Cherry Pie

Scott and I got it in our minds that we wanted cherry pie on Memorial Day.  Luckily, the essential cookbook Joy of Cooking (by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker) had an easy recipe, and success was ours!  We served it with vegan chocolate sorbet (recipe here) for an out-of-this-world dessert experience.

 

CRUST
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
6 T. vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance.)
1/4 c. chilled vegetable shortening (Again, I use Earth Balance.)
6 T. ICE-COLD water plus up to another 1 T.

Method:
Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together.  Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut half of the margarine into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of cornmeal.  Cut in the remaining margarine and then the shortening until it is pea-sized.

Sprinkle the flour mixture with 6 T. ice-cold water.  Blend gently until it just holds together.  If necessary to hold the ingredients together, add up to 1 T. more ice-cold water.

Divid the dough into halves.  Form the dough halves into discs, wrap each with plastic wrap, and allow the discs to "rest" in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

FILLING
Ingredients:
5 cups pitted sour cherries or Bing cherries (about 2 - 2.5 lbs.)
sugar - use 1 1/4 c. if your cherries are sour, 3/4 c. sugar if your cherries are Bing
3 - 3 1/2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. almond extract
2 - 3 T. vegan margarine, cut into small chunks

Method:
Combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, and almond extract in a large bowl, and allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.

PUTTING THE PIE TOGETHER
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll out one disc of pie dough to line your 9- or 10-inch pie plate.  Line the pie plate.  Pour the cherry filling into the bottom crust, and dot the filling with the remaining 2 - 3 T. vegan margarine chunks.

Roll out the top crust to a circle large enough to cover the pie.  Brush water around the edges of the bottom crust, and lay the top crust over it.  Use your fingers to seal the 2 crusts together.  Prick the top crust with a fork or otherwise create vents.  (I used a very small star-shaped cookie cutter.)

Bake about 55 - 65 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  Cool completely on a rack.

Cherry Gin Smash

 

MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm! This recipe from Country Living magazine is over-the-top yummy, and it could easily be a non-alcoholic cocktail as there is only 2 oz. of gin in it.  It will be on my Memorial Day menu along with marinated-tofu-and-pepper kebabs, grilled asparagus, and cherry pie.  Thank you, Country Living!

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

6 fresh sour or Bing cherries, pitted

1/2 t. sugar

juice of 1/2 fresh lime

2 oz. gin (optional)

ice

ginger ale to fill glass

lime wedge (for garnish)

 

Method:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the pitted cherries and the sugar.  Muddle with a pestle until cheries release their juice.  Add juice of 1/2 fresh lime and, if using, 2 oz. gin.  Add 2 cubes of ice to the shaker, and shake vigorously.  Strain into a glass with ice.  Tope cherry mixture with  ginger ale and garnish with a lime wedge.



 

 

Vegetable Tagine

Here's another great recipe from Donna Klein's cookbook titled The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.  There's a lot of chopping, but that just means there are a lot of fresh vegetables in this dish which is ultimately a very good thing.  And it's colorful, which means it covers a lot of the nutrient spectrum.  Finally, it just tastes good, too!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, slivered

5 c. vegetable broth, divided

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained (I saved the juice from the can and used it as part of my vegetable broth.)

1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

1 c. frozen green peas

6 oz. large green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 bell pepper (any color will work, but yellow would look great since this color is otherwise missing from the dish), seeded and coarsely chopped

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

2 c. instant couscous

3 T. chopped fresh parsley

juice from 1/2 of a juicy lemon

Method:

In a medium stockpot (not saucepan), heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and sauté 1 - 2 minutes more.

Stir in 2 c. vegetable broth, tomatoes, potato, salt (I used about 3/4 t.), and pepper.  Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Add the carrots and green beans and return to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the frozen peas, chickpeas, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using).  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently until all vegetables are tender (7 - 10 minutes).  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the remaining 3 c. vegetable broth to a boil.  stir in the couscous and remaining 1/2 T. olive oil.  Cover and remove from heat.  Let stand until all the broth is absorbed (about 7 minutes).  Uncover and fluff with a fork.  (Do a good job of the fluffing right away, because the longer the couscous sits unfluffed, the less fluffing you'll be able to do!)

Add the fresh parsley and lemon juice to the vegetables, stirring well to combine.  Season with additional salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve the vegetables over the hot couscous.  Makes 5 - 6 entrée servings.  I served mine with pita bread to keep with the Mediterranean theme.  Yum!