Uncle Bills Fig Pie Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S FIG PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry disk to make a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving overhang. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Trader Joes store has an excellent pie crust that you can just unwrap and use.).
• Place figs in a medium bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well.
• Sprinkle mixture over figs, and toss to cover.
• Transfer fig mixture to pie crust and dot top with butter.
• Roll out second pie pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips.
• Carefully weave dough strips in a lattice pattern over pie. Trim edges of lattice pastry flush with rim of pie plate. Roll dough overhanging from bottom pastry up over lattice edges and crimp decoratively.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden.
• Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

UNCLE BILL'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• In a medium size saucepan, add cubed potatoes, cover with water and cook until tender; about 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes when cooked; mash and set aside.
• In the meantime, in a large frying pan, add oil and butter and heat to melt on medium heat.
• In a bowl, combine ground beef, ground lamb, onions, garlic, beaten eggs, Worcestershire sauce and mix well to incorporate.
• Add mixture to frying pan and cook until beef is browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Now add carrots, petite peas, cauliflower florets, chopped zucchini, mushrooms, tomato paste, chili powder, seasoning salt, garlic salt, spaghetti seasoning and dry mustard; mix well and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often.
• Prepare a 7" x 10" or a 8" x 8" casserole dish by rubbing interior with butter or spraying with a vegetable oil.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Transfer beef mixture to prepared casserole dish, level and pat down slightly with a spatula.
• Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the top.
• Bake in preheated 325°F oven for 30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.
• Now sprinkle the grated cheese over the potatoes and return to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes to set before cutting into 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch squares.
• Serve with a dollop of ketchup if desired.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• Reheat 2 squares at a time in a microwave proof dish, on HIGH (full power) for 3 minutes or until nice and hot.

UNCLE BILL'S STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE

Steps:

• Cut kidney in half; remove fat, tubes and membranes and discard.
• Soak kidney in salted water for 2 hours.
• Trim fat from steak and discard.
• Cut steak and kidney into 1 inch cubes.
• Dredge in flour.
• In a large frying pan, heat oil on medium-high.
• Add kidney and steak and fry until brown on all sides.
• Add onion; cook until soft but not brown.
• Add boiling water, enough to cover the meat.
• Add salt, pepper, basil and Worcestershire sauce; cover and simmer for 2 hours.
• Stir in mushrooms and peas.
• Pour contents into a 9" x 9" oven-proof casserole dish.
• Cover with a biscuit dough crust.
• Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
• Serve while hot.

UNCLE BILL'S SOUTHERN STYLE PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine graham wafer crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans; mix well.
• Add 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine and using a pastry blender, work the mixture until crumbs are formed.
• Prepare a 9" x 13" x 2" deep, oven-proof casserole dish by spraying the inside with a vegetable oil.
• Dust inside with 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, discarding any excess flour.
• Spoon crumb mixture into casserole dish and using a potato masher that has square slots, press to about 1/4" thickness.
• Using a rounded spoon, press the crumb mixture 3/4 of the way up the sides to about 1/4" thickness.
• In a preheated 400 F oven, bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.
• In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine brown sugar and flour.
• Add eggs one at a time and whisk well until smooth.
• Add corn syrup, melted butter, salt and vanilla extract and whisk well to blend.
• Add raisins and 2 cups of chopped pecans and stir well to mix.
• Layer the bottom with 1 cup of whole pecans in no particular pattern; just random.
• Spoon mixture carefully over the pecans.
• Some of the pecans may float and this is okay.
• Reduce oven heat to 375 F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is slightly puffed and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
• When cooled, refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of icecream.

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN STRIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove all fat from chicken breasts and cut into 1 inch by 4 inch strips. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. In a plastic resealable bag mix together the bread crumbs, grated cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper and dill weed.
• Dip each chicken strips into buttermilk mixture, then into bread crumb mixture (about 4 strips at a time), and toss to coat well. Place strips in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle with melted butter/margarine. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning once after about 8 minutes of baking time.

UNCLE BILL'S CREAMED YOUNG BEETS AND TOPS

Steps:

• Snip off the thin portion of the young beet root and discard.
• Wash the small beet with the beet tops well in cold water.
• Place the beet tops in a large cooking pot.
• Cover with cold water and bring to boil.
• Cover and cook for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the greens just start to wilt.
• Immediately remove the beets into a large frying pan using a slotted spoon.
• Add butter and fry on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often.
• Now add the whipping cream, salt and pepper.
• Stir to coat beets and continue to fry until the whipping cream is reduced and starts to thicken into a creamy sauce, about 3 minutes.
• Serve along with your dinner meal.
• You may also use larger fresh beet top greens, but remove most of the stem from the leaves and discard.
• If desired, you can also use larger beets, but firstly peel them and cut them into very small cubes.
• Cook the cubed beets in water for about 4 minutes before adding the beet greens.
• Then continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
• Proceed in the same method as for the young beets.
• This method also works well for Swiss Chard.