Russian Carrot Pie

If Bugs Bunny made pumpkin pie...

This is a family recipe I've eaten a few times, and I never grow tired of it. Everyone I know who's ever tried it loves it as well. If recipes were gold, this one would be worth a fortune. Add a salad on the side, some bread and cheese, a glass of wine perhaps, and you've got a great, low fat healthy summer or winter meal. One that can be made anytime, with relatively little effort, and time. And that's despite the fact that you'll be making the pie shell from scratch! Just stick around a few, I'll show you how to do that.....


Ingredients

1 container cottage cheese
3/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded
2 onions, chopped
2 T butter
2 lb. carrots, grated
1 T flour
1 c flour (for pie shell)
1 egg
1 T dill, dried (or 3T fresh)
salt & pepper (ie. 1/4t - 1/2t)
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c very cold water

Instructions

Pie shell

To a 9" glass Pyrex pie plate, add the 1c flour. Make a hole in the middle with a large spoon. Pour the oil and (very cold) water together into a container with a tight lid, and shake vigorously to mix them together. Then pour this mix into the hole in the flour on the pie plate. Using the spoon, carefully mix the liquid and flour together, until they form a dough. Then with the back of the spoon, press the dough into the pie plate, until it forms a cohesive shell. (You can use your fingers to pinch along the outer rim of the pie dough, to both create a knurled effect, and cover the side of the pie plate with dough). Your pie dough is now ready for filling.

Filling

Grate the carrots. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the cottage cheese, dill, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper to taste (but don't taste it.... there's raw egg in there!). Melt the butter on med. low (do not let burn) and sauté the onions in that, until they are translucent, but not browned. Add the grated carrots, stir, and cook 5-10 minutes on low, until reduced. Add the flour to this mix and cook, stirring, for a minute or so longer. Remove from heat and transfer the carrot mixture over the bowl containing the cottage cheese/egg mixture; combine well. Carefully pour this into the pie shell, bake at 350F for 30 - 35min. until the filling is set, and the shell is light golden brown. Remove, let cool before slicing.