Main Dish

Tomato Galette + Pie Crust 101

3 · Aug 25, 2015 · 1 Comment

Summer just isn’t Summer without a bountiful harvest of tomatoes of all kinds. I know, I know… You’re either a lover or a hater. I find myself in the LOVE category. Salads, tacos, life in general, isn’t complete without tomatoes. The only issue I find is finding the time to try all of the amazing tomato recipes during the summer bounty.

If you’ve been following me for some time, you’ll know that I LOVE pie making. I’ve been good friends with pie crust for some time. Here is a post highlighting all of my favorite pie crust tips and tricks. Some people think that pies are just for the holidays and typically are only for sweet types of pies or galettes. NOT TRUE! It’s also not just for your grandmother’s turkey pot pie. You can make all kinds of savory treats with a mean pie crust. For example, my Tomato Galette.

What’s a galette you ask! Well, it’s a fancy term for a free form pie. You don’t use a pie plate, you just fold up your crust over whatever filling you have and voilá, you have a free form pie. First I start with my crust. I whip that up quickly with a few simple ingredients; flour, Crisco, salt, vinegar, one egg & ice water. The key is to keep all of your ingredients as cold as possible. I use Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks when I bake and I will cut it up into cubes and then place them into the freezer for 20 minutes so they get nice and cold. Temperature is key to great pie crusts. Butter Flavor and All-vegetable Crisco® Shortening and Baking Sticks deliver higher, lighter-textured baked goods and have 50% less saturated fat than butter and zero grams trans fat per serving.

Once my crust is made, I chill it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes while I put together the filling for my galette. First I caramelized onions in Crisco Sauté Solutions Olive Oil Blend Stick with a little salt and a dash of sugar to help them caramelize. Then I mix my cheese filling. That’s a mixture of cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan cheese and some dried Italian herbs. Slice up some tomatoes and you’re all set to assemble. Once it’s baked, I drizzle with some Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil, add some fresh basil and it’s all set. Crisco® Extra Virgin Olive Oil uses the highest quality olives available to help enhance your cooking; available in three flavorful varieties 100% Extra Virgin, Pure and Light Tasting Olive Oil.

Here’s a video I put together that will help you make pie crust your grandmother will love AND you get to see how I put together my tomato galette.

Looking for more great recipe inspiration? Visit The Crisco Heritage Kitchen, a hub dedicated to all things food, tradition and family, where generations of home cooks can gather and discover tried-and-true recipes that will delight and inspire.

Tomato Galette + Pie Crust 101 Recipe

Tomato Galette + Pie Crust 101

Save Print

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

This simple summer meal is perfect any time of day. Grab some of those amazing summer tomatoes and you'll fall in love! Ingredients

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

Crust
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups of Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 egg
4-6 tablespoons water
Filling
1 small sweet onion
1 tablespoon Crisco Sauté Solutions Olive Oil Blend Stick
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup ricotta
½ cup shredded parmesan
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
2-3 large tomatoes thinly sliced
Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil & fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl, add flour, salt and cold Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks. Use a pastry cutter to cut-in the shortening to the flour.
In a small bowl beat egg and vinegar together and pour into flour mixture.
Gently mix and add ice cold water until your dough just comes together. Be careful not to over mix. Pour out dough onto some plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap and place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling. Slice onions and caramelize over medium low heat with the Crisco Olive Oil Sauté Stick, salt and sugar. This will take 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
Cut dough into quarters. Roll one quarter of the dough out on a floured surface into a 10 inch round.
Spread on ½ of the cheese mixture, top with onions and tomatoes. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Use the remaining ingredients to make up another galette.
Place in a 375˚ oven for 40-50 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle with Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil and garnish with fresh basil.

*Disclosure: As a participant of the Crisco Ambassador Program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own.

Lemon Drop Crepes Recipe

2 · Aug 24, 2015 · 2 Comments

Compensation for this post was provided by Unilever via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Unilever or AOL.

I love cooking.

It’s my escape, it’s my love language. I love to create beautiful meals for my family and friends. Hopefully they can feel the love and in-turn see the joy I receive when I cook for them, especially when the food I’m making is both nutritious and tasty.

One of my favorite meals to prepare is brunch. There is just something about brunch that says, “Come, sit down. Slow down, enjoy the beauty around you. Enjoy the people you are with. Savor the food, truly taste the simple ingredients placed before you. Let’s start this amazing day!”

No other meal really speaks like brunch…

When I was young, one of my favorite dishes that my mom prepared for us was crêpes. Every time we had a slumber party, my mom would greet us in the morning with a plate full of crêpes.

It was a full production… The table was full of fun toppings like syrup, peanut butter, jelly, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate syrup and such. My mom would sit at the stove and systematically produce these magical crêpes. We would have to patiently wait our turn for the next hot treat.

My all time favorite concoction was just a simple crêpe with butter and powdered sugar. I loved the simplicity even as a kid. While my sisters and friends were loading theirs up with all kinds of goodies, I kept it simple because I wanted to actually taste the crêpe. I didn’t just want it to be a vehicle for a mess of toppings.

As I’ve gotten older, my love for crêpes has become even stronger. Our family traveled to Paris a few years ago and one of our FAVORITE memories was stopping at some of the street side crêpe vendors. We would each grab a giant crêpe and snack on it as we walked the streets of Paris. While I was there, I was introduced to the simple addition to my favorite treat. Again, it was just a simple crêpe with butter, powdered sugar BUT with the addition of lemon juice. As a lemon lover, my mind was blown!

How had I not thought of this idea before? It was simple beauty.

Not too long ago, I was working on some new brunch ideas and I thought it would be fun to create a Lemon Drop Crêpe recipe that would take me back to Paris but also have my own special WhipperBerry spin to a new recipe.

As I was developing this recipe, I started to rethink the butter element to the dish. I loved the flavor that it brings to the crêpes, but I wasn’t crazy about the type of fat that I had traditionally used.

I am a big believer in the idea that our bodies really need good fats as part of overall healthy-balanced diet The key… Finding the right kind of fats. (We cannot claim the list in good fat 5 is better than other good fat sources out there) You want to stick with The Good Fat 5!

It’s essential to get the right kinds of fat into our diets. Confused as to what a good fat is? Don’t worry.

Ask yourself, is this fat (whatever you are cooking with,) from a plant or from a fish? If it is, you are using a good fat. If it is an animal (other than fish) source of fat like butter or bacon fat, it’s most likely a saturated fat.

My quandary was… I LOVE the taste of butter, especially with my crêpes, so what should I use?

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter® is the perfect fat to use for my beloved crêpes. It tastes just like butter, however, it’s created with the good plant-based fats. That means that it’s 40% fewer calories and 70% less saturated fat than butter per serving. Not to mention that it has no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives and no partially hydrogenated oils. It has non-GMO sourced ingredients, it’s cholesterol free with 0 grams of trans fats per serving.. It was exactly what I was looking for—a way to retain flavor but make sure the ingredients for the recipe were still a good nutrition alternative, which you would never expect in a dessert!

You can find out more information about I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter® here. Click here for some other fun recipes that celebrate the role of good fats in our diet.

Lemon Drop Crepe Recipe

Now that I’ve solved my butter issue, I’m ready to serve up my new crêpe recipe!

This is super simple and unbelievably tasty. Here’s what you will need…

{A printable version of this recipe is at the bottom of the post}

Crêpe Batter

6 eggs

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon sugar

A pinch of nutmeg

Zest from one lemon

2 cups milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Topping

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

Lemon slices

Powdered sugar

Mixed berries for garnish

When it comes to making crêpes, your tools are as important as your ingredients.

You will also need a blender, a large, non-stick skillet and a crêpe turner or spatula that is designed not to scratch your non-stick skillet. I brought a crêpe turner home from IKEA in Germany and so far, I have yet to find one here in the USA… A spatula will work just fine!

To get started, crack all six eggs into your blender and add your pinch of salt, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and zest from one lemon. Turn on your blender and carefully remove the lid. Alternate the flour and milk starting with the flour and ending with milk. Once you have finished blending your batter, let it sit for 2o minutes or so to rest.

Now, the key to making crêpes is simple. You need to heat your pan over medium heat until it’s nice and hot. Pour in a little vegetable oil and then wipe the pan with a paper towel.

Save the paper towel and wipe down the pan before each crêpe. I keep a plate next to the stove for the paper towel and my measuring cup that I use to pour the crêpe batter into the pan. It keeps my workflow super smooth.

Now, you will need to decide what size measuring cup you should use to pour your batter. I have a large 12 inch pan and I used a 1/2 cup measure. For a 9 inch pan I would use 1/3 cup and a 7 inch pan I would use 1/4 cup.

Now here’s the trick… make sure your pan is hot, but only over medium heat. Hold your pan up, right over the burner and pour your batter into the center of the pan as you slowly tilt the pan in a circular motion. Once the batter has covered the bottom of the pan, set it back down on the burner and let it cook for 1 minute or until the sides start to pull-away from the side of the pan.

Use your crêpe turner or spatula and turn your crêpe over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. It depends on how you like your crêpes. I tend to like mine on the blonde side. I like them soft without much browning. If you like a crispy crêpe, you will need to cook a little longer.

Now, here’s the fun part. Take your warm crêpe and spread some I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter® all over…

It doesn’t have to be pretty. Have some lemon slices ready for your guest and have them squeeze some fresh lemon onto their crêpe.

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar…

Fold in half and then in half again…

For a really nice presentation, plate three crêpes and then dress with some mixed berries.

Dust your crêpes with more powdered sugar and enjoy!

Lemon Drop Crepes

Save Print

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Cuisine: Breakfast

Ingredients

6 eggs
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
A pinch of nutmeg
Zest from one lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Topping
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Lemon slices
Powdered sugar
Mixed berries for garnish

Instructions

Crack all six eggs into your blender and add your pinch of salt, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg and zest from one lemon. Turn on your blender and carefully remove the lid. Alternate the flour and milk starting with the flour and ending with milk. Once you have finished blending your batter, let it sit for 2o minutes or so to rest.
Now, the key to making crêpes is simple. You need to heat your pan over medium heat until it's nice and hot. Pour in a little vegetable oil and then wipe the pan with a paper towel.
Save the paper towel and wipe down the pan before each crêpe. I keep a plate next to the stove for the paper towel and my measuring cup that I use to pour the crêpe batter into the pan. It keeps my workflow super smooth.
Now, you will need to decide what size measuring cup you should use to pour your batter. I have a large 12 inch pan and I used a ½ cup measure. For a 9 inch pan I would use ⅓ cup and a 7 inch pan I would use ¼ cup.
Now here's the trick... make sure your pan is hot, but only over medium heat. Hold your pan up, right over the burner and pour your batter into the center of the pan as you slowly tilt the pan in a circular motion. Once the batter has covered the bottom of the pan, set it back down on the burner and let it cook for 1 minute or until the sides start to pull-away from the side of the pan.
Use your crêpe turner or spatula and turn your crêpe over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. It depends on how you like your crêpes. I tend to like mine on the blonde side. I like them soft without much browning. If you like a crispy crêpe, you will need to cook a little longer.
Now, here's the fun part. Take your warm crêpe and spread some I Can't Believe it's Not Butter® all over...
It doesn't have to be pretty. Have some lemon slices ready for your guest and have them squeeze some fresh lemon onto their crêpe.
Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar...
Fold in half and then in half again...
For a really nice presentation, plate three crêpes and then dress with some mixed berries.
Dust your crêpes with more powdered sugar and enjoy!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! sources ingredients that are not genetically modified. However, in the field-to-tub journey of making our buttery spread there is some contact with genetically modified vegetable oils, resulting in a small amount in this product.

Roasted Cauliflower Bacon Mac and Cheese

0 · Jan 29, 2015 ·

+ This Roasted Cauliflower Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe brought to you by Horizon® Organic Macaroni and Cheese +

I don’t know about you, but this time of year just calls for GREAT Macaroni and Cheese! There is just something amazing about nice pot of mac & cheese when it’s cold outside… Pure American comfort food.

Over the years I have played around with all kinds of additions to my mac & cheese… You know that mac & cheese is basically a blank canvas that is dying to be dressed-up a bit.

I’ve added everything from ham, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, peas, broccoli, garlic, onions, the list goes on and on. The folks at Horizon® Organic Mac & Cheese have put together a great Mac & Cheese Pinterest Board… It’s a board that helps you discover all kinds of scrumptious mac & cheese recipes.

One that my family has fallen head-over-heels for is Roasted Cauliflower Bacon Mac and Cheese.

Have you every tried roasted cauliflower? It’s like CANDY! Well, it’s not sweet like candy, but my family devours it like it was laced with sugar. I have to roast two heads of cauliflower at a time, one for my recipe and the other for the family to snack on like popcorn.

I decided to throw some roasted cauliflower along with bacon and caramelized onion into our Horizon® Pasta Shells & White Cheddar pot. The family loved it, even my little guy who is NOT a veggie lover ate it with gusto.

It’s super simple to make, here is what you’ll need…

Roasted Cauliflower Bacon Mac and Cheese Recipe

This recipe will easily feed a family of six.

1 head of Cauliflower

salt & pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb thick cut bacon

1 large sweet Vidalia Onion

7 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon to caramelize the onion and the remaining for the pasta)

3 boxes of Horizon® Pasta Shells & White Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400˚

Clean & cut cauliflower into bite size pieces. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Place in a 400˚ oven for 20 minutes or until they start to lightly brown on the edges.

I like to make roast mine in my cast iron skillet.

Next, cut bacon into small pieces and render the fat while browning the bacon.

Remove bacon from pan once fully cooked, place on a paper towel.

Remove bacon fat from pan as well. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same pan and add sliced onions.

The onions will become coated with the butter and bacon bits. Slowly cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. No need to add salt & pepper. The onions will be seasoned by the bacon left over in the pan.

In a large pot, prepare your Horizon® Pasta Shells & White Cheddar Cheese according to package directions. When you are adding the butter and milk, also add 1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard.

Add your Cauliflower, bacon and onions. Mix well and serve immediately… Your family will thank you!

For more scrumptious Mac & Cheese recipes… You have to check-out the MAC-N-ATOR Pinterest Board from the folks at Horizon® Mac & Cheese!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Easy New Years Quiche with the Kiddos and Toca Kitchen 2

2 · Dec 27, 2014 · 3 Comments

+ This Easy New Years Quiche post brought to you by Toca Kitchen 2 App +

I am always looking for ways to get my kiddos involved in the kitchen. Cooking together teaches so many life skills like how to follow directions, how to share, how to clean-up after ourselves, how to be creative and so much more. I would have to admit that I don’t take all of the opportunities that I should because of the rush of life. It’s hard to slow down sometimes and remember to get the kiddos involved. Recently, I was introduced to a new App made especially for our kiddos called Toca Kitchen 2…

So… funny story. When I was invited to review Toca Kitchen, I had downloaded the app onto our family iPad and really didn’t do anything with it right at that moment. I had so many other things on my plate right at that point.

A few hours later, my little guy Gage, who is four, was playing with the iPad. I started to hear him chatting while he was playing a game and it started to sound like a cooking show. He has a Mother who likes to watch the food network, so I guess it wasn’t too far fetched. I went over to see what he was playing, and sure enough, he was playing the new Toca Kitchen 2 and without any prompting from me, he had figured it out all on his own and was having a ball!

For me I thought the graphics were a bit silly, but when I saw it through HIS eyes it was super fun. I then proceeded to teach his older sister how to play the game and they have had hours of fun playing together coming up with all kinds of crazy concoctions. Here’s a video of him doing one of his cooking shows… It’s super cute and he came up with it all on his own!

Toca Kitchen with WhipperBerry from Heather Thoming on Vimeo.

We decided to come up with our own Toca Kitchen recipe for the New Year. I created a simple quiche recipe and my daughter Emily picked all of the goodies to add to the quiche.

This is a super simple recipe that is PERFECT to make with your kiddos!

First, Emily grabbed all of our ingredients out of the fridge just like in the Toca Kitchen 2 App.

Both Emily and Gage washed their hands, and then using a kid safe butter knife, they prepped all of our ingredients for our quiches.

I used some baking cups that I found at Target that are perfect for individual quiches. Emily cut the Pillsbury® Crescent Dough into squares and placed them into the baking cups.

These are all things that your kiddos can do with just a little direction from you.

Emily cracked the eggs into a dish, and Gage whipped them up…

They seasoned the eggs with salt and pepper and then poured it into the baking dishes. Then we each topped our quiches with our favorite toppings.

Emily loves all kinds of goodies in her quiche, she loves the whole kitchen sink. I opted for bacon, mushrooms & tomatoes. Gage went non-traditional and packed his quiche full of tomatoes which was actually rather good! We topped all of ours with cheese and then Emily placed them into a 350˚ oven for 20-25 minutes.