Test and Trial Friday

I am actually excited to talk about my recipes this weeks. Yes I have two this week, an turkey dish and a pastry. I am not going to lie I was more excited about doing my apple pie than the Swiss Turkey Bundles, but who wouldn't be excited for Apple pie.

Monday night I made Swiss Turkey Bundles for my husband and my self to enjoy for dinner. It was a little bit more complicated dish then I have been doing so I was a little nervous and asked Christopher stay close just in case I mess up. I am so thankful he was around I ended up needing a little help making the cheese sauce ( I have never done that before). after they came our of them oven we sat down to enjoy a wonderful meal. I recommend this dish because it is so good and once finish is tastes so amazing.

The following evening I made homemade Apple Pie, which included making my own pie crust, (My husband refuses to let me cut any corners.) I believe at my least favorite part about the entire experience was having to peel and de-seed the six apples that the recipe needed. I loved making the pastry, until I tried to roll it out without a rolling pin (BIG mistake). Originally I was making a covered Apple pie which turned in to a Lattice Pie top (Criss Cross). Add a little Vanilla ice cream and I was set. I am looking forward to the new and exciting recipes that the world holds for me next week.

Swiss Turkey Bundles - making 8 servings
8 dried lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
2 cups ricotta cheese or cream-style cottage cheese, drained
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked Turkey or chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh tarragon or basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or basil, crushed
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded process Swiss Cheese

1. Cook Lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again

2.Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta, turkey, and basil/tarragon

3. Grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. To assemble bundles spread about 1/3 cup of filling over each Lasagna noodle. Starting from a short end, roll up Lasagna noodles. Place bundles seam side down in the prepared baking dish, set aside.

4. For sauce, in a medium saucepan belt butter. Stir in flour, mustard, slat, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Gradually add cheese, stirring until melted after each addition. Pour sauce over Lasagna bundles.

5. Cover and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer lasagna bundles to dinner plates. Stir sauce in baking dish; spoon the sauce over the bundles.

347 CAL., 17 g. TOTAL FAT (8g SAT. FAT), 92 mg CHOL., 523 mg SODIUM, 22g CARBS., 25 g PRO.)

Home-made Apple Pie

Pastry:Two-Crust Pie (9 in)

2 cups all-purpose flour* or unbleached flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

4 to 6 tablespoons cold water.

Apple Filling

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

dash of salt

6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples

2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine

2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon sugar

1. In a medium Bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is  is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

2. Gather pastry into a ball and divide in half and shape into two flatten rounds on a lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

3. Roll pastry on lightly surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; or roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Unfold or unroll pastry and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

4. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in apples. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over apples. Cover with Top pastry that has slits in it; seal and flute.

5. Brush top crust with 2 teaspoons water; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover edge with 2- to 3- inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.

6.Bake at 425 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and jucie begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours.

* if using self-rising flour, omit salt.