Valeries Cheesy Salami Pie Food

VALERIE'S ITALIAN VEGGIE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 5 minutes. Add the shallots and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach, Italian seasoning, a large pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, a few minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Pat the crescent roll dough into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sauteed vegetables, mozzarella, Parmesan and eggs. Pat the mixture into the crescent roll dough.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

VALERIE'S COMFY CASSOULET

Steps:

• For the cassoulet: Combine the dried beans, 1 tablespoon salt and 8 cups hot water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for 1 hour, until the beans are "al dente" (softened but still with some bite). Drain the beans and rinse under cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the bacon lardons. Slowly render the fat out of the bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• Increase the heat to medium and add the sausages to the rendered bacon fat. Brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on the baking sheet.
• Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches, add the chicken to the Dutch oven and cook until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on the baking sheet.
• Stir the onions, carrots, fennel and celery into the rendered fat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste; cook for another 2 minutes, until evenly combined with the vegetables and just beginning to toast. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, white beans, parsley, rosemary and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
• Cut the sausages on the bias into thin rounds and add them to the pot along with the bacon, stirring to combine. Transfer the cassoulet to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with the chicken thighs and drumsticks; drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the chicken.
• Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the top of the cassoulet turns a rich, deep brown color, the liquid has reduced and the beans have risen to the surface, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• For the breadcrumb topping: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the breadcrumbs and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and parsley.
• To serve: Garnish the cassoulet with the breadcrumb topping and some fennel fronds. Serve immediately!

TOM'S MOM'S APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Place the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse once or twice to evenly incorporate. Add the butter and lard and pulse until the fat is broken down into pea-size pieces, 5 to 6 pulses. Add the cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the cold water and pulse to combine. Continue adding a tablespoon of water at a time and pulsing after each addition until the dough just comes together (you may not need the full 1/3 cup water). Remove the dough from the food processor and form a third of the dough (about 9 ounces) into a disk. Form the remaining two-thirds of the dough (about 1 pound) into another disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the dough disks from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes to take the chill off.
• For the filling: Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Put the apple slices in a large bowl and stir in the sugar mixture and orange juice. Mix to combine.
• Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the larger disk of dough into a 13-inch round. Transfer to a 10-inch pie dish. Pour the apple filling into the shell and then evenly distribute the butter pieces over the apples. Roll out the second disk of dough into an approximately 11-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into six strips, about 11 inches long by 1 1/4 inches thick.
• Form a lattice top by laying 3 parallel dough strips vertically across the pie. Fold the middle strip of dough in half back over itself and lay one piece of dough horizontally across the middle of the pie, perpendicular to the other dough strips. Fold the original strip of dough back down. Next, lift the other two strips of dough and fold them back over themselves. Lay another strip of dough perpendicular to the folded-over dough pieces. Fold those pieces back down and repeat on the other side with the remaining piece of dough. Trim the dough around the edges of the pie dish so there is no more than a 1/2-inch overhang.
• Fold the bottom crust up and over the edges of the lattice top and crimp the edges together between your forefingers and thumbs. Place the pie on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges with foil or a pie crust shield. Return to the oven and continue to bake until the filling begins to bubble, another 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool at least 1 hour.
• For the mascarpone whipped cream: Combine the mascarpone, cream and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks and is thick. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (This can be made the day before.)
• Cut the pie into slices and top with the mascarpone whipped cream.

VALERIE'S CHEESY SALAMI PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Pat the crescent roll dough into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
• In a large bowl, mix together the salami, mozzarella, Parmesan and eggs. Pat the mixture into the crescent roll dough.
• Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.