JoJo's Chicken Potpie

I got a call the other day from my sister asking me if I knew of a good Chicken Potpie recipe. She had some time on her hands and thought it would be fun to try out something new.

Well...I've never made a Chicken Potpie...and did not have a recipe.

I felt terrible, she was reaching out for help, and me, the only one in the family who posts stolen recipes on the web, was of no use...

You know what they say, "Nothing Stolen, Nothing Gained", so I decided to give Chicken Potpie a try.

A singularly exquisite pie con pollo

Well, I quickly gave myself an education on the matter and actually came up with this recipe on my own - well, not really, I stole bits and pieces from here and there, and what can I say...I think we all "gained" from the experience...

Prep Time:  30 Minutes

Cook Time:  1-1/2 hours (to pre-cook chicken and filling) then 30-40 minutes (for the pie)

Servings:  One Pie serves 6.  There is enough filling to make two pies.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken (about 4 pounds)

2 quarts water or broth

2 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic

3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 ribs celery, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup baked okra

2 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tbl herb de provence

3 tbl fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tbl fresh rosemary, chopped

1 stick butter (4oz)

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup milk or cream

1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Preparing the filling:

• Wash and clean chicken and put into a dutch oven along with 2 quarts of cold water and bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer.
• Add the cloves of garlic, cover, and continue to simmer for 1 hour.
• While the chicken is cooking, prep the veggies, spices, and bake the okra.
• Remove the chicken.  Strain and reserve broth in one bowl and pick chicken and reserve meat in another.  
• Add butter to empty dutch oven and saute carrots, celery, and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add dry spices and continue to saute another minute or so.
• Make a roux by adding the 1/2 cup of flour to the mix, and cook for another 5 minutes at medium heat.  Be careful not to burn the roux.
• Add the 2 quarts of reserve stock back into mix, 2 cups at a time.  Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or so.
• Add milk, chicken, okra, and fresh herbs and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and let filling cool slightly.

Preparing and cooking the Pies:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Fit pie crust into 9-inch glass pie plate.
• Spoon chicken filling into crust-lined pie plate.  Top pie with second crust; seal edges and flute.  Cut slits in several places in top crust.
• Cover crust edge with a pie shield (or 2-to 3-inch wide strips of foil) to prevent excess browning; remove foil during last 10 minutes of baking.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Links:

Here is a great chicken and biscuits post that provided the inspiration for the filling.  This is a great dish on its own and is a crowd pleaser.

Here is your classic Chicken Potpie and is about as simple as you can get.

This one provided the inspiration for the single serving Ramekin potpies.

Awesome Artichokes

A click from the garden - late June

Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Wine Dip

As published in Cooking Light magazine June 2007

Prep Time:    15 minutes 

Cook Time:   One hour and 15 minutes

Servings:       4 servings

Ingredients:

2 whole garlic heads

4 medium to large artichokes

3 cups of vegetable stock

3 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup of vegetable broth

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

chopped fresh parsley (garnish)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves).  Wrap each head separately in foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes.  Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp.  Discard skins to compost pile.
• Clean and trim artichokes.  Place artichokes, stem side down, in a large dutch oven.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and enough water so that the artichokes are almost covered.  Add bay leaves and spoon about a teaspoon of minced garlic over each artichoke.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a leaf near the center of each artichoke pulls out easily.  Remove artichokes from pan.
• Combine the garlic pulp and the wine in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.  Cook 2 minutes.  Add broth, butter, and salt; whisk until garlic is nicely broken up.  Cook until reduced to 1/2 a cup.
• Sprinkle dip with parsley, if desired.  Serve dip with warm artichokes.

Recipe Links:

Here is the original post from Cooking Light.

A click from the Kitchen - late May

Tofu Marinade

This is a simple baked tofu recipe which was originally posted on the savvyvegetarian site.  What stands out and really makes the dish is the marinade.  This versatile dish can be served any number of ways. I like to serve it topped with some homemade marinara along with spaghetti squash and soybeans for sides.

Prep Time:  15 Minutes plus time to marinade

Cook Time:  30 to 40 minutes

Servings:  4

Ingredients:

1 pound firm Tofu

Marinade:

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 teaspoon minced fresh

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

pinch cayenne

fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

sliced green onions

Marinating the Tofu:

• Remove the tofu from the container and pat dry using several paper towels. Clean and reserve container. Line the container with clear plastic wrap.
• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, except the green onions, and mix thoroughly in a bowl with a whisk. 
• Cut tofu into 8 equal slices. Carefully arrange the tofu back into the plastic lined container.  Separate each slice with several pieces of the green onion. 
• Add the remainder of the green onion to the marinade and give that one last whisk. Pour or spoon marinade around the perimeter and between the slices of the tofu.  There should be just enough marinade to completely cover the tofu without flowing over the edge of the container.
• Place the container in the refrigerator and let sit for at least an hour.

Baking the Tofu:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Spray a baking sheet with Olive Oil and arrange the Tofu slices evenly. Spoon some marinade over the top of each and bake 30 minutes, uncovered.
• Turn over half way through the baking and spoon remaining marinade over the top of each.
• Broil for a few minutes if the Tofu isn't golden on both sides.

Recipe Links:
Here is the original recipe - Basic Baked Tofu.

Tofu Marinade

Chicken Soup for the Whole You

This recipe is not a "Stolen" recipe, but one that I have evolved since learning the basics from my mother as a kid.  This is my definition of "Comfort Food".  I can't say I have made it the same way twice.  Here is my latest version, sans potatoes and served over egg noodles.

Prep Time:  20 to 30 Minutes

Cook Time:  2 Hours

Servings:  About 12

Ingredients:

1 Fryer chicken

4 to 5 stalks celery cut up

1 16 oz bag peeled baby carrots

1 white onion, peeled, left whole

2 chayote squash, cut up

1 16 oz bag shelled soybeans (edamame)

1 16 oz bag cut okra, baked

1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

2 to 3 bay leaves

6 cups cold water

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and pre-bake the Okra following the Basic Baked Okra procedure
• Place the carrots and celery at the bottom of a large dutch oven or kettle
• Set chicken atop carrots and celery and surround with onion, squash, and edamame
• Add water and cover with tomatoes, baked okra, seasonings, and bay leaves
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat
• Cover and simmer for 2 hours
• Remove chicken, let cool, and debone
• Tear or cut up chicken meat and add back to soup
• Serve over prepared egg noodles, Enjoy!

Drop in Dumplings Alternate:

These fluffy and chewy herb-flecked dumplings are a great alternate to serving over egg noodles.   Dumpling recipe can be easily doubled for serving a family.  This dumpling recipe is directly from the Herbed Chicken and Dumpling post originally published in Cooking Light magazine October 2008, by David Bonom.

Dumpling Ingredients:

5 oz all purpose flour (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat milk

Dumpling Method:

• Combine Flour, chopped parsley, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl
• Add milk, stirring just until moist
• Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into soup
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

These sausage and cheese filled caps are easy to make and are a delicious appetizer. There are many different versions of this out there. This recipe is pretty basic. Enjoy!

I based this recipe on one I found on the CookEatShare website.  My wife suggested I add some Pine Nuts and a little Parmesan.  They came out great.

Prep Time:  20 to 30 Minutes

Cook Time:  15 Minutes

Servings:  Makes about 30 medium mushrooms or 17 large mushrooms.

Nutritional Information:

Serving size:  6 medium mushrooms or 3 large

Calories:  243

Fat:  17.3g

Saturated Fat:  5.5g

Cholesterol:  34.6mg

Sodium:  408.3mg

Total Carbohydrate:  8.7g

Dietary Fiber:  1.8g

Sugars:  2.3g

Protein:  15g

The ingredients and Method are straight from a Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Recipe posting by the CookEatShare Cookbook. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound mushrooms (medium or large stuffing type)

1/2 pound pork sausage meat

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

2 Tablespoons parmesan (optional)

Fresh parsley for garnish

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove stems from mushroom caps and chop stems.  Set aside.
• In a large skillet, cook sausage until well browned.  Remove cooked meat to paper towels to drain using a slotted spoon. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the skillet.
• In drippings, over medium heat, saute stems with garlic till tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove skillet from heat, let cool slightly, stir in sausage, bread crumbs, cheeses and pine nuts.
• Fill mushroom caps with sausage mix.  Place stuffed caps in a jellyroll pan.
• Bake 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Recipe Links:

Here is a bunch of similar posts.

Homemade Cheese

An easy recipe with a great fresh taste, homemade cheese is made to please.

I got this simple farmer's cheese recipe from Chef John's Foodwishes Blog.  Apparently so has everyone else, it is very popular.  For good reason, it is fun and easy, with a minimum of ingredients.

Prep Time:  About 2 minutes

Cook Time:  About 10 minutes, plus an hour of straining followed by some chill time.

Servings:  Makes about a cup of cheese.

Recipe Source:  You Can Make Cheese. Posted March , 2010 on the Foodwishes video recipe blog.

Recipe Links:

I think this is the original post from June, 2008.

Easter Babka

Polish Grandmother's Bread....for Easter 'Oh "10"

Photo: Mary Ann Rice

I was asked by my son's paternal grandmother this year to consider trying my hand at making Babka from scratch.  Having this polish sweetbread at the table on Easter has been a traditional for our family.  We now live in a part of the country where polish Babka needs to be trucked in and there is only one place that we are aware of that consistently carries it.  Worse than that, if you don't place an order ahead of time, you can find yourself Babkaless at this most holiest of meals... 

Photo: Alisa Ljundquist

Started out of necessity, this has turned out to be a great new bread offering in my culinary repertoire.  I may not be a Polish Grandmother in real life, but at least I can play one on the internet!

Photo: Mary Ann Rice

After searching high and low for that "Perfect Babka Recipe", I found a video which featured Martha Stewart's mom sharing her Babka making techniques.  

Martha's mother was polish, probably a grandmother, and came highly recommended - so I gave her a shot.  She did not let me down.  Here's the link to the Original Video and recipe.

I will say I was very careful with temperatures and had my instant read thermometer in hand while scalding the milk and warming the water for the yeast.  Additionally, I was careful to weigh the flours and match the consistencies as noted in the video.  

I made three Babkas total.  I made a braided loaf for my mom to take home, a round for the Easter meal, and a cinnamon swirl loaf just for fun. Here is my source for the filling on this most delicious, calorie laden treat.

Prep Time:  About 2-1/2 hours

Cook Time:  About 40 minutes

Servings:  Plenty

Recipe Source:  Easter Babka.  Originally aired on the "Martha Stewart Living" show.

Recipe Links:  

Here's a good Chocolate Babka and Cinnamon Filling Link.

Here's another more decadent Chocolate Babka - a belt buster for sure.

Here's one that shows a jewish and a polish version along with an age tested way of braiding your loaf.