Celebrate Pi(e) Day With 6 Mouthwatering Jewish Recipes
Image by Anya Ulinich
It’s March 14 so it’s time to pig out on pie in honor of Pi Day. It’s a day to celebrate the mathematical constant number Pi, which you all remember from 6th grade geometry.
People celebrate Pi Day in many ways: MIT mails out its acceptance letters today, Princeton, New Jersey has a Pi celebration in combination with Albert Einstein’s birthday, and many people celebrate by eating pie.
Here are some sweet and savory pie recipes to bake today.
Deep-Dish Caramel Apple Pie
For the crust and topping:
1½ cup almonds
¾ cup walnuts
¾ cup pecans
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pitted Medjool dates
For the caramel sauce:
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked in warm water until soft and then drained
2/3 cups non-dairy milk, such as coconut, oat, almond or hempseed milk, either store-bought or homemade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
For the filling:
3 medium red apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
To make the crust:
1) Combine the almonds, walnuts, pecans and salt in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the raisins, ¼ cup at a time, pulsing in between additions until well-incorporated. Add the dates and pulse until the mixture is sticky but still crumbly. Measure out 1 cup of the crust mixture and set it aside.
2) Transfer the remaining crust mixture to a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate (lined with parchment paper for easy removal, if desired). Press the mixture thinly, firmly and evenly onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Set aside the pan while you make the sauce and filling.
To make the caramel sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, up to 3 days.
To make the filling and assemble the pie:
1) Combine the sliced apples with lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the caramel sauce and toss again until the apple slices are coated with the caramel.
2) Transfer the apple mixture, and any extra sauce lingering in the bottom of the bowl, into the reserved crust, arranging the apples and patting them down so they create a flat, even layer.
3) Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture on top of the apple filling.
4) Dehydrate at 115˚ F for 5-6 hours, until the pie is barely warmed through, or bake in a preheated oven at 250˚F for 20-25 minutes, until warmed throughout, or just refrigerate until ready to serve.
5) To store, wrap snugly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
From “Practically Raw Desserts” © 2013 by Amber Shea Crawley. Used with permission from Vegan Heritage Press.
Chickpea Pizza With Harissa And Spinach Image by Molly Yeh
Chickpea Pizza With Harissa and Spinach
Makes two personal pizzas
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
A few cracks of black pepper
1 cup water
Olive oil, to coat the pan
About 2 tablespoons harissa* (this amount may vary depending on your taste and how hot your harissa is)
1/2 large onion, chopped and caramelized
1 cup packed fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
*For homemade harissa, I recommend “Jerusalem’s recipe. I like using Fresno chiles so that it’s not too hot, which means I can pile it on my pizza.
1) Preheat oven to high broil.
2) In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and then whisk in the water. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.
3) Heat a large oven safe skillet on the stove over medium heat and coat the bottom with oil. Pour in half of the batter and tilt the pan to distribute it evenly. It will be about 8-10 inches. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom is browned and comes away easily from the pan, and then flip to do the same on the other side.
4) Remove the crust from the heat. Spread on the harissa and top with half of the onion, spinach, and mozzarella. Place in the oven for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
5) Repeat with the other half of the batter and toppings. Leftovers are great the next morning cold!
Enjoy!
Image by JCarrot
Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
3 tablespoons oil
3 pounds ground beef/lamb/turkey
2 medium onions, chopped
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 can tomato paste
6 servings prepared instant mashed potatoes
Water or soy milk to go with the mashed potatoes
6 potatoes
1) Put ground meat (you can mix whatever you have available) along with onion, tomato paste, parsley, nutmeg and a dash of salt and pepper in a pot. Cook until meat has browned.
2) While these are cooking, boil whole potatoes in water until soft. Then peel and mash.
3) Make instant mashed potatoes as directed, substituting soy milk or additional water for milk.
4) To assemble, use the instant mashed potatoes to cover the bottom and sides of an 8”x10” casserole dish. Then fill the potato crust with the meat filling. Top with the real mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Definitely bake uncovered, as the best part is the crusty part of the mashed potatoes.
Image by thinkstock
Luscious Lemon Pie
Filling and Crust
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons milk
1 8-inch baked pie shell
Fluffy meringue: 1/2 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup water 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 egg whites (reserved from above) beaten until stiff 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To Make Lemon Filling: In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Turn on heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in butter.
Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Place the saucepan back on the burner and slowly bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue gently over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
Place in heated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.
Image by Jean Hanks
Pizza With Mushrooms & Truffle-Studded Goat Cheese
The key to this pizza is to use whatever mushrooms look good and fresh at the market. We always have a pie made with just cremini mushrooms that has a bit more of a working-class personality but tastes amazing. This pizza, in contrast, is more upscale. Look for a truffle-studded ash-y goat cheese such as Truffle Tremor by Cypress Grove.
Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza
Semolina flour for dusting
One 6½-ounce ball Gjelina Pizza Dough, proofed and stretched until 10 to 12 inches in diameter
4 ounces mushrooms, such as cremini or chanterelle, sliced ¼ inch thick if large; small ones halved or left whole
2 tablespoon best-quality olive oil
¼ teaspoon Maldon sea salt
2 ounces truffled goat cheese, such as Truffle Tremor
1½ ounce fontina cheese
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1) Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat the oven to the highest possible setting, at least 500° F, for 1 hour. Lightly dust a pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet with semolina flour. Using your forearms or the backs of your hands, transfer the stretched round of dough to the prepared peel.
2) In a small bowl, toss together the mushrooms, olive oil and sea salt. Scatter the mushrooms generously over the dough, almost covering the whole base. Crumble the goat cheese over the mushrooms. With a vegetable peeler, shave the fontina over the top. Be somewhat sparing with the cheese, as it will spread in the oven.
3) Slide the dough onto the pizza stone in the oven and bake, allowing it to bubble up and rise, 4 to 5 minutes. Once the rim starts to look pillowy and airy, using the pizza peel, turn the pizza 180 degrees to ensure that it browns evenly all over. It’s ready when the rim is a deep golden brown and beginning to char, and the bottom of the pizza is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes total.
4) Using the peel or rimless baking sheet, transfer the pizza to a cutting board or a baking sheet with a rim. Scatter the thyme leaves on top. Slice and serve hot.
Recipe reprinted from “Gjelina: Cooking From Venice, California,” by Travis Lett with permission from Chronicle Books.
Image by iStock
Sam’s Cherry Pie
Cherry Pie Filling
4 cups cherries
3 tablespoons tapioca
1 to 1½ cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cherry juice or syrup (optional)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1) In a medium bowl, mix cherries and other ingredients. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.
2) Pour mixture into bottom pastry crust. Cover with second crust. Cut slits in top crust and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for approximately 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Note: These days sweet cherries are easier to find than tart ones, and often sold in jars in light syrup or frozen. Adjust sugar according to taste.
Perfect Piecrust
Reprinted with permission from “Cook This Now” by Melissa Clark
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably a high-fat, European-style butter such as Plugra, chilled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 to 5 tablespoons ice water
1) In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 1-second pulses.) Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture is just moist enough to hold together.
2) Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic, and flatten into a disc. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out and baking. Makes 1 (9-inch) single piecrust; recipe can be doubled for a double crust (as Sam made it); divide the dough into two balls to form two discs before chilling.
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