Pumpkin Pie and Whole Wheat Press-In Crust

I am always adapting and tinkering with my favorite recipes. Here's the latest version of an old favorite. You can really taste the pumpkin because it is not overly sweet. We like to eat it for dinner.

Ingredients and instructions for 1 pie (9-10 inch) or 3 mini pies (6 inch)

Pie crust:

1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup corn oil
6 Tbs white or brown sugar (the sugar is the glue holding the crust together)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (less if using regular salt or white flour)

Mix ingredients with fingers so it is pebbly. Press into pie pan with fingers. Prick dough on the pan bottom with a fork. It can be sticky and hard to handle but hang in there, it will be delicious.

Bake at 350° F for 5-10 minutes. Then let it cool.

Tip from Once Upon a Chef Jenn Segal: Press the crust into the bottom of the pan with the back of a measuring cup.  This will make sure the crust is in the pan nice and firm, so that it won't fall apart when you cut this for serving.

Pie filling:

1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/8 cup of dark molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (half if using regular salt)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used freshly finely grated frozen ginger root)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 small can of pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
1 can of evaporated milk (12 fl. oz.)

Mix sugar, dark molasses, cinnamon, salt, ginger, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl. Whisk in pumpkin puree and evaporated milk. 

Pour into the pre-baked, cooled pie shells.

Bake pie in preheated 425° F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 more minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Some bakers use sweetened condensed milk so I tried it but I discovered that it is cloyingly sweet and drowns out the pumpkin taste compared to a pie made with evaporated milk and 1/4 cup sugar. The evaporated milk pumpkin pie is much more like Indian Pudding and tastes like a food!

Michael Rushlow's Potato Salad

Pressure Cooker German Potato Salad
Print
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Author: Michael Rushlow
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4
A speedy pressure cooker preparation of the classic warm German Potato Salad

http://pressurecookerconvert.com/pressure-cooker-german-potato-salad/

Ingredients

6 slices thick-cut bacon (about ½ lb.)
2 lb. red potatoes, cut in ½"-3/4" chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 splash worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (grainy or Dijon both work fine)
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley

Instructions

Put pressure cooker pot over medium high heat
Roughly chop the raw bacon (you can leave it whole if you have a large pot, but I do it this way because it fits better)
Put bacon in pot and fry until crisp (around 15 min. total)
Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate
In the bacon fat, saute onions until translucent (do not brown)
Chop the crisp bacon fine and add back to the pot
Add potatoes to the pot
Add in vinegar, broth, worcestershire sauce, mustard, celery seed, sugar and a little salt and pepper
Turn heat to high, cover pressure cooker and bring to high pressure
When high pressure is reached, lower heat to maintain high pressure and set timer for 5 minutes
When timer sounds, remove from heat and let sit for two minutes then do a cold water release
Adjust salt and pepper to taste
Stir in the parsley, then let it cool (it can be served warm, or put in the refrigerator to be served later (I served it cold).

Everybody Eats

Years ago I went to the Columbus Day festival on federal hill and a man hawking sausage and peppers was shouting "Everybody eats!" I laughed and he changed his phrase to "get your sausage and peppers here."

The Urban Mermaid

I have been LAZY about posting here. I've been posting all of my food related posts on my other blog, http://theurbanmermaid.blogspot.com/

Potato Salad and Coleslaw and a Chicken Stir Fry

I just took my five pounds of potatoes and made German Potato salad in my Presto pressure cooker and then I mixed up a bucket of coleslaw. I hope to make a lemon peanut soy sauce and hot sauce dressing for cubed chicken, to be eaten with these other foods. When I am insatiably hungry I need to cook a lot, in advance of mealtime. This way I know there will be food ready and that it will last for a few days.