Chicken Pot Pie

Last night I adapted three pot pie recipes to create my own. I wanted something that was lighter than the tradition pot pie and will cook a little faster. This is an easy recipe that you can cook on a work night. Enjoy!

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups cubed chicken (I pick up a rotisserie chicken)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup yellow onion diced
1 cup celery diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a sauce pan, simmer 2 cups chicken stock. Dice chicken, onions, celery, and carrots. In a saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Saute until slightly softened (4 to 5 minutes). Add the stock to the vegetables and bring to a boil.

In sauce pan that you used for the stock, add butter and four together to make a roux. Continue to stir until mixed, but not brown. Add the heavy cream and stir vigorously until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the roux to the chicken/vegetable mixture. Add the frozen peas at this point. The chicken should thicken and reduce heat to medium low.

Grease pie pan and pour chicken mixture into it. Roll the thawed puff pastry to size of pie pan and place over dish. (If you press the edges of the pastry to the dish, it will stick a little better.) Make several slits in the top so the pastry will not get soggy.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffy. Allow 5 to 10 minutes to sit before serving, so the liquid can thicken.

Enjoy!!!

While I don't want it to be cold yet...

I do want to start wearing pretty holiday dresses!!



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The Secrets To Being Southern

So, I am stealing this from Southern Living. They provided 25 tips for celebrating the soul of the south in their September issue. "Living in the south is the next best thing to being alive, where do people crown strawberry queens, know shrimpers by name and trade pass-along daylilies?"

Tips:
1. Welcome friends with a beautiful table
2. Enjoy the blues
3. Write a charming thank you note
4. Savor Savannah
5. Build with barn wood
6. Smoke like a pitmaster
7. Keep it sweet (tea)
8. Float a river
9. Put up pickled okra
10. Learn the Texas Two-Step
11. Master the Carolina Shag
12. Perform the Appalachia Flatfoot
13. Rediscover Mr. Faulkner (Monica already has P&B doing this)
14. Celebrate small town mayors
15. Grow an heirloom bounty
16. Gather 'Round at Galatorie's'
17. Bring back old-fashioned storytelling
18. Plant your family's tree
19. Pass along your garden's best
20. Visit the shrimp docks
21. Catch a break in Music City
22 & 23. Make a perfect apple pie
24. Honor the queen
25. Count your blessings!

Women Always Must Have...

With all of my new "free" time, I have been able to rediscover my love of cooking. Lately, I have been thinking what does a stocked pantry mean for the modern woman. I have started to come up with a few items that any P&B woman should have on hand.

1. Puff pastry
2. Lemons
3. Chicken stock
4. Vino Verde
5. Tomatoes
6. Eggs
7. Basil
8. Parmesan Cheese
9. Garlic
10.Good quality olive oil

Spring Green Risotto

I made this dinner last night. It's light for a risotto and had wonderful fresh flavors. It would be perfect with a glass of Vino Verde sitting outside with friends.

1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped leeks (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry wine
4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock
1 pound thin asparagus
10 ounces frozen peas
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
kosher salt and ground pepper for taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons minced chives

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2 inch lenghts and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water.

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (I found that I needed to add more salt at the end, but continue to taste for the acidity and saltiness) Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and the mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Serve hot.

It takes about 50 minutes start to finish. Enjoy!!

I love fall clothes

So cute. From Anthro.

Lots of laughter

Really funny.