Patty Pan Mock Apple Pie

My good friend, Linda, provided this wonderful recipe. Try it!

Pie Filling:
5 to 6 or nice sized Patty Pan Squash
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar or sweetener (to taste. I use the full cup because I like things sweet)
2 tbls honey (optional)
Enough water to help to "steam" the squash before adding the other ingredients.

Crisp Topping:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup sugar or sweetener
1 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon and/or Apple Pie Spice to taste

Directions:
Peel, seed and slice the patty pan into slices that look like thin apple slices.
In large frying pan add patty pan and enough water to half way cover the squash, cover and simmer until squash starts to get soft. Add water if needed until the squash starts to get soft. but make sure you leave some water in the pan, about 1/2 cups worth, when squash is soft make the sauce.
Add melted butter, vanilla, sugar or sweetener and honey (if using) to the pan and continue to cook on low heat until it starts to get browned and bubbly and thickens up. Add more water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
While this is cooking down, mix the almond flour, oatmeal, melted butter, sugar or sweetener, baking powder, and spices until a crumbly mixture forms. Add a little cream or water if you think it's too thick.

Once patty pan is cooked down and soft, and sauce is thickened put in a buttered or cooking sprayed pie pan, then add the crumble mixture on top. Spray with cooking spray and put in a 325 degree oven until bubbly and the crumble mixture on top getting golden.

Serve hot with ice cream or warm/cold with whipped cream topping of choice

My recipe for Lamb Curry

I am a big one for working with several recipes to create one that I like. Hence how this recipe came to be. I suggest you also play with the ingredients, adding more of what you like and lessening that which you don't. I wouldn't suggest adding more curry, however, as it has a tendency to make the dish a tad bitter, especially since its heated and when you heat spices, it releases the oils which makes them more powerful. Bon appetit!

Ground Lamb Curry with Vegetables

8-16 oz. ground lamb
2 large potatoes (peeled and diced into small cubes)
1 green pepper (diced or sliced thin)
1 red pepper (diced or sliced thin)
2 large carrots (sliced thin or diced small)
1 small onion, diced (Vidalia)
1 cup of frozen peas
1 small cooking onion
2 large cloves garlic
2 Tbl. pickled ginger or ginger root

Combine the following dry ingredients:
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbl. Curry
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbl. brown sugar

½ cup vegetable broth (or more if necessary)
1 cup orange juice (or pineapple)
1 can of canned coconut milk (light preferred)
1 Tbl. oil (canola)

This is a two part process.

Part One: The curry sauce
1) Puree ginger, onion and garlic in food processor until liquid
2) Sauté mixture in heated oil in a large sauté pan or quart sized pot for about 3 minutes
3) Lower heat to medium and add the dry powdered mixture and the vegetable broth.
4) Stir and heat until bubbling.
5) Lower heat to simmer. Add the juice and coconut milk.
6) Bring to simmer for a minute or two until thickened to a soupy consistency.
7) Turn off heat.

Part Two: The meat and vegetables

1) Saute the ground lamb until half way cooked
2) Add carrots, potatoes and onions and let cook with meat until starting to soften.
3) Add peas and peppers. Let simmer until heated through.
A few minutes before you eat, heat the sauce and add the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir well and heat all the way through. Serve hot over rice (jasmine preferred). You can accompany this dish with sides of raisins, Spanish peanuts, coconut and chutney that can be sprinkled on top of the curry.