... Chicken Pot Pie

One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is chicken pot pie.  I came across this recipe several years ago (thank you Real Simple!) and it's been my go-to ever since.

What's easier than rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies and pre-made pie crust?  You'd think that something that tastes so good should really have special ingredients and take longer to make, but this is not the case.

Individual Chicken Potpies
serves 4-6

1 8-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 10 3/4-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 minutes.

Cut 2 pie crusts into quarters, to yield 8 equal pieces.  Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum-foil pans (4 1/2 inches in diameter, 1 1/4 inches deep) or 4 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray.  Line the bottom of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit.

In a large bowl, stir together the soup and milk; add the remaining ingredients.  Spoon about 2/3 cup of the mixture into each pan or ramekin.  Top each with a pie crust quarter.  Pinch the edges together and cut vents in the top.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Taylor's Notes
You can make this in individual servings or one large pot pie.  (Actually, this is the first time I've made individual ones but I got these awesome serving dishes for Christmas (thanks sw!) and was so excited to use them!) If you make one large pot pie, just use a 9- to 10-inch diameter pie plate (mine is probably 1 1/2 inches deep) and put one pie crust in the bottom and the other on top of the filling.


Save a step... it's not necessary to defrost the veggies.  They're in the oven long enough that they cook through even if you stick them in frozen.


I use rotisserie chicken, pull off the skin and tear the meat into bite-size pieces.  It's a little more expensive (maybe a couple of dollars) than chicken breasts, but it's easier and has more flavor... and I'm all for easier and tastier!


If you end up making individual pot pies and only put crust on the top (as I'm attempting tonight as a calorie-saving measure...) you may ask "and just what am I supposed to do with the extra crust, taylor?  huh?  huh?"  Well I'll tell you.  You make tasty little cinnamon and sugar crisps like Grandma does!

Just sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the dough, roll it up, cut it into bite-size morsels and bake them at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until they're golden brown.  You'll thank me... and my grandma.


Enjoy!

... Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Wow, it is not easy to photograph a bowl of chili, so first off, kudos to those food photographers out there!  There wasn't much to putting this chili together, so you're just going to have to trust me on this recipe from Midwest Living.  It's an easy one and you can even make it in the crock pot.  Just toss it all in before you leave for work in the morning and you'll have a warm, delicious dinner when you get home at night.  Or, put it all in a pot on the stove (have I mentioned how much I love my Le Creuset?) and it'll be ready in less than an hour.

Chipotle Black Bean Chili

serves 6

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, pork - whatever you like)

2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth or chicken broth

1 16-ounce jar mild or medium chunky salsa or picante sauce

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can golden hominy, rinsed and drained

2 cups loose-packed frozen diced hash brown potatoes with onions and peppers

1 to 2 canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (handle carefully!)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

chopped avocado and/or shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese and/or sour cream (optional)

In a large skillet, cook ground meat until brown.  Drain off fat.  Transfer to a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker.  Stir in broth, salsa, beans, hominy, potatoes, peppers, chili powder, oregano and cumin.

Cover; cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Top with avocado and/or cheese and/or sour cream if you like.

Taylor's Notes:

Ok, kids, this is a big one.  Pay attention.  Do not, I repeat, do not make the mistake of reading "1 to 2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce" as "1 to 2 cans chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce." Granted, I only used about 1 can, but yowza!!  

Like I mentioned above, you can make this on the stove rather than in a crock pot.  Just brown and drain the meat, put it and all the other ingredients into the pot, give it a little stir and let it cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until it's nice and bubbly.  

Enjoy!

... Tortilla and Black Bean Pie & Margaritas. Ole!

What better reason to have a Mexican fiesta than when the temp is in the single digits and you're up to your ears in snow?

Santa must have been thinking the same thing when he brought me Everyday Food's Great Food Fast for Christmas.  Not only does the cookbook have a picture for every recipe, but it divides the recipes into seasons and even gives nutritional information for each recipe.  Love!  I definitely think this is going to be a favorite go-to book and can't wait to try out recipe numero dos.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
serves 6

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a paring knife, trim the tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the beans and beer to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the corn and scallions, and remove from the heat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan; layer with one quarter of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese.  Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on the top layer.  Bake until hot and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.  Unmold the pie; sprinkle with scallions.  Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Taylor's Notes:
I used the burrito size tortillas which ended up working out great.  I wonder if the size smaller than that would fit perfectly into the springform pan without having to trim them... I might give that a shot next time, but the trimming really wasn't an issue.


Use a slotted spoon to layer the beans onto the tortillas.  Most of the liquid does evaporate, but you don't want the tortillas to get soggy.


Other than that, the recipe was really simple and turned out great.  And, for just a second, I felt like it was definitely at least 15 degrees outside.


Enjoy!

... a cozy meal to celebrate the first day of 2010

First off, I apologize for the lack of action shots, but as Rich said "it wasn't much to look at earlier."  Now, however, is a completely different story (if I do say so myself!)...

Pot Roast
1 chuck roast - I used a two and a half pounder, but you can use whatever and adjust accordingly
flour
s and p
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion
3 baking potatoes
6 carrots
a couple sprigs of thyme

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet until it's pretty darn hot.  Flour, salt and pepper all sides of the chuck roast.  Put chuck roast in the pan and brown for about 5 minutes on each side or until it's a nice, deep brown color.

Cut the onion into wedges by slicing off the very ends of the onion so that when you cut the onion into wedges the core keeps it intact.  Place the onions in the pan with the roast and a little bit of water - maybe 1/4" - and put the pan (with a lid) in the oven.  Leave it alone for several hours.  Seriously.  Like 7 or 8 hours.

Peel your potatoes and carrots.  Cut the carrots in half or thirds depending on their size and the potatoes in quarters.  Place them in the pot with the roast and onions, along with the Thyme, and crank the temp up to about 325 degrees.  Leave it for another hour or so until the potatoes and carrots are done and the smells coming from your oven make the dogs beg.

Taylor's Notes:
This is the recipe as told to me by Grandma Norma who makes an incredible pot roast.  This is my first one to make - first pot roast, first day of a new year, pretty cool.  I browned and cooked the roast in my 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset and it was just big enough for the size of roast and vegetables that I bought.  I'd love to cook a bigger roast sometime, you know to serve more than just me and the boy, but in order to do so I'd probably need a bigger pot.  So, if you're feeling kind and would like an invitation to dinner, please feel free to bring me one of these.  Thanks :)  


As I mentioned before, just adjust the size of your roast and the quantity of vegetables based on how many people you're serving.  This fed two hungry people who'd been working on home renovation all day and gave us leftovers for tomorrow... or a midnight snack... we really did work up an appetite!


Grandma used to cook her roast at 250 degrees for 10 hours - from the time she left for work in the morning until she got home at night.  I bumped up the heat a tiny bit thinking we'd want to eat sooner, but as it turns out I'm cooking it for almost the same amount of time.  And you know what, it's delicious.


Enjoy and Happy New Year!!

... Sweet and Spicy Almonds

This recipe is so easy to whip up - perfect for a holiday gift, to take to a NYE party, or, I'm thinking, even a Super Bowl party, Game Night, whatever.  Who doesn't love a bowl of nuts for snacking??

Most likely, you'll have most of the ingredients in your kitchen and since it takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish, I think you'll love recipes from Everyday Food just like I do.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

2 1/2 cups unblanched almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt and cayenne pepper.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook honey and water with olive oil, stirring, until combined, 1 minute.  Add almonds; toss to coat.

Transfer nuts to sugar mixture (do not scrape extra glaze into bowl); toss to coat.  Cool in a single layer.

Taylor's Notes:

I just use a full 1 lb bag of almonds.  It's about 3 cups so I just adjust the other ingredients accordingly - like a heaping 1/4 cup of sugar instead of a level one.  Definitely be sure to not scrape the extra glaze from the skillet into the sugar mixture.  It makes a mess and the almonds don't come out looking like they do above (trust me).  They do taste as good, but they're not as pretty.  And who doesn't want pretty almonds??  

Enjoy!

... Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava

You know, sometimes you come across a recipe that makes you say "Ohhhh yeahhhhh."  Well, here was mine for the year.  Thanks to Cooking Light for presenting me with my recipe of 2009... too bad I didn't come across it until November.  Or maybe not so bad (where my hips are concerned!)  Regardless, I think I'll be making this one for years to come.  Especially around the holidays.  Toasted nuts, hazelnut-chocolate spread, pastry... it just screams "holiday", doesn't it?

The recipe is actually pretty simple if you're patient enough to take the time (about an hour to assemble) and to clean up the mess (totally worth it).  And, unless you can find hazelnuts out of the shell, it's a great stress reliever to bang the heck out of those shells.  My tool of choice: a meat tenderizer.

Above is a shot of the baklava right out of the oven after I poured the honey / cinnamon  mixture on top.  So golden and shiny!  Below is a shot of them plated.  Look at that nutty, hazelnut-chocolaty goodness!!

Chocolate Baklava (apparently I added "Hazelnut" to the title on my own)
serves 24

3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
1 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella) (equates to one jar)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspooon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
24 (14x9 inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until honey dissolves.  Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat; keep warm.  Discard cinnamon stick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place hazelnut-chocolate spread in a microwave safe bowl; microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted.  Combine hazelnuts and next 5 ingredients (through salt).  Lightly coat a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing ends of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly brush with butter.  Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and butter.  Drizzle about 1/3 cup melted hazelnut-chocolate spread over phyllo.  Sprinkle evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 1/2 cup).  Repeat procedure twice with phyllo, butter, hazelnut-chocolate spread, and nut mixture.  Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each lightly brushed with butter.  Press gently into pan.

Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions using a sharp knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until phyllo is golden.  Remove from oven.  Drizzle honey mixture over baklava.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.  Cover; store at room temperature.

Taylor's Notes:
First off, don't make the honey / water / cinnamon mixture until the baklava is about halfway done baking.  How on earth are you supposed to make that, remove it from the heat and keep it warm while you're assembling the baklava and letting it bake for 35 minutes?!?  Secondly, definitely use butter.  I used margarine both times I made this and it just turns into a watery consistency when it's melted.  It still tastes good - no doubt about that! - but I think I'll use butter next time.  Also,  unless you want to be wasteful like I was, find another use for the remaining phyllo dough.  There's probably 20 sheets left out of the box after you finish this recipe.


In case you can't find the four types of nuts already toasted / roasted, you can spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Bonus: your oven will smell so warm and cozy when you take them out!  I think the recipe is a little confusing, so to clarify, basically you're preparing 4 layers of phyllo and 3 layers of goodness.  6 sheets of buttered phyllo, spread Nutella, sprinkle nuts, 6 sheets of buttered phyllo, spread Nutella, sprinkle nuts, 6 sheets of buttered phyllo, spread Nutella, sprinkle nuts, 6 sheets of buttered phyllo and pop it in the oven.  And one last tip, don't drink a bottle of wine at dinner with your sister prior to making this... otherwise you'll lose count of the layers of phyllo and confuse yourself :)


Enjoy!  

... Baked Ziti (or Penne, as the case may be)

If you're in the Kansas City area, which I'm pretty sure the majority of my whopping nine readers are (love you all!) you know how cold it was today.  Snow?  Seriously?  I guess it's about time, but I think I'd rather it be December before we start getting the white stuff.  Regardless, the cold called for something warm for dinner.  And what better reason than to pull out my new Real Simple cookbook Best Recipes: Easy, Delicious Meals... (I was a lucky one who received it for free in the giveaway, but it's a great Christmas gift idea if you ask me!)

The recipe was really easy and pretty darn inexpensive, too.  And, as you'll see below, it'll feed an army.

Pair the Baked Ziti with a nice red wine and some crusty, roasted garlic bread and you've got the makings for a warm, cozy meal on a cold, snowy night.

Lasagna-style Baked Ziti

serves 4 (yeah right!)

12 ounces ziti (about 4 cups) (or penne if you can't find ziti)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 pound lean ground beef

kosher salt and black pepper

1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce

1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the meat, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until it's no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the meat mixture, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.  Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish or 4 large ramekins.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and bake until the cheese melts, 12 to 15 minutes.

Taylor's Notes:

I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and ended up using about 3/4 pounds.  I also used reduced fat ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.  The recipe says that this serves four, but in reality it's more like 6 or 8 servings... at least.  As Rich said, "that might be four servings if you're feeding an offensive line."  Since we aren't, we'll be having delicious leftovers to keep us warm all week long.   

Enjoy!