Fiesta Beef Pot Pie

I baked another pie, a savory pie. I'm into pie lately because I looove flaky crusts. We still have a few pieces of beef empanadas I made last week but that did not stop me from making a beef pie for lunch today. This is my favorite beef pie recipe adapted from a 1990 Good Housekeeping magazine issue which I have clipped, saved, and filed in a binder with all the other magazine/newspaper recipes. (I should probably organize and put them in my computer already.) The ingredients that make this pie so delicious are the corn meal, toasted wheat germ, and grated cheese in its crust. I love its flavors and textures paired with the slightly spicy Tex-Mex seasoning of the beef and vegetables filling.

*This pie recipe by Mary King was the Grand-Prize Winner of Crisco's 1990 American Pie Celebration.

Fiesta Beef Pot Pie

beef and vegetable filling
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1½ pounds very lean stew beef, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, or 2 C chopped fresh tomatoes
1½ cups sweet corn kernels
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup water
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ cup sliced ripe olives

flaky Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup very cold diced butter
1/3 cup very cold diced butter flavor Crisco
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 - 10 tablespoon ice water
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons water

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil and saute beef until well browned. Add garlic, onions, and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except olives. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in olives, set aside to cool slightly.
• Prepare the crust: In a bowl combine flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, and salt. With your fingertips cut in butter, Crisco, and cheese until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ice water 1 T at a time until it forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll one ball into an 11-inch circle. Ease into a pie plate. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spoon filling into pie crust. Roll the other dough into an 11-inch circle. Lift top crust onto filled pie. Cut slits on top crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Fold top edge under bottom crust, flute or pinch. Glaze with egg wash or heavy cream. Bake fro 35 minutes or until meat filling begins to bubble and crust is golden brown. Sprinkle top with more shredded cheese, if desired.

spicy juicy beef filling in crunchy cheese-y flaky crust

Thai Green Curry

Thai cuisine has been a favorite since I tasted my first Pad Thai and Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes) at Flavours and Spices restaurant at Mile Long Shopping center when the place was just a tiny hole in the wall, where you can watch the cook prepare the food you ordered. This was 20 years ago, before they moved to that big place at Greenbelt. (I wonder if they are still in business with Thai restaurants mushrooming in Manila like crazy). My office mates and I would go to Makati from the old Asian Development Bank Headquarters at Roxas Blvd in Pasay City, ignoring the traffic and the mild reprimand of our bosses for getting back late from lunch. In my opinion nothing can match Flavours and Spices (in the Philippines and US) in authenticity and taste except of course, in Thailand where the best Thai food I had was in a very small restaurant in Patpong, yes the red light district Patpong in Bangkok. Last night I made beef and tofu green curry, I think I overcooked the tiny eggplants and my sauce always comes out green/brown because I use the Thai ready made green curry paste which is a little brownish. It does not matter, the curry tastes excellent. I usually prepare Thai curry with lots of sauce to pour over rice. I'll never get tired of this food.

Thai Beef Green Curry
½ pound sliced thin very lean beef
1 brick cubed firm tofu
2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
2 tablespoons fish extract
3 makrut lime leaves, fresh or dried
10 halved Thai tiny green eggplants
1 cup fresh Thai basil (no substitutes)
1 large can coconut milk.

• If using tougher cut of beef, boil in ½ cup of thin coconut milk for 30 minutes. While boiling, saute curry paste in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 1 minute, add coconut milk, lime leaves, tofu and fish sauce or extract, simmer for 15 minutes, then add the beef, eggplants and half of the basil, simmer for 5 minutes, add the rest of the basil, turn off heat. Dish up and serve with hot steamed jasmine rice.