Quick Peach Pie with Crumble Topping

Again the inspiration for this creation was the need to use up pantry items nearing expiration. It's funny how the idea of having to throw out food gets me to come up with some great ideas!

I had a reduced fat prepared graham cracker crust and frozen peaches in dire need of attention. With a little tender loving care, I created a delicious and decadent "semi" homemade pie.

I don't think I've ever made just a plain peach pie before. I've always added blueberries and made my own crust. In this case I figured the prepared graham crust would be a good complement to the peaches and the crumb topping really added an extra richness.

Speaking of richness, this a fairly rich pie. I did however, reduce the fat by using half the amount of butter than in traditional crumbles. I also cut the sugar. Don't worry it was absolutely fabulous! You can cut a lot of extra fat and calories without even noticing the difference in flavor.

Quick Peach Crumble Pie

1 prepared reduced fat graham cracker crust
1 egg white, beaten
1 16 oz. bag frozen peaches or 2 - 2 1/2 cups fresh peaches, sliced 1/4" thick
1/4 cup turbanado sugar, or regular white sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Crumble

1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brush pie crust with egg white and bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

If using frozen sliced peaches, spread them out on a cookie sheet to thaw and cut each slice in half to make them about 1/4" thick.

In a medium bowl, place peaches, 1/4 cup sugar, tapioca and salt. Stir and let stand for 15 minutes.

In the meanwhile prepare the crumble topping. Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, and spices with a fork until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Place peaches in the prepared crust and top with the crumb mixture. Place on top of a foil lined bake sheet.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 50-55 minutes or until topping is golden and peaches are bubbling and tender.

Italian Pesto Turkey Burgers

If you want to satisfy a burger craving, this is the answer!

Even though my Italian pesto turkey burgers are actually healthy, you'd hardly even notice. These quarter pounders offer a lighter alternative to the traditional beef patty, but truly pack a punch to your appetite. And even though they are lean, they are so juicy and flavorful.

To make this recipe even quicker and easier, you can use bottled pesto or do what I do ~ Make a batch of pesto without adding the cheese and freeze a portion of it in an ice cube tray. When the pesto is frozen, store it in a plastic freezer bag. When you're ready to use it, just take out a couple of cubes, let them defrost and mix in some grated parmigiano cheese. It also works great for quick pasta dishes, but in this case, add a little pasta water in addition to the cheese, to the pesto before mixing in the pasta. Give it a try!

Italian Pesto Turkey Burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey (I used dark meat, which is about 93% lean)
2 1/2 tablespoons basil pesto, plus more for topping on bun
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg white, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Regiano cheese, or parmesan in a pinch
1/4 cup bread crumbs, (I used Italian flavored panko breadcrumbs)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 light hamburger buns, toasted lightly on grill

Preheat grill on medium-high heat. (I used a stove top grill and heated it over medium heat)

1. Mix together pesto, egg white, garlic, parmigiano cheese, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Add the ground turkey and mix until evenly blended. (Do not over work the meat or it will be tough when cooked)
   
2. Form into 4 equal size patties.
3. Grill pesto burgers for about 4-5 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer. (Mine were cooked in about 8 minutes total.)
   
4. Place each burger atop a toasted bun, top with a slice of fresh tomato and spread additional pesto on the bun tops.
   

Fresh Pesto

Basil Right From The Garden...

My friend Jen's Garden that is. Since she had an abundance of basil, she gave me a big bag full.
I love the smell of fresh basil.

In my opinion, the best way to use fresh basil is to make pesto. It can be used in so many ways, but I decided to make a pasta dish with it.

It was simple, just ditallini pasta, chopped tomato, sliced black and green olives, steamed broccoli florets, steamed sliced carrots and steamed chopped green beans. Cook the pasta, drain, but add a little pasta water to the pesto to make a quick sauce, then toss all ingredients together. Delicious!!

Here is a pesto recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis with some revisions that I made.

Pesto

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves (I used 4 cups)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (This was my addition-I like the combination, plus the parsley helps the pesto retain it's vibrant green color)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (light roast nuts in small skillet until lightly toasted and fragrant)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
about 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (For the best flavor, use freshly grated Parmigiano Regiano)

In blender, (I used a food processor) pulse basil, nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper until finely chopped. Gradually add enough oil to form a smooth, thick consistency (while blender is running). Transfer to bowl and add cheese*. Season with more salt and pepper as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

*Note: If you don't plan on using the whole batch right away, put some aside and do not add the cheese. Spoon the pesto without the cheese into an ice cube try and freeze. (The cheese tends to break down in the freezer). When frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a freezer bag. When you are ready to use them, just thaw them in the refrigerator and then add the cheese.