Mexican Chicken Pot Pies

I had the television on the other day, when Rachael Ray's show came on. The only reason I left it on was that she mentioned she had gone to Mexico, and we had just gone to Mexico this past Thanksgiving so I wanted to see where she went. Plus I was folding laundry, so I needed some diversion, however lame it turned out to be.

You may already know, I really don't like Rachael Ray's recipes. I just don't. Every recipe I've ever tried of hers, if followed to the letter, comes out poorly. But I just keep trying, because honestly some of them sound good. Unfortunately, some just don't work, others are just plain gross. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. And y'all KNOW I am a good cook.

She made "Mexican Chicken Pot Pies" on her show, and On Screen they looked fabulous. She had some good ideas, including poaching the chicken first, (although that is actually a Cook's Illustrated: The Best Recipe technique that I've done before) and baking puff pastry separately for a flaky, non-gooey top. She also had some bad ideas, like poaching the chicken with lime slices and cooking the vegetables too hot, and whatever that weird egg wash mixture was about. (for the record, I did ignore her egg wash recipe and made my own this time)

Some day I will learn NOT to give Ms. Ray the benefit of the doubt. Some day I'll learn that one simply MUST NOT follow her recipes to the letter, rather one must use them as a starting point, an inspiration if you will, and one must create her own recipes INSPIRED by Rachael Ray.

Yesterday, I made the aforementioned Mexican Chicken Pot Pies with Rachael Ray's recipe. They were disgusting. Boiling the limes with the chicken was likely the main problem; it imparted a bitter flavor to the chicken, and indeed the whole dish. I'm telling you, the bite of diced chicken I took after it had been poached? Gross. My husband thought it may have been the oil from the lime peel.

Still, I pressed on, hoping for the best, perhaps some of the other ingredients would mask the bitterness, for Pete's sake she has her own television show! I made the entire recipe, tasted the pie filling to "adjust" the flavors, and I kid you not, I had to open a bottle of wine just to get that taste out of my mouth! (My facebook friends can attest this is the truth!)

We made the boys hamburgers for dinner.

I should have known better than to hope at all. The pies were so disgusting that my mother-in-law took only one half of a bite, then ate the top crust washed down with 2 glasses of that lovely white wine. Number One and I only ate ours because we were simply starving, with copious amounts of wine after each bite, of course. About three glasses each, I'm guessing, just to get through one serving of that damn pie.

So with that whole episode behind me, I was left really really wanting a Delicious Chicken Pot Pie. After all, that crust was a wonderful idea. And I knew I could most definitely improve on Rachael's "Mexican" attempt, because we cook a lot of Mexican-inspired food. So I did. I used a few of her techniques, and many of the same classic pot pie ingredients but have adjusted both the amounts and some other things, so she only gets the "inspiration" credit from me.

To make ahead: Poach chicken and dice vegetables for filling. When chicken is done, dice and store separately. Cover diced vegetables. Strain stock and refrigerate all components. I'm pretty sure you could also successfully freeze the finished pie filling, then just thaw, heat and top with pastry...I will try it and let you know how it works!

This recipe is so much better than hers!
The pot pies are savory and fragrant and tangy, with just a hint of spicy heat.
Or more heat if you prefer! Not bitter in the least. ENJOY.

Mexican Chicken Pot Pies
Inspired by and greatly adapted from Rachael Ray's fiasco
Serves 4

For Poached Chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, halved
1 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeds and stem removed
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Kosher salt

For Pie Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 chipotles en adobo, minced, to taste (I use 1 if I'm feeding kids)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime

For Pie Tops:
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream



Place chicken in a pot with halved onion, carrot chunks, celery, jalapeno, bay leaves, crushed garlic and water to cover by 1/2-inch. Season with salt, bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer and poach 40 minutes. Remove solids and reduce stock over high heat for 10 to 20 minutes. You'll need about 2 cups for the pie filling.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Dice chicken in bite-sized pieces.

Heat butter in medium skillet over medium heat, add chopped onions, carrots, garlic and corn, and cook to tender, stirring, for 10 minutes or so. Add flour and stir 1 minute, until the "flour" smell has dissipated and flour is no longer visible. Slowly whisk in about 2 cups of the reduced stock, then add cream and chipotle. Taste and adjust the chipotle, and add salt and pepper. Stir in chicken and reduce heat to low. Stir in lime juice, cover and keep warm (over low heat if needed) while you bake the pastry tops.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Cut out rounds the size of the bowls you wish to serve in and arrange them on the baking sheet. I also bake the pastry scraps right alongside the rounds. Brush pastry with egg yolk wash and bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve chicken "filling" in bowls topped with pastry tops.

Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes

This is a delicious, quick dinner to pull together on a weeknight, or any night you'd like a savory, exotic and nutritious meal.

I had a huge chicken breast in the freezer, so I just diced that instead of using thighs and proceeded with the recipe. The rest of my notes are in italics, as usual. I served this with rice. The stew improves with time, so it's great if you have some leftover. Incidentally, I didn't remove the cinnamon stick or ginger, I just left it in the pot and in the container we stored the leftover stew in.

I will probably try freezing this meal and see how it does.



Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
Everyday Food, October 2007
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Serves 4

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (I needed more oil before adding onions to pot)
1 medium onion, diced
1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches long), peeled
1 cinnamon stick
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used 1 1/2 cans)
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Pinch of saffron, (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup couscous or rice
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Place flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in flour, shaking off excess. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken, and cook until browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in the pot. Add onion, ginger, and cinnamon to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Return chicken to pot. Add broth, sweet potatoes, and, if using, saffron. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard ginger and cinnamon. Stir in lemon juice, and season stew with salt and pepper.

While stew is simmering, prepare couscous according to package instructions. Serve chicken stew with couscous, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

EASY BEEF TENDERLOIN

Christmas Eve dinner was just the two of us this year so I made a beef tenderloin with sauteed mushrooms and twice baked potatoes. Tonight that left over tenderloin will make some great hot beef sandwiches. YUMMY!

BEEF TENDERLOIN
1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast 
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4-5 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup melted butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  
• Sprinkle garlic on bottom of shallow, glass baking dish and then layer green onions on top. 
• Place roast on top of onions.
• Whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and butter.
• Pour over the tenderloin.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees for medium.
• Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

CHICKEN ADOBO

When  you look up recipes for Chicken Adobo ou have to choose between either a Phillipino recipe or a Mexican recipe.  I couldn't choose so I decided to combine my favorite ingredients from each of them and make my own recipe.

Chicken Adobo
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  3tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced VERY thin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon achiote seeds
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Cover achiote seeds with boiling water. 
• Cover and set aside overnight. 
• Drain seeds discarding water.
• Place seeds, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Grind until well blended.
• In a large wok or skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on one side until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.  
• Add the onions over the chicken.
• Pour the seed mixture over chicken and heat through.
• Serve hot over rice and vegetable sides. 

Taste & Create Partner List

Here is the T&C partner list for our extended Holiday Event! I apologize for the delay. Please remember to submit your creations to Nicole's Taste & Create website by January 24th, 2012! Over the holidays, you'll have extra time to create something fabulous!

If you have any questions or problems, check out the How it Works page, or please feel free to email me at cowgirlmin07 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Have you heard of Taste & Create? It's a monthly food blog event in which participants are randomly paired off, and must choose and create a recipe from their partner's blog. It is great fun! A picture of everyone's creation and a brief "review" gets posted on the Taste & Create website, linking back to your own blog post.

If you'd would like to sign up for the NEXT event, please email me by the 8th of the month. (keep in mind the next month is actually February 2012, then every month again after that) You'll be randomly paired with another food blogger, and the fun will begin!

Can't wait to see what you all create!

Bizzy Bakes & Samayal Arai

Searching for Spice & Tasty Treats

For Such a Time as This & Seduce Your Tastebuds

Study Food & That's So Vegan

Avocado Pesto & The Bad Girl's Kitchen

Angry Asian Creations & Always Eat on the Good China

Sizzling Tastebuds & No Reason Needed

Veg Junction & Cook's Hideout

Roasted Salmon with Lentils

We have one boy, H-Bomb, who LOVES salmon (and all seafood!) and one boy, Sawed Off, who doesn't like salmon at all. We keep serving it. Last night, when I served up this roasted salmon with lentils, Sawed Off immediately said he doesn't like salmon, he didn't want to eat salmon, etc. complain etc. I asked him if he wanted sauce. He said no. Then I poured sauce on his dad's salmon, and Sawed Off said, "That sauce smells good." So I asked him if he wanted the sauce on the side or on top, and he said on top!

Sawed Off ATE that salmon and loved it, and even asked for more sauce on top! Give this recipe a try, even if someone in your family has mixed feelings about salmon. You might be surprised. And if you like salmon, try this recipe, it's a good one!



Roasted Salmon with Lentils
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
(I also added 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
nonstick cooking spray

Combine the lentils and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery (and carrot); cover, and continue cooking until the lentils and vegetables are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes more. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the lentil mixture to a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid with the vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic and parsley; season with salt and pepper. *I prepped all these ingredients while the lentils were cooking, then added the cooking liquid at the end.* Toss half the dressing with the lentil mixture.

Heat the broiler. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the salmon on the sheet; broil until opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon the lentils onto 4 plates; top with the salmon, flaking it into large pieces, if desired. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

This recipe comes from a weeknight favorite of mine, Everday Food: Great Food Fast.

It's a great cookbook for fairly last-minute dinners, and I turn to it often.

Taste & Create: Buckeye Bars

*Taste & Create is an amazing monthly food blog event, created by my friend Nicole of For the Love of Food. Participants are paired up randomly, and each create a recipe from their partner's blog! It is so fun! Please join us. The deadline to sign up is the 8th day of each month, email me at cowgirlmin07[at]gmail[dot]com if you're interested! For the months of December and January, the Taste & Create will be combined into a single event, with the signup deadline on December 8th and submissions due by January 24th, to give us all extra time to create something fabulous!

My partner this month was Stephanie of Fun Foods on a Budget. So many recipes to choose from, but for me time was of the essence! I just got back from a fabulous family vacation in sunny Mexico, so I needed something quick. I was all set to make Stephanie's recipe for Universal Muffins, originally from The Tightwad Gazette. But then. I decided to cruise through her Cookies & Bars category one more time, in the spirit of the holiday season or something. And that's when I ran across these babies.

Buckeye Bars. I love Buckeye Balls, so the idea of having the same great taste without making individual candies? Wonderful.

In the end I decided to use almond butter, because we are out of our regular natural peanut butter and I didn't want extra sugar. These went together so quickly and nicely in the food processor that I really don't think making the balls would be that much trouble, so I will probably do that again before Christmas.

Also, I must say that I had the same trouble with my chocolate that Stephanie did, but I did leave my bars in the refrigerator overnight before attempting to cut them, so who knows the appropriate timeframe in which to cut them.

And really, I am going to stick with the peanut butter from now on. The almond butter is too gooey, so the bars didn't set up very well. They are sort of a sticky (although yummy) treat that can only be served cold (and are still sticky then). So, my experimentation is a bust, but that won't stop me from eating these AND making them with peanut butter again this season!


Buckeye Bars
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl or a food processor until smooth.

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.

Press peanut butter mixture into pan evenly. Microwave chocolate chips on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted; stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.

Refrigerate 2 hours. Use foil handles to lift bars from pan before cutting to serve.

Taste & Create: South African Crunchies

*Taste & Create is an amazing monthly food blog event, created by my friend Nicole of For the Love of Food. Participants are paired up randomly, and each create a recipe from their partner's blog! It is so fun! Please join us. The deadline to sign up is the 8th day of each month, email me at cowgirlmin07[at]gmail[dot]com if you're interested!

This month, I was partnered with Nicole of Seven Ate Nine. I really wanted to make her Hot Crab Dip, but I don't have access to the right kind of crab unless I drive for four hours one way. I also considered making her Savory White Chicken Chili. That is, of course, until I noticed this recipe for South African Crunchies. Not only have I never heard of them, I've never, to my knowledge, made anything remotely South African. Although surprised by their lack of exotic ingredients, I decided I had to make them!

I followed Nicole's lead and made a half batch, using only 1 1/2 sticks of butter and an 8x8 pan. I didn't have any pumpkin seeds, so I used about 1/8 cup flax seeds and 1/8 cup slivered almonds.

Mine turned out somewhat crunchy, but more crumbly...maybe I didn't let them cool long enough? They are tasty though, so I just might make them again! I think I was expecting more of a crisp than a crunch, but honestly I had no idea what to expect, what do I know, so go ahead and make them when you're looking for a different sweet snack. Can't wait to have one in the morning with my coffee, as Nicole suggests!


South African Crunchies

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups coconut
3 cups oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3 sticks butter
4 teaspoons corn syrup
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda



Mix together all of the dry ingredients, except the baking soda. Boil the butter and syrup, add baking soda and stir. Mix everything together, press into a flat pan (I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pan). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut immediately and let cool.

Taste & Create Partner List

Here is the T&C partner list. Please remember to submit your creations to Nicole's Taste & Create website by December 1st, 2011!

If you have any questions or problems, check out the How it Works page, or please feel free to email me at cowgirlmin07 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Have you heard of Taste & Create? It's a monthly food blog event in which participants are randomly paired off, and must choose and create a recipe from their partner's blog. It is great fun! A picture of everyone's creation and a brief "review" gets posted on the Taste & Create website, linking back to your own blog post.

If you'd would like to sign up for NEXT month, please email me by the 8th of the month. You'll be randomly paired with another food blogger, and the fun will begin! Over the holidays, we'll have a special Taste & Create event, with an extended deadline! You'll receive the partner list as usual on December 11, but your entry won't be due until January 24th, 2012! Extra time to create something fabulous, please do join us!

Can't wait to see what you all create!

Always Eat on the Good China & For Such a Time as This

The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch & Tangerine's Kitchen

The Bad Girl's Kitchen & Fun Foods on a Budget

No Reason Needed & Shortcut to Mushrooms

Tomato Blues & Tasty Treats

Alisa Cooks & Study Food

Cook's Hideout & Searching for Spice

Avocado Pesto & Bizzy Bakes

Edible Entertainment & The Baking Bluefinger

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy & The Teenage Taste

Seduce Your Tastebuds & Veg Junction

Angry Asian Creations & Tasteful Diversions

Pinks Recipe Diary & Measured in Pinches

Potato Soup (Hot or Cold)

This, I believe, qualifies as a five-ingredient recipe. It's fast, easy, and great for a cold day. Of course, the cold version (see note), which I haven't tried, should be great for a warm day. This would be terrific recipe to teach your own kids or other kids to make. Could be completed in a class period at school or church.

For a fund-raiser, make lots of this soup at a low cost, using stock base and water rather than canned stock. Have folks donate the garnishes, which folks can pile on as they wish. Charge adults $6 for all they can eat; charge kids $3. Families could opt to pay $20 for their brood. Having donated apple desserts would add a nice complement to the soup.

Wendy’s Quick Potato Soup

Serves 4

1 very large russet potato, about 1 pound

1 medium onion

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 ounces shredded cheese at room temperature

1 cup milk, half-and-half, or cream at room temperature

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minced parsley leaves, optional for garnish

Sliced chives, optional for garnish

Sliced green onions, optional for garnish

Crumbled bacon, optional for garnish

Finely shredded cheese, optional for garnish

Paprika, optional for garnish

1. Peel potato and cut into small chunks.

2. Peel onion and cut into small chunks; should be about 1 cup.

3. Bring stock to a boil

4. Add potato and onion to stock. Reduce stock to a simmer. Cover pot.

5. Simmer about 15 minutes or until potato and onion are tender.

6. Use an immersible blender to purée incomplete soup, or pour into a

blender, purée in batches, and then return to pan.

7. Add cheese and stir until it is melted.

8. Stir in milk, half-and-half, or cream and heat gently but do not boil.

9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

10. Garnish as desired before serving.

NOTE: Recipe can be used to make chilled potato soup. In this case, don’t use cheese. After puréeing in Step 6, chill incomplete soup for up to two days or freeze for up to a month. Then, thaw if need be, and follow Step 8. Chill again. When ready to serve, follow Steps 9 and 10.