Chicken Pot Pie

I was tinkering around in the kitchen last night with some extra veggies I had which I needed to use up, and I came up with what may be the most perfect chicken pot pie recipe I've ever eaten.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups shredded chicken
2 large leeks finely chopped
3 carrots, shredded
3-4 pieces of celery finely chopped
1/2 stick butter
3 Tbsp. corn starch
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
Double crust for a deep-dish pie (I just bought Pillsbury in the refrigerator section at the grocery store)
Red Wine Vinegar

Instructions:
Mix the leeks, celery, carrots, and butter in a large pan and sautee' with the butter. If you want to throwin in some peas or potatoes that would work as well, although I didn't have any on hand last night so I didn't include them.
When everything is cooked, whisk the corn starch with a small ammount of chicken broth to get rid of any lumps, and then add the mixture plus all of the additional chicken broth to the sauteed veggies. Simmer on low to medium heat until the whole thing thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
Meanwhile, prepare a deep dish pie pan by spreading the bottom pie crust evenly in the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the thickened veggie/gravy mixture with the shredded chicken. Drizzle with Red Wine Vinegar to taste. I like the balance of the sour vinegar with the sweet veggies and chicken, and I think this is really what made the recipe stand out for me. I only added a quarter cup or less, but trust me, it works. Pour the finished filling into the pie crust, and cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges, trim the crust, cut a few vents to let out the steam, then brush with a mixture of 1 egg beaten with 3 tbsp. water (it makes your crust shiny and goldeny brown).
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the crust looks flaky and golden.
Cool, serve, and enjoy
This was so good that we barely had any leftovers, and since the veggies were sliced up so small even my veggie-phobic 7 year old gulped his down. I had the rest for lunck today and I drizzled a little more vinegar over it. It was divine.

Deconstructed Chicken and Rice

My Love-Hate Relationship with Chicken & Rice

I love Chicken & Rice; creamy rice with perfectly seasoned chicken all cooked together in a savory casserole. Done right, it is yummy comfort food that can satisfy the most ferocious hunger. The key phrase here is “done right”. I’ve made some version of chicken and rice more times than I care to count, and maybe, just maybe, it’s turned out perfectly one or two times. Part of the rice gets over cooked and mushy; some of the rice is still crunchy and hard. If by some miracle, I managed to get the rice cooked just right, the chicken is still raw! AARRRGH!!!

So, instead of putting uncooked rice, mushroom soup and chicken all together to bake. I’ve deconstructed the dish and it always turns out (finally)!

Baked Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Chicken Cream Sauce

Serves 6-8

4 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Kosher Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

onion powder

Italian Seasoning

Cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped into half circles

4 cups of water

4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon

Drippings from baked chicken

Flour

Milk

Chicken bouillon

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil if desired. Rinse the chicken and pat dry; place in baking pan and season with salt, pepper,onion powder, Italian seasoning, and a dash of cayenne pepper (if desired).

Bake at 375 for about 30-45 minutes or until done.

While the chicken is baking away in the oven, place the oil, onion, celery and carrots in a pot and saute vegetables until the onions begin to become transparent. Add the rice and stir well. Dissolve the chicken bouillon in the water and add to the rice and vegetables, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to low. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until there is no more water in the pot and the rice is tender.

Once the chicken is done, place it on a cutting board or plate and cover with foil. Drain all the juices and fat out of the baking dish into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce and add enough flour to make a thin paste. Slowly, add cold milk to the flour mixture all little at a time and stir constantly. The sauce will thicken, as it does, slowly add more milk until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chicken bouillon and pepper to taste.

Uncover the chicken, and carve off the bone.

To serve, place rice on a place, top with chicken and smother in sauce.

Oven Stew

This isn't really a recipe for the health conscious, but it's a good one to prepare early in the day and just let it cook away in the oven. Excellent for those cold, chilly days where you need something to warm you up.

2 lbs. hamburger

2 onions, chopped

2 sticks of celery, chopped

Carrots, peeled and chopped (I use about 3 or 4)

Potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used about 4-5 of these)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can Cheddar Cheese soup

2 cups milk

Brown the hamburger in an oven safe pot or dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Add everything else and stir well until the mixture is creamy.

Put in a 350 degree oven. Let bubble for 2-3 hours. Good for camping or cook while away for the afternoon.

With the potatoes and carrots, sometimes, I just guess how many to use depending on how big they are and how many people will be eating.