.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Assembly:
Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom, then peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife. Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat. Be careful not to get any red velvet crumbs in the bowl of frosting! Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with shaved white chocolate and/or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This cake doesn't have to stay in the fridge until IMMEDIATELY before serving, so don't worry if you have a 30 minute lapse between the refrigerator and serving.)