Christina's Butter Pie Crust

from Morgan Crumm

/4 cup (12 T, or 1 1/2 regular sticks) cold, unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour), plus a little extra for sprinkling
2 T sugar
½ tsp fine salt
3-6 T ice water or very cold milk or cream (substitute some of the liquid with vodka if desired*)

Use a knife to cut the butter into cm-sized cubes. Freeze the butter cubes for at least 15 minutes. 

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor several times to mix.

Add the butter to the processor and pulse several times until the mixture has a sandy appearance and the largest clumps are about the size of a pea. The mixture will resemble Parmesan cheese. 

Remove the liquid-shoot insert from the processor. Turn the processor on and pour about 1 T of the liquid through the shoot at a time, just until the mixture starts to come together in a mass. Use only as much liquid as necessary and avoid over-mixing. 

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment paper and press into a large, flat disk. Wrap gently in the parchment, and place in the fridge until ready to use (or up to 48 hours).  Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling if it has been in the fridge for more than an hour. This will make it easier to roll out.

When ready to use, unwrap the disk, lightly sprinkle it all over with flour, and place another sheet of parchment on top so that the dough is sandwiched between the two sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a thickness of ¼-1/8^th inch. 

Gently peel the dough off the parchment and transfer to a buttered pie pan, aiming to align the center of the dough with the center of the pan. Gently lift the edges of the dough and ease it into the sides of the pan to avoid stretching the dough, which would cause it to shrink during baking. Trim the overhanging edges of the dough so that about 1 inch hangs over the edge of the pan all the way around. Gently tuck or roll the overhanging dough under itself so that it sits up on the edge of the pan. Use your fingers and thumb to crimp the edges if desired.  

Gently press parchment paper or plastic wrap onto the surface to cover and chill until ready to use. The unbaked crust can be stored like this in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Note 1: I used to make this dough using my food processor's dough blade, but I have found that the metal blade mixes the dough more quickly and more evenly.

Note 2: If desired, dough scraps can be re-rolled, cut out with festive mini-cutters, and placed atop the pie either before baking or before the second phase of baking (after the foil is removed).

Christina's Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

from Our Best Bites

6-8 slices bread
about 1/4 C softened butter (just for buttering the bread slices)
4 C grated cheese (Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar or some combination)
12 oz pork sausage, browned and drained if necessary
1 4 oz or 7 oz can green chiles
6 eggs
2 C milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place bread butter side down in a 9×13 baking dish. I usually need 6 pieces of bread, plus 1 cut in half to finish up the bottom row. You just want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps.

Grate your cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the bread.  Spread the browned sausage on top of that, and top with the green chiles.

In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add milk and then seasonings and whisk to combine well.  Slowly stir the egg mixture while you pour it evenly on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll want to keep stirring or else the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole.

Cover well and place in the refridgerator overnight.

In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pop the casserole in there and bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You’ll want the center to be set and the outside edges to be golden brown. It’s important to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it or it will just fall apart.

Christina's Apple, Chard and Mushroom Quiche

source unknown

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 large Vidalia or other onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded ruby Swiss chard
• 1 cup (about 2 oz.) thinly sliced mushrooms
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup chopped apple
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
• ½ cup milk
• 1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, unbaked

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté onions until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

3. Add Swiss chard, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms and chard are soft, about 7 minutes.

4. Combine apples, flour and nutmeg in mixing bowl, and toss to coat apples. Combine eggs, cheese and milk in separate bowl, and beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in apple mixture.

5. Spoon chard mixture into pie crust. Pour egg-cheese-apple mixture over top.

6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until cheese mixture is set and top is browned. Cool slightly before slicing, and serve. 

Christina's Milk-Cooked Macaroni and Cheese

source unknown

1 lb macaroni noodles
4 cups milk (about 16 oz) , or more if needed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for final season later
generous dash of nutmeg
2 cups grated cheese, any one or combination
additional toppings: bacon bits, bread crumbs, chopped parsley, diced tomatoes (optional), red bell peppers, broccoli florets
black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.
2. In large sauce pan, add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.
3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.
4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!
5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly. If you don’t stir your mixture frequently, you will get a big clump of macaroni in the end! Stir, stir stir!
6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If more milk is needed, additional 1/4 cup milk at a time for final cooking. Increase the heat if your macaroni doesn’t absorb fast enough. 
7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the  cheese evenly into the macaroni.
8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.
9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Serve immediately.

Christina's Slow Cooker Yogurt

source unkown

8 cups milk (the more fatty the milk, the richer the yogurt will be)
1/2 already-made yogurt for starter

Put milk in crockpot. Turn on low for 2 1/2 hours. Let sit for 3 hours. Remove about 2 cups of milk from the crock pot and stir in the starter. Add it all back into the crockpot and cover with a lid. Wrap a large towel around the crockpot (helps it keep its warmth longer) and let sit overnight. In the morning, you'll have plain yogurt!

To make other flavors, add in sweetener/vanilla/fruit at the end or use as a base for savory sauces, etc.

Christina's Breakfast Quinoa

2 cups almond milk, rice milk or water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Zest from 1 orange (I didn't have one, so I used 1 TBSP orange concentrate)

1 cup quinoa

3 T honey

1/4 C pecans, walnuts or almonds

fresh or frozen fruit (optional)

yogurt, milk or cream (optional)

Bring liquid and quinoa and cinnamon (and orange) to a boil, then set heat to medium low for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Add fresh berries. Top with nuts and honey, fruit and yogurt. Yummy!

Christina's Italian Celebration Soup

from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

1/2 C butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C flour
 2 (10 3/4 oz) cans chicken broth
1 C milk
1 C half-and-half
1 C white grape juice
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Briefly saute garlic, about one minute. Add flour and stir until blended. Add chicken broth and stir over medium heat until smooth. Gradually add milk, half-and-half and white grape juice. Stir in lemon juice, oregano and thyme. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a full boil. Cook about two more minutes or until well thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in grated Monterey Jack cheese and 1/4 C Parmesan cheese. Serve hot. Garnish individual servings with remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

Christina's Oatmeal Wheat Bread

from Epicurious

This bread is sturdy enough to work for sandwiches. Yay!


2 cups milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats plus additional for topping (optional)
1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
7 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup mild honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for buttering pans
3 cups stone-ground whole-wheat flour
About 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 TBSP flax seed meal
2 TBSP wheat germ
2 TBSP vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon salt
Olive oil or butter for oiling bowl
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Heat milk in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, then remove pan from heat and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

Stir together water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon honey in a bowl; let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir yeast mixture, melted butter, and remaining honey into cooled oatmeal.

Stir together whole-wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, gluten and salt in standing-mixer bowl. Add oat mixture and knead with dough hook, adding just enough of remaining unbleached flour to keep from sticking (up to 1/4 cup), until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 10 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled or buttered large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly butter loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats, then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.)

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Christina's Homemade Ricotta Cheese

from Smitten Kitchen



3 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or less if using from concentrate)


Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.


Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey). Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but a bit firmer, almost like cream cheese. Eat the ricotta right away or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. If making for use in beet ravioli, allow to drain for two hours. 


Serve: On 1/2-inch slices of baguette that have been run under the broiler until lightly bronzed. Serve it simply with honey and a pinch of flaky sea salt, a couple grinds of black pepper, pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil, and/or a few droplets of an aged balsamic. Or with zucchini ribbons: start with about half a pound of miniature zucchini. Larger ones will work just fine, but you might want to first cut a big one in half lengthwise. Peel them into ribbons and toss them with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and let them drain in a colander for a while (this wilts them), about 20 minutes. Rinse and pat them dry. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste. Arrange in piles on ricotta crostini.

Christina's Clafoutis

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 whole pears (or plums, or the equivalent of cherries or whatever)
2 teaspoons minced/grated ginger (if using pears)
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 whole eggs, beaten
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel/core/slice fruit as needed and place on bottom of baking dish (casserole dish). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar and minced ginger over the top. Sprinkle brandy over the top if using.
Whisk together flour, salt, eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the top of the pears.
Bake for 45 minutes or until poufy and no longer overly jiggly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve with freshly whipped cream flavored with sugar and cinnamon.

Christina's Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C milk
1/4 C cream
dash cinnamon
splash vanilla
1 TBSP wheat germ
1 TBSP flax seed meal

optional: cocoa powder, honey, spinach, whatever

Blend it all together and serve. Add more milk or cream as needed for consistency.

Christina's Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

original recipe

1 banana
8 large frozen strawberries
2 TBSP wheat germ
2 TBSP flax seed meal
1 TBSP honey
1 C milk
cream to taste

Blend all ingredients through milk; while blender is running, add cream until desired consistency. Eat and enjoy.

Christina's Polenta and Greens

multiple sources

olive oil
12 cups chopped greens (Belgian endive, kale, turnip greens, kohlrabi, chard, etc. -- can include all stems)
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with a little olive oil. Add greens in batches (thickest, hardiest greens first) and as they begin to wilt, add more, stirring constantly. Stir in raisins and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until greens are tender; set aside.

Combine cornmeal, garlic and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add broth and milk, stirring with whisk; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Add 1/2
cup cheese.

Spoon polenta onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 cup greens mixture. Sprinkle each with pine nuts, if using.

Christina's Chocolate Babka

from Smitten Kitchen

Dough
4 1/4 cups (530 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Grated zest of 1 small lemon or half an orange (optional)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup water (cold is fine) and up to 1 to 2 tablespoons extra, if needed
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter (150 grams or 5.3 ounces) at room temperature
Sunflower or other neutral oil (coconut), for greasing

Filling
4 1/2 ounces (130 grams) dark chocolate (or approximately 3/4 cup chocolate chips)
1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
Scant 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping
3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and butter. Using a fork, stir until fully combined with clumps ranging in size from crumbs to 1 inch.

Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and zest in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and 1/4 cup water, mixing with the dough hook until it comes together; this may take a couple minutes. It’s okay if it’s on the dry side, but if it doesn’t come together at all, add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a mass. With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the butter, a spoonful at a time, mixing until it’s incorporated into the dough. Then, mix on medium speed for 10 minutes until dough is completely smooth; you’ll need to scrape the bowl down a few times. I usually found that after 10 minutes, the dough began to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, you can add 1 tablespoon extra flour to help this along.

Coat a large bowl with oil (or scrape the dough out onto a counter and oil this one) and place dough inside, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Leave in fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight.

[To make this on the same day, see my fourth note below.]

Make filling: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa; mixture should form a spreadable paste. Add cinnamon, if desired. [If you're wondering what happened to the pecans and granulated sugar, see my third note below.]

Assemble loaves: Coat two 9-by-4-inch (2 1/4 or 1kg) loaf pans with oil or butter, and line the bottom of each with a rectangle of parchment paper. Take half of dough from fridge (leave the other half chilled). Roll out on a well-floured counter to about a 10-inch width (the side closest to you) and as long in length (away from you) as you can when rolling it thin, likely 10 to 12 inches.

Spread half of chocolate mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Brush the end farthest away from you with water. Roll the dough up with the filling into a long, tight cigar. Seal the dampened end onto the log. I found that transferring the log to a lightly floured baking tray in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes made it much, much easier to cut cleanly in half. Repeat with second dough.

Trim last 1/2-inch off each end of log. Gently cut the log in half lenghtwise and lay them next to each other on the counter, cut sides up. Pinch the top ends gently together. Lift one side over the next, forming a twist and trying to keep the cut sides facing out (because they’re pretty). Don’t worry if this step makes a mess, just transfer the twist as best as you can into the prepared loaf pan. In one batch, mine was long enough to “S” inside the pan and I nested the trimmed ends of the log in the openings. Even if you don’t (and choose to bake them separately in a little pan, as I did in other batches), the dough will fill in any gaps by the time it’s done rising and baking, so don’t worry.

Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise another 1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. Repeat process with second loaf.

Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove towels. Crumble 1/2 of streusel topping over each loaf. Place each loaf on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes, but there’s no harm in checking for doneness at 25 minutes. A skewer inserted into an underbaked babka will feel stretchy/rubbery inside and may come back with dough on it. When fully baked, you’ll feel almost no resistance.

Lorri's Cauliflower Soup

Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 small heads cauliflower, or 1 large, cut into small bunches of florets
3 ribs celery and leafy tops from the heart of stalk, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives, for garnish
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, for passing at the table

In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter, over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower florets and stir with a wooden spoon. Add celery, onion and thyme and cook for 3 minutes.

Push the vegetables to 1 side of the pot. Melt 1 more tablespoon of butter on empty side of pot and add flour to the butter. Cook for 1 minute, stirring the flour in the butter. Mix in chicken broth and half-and-half. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree soup using an immersion blender, food processor or blender and return to pot.

Check seasoning and add a dash of hot sauce, if desired. Garnish soup with hot pepper sauce, chopped parsley or chives and serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

Christina's Quiche Lorraine

8 slices bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fried until crisp and brown
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 warm 9- inch pie shell, baked until light golden brown

Heat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Whisk all remaining ingredients except cheese in medium bowl. Spread cheese and bacon evenly over bottom of warm pie shell and set shell on oven rack. Pour in custard mixture to 1/2-inch below crust rim. Bake until lightly golden brown and a knife blade inserted about one inch from the edge comes out clean, and center feels set but soft like gelatin, 32 to 35 minutes. Transfer quiche to rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.I love the combination of bacon and cheese, but this recipe has infinite possibilities. Ham and asparagus is delicious, as is mushroom and goat cheese.

Christina's Tres Leches Cake

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold whites into yolks until almost combined. Gently fold in flour (do not overmix).

2. Spread batter in prepared dish. Bake until golden and pulling away from sides of dish, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the three milks; pour evenly over cake. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with sugar to soft peaks. Spread over cake. Chill in fridge for 24 hours. Serve! Garnish with toasted coconut or chopped pineapple, if desired.

Christina's Sour Cream Corn Bread

1/4 C. whole wheat flour
3/4 C. yellow cornmeal
3/4 C. unsifted white flour
3 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. milk
1 egg, beaten
2 TBSP vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degree. Mix together flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend together sour cream, milk, egg, and vegetable oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just enough to blend well. Pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until done.