Another Oldie But Goodie - Russian Carrot Pie

Yes, I just titled this post as that.  Sorry. :P

But this one IS an old recipe - one I grew up with. And it IS good - delicious, in fact - and I consider it one of my favorites.  On top of that, it sounds complicated but isn't, which in my opinion, makes it a fantastic recipe.  It's also somewhat unique - it's not your basic down home recipe that you'll find a million slight variations of (though, of course I've put my own variations on it). Oh, and it's originally from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen, which by now, you should know is my favorite cookbook of all time. 

Russian Carrot Pie

   1 pie crust(yup, yet again I cheat and buy a frozen pre-made one)
   3 Tbs. butter
   1 cup minced onions
   1/2 tsp salt
   1 lb.carrots, thinly sliced
   1 Tbs.flour
   1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
   1/2 cup grated mozzarella
   1 egg, beaten
   1-2 Tbs dill weed (to taste)
   3 Tbs. wheat germ

   paprika

   ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet (and yes, it needs to actually be large to fit all those carrots). Saute onions and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft (about 5-8 minutes).  Mix in the carrots and the flour.  Cook and stir until the carrots are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, mix together the cheese and the egg.  Add the cooked carrot mixture (it's ok if it's still hot) and mix well.  Stir in the wheat germ, black pepper and dill.  Spread into the pie crust.  Sprinkle the top of the pie with a generous amount of paprika (it looks pretty).  Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees then turn the oven down to 350F and bake it another 30 minutes.  Let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting it so it can set.

I like to serve this with some sort of green vegetable (my go-to's are asparagus or broccoli), and a baked potato. 

Enjoi!