Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a family favorite.  I make my pot pies with only a top crust--
you still get that yummy texture and taste, but not so much fat. 
This crust is extra special because it has cheese in it.

Crust:

1 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 T cold butter, cubed

1-1 1/2 T cold water

Filling:

1 cup diced peeled potatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 rib celery, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T butter

1 cup chicken broth

2 T flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried tarragon

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

For crust, combine flour, salt, and cheese. Cut in shortening and butter. Add water until dough forms. Press into ball and cover. Refrigerate.

For filling, sauté potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in butter 5 minutes (if it starts to stick to the pan, I add a little water.) Add chicken broth and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine flour, milk, salt, tarragon, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add to vegetable mixture. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add chicken and peas. Heat through.

Meanwhile, roll out pastry. Pour filling into 9-inch pie shell. Place pastry on top, crimping edges and sealing to the pan. Make slits in pastry.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Served with green salad, garden squash, and homemade bread.

Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chips and Salsa, Boston Cream Pie

Served for Staff Luncheon July 2011

 Mexican Chicken Lettuce Wraps

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup favorite salsa
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
12 lettuce leaves
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced

Combine chicken, beans, tomatoes, chilies, salsa, onion, pepper, lime juice, and seasonings. (At this point you can refrigerate until serving time.)  Just before serving, add avocado and gently toss.  Serve in lettuce cups, topped with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.

Chips and Salsa

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
cayenne pepper to taste*
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
cilantro (1/4 to 1/2 bunch)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1/4 of a lime

Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice.  Reserve 1/4 cup drained tomatoes.

Combine remaining tomatoes in blender with cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, 1/4 bunch of cilantro, and jalapeno.  Squeeze a little lime juice into the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add reserved tomatoes, and any extra juice and/or cilantro to taste.  Pulse to desired texture. Serve with tortilla chips.

*You can use a sprinkle or two from a jar, but I used a half of an actual dried cayenne pepper, seeds removed.  Kick up the heat with more cayenne or more pepper seeds.

Boston Cream Pie

This is one of my favorite easy desserts.  It's even better the second day.

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups lite whipped topping
1 round yellow cake layer (8-9 inches)+
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 TBSP butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk

Beat pudding mix with milk for two minutes.  Stir in whipped topping.  Let stand five minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cake layer horizontally into two thin equal layers (a long serrated knife works well for this).  Spread pudding mixture on one layer and then top with the other layer (make a sandwich. . . the pudding is the filling, and the cake layers are the bread.)

Heat chocolate and butter in microwave for one minute.  Stir until chocolate is melted completely.  Add powdered sugar and milk.  Beat until smooth and spreading consistency.  Spread over top cake layer.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

+Moist Yellow Cake Rounds

1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Heat oven to 350.  Spray two round cake pans (8-9 inch) with PAM and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat altogether for 2 minutes.  Pour into two round cake pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (28-32 minutes.)  Cool 10 minutes.  Invert onto cooling rack.  Cool completely before using for Boston Cream pie.  Use one for the recipe, wrap and freeze the other so you can make it again later!


Served with watermelon wedges.

Grilled Salmon, Rice Pilaf, Cheddar Biscuits

Grilled Salmon
Andy does this. . . but the gist of it is he puts it on cedar planks, salts and peppers it, cooks it on our grill, then brushes it with butter just before it's done.

Rice Pilaf
I posted this previously.  Follow the link above to that post.

Cheddar Biscuits

1 cup flour
1/2 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 TBSP sugar
2 1/2 TBSP shortening
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
parsley


Preheat oven to 425.  Prepare baking sheet with parchment or PAM.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Cut in shortening until like coarse crumbs.  Toss with cheese.  Pour in milk and stir until dough comes together.  Using a small ice cream scoop, drop 10-12 biscuits on your cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown. 

Meanwhile, combine melted butter with a little garlic powder, and a sprinkling of onion powder, salt, and parsley.  Brush cooked biscuits twice with seasoned butter. 

Served with fresh fruit.