Chicken Pot Pie for the Family

                                   Chicken Pot Pie

You know what I love? Yes, I do love that, and that and yes, lots of things…but I really love chicken pot pie! Just ya, soooo good. Luckily my family likes it also, so whenever I have leftover chicken, I make an excuse to make chicken pot pie. So tonight, I am making chicken pot pie (yes, I am just typing chicken pot pie as much as possible)

Planting taters!

Of course I like anything that starts with sautéing an onion, garlic and various and sundry vegetables. Sometimes I add potatoes from the huge bags that keep showing up from generous famers, but I didn't this time. I don't know why? I got to watch them plant potatoes last week in the field next to me! So cool. So anyways...here we go!

Recipe and stream of consciousness commentary:

In a large saute pan on medium heat add:

1 teaspoon of oil and a pat of butter (I just love the taste of vegetables and butter)

½ onion, chopped (and if you can hunt and gather it from a field near by your house, go for it …ps it was legal they had already harvested…we just hunted and gathered what was leftover)

2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through that cool garlic press thing…I guess it is called a garlic press, who knew?Probably you...

Sauté those for a bit and then add:

3 carrots peeled and diced

3 celery stalks, chopped

½-1 cup of peas (just depending on your love of peas and how much is left over in the freezer

Once all these veggies are soft and fragrant (ps I add a pinch of salt to them as they cook down)

Add:

¾ cups of flour and stir it into the vegetables for a minute

Stir in:

 2 cups of chicken broth

½ cup milk (I had some sour cream so I put a dollop of it in also

Add salt and pepper to taste and viola! You made your own cream of chicken soup with vegetables!

Turn to medium-low and stir until thick and bubbly. If too think add some more milk and cream.

Add 2 cups of shredded or diced chicken and stir baby stir.

Pour into pie crust. Add top crust and put 4 slits in the top so it won’t explode.

Cook at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, and leave it warming in the oven until your husband comes home from work.

 

Butter Pie Crust

I usually make a different pie crust that you can find on here somewhere. But, I didn’t have shortening and did I mention I love butter…so I am trying this one.

It works for one 9-inch double pie crust…aka the top and the bottom, or two bottoms or two tops

Start with 2 ½ cups flour

Add:

1 teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon sugar (the recipe says optional…whatever, sugar is never optional in my world)

Mix it a bit and add:

1 cup very cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

Use a pastry cutter thing or a couple of knives and cut the butter into flour mixture until crumbly and pea size

Add 8 tablespoon of ice water

Press the dough into itself using a rubber spatula. The crumbs should begin to for larger clusters. The dough should start holding together.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place in a mound on a semi clean surface. Kidding! It should be mostly clean and move the magazines and mail a little further away from where you plopped the dough, or they will be doughy too…maybe a friend had this experience. Perhaps.

Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut ball in half and wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge

When thou art ready to roll, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. I like to put it on parchment paper, cut parchment paper is the bomb and make it easier to transfer to a pie pan without a disaster. (See title of blog)

Roll, roll, roll that dough until nice and round. Make sure it fits upon the pan and slowly slide in on. (you can sing the entire last sentence to the tune of row, row, row your boat…just sayin’)

For better directions see the originator of the recipe at:

https://www.inspiredtaste.net/22662/flaky-pie-crust-recipe/

Blackberry Pavlovas and me

I have never ever not ever heard of a pavlova until...duhn duhn duhn duhn...Great British Bake-off. I still didn’t plan on making one because if it was on GBBO (wonder if that is the acronym they use or if it’s GBBo or GBB-O WTBBCS...we the bomb cooking show) it is probably over my head. Nevertheless, after each episode I go through and Pinterest the heck out of stuff they made...cuz dreams.

So back to the today...sort of...I made my own pasta last week. It uses a lot of egg yolks and I had a egg whites left over...what to do with them?? Hmmmm.... google how to use egg whites? Great idea. It says pavlovas....go to Pinterest and see if you pinned any after GBBO? Another superb idea....ahhhh yes...there it is! 

So in conclusion, I decided on this pavlova recipe and it was so much easier than I imagined and so much more difficult to eat cuz...it’s crispy and marshmallowy and blackberry-creamy. So what I’m saying is...make it and revel in the messy deliciousness! Ps pavlovas were named after Anna Pavlova a Russian Ballerina...but why tho’?

Yes, I used my finger to clean the extra cream off the plate...it’s the right thing to do. The wrong thing is I didn’t get all of it!

Pavlova with blackberry compote from fifteen spatulas

1/2 cup egg whites at room temperature (for seriously and I was unbelievably patient and did get it to room temp. Go me!)

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar 

1.5 tsp red or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chantilly Cream (aka whipped cream with vanilla)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (I accidentally grabbed half and half and had to run out in the middle of cooking pavlovas to grab cream!😮)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blackberry compote (aka cooked berries with sugar)

12 oz blackberries (or whatever berries you have or desire!)

1 Tablespoon sugar (the author said optional...hahaha)

1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

Zest of lemon (I didn’t do this because I used bottled juice) 

To make he pavlova:

First position

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and use parchment paper to line a baking sheet cuz parchment paper is the bestestestest.

Second position:

Whip those egg whites....with the cream of tartar and salt. Stand, hand or real hand mixer...whatever just mix until foamy. About 60 seconds for those using electricity.

Third position (do you get me hilarious reference to ballet yet?)

Time for the rest of the stuff! Add sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla and whip on high until it is irresistibly glossy with stiff peaks.

Plié (hey, it only takes one person to think I’m funny and I count as 1)

Take a big soup type spoon and get a big ol’ dollop of this silky, creamy stuff and make a nice round nest. Swirl it and make it look purty. Only about 1.5 inches tall and 3 or 4 inches across.  You should be able to make six.  Try to keep them far apart from each other because honey, they grow! 

Allégro

Bake these puppies aka pavlovas for 10 minutes and then turn down the oven to 300 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes (and if you need to run out and buy your heavy cream, now is the time)

The pavlovas will expand turn lightly toasty tan and crack a bit.

When the 40 minutes are up, turn off the oven but prop open the door and let the pavlovas slowly cool in the oven ( and don’t keep opening and closing the oven door because you keep forgetting you are leaving it open on purpose and remembering you are leaving it open and then forgetting again...maybe true story)

Chantilly cream and a pretty face...or something 

Pour the cream into a bowl and mix it until thick and then add the sugar and vanilla and mix until you can’t stand it any longer and have to taste test it...I mean until it forms nice soft peaks that need to be tested repeatedly with your finer...I mean spoon, I mean...just lick the beaters.

Blackberry Compote (not to be confused with compost)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium for 8-10 minutes until soft and juicy. I also mashed them down.

Now for the fun part...Plating!

Place each fancy pants pavlova onto a plate. Dollop your delicious chantilly cream on top and then add the compote. Ta-da!

Now you feel all fancy and stuff!

Ps we eventually used a knife to cut through the marshmallowy inside. Just a tip!

Let me know if you try it!

https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/pavlova-with-white-zinfandel-blackberry-compote/

Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpeas

I pinned this recipe from http://avocadopesto.com/2014/07/20/sweet-potato-chickpea-salad-gluten-free-vegan/  because I love, Love LOVE roasted sweet potato.  I made a few changes, but it is delicious!  So enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, and diced,
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• salt, pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
• ½ medium red onion, diced
• 2-4 cloves garlic minced
• large handful parsley or cilantro, chopped
• 1 lemon, zested
• ½ a lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Heat pan over medium heat and add oil. Cook diced sweet potatoes until lightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Add salt, pepper to taste and half the cumin powder .  Remove the sweet potatoes and add the chickpeas to roast. 
2. In a large bowl , garlic, onion, and parsley.
3. To the bowl add the sweet potato, chickpeas with the lemon juice and zest,
4. Toss to combine. Add additional olive oil (up to one tablespoon -- optional).

Vegetable Quiche

I had a friend at work give me a piece of the quiche that she made.  It was so good, and then I got the craving for more!   I happen to be watching my parent's house while they were out of town, which means that I am the collector of the chicken eggs.  Then, someone at work donated a bunch of hatch chilies, so I grabbed a handful and I grabbed all the other vegetables I had in my house and voila...quiche!!!  Now I have something to eat for lunch all week!  woohoo!!!


Vegetable Quiche

2 pie crusts
10 eggs
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 of an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tomato chopped
2 handfuls of spinach, kale or other leafy green (I used one that had spinach, kale and collard greens)
1/3 of a red bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted green chilies
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and red bell pepper to the oil. Saute for 3-4 minutes, add garlic and saute another minute. Add spinac, tomato and green chilies and cook just until spinach starts to wilt. Turn off heat and set aside. Spinach will continue to wilt.
3. Place Greek yogurt in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add eggs, two at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. Add grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour egg mixture into prepared quiche dish. Top with spinach mixture (much of the spinach mixture will sink into the eggs).
5. Bake in a preheated oven until eggs have set, about 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    

Caramel Banana Pancakes

Caramel Banana Pancakes ....did I just say caramel banana pancakes??? Oh yes, yes I did...I had them this weekend at IHOP and couldn't rest until I had made them.  So, who wants to be my best friend?  I have some to share!!  oh, sweet mother of sweetness.

Make the caramel sauce and pudding ahead of time…but they do not need to be cooled.  For each serving cook two pancakes.  Put two tablespoons of vanilla pudding between the pancakes.  Add a tablespoon of caramel sauce if you are a wimp, and two tablespoons if you appreciate sweet, buttery caramel sauce, to the pancake.  Put half of the caramel sauce on the top pancake, slice a half (or more) of a banana on top of the caramel sauce and then the rest of the caramel sauce drizzled over the bananas.  Add a dollop of reddi whip (if you have any) to make it fancier and fun.  Then BANG!!  You are a pancake rockstar!!!!!

 

ATK Best Buttermilk pancakes

Ingredients

White Flour, 2 cup
Granulated Sugar,2 tbsp
Salt, ½ tsp
Baking Powder, 1 tsp
Baking Soda, ½  tsp
Buttermilk,, 2 cups
Greek Yogurt or sour cream ¼ cup
1 egg

Butter , 3 tbsp, melted

 Directions

Wisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, & baking soda together in a medium bowl.
In second medium bowl, wisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs & melted butter.
Make well in middle of dry ingredients and pour in wet: gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with a few streaks of flour) DO NOT OVER MIX!
Allow batter to sit for 10 Mins (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!!)

Heat skillet to around 350, or large pan on the stovetop.  Using 1/4 cup for measuring, portion batter on to pan. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, (2-3 mins)
Flip and continue to cook for 1-2 mins longer

Caramel Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

·         1 cup sugar

·         6 Tbsp butter

·         1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Method

1 First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.

2 Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the

Quick Vanilla Pudding

2 cups milk

½ cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions

1.       In medium saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, cornstarch and salt slowly add milk and whisk. In a. Continue to cook and stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into serving dishes. Chill before serving.

 

Orange Chicken Stir-fry

I saw this recipe and guess what I had in my fridge...fresh citrus!  woohoo!  I also I am back to being able to cook and wanting to cook with lots of vegetables.  So, my fridge is loaded with veggies and ready for veggie cooking extravaganza! I used broccoli, asparagus, french green beans, red bell peppers, zucchini and served it with a buckwheat soba noodles.  So stir fry friends, stir fry.

Citrus Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

modified from: Alice Currah is the publisher of popular food blog, SavorySweetLife.com

Ingredients

• Sauce:

• 3/4 cup orange or other citrus juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used sweet soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons  vinegar (it calls for rice vinegar, but I don't like rice vinegar, so I used what I had)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

 

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• optional sweetener like sugar, honey, agave, etc.

• Stir-fry:

• 1 pound chicken tender cut into cubes
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 4 cups chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, snap peas, red peppers, sweet potatoes ...whatever you have on hand.
• olive oil
• 1/2 cup medium yellow onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Blend all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender or food processor for 10 seconds.
2. Taste the sauce and add your choice of sweetener to your liking.
3. Blend again for a few more seconds.
4. Heat the sauce in a large skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the sauce to a heat proof bowl.
5. Rinse the skillet clean.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
7. Add the corn starch and massage the chicken with your hands.
8. If using fresh broccoli or green beans, boil the broccoli for 3-5 minutes until soft enough to pierce with a fork yet firm.
9. Transfer the vegetables to a plate lined with a paper towel.
10. Wipe down the skillet until dry.
11. Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet on medium-high heat.
12. Cook the onion and chicken until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
13. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry them together for 2 minutes.
14. Slowly add a few tablespoons of sauce while stirring the vegetables and chicken.
15. Continue to add the sauce a few tablespoons at a time, allowing about 15 seconds between each addition to allow sauce to slightly cook down.
16. Spoon the stir-fry over a bowl of hot rice or noodles. Serve immediately.

Why I will never buy another Granola Bar!

Yes, I made homemade granola bars.  They were easy and oh, so tasty!  I used almonds and cranberries, but I also want to make pecans and cherries or peanut butter and chocolate or ...whatever else I can think of.  So, if you like granola bars you have to try this!  Though, one tip, use parchment paper on the bottom or they will stick solid. 

Granola Bars

1 1/2 cups of rolled oats (I used 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup steel cut oats)

1 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)

1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

 

 

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Spread into a well-greased pan. Bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on your crunch preference (the longer it cooks, the crunchier it gets). Let the granola cool before you cut it, or it will fall apart.