This week’s mission: impossible pie

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/09/2009 (5872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Marian Busilla had lost a recipe for impossible pie, where everything is mixed together into a pie plate and separates into a crust, filling and topping while baking.

I received many versions, some readers sending in several, from the most common coconut, to shrimp, bacon, vegetable, taco and pumpkin. Thank you all for the great response. I will keep them on file, and if there is interest in other variations, let me know and I can feature more in the future.

I contacted Marian and it was the coconut pie made without Bisquick mix that she was looking for, and the most popular version follows. Thanks to Janis Richards, Stella Scherbatiuk, Helen Smith, Lil Olinyk, Edith Whitworth, Marion Smith, Mary Jones, Faye Serofin, Sara Friesen, Michelle Tersigni, Rosemary Chapman, Maureen Blake, Bev Harris Gray, Kim Houston, Sylvia Kehler, Maureen Grant, Joan Buttazoni of Barwick, Ont., Marion Hodgson of Roland, Eugene and Anne Gosselin of Ashern, Tamara Greenlay of Holland, Elsie Reid of The Pas, Rhonda Lavallee of St. Marks, M. Hadaller of Anola, Dorothy Nagazine of Morden, Joyce Francis of Kenora, Ont., Edna Mroz of Beausejour, Sherron Litkowich of Oakbank, Stella Beaudette of St. Jean Baptiste, Dorothy Preteau of St. Malo, and Diane Hannesson of West St. Paul. Thanks also to Janet Bider, who sent in her favourite lasagna version that is also published today.

For those of you who saved last week’s turkey burger recipe, the spice after the 10 ml (2 tsp) measurement was cut off and is chili powder. Another pie request to fill comes from Suzanne Golden, who hopes someone may have the old recipe for the black-bottom pie that was served at the Town and Country restaurant that was on Edmonton Street years ago. She writes that it is her husband’s all-time favourite dessert, but she has never been able to find a recipe that duplicates the restaurant’s.

Wendy Lazer has been reminiscing about a recipe her mother used to make that was on the Paulin’s graham wafer box. Besides graham wafer crumbs, it also contained coconut and perhaps cinnamon.

Lastly, a couple of jam requests. Frank Novotny would appreciate jam recipes for saskatoons and blueberries, and Lil Skabar is missing the measurements for a particular rhubarb jam recipe. Rhubarb, pineapple and sugar are boiled together for 20 minutes, then removed from heat and strawberry Jell-O is added. Can anyone help?

If you can help with a recipe request, have your own request, or a favourite recipe you’d like to share, send an e-mail to recipeswap@freepress.mb.ca, fax it to 697-7412, or write to Recipe Swap, c/o Darlene Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6. Please include your first and last name, address and telephone number.

 

Impossible coconut pie

 

4 eggs

125 ml (1/2 cup) butter

125 ml (1/2 cup) flour

500 ml (2 cups) milk

250 ml (1 cup) white sugar

250 ml (1 cup) coconut

10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla

1 ml (1/4 tsp) nutmeg (optional)

 

Blend eggs, butter, flour, milk, sugar, coconut, vanilla and nutmeg in a blender. Pour into a greased 25 cm (10-inch) deep-dish pie plate and bake at 175 C (350 F) for about one hour, or less if using a glass pan, until centre feels firm. Flour settles to form a crust, the centre is a custard filling, and the coconut forms a topping.

 

Taste Tester Notes: If you like coconut and custard pie, this is so quick and easy to make. I liked it with the nutmeg included. Some recipes called for only 60 ml (1/4 cup) butter. The butter is not melted before using.

 

Impossible lasagna pie

 

450 g (1 lb) ground beef

5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano

2 ml (1/2 tsp) dried basil

156 ml (5.5 oz) can tomato paste

250 ml (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

125 ml (1/2 cup) creamed cottage cheese

60 ml (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

250 ml (1 cup) milk

160 ml (2/3 cup) Bisquick mix

2 eggs

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

1 ml (1/4 tsp) pepper

Cook and stir ground beef over medium heat until brown; drain. Stir in oregano, basil, tomato paste and 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the mozzarella cheese.

Place a layer of cottage cheese and then Parmesan into greased 25 cm (10-inch) deep-dish pie plate. Spoon beef mixture over top. Beat milk, Bisquick, eggs and salt and pepper until smooth. Pour into plate.

Bake at 205 C (400 F) until knife inserted comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

 

Taste Tester Notes: This is indeed very lasagna-like and very good. I reduced the salt to 2 ml (1/2 tsp).