A Leaner, Easier Chicken Pot Pie

My cooking philosophy changes as often as my mood. I enjoy making as much as I can from scratch, but I cheat often. I soak dried beans one week and buy canned the next. I make a cake from scratch for a birthday and then use a mix for brownies. Any number of factors influence my decision to do it one way or another. The decision to try this easy recipe was also easy. It looked and sounded like a simple and delicious way to make more of the comfort food I've been craving. I was sure glad I took a short cut in this case: I was out of time by the time I got to making dinner. Cheating or not, this chicken pot pie is delicious.

Adapted from: http://www.cookinlean.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 can of low fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup no salt added or low sodium chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat Bisquick mix
• 1 cup 1% milk
• salt and pepper to tasted

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large casserole dish coated with nonstick spray, layer the chicken onto the bottom of the dish. Top the chicken with the carrots, celery and frozen peas. Whisk together the stock, soup and salt and pepper if needed in a separate container. Add the mixture overtop of the chicken and vegetables. Combine the milk and Bisquick mix, whisking well to remove any lumps. Pour the batter over top of the pie. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the top of the pie has browned. 

Shepherd's Pie for the Sophistimacated

Oh the weather outside is...well you know what it is. In the spirit of Mad Men, I am considering getting an apartment near work, not so I can have a mistress like the male cast members, but so I can avoid a two-hour commute home when the bad whether socks in. 

It's a good thing I had comfort food waiting for me when I got home. Thick, rich, whipped potatoes, blended with Greek yogurt and parsley and buried underneath: a bed of ground beef, vegetables and spices. This is a leaner version of Shepherd's Pie and one worth making on the weekend because it makes for great leftovers. I call this recipe sophistimacated because I doubt the Irish had all the spices and perhaps even the vegetables available for this version. Luckily, I do!

Only slightly modified from: http://jenessasdinners.blogspot.ca

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1lb lean or extra lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 cups of green peas ( I used frozen)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped and divided in half
• 1 1/2 cups of stock
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 t dried thyme 
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• pinch of allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T corn starch disolved in 2 T water
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I chose 2%)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

While the potatoes cook, sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, carrots and thyme and cook until soft. Blend in the tomato paste. As the vegetables cook, break up the ground beef in a bowl and mix in the oregano, half of the parsley, coriander, cayenne and allspice. Add the seasoned beef in small amounts to the vegetables that are cooking until all is added and cooked through. Add the peas and stock and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

While the beef mixture is simmering, drain the potatoes and mash them, adding the Greek yogurt and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 

Once the stew's stock has reduced, add the corn starch mixture, stirring well. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with the potatoes. Place under a broiler on high until the potato topping peaks is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove and serve with the remaining parsley sprinkled on top of the pie. 

Weeknight Cooking Part 1 of 3: Chinese Chicken Salad

On the quest for quick, wholesome meals, I went digging for recipes that can be prepared in pinch. I narrowed it down to three, the first of which is tonight's entry. In the case of this particular recipe, I would modify how the veggies are chopped if you need to quicken the pace a little. This took me about forty minutes to prepare. 

I was surprised by how good this salad was. It certainly looked test-worthy as depicted in this month's Chatelaine magazine, but it exceeded my expectations. This was a contribution of Gwyneth Paltrow's and while her version included steamed chicken infused with ginger and star anise, I opted out of the steamer and chose my frying pan and some oil. Easy peasy and a little less perfect than Gwyneth's recipe. You'll get over it.

The version below is my modified version. If you want the original, check it out: http://www.chatelaine.com

Serves 4 as an entree

Ingredients

Salad

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T canola oil
• Head of Romaine lettuce, finely chopped
• 1 cup snow peas, julienned
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 T loosely chopped cilantro
• 2 red chilis, diced (optional)
• 1 T toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

• 3 T hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1/4 water
• 1/2 t salt

Method

Heat the oil in a large fry pan on high heat.  If you find the breasts aren't thick enough to cook all the way through when pan fried, slice them in horizontally in half. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper before adding them to the pan. Let them cook for 3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and when the chicken has cooled enough to handle, tear the chicken into bite-size strips.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the salad ingredients and set aside. Next, combine the dressing ingredients, mixing well with a whisk. Finally, add the chicken to the salad and toss well. Serve the salad in individual bowls and dress accordingly...no white after Labour Day. Gawd, I'm clever!

Icelandic Lamb Soup

From the land of volcanoes and Scandi-babes comes one of Iceland's famed recipes: Kjötsúpa. No idea what this means?  You are not alone.  Kjötsúpa is a lamb soup. Not sure why, but this dish made me realize just how much my taste buds have evolved. I wouldn't have touched it as a kid. Lamb was stinky and root vegetables were gross. Ok, ok, I would have touched it, because I wasn't allowed dessert unless I ate my main course first. Anyways, I hope you savour this lamb-based broth and simple combination of ingredients as much as I did. Root vegetables are definitely in season in Alberta, so finding turnips, potatoes and carrots was a snap. I even managed to find some Alberta lamb too!

Now here's my attempt to shamelessly plug this soup: Pick up a crusty loaf of French bread, ply it with chunks of cold butter and pour yourself a glass of red wine to enjoy it with. This combination just might make your cold winter evening a little less chilly. 

Adapted from: http://www.soupsong.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 2.5 kg lamb shank(s), bone in
• Dried onions and other herbs (I used an onion soup mix...might be cheating)
• Half a large onion, diced
• 5 carrots, cubed
• 3 small turnips cubed
• 3 medium yellow or white potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste

Bring to a boil the water, lamb and onion in a large saucepan and once boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Add the herbs and dried onions and let simmer for forty minutes. Add the carrots, turnips and potatoes and cook on low heat for thirty minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Removed the lamb shanks and trim the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and add the lamb pieces back into the soup. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Oktoberfest Lager Stew

I love being organized. 

I fight this notion in some parts of my life because I don't want to make the effort to get organized. When it comes to food, there is no fight.  During the week, I want a meal waiting for me when I get home. I don't want to piece together a sandwich, or prepare an out-of-the-box/can combination.  I want something satisfying, nutritious and exciting. Many of the recipes I've tried via this blog have filled these requirements and Oktoberfest stew sounded like it had potential. As the weather begins to turn, the thought of a hearty stew with crusty, butter-laden bread sounded too good to resist. The cider vinegar and lager gives it some punch and the broth seemed to get more flavourful over time. A made a batch on Sunday and really enjoyed the leftovers throughout the week. I recommend adding this to your to-do list.

Adapted from: http://thecozyapron.com

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 T olive olive
• 400 g package of beef sausage, slice into bite size chunks
• 1 1/2 onions, sliced
• 1/2 small cabbage
• 1/4 t ground pepper
• 1/4 t ground caraway seeds
• pinch of salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup German-style lager
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sausage, allowing it to brown well. This should take about five minutes. Stir in the onions so that they caramelize in the heat, about two minutes. Toss in the cabbage letting it soften and then add the pepper, caraway seeds and salt, mixing well. Add the garlic, stirring until it becomes aromatic and then include the lager, letting it sit for about three minutes until the liquid has reduced. Combine the stock, potatoes and carrots and bring the stew to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and let the pot simmer for forty minutes with the lid partially on. After forty minutes, add the vinegar and parsley and serve. 

Char Kuey Tiao

Malaysian goop....goooood goop.

That's what I said: Char Kuey Tiao. This dish is otherwise known as Penang fried noodles and while my version looks like a little turd-like, it tastes like a symphony of seafood and spices.

I've had Char Kuey Tiao while in Malaysia (and out of it) and was craving that noodley, seafood stirfry once more. I doubled up on the seafood, but I don't think it caused any harm to the dish. My challenge next time is to get the noodles fried in such a way that they don't combine into a noodle goop. This did...I overcooked the noodles, making them starchier than anticipated and very sticky. I also veered off the authentic path a little and added veg to the dish (carrots, to be precise). Peas would be lovely in this too. I know it becomes a little less authentic, but I'm looking at noodle goop here as I make my decision. Authentic disappeared ages ago.

Adapted from: http://mykitch3n.blogspot.ca

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 250 g flat rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
• 16 shelled, raw prawns
• large handful of clams
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sprouts (your choice)
• 1 carrot, finely shredded
• 5-6 chive stalks
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 T cooking oil
• 2 T chili paste
• 2 t sugar

Seasoning

• 1 t fish sauce
• 1 t soy sauce
• 1 t oyster sauce

Method

In a pan on high heat, add garlic and oil and let cook for a few seconds. Mix in the chili paste and sugar and let cook for another few seconds. Add prawns and clams, stirring well and let cook for about thirty seconds. If either of your seafood choices are already cooked, add them to the pan a little later, when you add the eggs. Add the cooked noodles and seasoning, tossing well. Stir in the eggs and let sit for a few seconds. Add the sprouts, carrot and finally the chives, mixing with the rest of the components.  

Spoon onto individual plates and serve. Goop is good!

Meat-Free Middle Eastern Feast

I am officially meated out. Over the last two weeks, we've indulged in too many meat-laden meals. I need a break from steak.

On occasion I crave meatless dishes, especially after the holidays when meat appears only to be served with heavy sauces and sides. After a spring cleaning session, I pulled out a March issue of Canadian House & Home and found the solution to my cravings: North African and Israeli-inspired salads and entrees. The kinds of dishes we prepared tonight call for quality produce. I had farm carrots, beets and onions, so our salads felt clean and tasted crisp and new. 

The Shakshuka, a simple egg dish on a layer of cooked tomatoes was lovely, but lacked the punch that great tomatoes can contribute. All I could find at the grocer today were stacks of tired-looking romas, which I reluctantly used. In a case such as mine, you may want to wait for better quality tomatoes or experiment with canned as the recipe suggests.  You'll notice in the photo above, the large plate with the carrot salad and Shakshuka also has a slice of grilled eggplant with a chunk of Appenzeller cheese on top. The eggplant is simply sliced in 1/2 inch sections, brushed with olive oil and baked at 375F for 15 mins or so. I typically add whatever leftover cheese I have to each slice's surface once grilled and throw it back in the oven for 10 minutes tops. Tonight I just threw a piece on the hot eggplant and let it melt on its own. 

From: Canadian House & Home March 2011. pp. 116 & 118.

Shakshuka
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 10 large ripe tomatoes
• 1T flour
• 2 t sugar
• 3 T olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley

Method

Slice off the very top of each tomato then, using the largest holes on a box grater, grate tomatoes until only the peel is left (I lost bits of my hand doing this so be careful). Discard peels. If you cannot find serviceable fresh tomatoes, use canned whole ones in a pinch; just use a few more and squeeze out a bit of the excess juice. In a deep cast-iron skillet or pan, stir together tomatoes, flour, sugar and olive oil and cook uncovered over medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes, or until sauce is a rich, deep red and has cooked own significantly. Season with salt and pepper.

A few minutes before serving, reduce temperature to low, make 8 wells and crack an egg into each. Cover pan with a lid or tinfoil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are cooked to your liking. Top with a little more salt and chopped parsley. Serve hot with warm pita or lavash bread.

Orange & Carrot Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots
• 4 large seedless navel oranges
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts, lightly toasted in a fry pan (I used pumpkin seeds)
• Sea salt to taste
• Pinch of chili flakes

Method

Peel carrots and discard peel. Using the same carrot peeler, make "ribbons" out of each carrot, peeling away until you get down to the woody core. Discard the cores. Cut tops and bottoms from oranges, slice off peel, then cut sections of oranges out from between the membranes. In a serving bowl, mix lemon juice with honey. Add carrot ribbons, orange sections and red onion. Gently toss with lemon-honey dressing. Tear up mint leaves and toss into salad. Scatter toasted pine nuts over top and sprinkle with salt and chili flakes, then toss once more before serving.

Beet & Pomegranate Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 whole medium beets, washed
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 bunch watercress ( I used two cups of baby spinach)

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Trim the rough root and green leafy tops from the beets (save the greens...if you've learned anything from this blog you will SAVE THE GREENS!!!). Wrap beets tightly in foil-like swan and roast 1-1.5 hours, depending on size. When done, let cool until you are able to handle them, then pop off skins over the sink. Cut beets into 1" cubes and set aside.

To make vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together mustard, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a salad bowl, toss prepared beets with pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Just before guests arrive, toss with watercress (aka spinach). Taste for seasoning and adjust if need be. 

Cider Roasted Carrots & Apples

I did it again! I managed to make a meal from odds and ends around the house! Man, this should become a reality show cooking challenge. I am on to something.


I am a meal planner and enjoy looking forward to my next meal. Perhaps this is a little unhealthy at times, but this is my thing. Last night I couldn't think of what to eat or where to go to eat if all else failed. I just wasn't inspired. We had a little leftover chicken, some salami, a few old vegetables and some herbs remaining from past menus. My leftover cabbage was sautéed with butter, a few greens onions, salt and ground pepper. The chicken was cut into smaller pieces and thrown in our cast iron skillet with slices of salami to spice things up. The carrots I forgot to take to lunch this week were tossed with apple slices in a mix of olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, rosemary and roasted to round out the meal. They were a delicious and modernized take on the orange-glazed carrots my mom used to make for us as kids. Hooray for scraps!


From: http://munchinwithmunchkin.com

• 1 lb baby carrots, peeled and tops removed
• 1 apple, cored and sliced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t fresh rosemary
• ¼ cup apple cider
• 1 T honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a large bowl toss carrots and apples in olive oil and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer carrots and apples to a medium roasting dish and pour apple cider over top. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle carrots with honey. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, until carrots are tender and liquid has reduced. Serve warm, drizzled with sauce.

Carrot & Dill Soup

This was part of last week's cooking rampage and I was expecting cold weather would accompany the soup and stew I made. No such luck; we had some of the mildest temperatures on record. Didn't stop me from gobbling up the soup. 




Adapted From: http://www.canadianliving.com

Ingredients

• 2 T butter
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 5 cups chopped carrots
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  
  3/4 cup of buttermilk

In a large heavy saucepan, heat butter over medium heat; cook celery, onions, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add carrots; cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 35 minutes.

In food processor or blender, puree soup in batches. If you've got a hand mixer, pat yourself on the back for your swift decision and use that bad boy! Add in the dill mixing will and serve.

Shrimp with Curried Lime Carrots

This is one of the healthier dishes I've prepared lately, but it's lacking a little flavour. If you feel like playing with it, try adding spice. Yellow peppers or eggplant added to the dish would enhance its appeal. Perhaps some curry paste might deepen the flavour too. 

From: Better Homes and Gardens - Garden Fresh


Serves 4

• 1 lb fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t ground tumeric
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t ground cardamom
• 1/8 t ground pepper
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly bias-sliced
• 2T chopped green onion
• 2 T lime juice
• 1 T honey
• 1/2 t finely shredded lime peel

In a medium bowl combine cumin, turmeric, salt, cardamom and cayenne pepper. Remove 3/4 teaspoon of the mixture to another medium bowl. Add shrimp to one bowl and carrots to the second bowl with seasoning. Toss each to coat.

Place a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water to just below bottom of the basket. Bring water to boiling. Add carrots to steamer basket. Cover and reduce heat. Steam for three minutes. Add shrimp. Cover and steam for three to five minutes or until shrimp are opaque and carrots are tender.


Transfer shrimp and carrots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with green onion. In a small bowl combine lime juice and honey. Drizzle over shrimp and carrots. Sprinkle with lime peel.

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Adapted From: Stern, B. Heart Smart 2006. p 238. Random House of Canada Limited. Canada.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 t vegetable oil
• 2 T red thai curry paste
• 1 large onion, thickly chopped
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups green beans, cut in half
• 2 potatoes cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and cut in chunks
• 2 jalapenos finely chopped (seed and chop only one if heat is a concern)
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, trimmed
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut in 2-inch pieces smashed (Use 1T lemongrass puree if you can't find the real thing. The puree is in the produce section of the grocery store)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 T Thai fish sauce
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 6 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet or Dutch over on medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces for about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add curry paste and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant. Add onion, carrots, garlic, potatoes, red pepper, green beens, jalapenos, mushrooms and lemongrass. Cook for about 1 minute. if vegetables begin to stick, add 1/4 cup of stock now.

Add stock and fish sauce to skillet. Bring to a boil. Add chicken pieces. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 

Remove chicken and vegetables from skillet (discarding lemongrass if you used the real thing), cover and keep warm. Return skillet with stock to heat. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until 1-1 1/2 cups of stock remains. Add coconut milk and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until thickened.  Serve over warm rice.