Pie Crust

Once you make your own pie crust, you never ever go back to buying it again. It's really easy and don't let it intimidate you. So simple and the ingredients are simple, too.

Pie crust can also be used for any recipe that calls for them like empanadas, pasties, some cookies and pastry shells. It's very versatile and no bad ingredients you can't pronounce.

You can vary the taste and texture by using all shortening, all butter or a mix of 1/2 butter + 1/2 shortening. Always use CRISCO. Always. Cheap shortening makes a cheap aftertaste. Don't learn the hard way. If you want super flaky, you can always substitute one with lard. Just make sure all your ingredients are very cold. This is important. Do not over knead because it will make your dough tough and that is not good. Here we go.



Pie crust #1 can be doubled

1 1/2 cups flour + 1/2 tsp salt
cut in:
1/2 cup cold butter
until it's small peas consistancy.
Add slowly 1/4 cup ice cold water. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

For certain dessert crusts you can also add cinnamon and sugar to the flour mix.

Pie Crust #2 from Ziegler cookbook. Super flaky, has interesting taste.

3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
Mix well. Cut in 1 1/4 cup cold Crisco (or mix of Crisco and butter)
Add: 1 beaten egg mixed with 4 TBS water and 1 tsp white vinegar
Mix well, roll out immediately.
If too dry, add 1/2 TBS water a few times after mixing.

Leftover pie crust can be rolled out, spread with butter and cinnamon sugar. Roll up, slice into pinwheels. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes for cookies.

Portuguese/Hawaiian Sweet bread

Mix together your dry ingredients. 

2 1/2 tsp yeast

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups flour

Mix together in another bowl

2 TBS melted butter

1 egg

1/2 cup very warm water

1/2 cup very warm milk

Add wet to dry in food processor. Mix until dough is soft and pliable. Let rise 30 minutes in greased and covered bowl. Punch down, let rise in greased pie pan another 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Dumplings for Stew

Dumplings for Chicken Stew

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking POWDER

1/2 tsp salt

Mix well. Cut in:

1 tablespoon shortening or butter 

add 3/4 cup milk

Drop into stew by spoonful. Cover and let steam for 15 minutes. 

Stuffed Tomatos

350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes

4-6 large tomatos
2 TBS butter
12 oz sausage like Jimmy Dean
1 chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Core tomatos, slice off top. Scoop out pulp into bowl. Drain tomatoes upside down on paper towels. Place on foil covered baking sheet or in lined muffin tins if they fit.

Saute sausage, onion, garlic in butter. Stir in tomato pulp and cook well. Drain a little liquid off but not all. Add breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and seasoning. Mix well.

Spoon sausage mix into tomato shells. Bake.

Sausage mix can also be used to stuff large zucchini. Follow directions but substitute zucchini for tomato.

Got the recipe from old friend Nancy Coralles in Wahiawa.

Boogernose Soup

Ahhh lovely green boogernose soup. Many a stomach was filled on a cold day with this hammy concoction. Well it's super cheap, delicious with fresh warm herbed bread or biscuits. I usually used leftover ham or ham bone from holiday dinners to make this. The ham and bone could be frozen for months. Sausage balls are also an option. Another slow cooker winner.  All hail the boogernose!

Split Pea Boogernose Soup

2 cups split peas
1/4 pound chopped raw bacon or 1/2 cup diced cooked ham or 1 leftover ham bone
1 cup finely chopped onion
basil, garlic, herbs
7-8 cups water

Bring all to a boil. Simmer 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring often until well cooked and all pureed on its own. Salt when done.

If adding sausage balls, add those at the last 1/2 hour.

Can also be made in slow cooker. Add sausage balls to last 3 hours of cooking.

Sausage balls: mix and roll into 1 inch meatballs
1/2 lb raw ground sausage
1 tsp parsley
1 egg
2 1/2 TBS bread crumbs
italian seasoning

Grandmas Holiday Cookies

THIS is the holiday cookie recipe that Grandma Z made for every school party, holiday party, etc. Super simple, makes a lot. Just don't roll out too hard or more than once because they will get brittle and hard when baking. Great iced or glazed. Store dough in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. 

Cream together:

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup Crisco

Add: 2 eggs, 2 tsp Baking POWDER, 1 tsp vanilla. Mix.

Add alternately: 4 cups flour and 1 cup milk. Mix after each addition. 

Chill for 3 hours. Keep chilled during rolling. Roll out 1/3 inch thick, use cookie cutters. 

bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool before glazing or frosting. 

Biscuits and what you can do with them

Biscuits are easy. Can use this recipe for pigs in a blanket, cinnamon rolls, and any other way you would use the pop-n-fresh aftertaste dough. Can use buttermilk in place of milk.

Biscuits

2 cups flour

3 tsp Baking POWDER

1 tsp salt

Mix well. Add 4 TBS butter. Cut in. 

Add 3/4 cup milk slowly while mixing. Knead 10 seconds on floured board. Over kneading makes a hard tack biscuit. Roll and cut out. Bake 450 for 12-15 minutes. 

For pigs in blanket: roll out, cut into squares. Roll the weenie up in a square and bake 15 minutes. 

For cinnamon rolls: roll out fairly thin but not too thin. Spread with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. Roll up into long log, pinch seal the seam. Slice and bake for 12-15 minutes. Drizzle with a glaze of melted butter and powdered sugar with some vanilla. 

Meat roll: Brown 1 lb ground beef with onion, garlic. Drain well. Mix in salt and some seasonings. 

Roll out biscuit dough. Spread ground beef all over. Roll up, pinch seal the seam. Bake seam down on baking sheet for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Slice to serve with gravy. 

Quick Chili in a Slow Cooker

Quick chili in a slow cooker is pretty much what it is. Quick, tossed in cooker, ready for dinner. 

Brown 1 lb ground beef. Add to slow cooker.

Add: 1 can each diced or stewed tomatoes, pinto beans, red kidney beans, small chopped green chilis

1 can water or two with 1 TBS beef bullion OR can of beef stock with 1/2 can water

garlic powder, onion powder, mrs dash- 1/2 tsp each or so 

1/4 tsp chili powder your choice of hot

optional: cup of frozen corn

Mix all together in slow cooker. Stir well and let cook on low all day or high for 4-5 hours. Eat with cornbread. 

          

Banana Muffins

Recipe from Aunt Betty Ziegler-Burk

Banana Bread 350 degree oven

Cream together:
1/2 cup Crisco (I've been using 1/4 cup Crisco with 1/4 cup butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together: 1/2 tsp baking SODA with 1 TBS hot water
Add to sugar mixture.
Add: 3 mashed bananas
2 cups flour
1/2 cups blueberries, cut up strawberries, nuts or raisins

Mix well. Bake in greased loaf pan for 1 hour. Or in muffin tins for 15 minutes until browned.

 Easy Banana Muffins

3 ripe mashed bananas
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Beat butter and sugar in bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs, flour, soda, salt and vanilla until smooth. Mix in mashed bananas. Bake at 350 in tins until done. about 18 minutes.

Quick Shepherds Pie

If you use instant mashed potatoes then it is easier. This is what Eric and I made last night and he ate the whole pan. For the vegetables, you can use carrots, corn, celery, peas, green beans. Pretty much whatever you have on hand. We used a mix of fresh and frozen, it turned out well.

1lb ground beef
1 cup each diced carrots, frozen corn
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 TBS HP sauce or Heinz 57
1 TBS beef bullion paste
2 cups water
1/4 t mrs dash

4-6 servings of mashed potatoes

Brown beef in large skillet. Add vegetables, sauce, bullion paste, mrs dash and water. Cook until tender and there is a little bit of liquid. Pour into a baking pan. Spread mashed potatoes over the top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or so, until potatoes are browned.

Marinades and Sauces

Why you buy that teriyaki sauce in a jar? What is WRONG WITH YOU. Make it yourself. Do it. You'll thank me later. Only thing is, you need to try different shoyus on your own for what you like. Each country or culture has their own soy sauce and they all taste different. Aloha is our usual brand because, well, Hawaii. If you want a sweeter, japanese style the by all means Shoy you, Shoy me KIKKOMAN Kikkoman and he will fly into your home with his cape on as long as you sing the song. Lately I'm liking the Korean brand Sempio Jin Gold S. Either way, you experiment with these sauces for your meats.

Korean BBQ Sauce from Carnation Harvest, Wahiawa, HI

1 cup shoyu

2 tsp ginger

2 chopped green onion

3 garlic crushed

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS toasted sesame seeds

Marinate meat for 30 minutes minimum. 

Teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup shoyu

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp garlic

2 tsp ginger

splash of mirin 

Marinade 2 hours. Good for thin slice beef.

Sato shoyu for bits of chicken

1/4 cup shoyu

1/4 cup sugar

3 TBS mirin

Meat marinade

3 TBS olive oil

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp garlic

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup worcestershire

1 cup shoyu

marinade 1 hour


Grandpa Bill Risleys Marinade for steak or pork

1/4 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup shoyu
1 cup sugar
1 TBS oil
1 tsp ginger

Marinade for a few hours before grilling.

Sesame Sauce

7 TBS shoyu
2 T Vinegar
1/4 t crush garlic
3 chopped green onions
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seed
pinch of pepper

Blend well.

Korean Short Ribs

1/2 cup shoyu
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seed
dash of pepper
clove of garlic crushed

Mix well. Marinade short ribs for 2+ hours.


Marinade for pork chops

3 TBS oil
1 TBS ginger
1/2 cup vermouth
2 tsp each garlic, onion
2 TBS sesame oil
3 cups shoyu
1/4 cup sugar

Sweetened Condensed Milk, pancake syrup, tidbits

Sometimes you just don't have stuff on hand. So you have to compromise. I've learned in my 30+ years of cooking how to make some things from scratch that you have to. Like these things. If you have a newborn, a toddler, two preschoolers and no car, you do what you have to. Thanks to an abundance of cookbooks and the internet, I can pool this stuff together for us. But you have to have your staples like dry milk, dry buttermilk, sugar and butter always in your larder.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

version 1

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup plus 2 TBS powdered milk

Combine in saucepan. Heat to boiling. Simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Equals one can.

version 2

1 cup dry milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup boiling water

3 TBS softened butter

Combine in blender until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled and slightly thick. 

Pancake Syrup

version 1

3/4 cup water

2 cups dark brown sugar

maple flavoring

Boil water. Add sugar. Turn heat down and stir until dissolved. Add 1/2 tsp maple flavor. 

version 2

2 TBS water

1 TBS butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup Karo

Boil 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp each vanilla and maple flavoring.

No butter? Got whipping cream? Pour whipping cream into blender. Blend until it becomes a soft chunk. That's butter. The liquid is buttermilk. You are welcome.

Self Rising Flour:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking POWDER

1/2 tsp salt

Cheese + Bread + Eggs becomes a meal

Cheese Strata. For when you are hankering for cheese but don't know what or how. Super easy and people will think you fancy. 

8 slices bread, crusts cut off

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp mustard

1/4 tsp salt, pepper, onion powder

Toast the bread. Place 4 slices in bottom of buttered 8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle half the Cheddar and Swiss on top, evenly. Place the next 4 slices of bread on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Spread even. 

In a bowl, beat the eggs with milk and seasons. Pour over the bread and cheese. Let sit and soak for about 20 minutes. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Stuffing Goes up the Butt

Of the turkey or the chicken. Here's my cornbread stuffing recipe I just kind of pulled out of my head one day when someone suggested we have stuffing in the chicken. This is a damn tasty recipe so give it a try. You don't have to put it into a bird, you can also just put it into a buttered pie plate and bake it at 350 for 45 minutes. 

3 Cups crumbled day old cornbread

1/4 cup butter

1/2 diced onion

2 ribs celery, diced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/4 cup chicken broth

Saute onion and celery in butter. Add to a large bowl. Mix rest of ingredients with onion, celery. Mix well with hands. Stuff into bird or bake in pie pan. 

Tagliatelle Contadina or That Sausage Stuff with Peas

Got this off of an episode of Martha Stewart one day. It looked good. I made it. You all loved it. End of story. But we never called it by the right name. So it's just that Sausage Stuff with Peas. Here it is in the simplified un-Marthafied version.

3 TBS olive oil
3/4 cup cream or half n half
3 tomatos diced (Or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup defrosted frozen peas
2 TBS butter
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (or more if you want more)
1 lb tagliatelle pasta or some other pasta cooked and hot

3 hot Italian Sausages
3 mild Italian Sausages

Cut the meat out of the skins. Mix all the meat together. Or do the next best thing and buy the meat uncased and mix well. Sprouts usually has the meat uncased.

Cook the meat in a skillet with some olive oil. Break it up while cooking. As it's getting brown, add a sprinkle of sage and rosemary, 3/4 cup of cream (or half n half) and tomatoes. Stir and cook a couple of minutes. Add the peas and cook another minute. Add the butter, a few shakes of salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese with 2 more TBS cream. Cook another minute or two. Eat over pasta.

TATER TOT CASSEROLE!

No recipe collection from my family would be complete without the dazzle of that 1970s staple of TATER TOT CASSEROLE! Uncle Steve loves tater tot casserole. We had many friends who ate the same casserole in their homes growing up. I'm sure Jeremy and Jason still know the flavor of many nights eating Grandma Z's casserole at their kids table in the kitchen. It's simple, filling and a treat.

Can eat over rice if you need your rice fix. 

TATOR TOT CASSEROLE!

1 lb ground beef

1/2 onion finely diced

garlic powder

Brown all of this in a skillet. Drain the fatty liquid. Pour it into a casserole dish. Sprinkle a little cheddar on the meat. 

Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1/2 cup water. Pour over the meat. Mix a little. 

Top with tater tots. 

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. 

Enchilada Casserole of the Day

There are many enchilada casseroles. All of them are just lazy enchiladas because someone named Mom was too tired to roll them all up beautifully and cover them in a delicious sauce and then the pickiest eater won't eat it anyways. After all that work. Well. Not happening most days. It's easier to just throw it all in a pan, put it on cook for a half hour and hopefully get 10 minutes of a nap somewhere in there. Remember to line your pan with foil or you'll be soaking that pan overnight trying to get the baked tortilla cheese grit off of it.

Some Enchilada Casserole recipe I pulled out of my head one day

Good brand of corn tortillas

Shredded cheese

Mix these well:

garlic, onion, salt and pepper

Can diced green chilis

can diced tomatos

can of El Pato sauce of choice (I'd rather the green one but red or yellow is okay)

can of cream of mushroom soup

 1/2 can of water

amount of 3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or diced well (or ground beef)

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all ingredients together but the tortillas and cheese. This is your chicken mix. In a greased foiled pan, layer torn corn tortillas in a double layer. Add 1/2 the chicken mix. Sprinkle lots of cheese on it. Layer again with more tortillas. Add rest of chicken, sprinkle lots of cheese. Pour over it some Herdez green or red chili sauce. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or so. 

So you can basically take any enchilada recipe and casserole it, is what I'm saying. It won't look pretty but it's faster and less messy to make. Casserole style is so 1970s and this is what you all grew up with. 

Sangkap or Pork Guisantes

Best Sangkap can be found in Waipahu, Oahu at Elena's. There used to be a Las Vegas location but sadly it's no more. Since I can't go jetting off to Hawaii any time, here's what we eat to tide us over. Use pork chops, more better. Rufina is our family brand of patis (fish sauce). Make sure it's Filipino patis as Thai fish sauce and Vietnamese fish sauces have a different flavor style. 

First step make rice. Wash 3 times, then cook in rice cooker.

Sangkap or Pork Guisantes

1 1/2 lb lean pork, sliced into 1x1 1/2 pieces

1 TBS oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 can 8 oz tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar and patis (or more to taste)

2 tsp shoyu

1 stick cinnamon

1 bay leaf

salt

pepper

1 or 2 peeled and diced potatoes

10 oz package of frozen peas

1/2 cup pimientos (optional because you kids wouldn't eat them)

Saute pork and garlic. Add potato. Stir. Then add water, tomato sauce, vinegar, patis, cinnamon, shoyu, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally and cover while simmering for about 20 minutes or so. Add peas. Stir well then cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Smell the deliciousness and add pimientos. Take out the stick and bay leaf before serving over rice. 

Sandy's Buffalo Wing Dip

I went to this party once. It was a housewarming party and I was so late I had curlers in my hair. No, not really. I was actually EARLY and helped set up. While setting up, there was this dip I couldn't stop eating. I ate it until my stomach hurt. So I'm sharing it with all of you. Eat it until your stomach hurts because it's super simple and delicious. Courtesy of one of the coolest moms out there Sandy Dougherty. Thanks for the recipe!

Sandy's Buffalo Wing Dip

8 oz cream cheese
2 cans chicken in water, drained and shred the chunks
16 oz ranch dressing
2 cups shredded jack cheese or jack and cheddar
6 oz Franks buffalo wing sauce

Mix all in a crock pot. Set on high and stir as it melts. Cook until completely melted and gooey. Eat with corn chips or crackers. Or with a big spoon.

Eat until your stomach hurts.

Beef Empanadas

The filling can also be used for burritos, tacos, enchiladas. Just add a can of El Pato of your choice and it pops up the flavor. If you don't want to make the pastry, a can of pop biscuits may also be used.

Make sure you drain well, for empanadas. If runny, then you're not doing it right. 

Filling:

2 TBS butter

chopped onion

1 lb ground beef

2-3 large tomatos chopped or 1 large can diced

1 can chopped green chilies or 4-5 seeded and diced roasted green chilies 

salt, pinch of oregano, pinch of chili powder

optional: can of El Pato (yellow, red, or green)

Cook onions in butter until tender. Add beef, brown it up. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Drain. Eat in other things or let cool for empanadas. 

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 t salt

1/2 cup cold Crisco

4-5 TBS water

Mix dry. Cut in crisco like pie crust. Add water. Roll out and cut circles with large glass or biscuit cutter. Place 1 1/2-2 TBS filling in center. Fold over and seal with fork. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until browned OR deep fry those suckers until golden brown. 

Tortillas for when there is no place to buy them fresh

There is nothing like an amazingly hot fresh tortilla. Eat it plain, eat it with butter. We would buy fresh tortillas from La Fama in Glendale and eat a half dozen on the way home. They were the best. The factory recently had a car decide to fly at high speed into the tamale freezer and damage the supports for the whole building. RIP mi familia La Fama. Stevie and I grew up on those conchas and tortillas. Best tamales on the planet, too. I hope it works out for them to re-open. The other memorable tortillas I've had was when we stayed with the Villa brothers auntie in El Monte. She made tortillas while watching her stories on the tv and made sure we ate them for every meal and then took some on the road with us. They were delicious.

These recipes is for when you are living somewhere like Wahiawa or Guam or Korea and can't get some fresh from a Nana or street vendor. These will have to do. Making them into rounds is a gift this white west side girl hasn't perfected. Cindy told me hers always made into crackers. Mine always look like one of the 50 states of America in shape. Either way, they taste alright. The resting period helps the doughs properties call upon devil satan gluten to formulate into a delicious texture.

If you have a cast iron comal, it makes a world of difference. What, you have no comal on your stove right now? What's wrong with you. GET A COMAL. GET IT NOW. Season the heck out of it and use it for everything. Eric uses ours for grilled sandwiches, quesadillas and pancakes. That's how seasoned it is. Just wipes clean after every use. Okay, I'll shut up now. Recipes onward.

Flour tortillas 

8 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 TBS salt

1/2 cup LARD (shortening will have to do, but use Crisco. Not cheap watery store brand crap)

3 1/4 cups cold water

Mix dry. Add lard, blending in with clean hands. Add warm water a bit at a time and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead again for 10, cover,  let rest for 15. 

Pinch off small balls. Let rest again, covered, for 20-30 minutes. 

You can pat them between your hands until smooth and thin or you can gringa it out with a rolling pin. Either way, get them thin but not too thin. Or you have crackers. 

Heat comal or griddle. Add flattened tortilla and bake on one side until it bubbles. Flip quickly and let cook for another 30 seconds or so. Place on plate and cover with towel and make the rest quickly. 

Tortillas-that are supposed to be low fat but are easier to flatten out. 

6 cups flour

1 t. baking POWDER

1 t. salt

1 1/2 - 2 cups warm water

1/2 cup vegetable or corn oil

Mix dry. Add oil and blend. Add water slowly mix well. Knead, let rest 10 minutes. Make into balls, let rest again for 20 minutes. Roll out and bake on comal or griddle like above.  

Refried Beans are COMFORT FOOD

The staple of life. Beans. Oh wonderful beans. Many ways to make, here's mine. I learned from my other mom, Cindy Camacho how to make these so we could survive when no real stuff was around in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

BEANS

1 lb  dry pinto beans rinsed well pick out stones
few slices of bacon or large stick of salt pork
(if have neither then a scoop of bacon grease, yes seriously, it's for the flavor)

Add to large pot or crockpot. Fill with water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3-4 hours. Add water as needed.
 In crockpot cook on low for 9 hours or 6-7 hours on high.

When beans are soft, beans are done. Eat beans with shredded cheese, shake of Mrs. Dash or salt. Comfort food at its finest.

If you have beans leftover, put away. Keep all the bean water. Somehow overnight beans taste better refried, just like old rice is great for fried rice.

REFRIED:
get out the bacon grease or lard

In a large skillet, melt a TBS or so of grease over medium heat. Add scoops of beans. Mash well, stir, mash well. Add some bean water. Mash and stir. Add more beans. Mash and stir. Add more water. Mash and stir, keep going until you have what you want. Keep going with all the beans until you are done.

Salt a little then taste. Don't do like your dad did and dump a cupful and think they were wonderful. NO. They were awful. Don't ruin your beans with tons of salt. Eat beans with cheese, tortillas, by themselves. Just bask in the wonder that is the comfort food of beans.