Chicken Pot Pie Comfort

These are nothing else will more a more welcoming dinner than comfort food.

Chicken Pot Pie definitely meets that criteria and it's an easy meal prep too. Area  restaurants remain shuttered here too, except for take-out orders. We enjoy dining locally and when traveling, But, cooking dinner at home has always been a regular occurrence. This dinner was delicious served with a side salad. 

I wasn't specifically looking for a dinner recipe, the night we enjoyed this, but so glad to have found it while net-surfing. Does everyone do that in these days of self-isolation? 

The recipe is courtesy of former talk show host/actress Jenny Jones and available on her Jenny Can Cook website and on YouTube (note you won't find any ads or endorsements here).  For those who may remember it, The Jenny Jones Show was a tabloid-style TV talk show. It ran for 12 seasons, from 1991 to 2003 and was taped in Chicago, ILL.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

The creamy filling and flaky crust are made without any cream or butter, just milk, chicken broth and vegetable oil.  It's helpful to have all the ingredients chopped and ready before starting. You can substitute veggies like broccoli, corn, mushrooms, green beans in this recipe. It's a great way to use any leftover/frozen vegetables in the fridge or freezer. 

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 
Serves: 3-4 (leftovers are a good thing)

Filling

• 1 C chicken stock (unsalted) 
• 1 C whole milk
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.) cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 C chopped onion
• 2 carrots, sliced 1/8-inch thick (1 C)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/8-inch thick (1 C)
• 1 C frozen peas, thawed on a paper towel
• 3/4 tsp salt (less if using salted stock)
• pepper to taste
• poultry seasoning (optional)

Top Crust

• 1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 C vegetable oil
• 1/3 C 1% milk
• egg wash (one egg yolk + 1 tsp water)

INSTRUCTIONS

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together stock, milk, and flour until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in your biggest pan over med-high heat. Cook and stir onion, carrot, & celery for 2 minutes.
4. Add chicken. Cook & stir for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in peas followed by chicken stock mixture, salt & pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes until thick.
6. Pour into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Set aside, uncovered.

Crust

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add oil & milk all at once. Stir with a fork.
3. Shape into a 5-inch disc and place between 2 sheets of floured wax paper, then roll into a 12-inch circle.
4. Brush rim of pie pan with eggwash.
5. Gently remove crust from wax paper by draping it over your arm and place onto pie. Trim away or flute overhanging crust, pressing down edges.
6. Brush entire crust & edges with eggwash. Using a sharp knife, poke a dozen holes in the top to release steam.
7. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).

Luckily, all the ingredients were available in our home in the freezer and pantry. This was an easy recipe. I'm planning a do-over with various veggie combinations.

Grenville's rating was two forks. He was happy there were leftovers for another meal.

Curried Chicken Salad

Both Grenville and myself are watching our caloric intake (more closely) these days. This means looking for healthier ways to prepare a summertime favorites, chicken salad.

We've been using less mayonnaise by combining part (regular) mayo and plain yogurt in some recipes that use mayo. We find this preferable to buying no-fat or low-fat versions.

The recipe below is a variation of one by Ellie Krieger, whose Real Good Food, show is one of my favorite PBS cooking shows. Her other show, Healthy Appetites is on the Food Network, Healthy Appetite, but as we are non-cable or satellite TV subscribers. As a registered dietician and nutritionist,  her menus are focused on both delicious and healthy eating.

Ms. Krieger's recipe used 1-1/4 lbs. of skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, a cup of red grapes, and a 1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro. My substitution, used leftovers from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, chopped scallions, and dried cilantro as we didn't have any fresh available. It was delicious!

Curried Chicken Salad

• 1-1/2 C chicken, cut up (cooked rotisserie chicken)
• 1/4 C nonfat plain yogurt (my choice Greek-style plain)
• 1 TBSP mayonnaise
• 1/4 C chopped scallions
• 3/4 tsp curry powder (more or less to your liking)
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 C sliced almonds, roasted
• 3 ounces mixd greens (about 3 cups lightly packed)
• 1/2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Before mixing the salad, toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat about 3-4 minutes until they are fragrant and starting to turn golden
2. Stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise and curry powder in a bowl. Fold in the chicken, and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Tos the greens with the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the greens on individual plates, top with a scoop of the chicken salad, and top with the almonds.

This salad tastes better if made ahead of time, then chilled for a few hours before serving. It's an easy summer meal and great as a picnic take-along as long as kept cold. 

It's healthy, carb-free and provides plenty of protein and vitamin benefits. Grenville rated it a "keeper."

Lemon Chicken and Asparagus

This one-pan dinner is easy, colorful, healthy, ready, ready in 20 minutes AND cooked in one pan. And, the ingredients list is small too.

What's not to like?

While this recipe "technically" has a few more than 5 ingredients, the only ones you may need to buy for this meal are chicken, asparagus, lemons, and lemon pepper seasoning. Most likely you already have butter, flour, salt, pepper, honey in your pantry and fridge.

Lemon Chicken & Asparagus

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ C flour (or less)
• ½ tsp salt, pepper to taste
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1-2 C chopped asparagus
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 2 TBSP honey + 2 TBSP butter (optional)
• parsley for topping (optional)

1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until each piece is about ¾ of an inch thick. (If chicken breasts are thick, cut in half horizontally to make thinner pieces.) 
2. Put flour and salt and pepper in shallow dish then gently coat each chicken breast. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat; add chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes each side, until golden brown, sprinkling each side with lemon pepper directly in pan. When chicken is golden brown and cooked through, transfer to plate.
3. Add chopped asparagus to pan. Sauté few minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Lay lemon slices flat on bottom of pan and cook for few minutes each side without stir so they caramelize and pick up browned bits left in pan from chicken and butter. (Hint: adding some butter in with lemons helps prevent sticking and promotes browning.) Remove lemons from pan and set aside.
4. Layer ingredients back into skillet - asparagus, chicken, and lemon slices on top. FYI - lemons will be bitter when caramelized. You can use as a garnish or eat them if you like.

To make a honey butter sauce, melt additional butter and honey in hot pan after caramelizing lemons, and pour over chicken. 

This dish would go well with a side of wild rice, which we didn't add in this meal as we're minding our carb intake . . . but next time.

Grenville rated this one 2 forks.

Basil Chicken & More

This all-in-one meal includes chicken and a combination of vegetables. The resulting meal wasn't just colorful, but tasted taste delicious too. The recipe came from Fresh, a monthly magazine distributed in Hannaford Supermarket, which is one of 3 major supermarkets in Nashua, NH — 2 more choices than we had living on the VA Eastern Shore. 

This publication contains a number of healthy eating tips and recipes. This was the first recipe I've tried and it won't be the last based on results. The recipe uses fresh ingredients, a big huge plus for us.

Some changes: the recipe serves 4; I halved everything to serve Grenville and myself a single meal. Instead of buying chicken tenders, I used chicken breasts sliced thin and then cut into strips. Adding a little extra fresh basil is a good thing.

Also, I didn't have the Hannaford brand House Dressing called for in the recipe. I checked online for the ingredients and whisked up a modified version. You could probably substitute an Italian dressing.

Basil Chicken with Succotash Salad
Serves 4. Total time 30 minutes.

• 1/2 C plus 2 TBSP water
• 8 oz green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 ears fresh corn kernels cut from cob
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 lb chicken tenders, trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 C Taste of Inspirations House dressing or an Italian dressing
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh basil, bit more is OK
• 3 C fresh baby spinach

1. Bring 1/2 C water, green beans and cord to a simmer in a large nonstick skillet. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl, add bell peppers, toss to combine and set aside.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Wipe skillet dry and heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown. transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
3. Return remaining two-thirds of chicken to skillet over medium-high heat and add 1/4 C dressing and remaining 2 TBSP water. Cook, stirring often, until mixture reduces and coats chicken, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, stir in basil and cover to keep warm.
4. Add baby spinach and remaining 1/4 C of dressing to the vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place chicken on top.

Serve and enjoy. Grenville gave this a forks up for another "keeper" meal.

Sautéed Lemon Chicken with Fried Capers

This recipe looked fairly easy when chef Sara Moulton prepared it on as episode of her PBS program Sara's Weeknight Meals. I'm always looking for new (and easy) ways to prepare chicken and . . . 

We had not only chicken cutlets, but ALL other ingredients, including the shallots and capers (bought for one of Grenville's culinary creations). 

While the recipe isn't  difficult, be forewarned there will be splattered oil (hopefully not on you) when the capers and chicken breasts are fried; yes, even with the medium-high heat setting. Start to finish, including prep time is about 45 minutes. (This recipe serves 4 people or 2 with leftovers.) I halved it and used a half pound of chicken cutlets.

Sautéed Lemon Chicken with Fried Capers

• 1 lb. chicken breast cutlets, thin sliced
• 1/4 C + 1 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
• 3 TBSP capers, rinsed, drained, dried
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour (Wondra) for dredging the chicken
• 1 lemon sliced very thin crosswise
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 2 TBSP minced shallots
• 1-1/4 C chicken broth

1. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, place chicken in resealable plastic bag, add few teaspoons of water and pound chicken in bag with a meat pounder or rolling pin, until it is 1/8-inch thick. 
2. Transfer to a plate and repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Cut chicken in half if slices are too large to sauté easily; pat chicken dry.
3. In large skillet combine oil with capers, turn heat to medium high and cook capers, stirring, until crispy, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer capers to small bowl. Remove skillet from heat while preparing chicken.
4. Working with half the chicken at a time, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and dip in flour, shaking off excess. Heat skillet over medium high heat, reduce heat to medium and add chicken. Cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate.
5. Season and flour remaining chicken and sauté in 2 tablespoons of remaining oil, transferring cooked chicken to plate.
6. Dip lemon slices in sugar, coating lightly on both sides and add to skillet. Cook over medium heat, until lightly caramelized, about 1 minute a side. Transfer to plate with chicken, add remaining tablespoon oil and shallots to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring.
7. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pan. Return chicken and lemon slices to pan, along with any juices from plate the chicken was on and simmer very gently, turning chicken over several times, until heated through.
8. Transfer chicken to plates and simmer sauce until it thickens. Spoon sauce and lemon slices over chicken and top with fried capers.

Capers are unripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa or Capparis inermis, prickly, perennial plants native to the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia. Brined or dried, they are valued for the burst of flavor they give to foods, one described as lemon, or olive-like. Buds are harvested, sun-dried, then pickled in vinegar, brine, wine, or salt. This curing brings out a tangy lemony flavor and because caper buds are hand-picked, a small jar can be pricey. 

Grenville declared this first-time dish another "keeper" with a forks up.

MmMm Good for You

There's no cure for the common cold. 

That isn't especially good news for folks like Grenville and myself right now. Over the counter medications have eased our symptoms, but none make a cold go away faster.

There is something that really helps us . . .
Our grandmothers, mothers (and yours) would agree — chicken soup. 

Scientific studies agree too that chicken soup really has medicinal value. Years ago, Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro was the title of a clinical study by Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Rennard conducted tests using his wife's homemade chicken soup. He concluded that the soup significantly reduced cold symptoms by clearing congestion and preventing dehydration. 

And, if you're feeling too sick to make your own soup . . . just open a can. 

Dr. Rennard tested over a dozen canned and packaged chicken vegetable and chicken noodle soup brands and found many worked as well (or better) than homemade.

For us, there's nothing better than homemade anything especially soup. This basic chicken soup recipe is from the Martha Stewart website; a video can be seen here. 

While I used this recipe, mine included add-ins such as herbs (thyme, sage and parsley) and freshly ground pepper (not too much). I used a mix of low-sodium chicken broth and water. I also added a half bag of fresh spinach at the end of the soup preparation. Be sure to leave the skin on the chicken while cooking as this adds flavor and some necessary fat.

Basic Chicken Soup
(courtesy of Martha Stewart & Food Editor Sara Carey)

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut in pieces (including back) 
• 8 C water 
• 1 TBSP coarse salt (not table salt) 
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced (4 cups) 
• 2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick 
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 6 medium carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1. Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat. 
2. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. 
3. Remove breast, and set aside. Add carrots. 
4. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. 
5. Remove remaining chicken; discard back and wings, skin. Let cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces. 
6. Stir desired amount of chicken into soup; reserve the rest for another use. Skim fat. Season with salt.

While chicken soup many not sure a cold, it does help ease some of the symptoms, even if temporarily.

But most researches agreed that chicken soup and vegetables contains healthy nutrients that increase hydration.

We always feel better after having a bowlful. It's even tastier the following day.

Does chicken soup work for you?

Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

We are always on the search for easy (and tasty) meals. Sometimes, a first result turns out terrific. Other times it's OK, but needs a bit of "improvement."

This recipe falls into that second category. It was modified slightly from an online source. It's a quick one-pan skillet meal with lots of fresh ingredients; peppers, onions, garlic, zucchini, and basil. And, dinner can be ready in under a half hour  

Balsamic Chicken with Peppers, Onions, Zucchini

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks
• Salt & pepper
• 4 TBSP olive oil
• 4 C thinly sliced multi-colored bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, green)
• 1 C zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1/4 C chopped fresh basil or 1 TBSP dried basil
• Balsamic vinegar

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper; marinate in balsamic vinegar for a few hours.
2. In a large skillet, sauté chicken in 2 TBSP olive oil over medium high heat. Turn once and cook for about 8 min or until browned; remove from pan.
3. Clean pan, then add 2 TBSP of olive oil to skillet and cook, peppers, onion, zucchini. Stir often until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in basil and balsamic vinegar, then return chicken and juices to skillet.
5. Reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a side of salad or rice. We skipped both and enjoyed a side of fresh-baked bakery bread instead. Perhaps not the best choice when watching our food intake, but at least the main meal was a light one.

Our opinion was that while we both enjoyed the recipe for its contents and low (314) calorie count, the dish needed more flavor. One reviewer suggested adding brown sugar and soy sauce. When (and if) we re-try this recipe, there will be more flavor add-ins.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken

In our battle of the bulge, we've been re-sampling old favorites and trying new recipes in our collection of South Beach Diet books. 

We enjoy cooking at home and always include veggies and fruits in our meals, but are learning that the problem was too much of these good things.

We've tried this recipe twice in recent weeks and while the ingredient list may seem long,it largely includes pantry spices we had available. When combined, these spices make up a version of tas al-hanut, a spice blend that's widely used on Moroccan-style meats and fish. Mixing the spices with extra virgin olive oil for a wet rub the chicken a rich, exotic taste.

This recipe serves 2.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken, Summer Squash & Green Olives

• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lemon
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb summer squash, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 C pitted green olives
• 2 TBSP water
• 2 TBSP chopped parsley or cilantro

1. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of waxed pepper to 1/4-inch thick
2. Mix spices (cumin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, salt) together in a small bowl. Finely grate lemon zest from lemon into spice mixture. Squeeze 1 TBSP lemon juice from lemon and add to spice mix.
3. Add 3 tsp of oil to spice mix and stir to combine. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
4. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and ad chicken. Cook, turning until blackened on the outside and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
5. Add remaining 1 tsp olive oil to the skillet and return to medium high heat. Add onion slices and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits, about 3 minutes.
6. Add squash, olives and 2 TBSP water, season with additional salt and pepper. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes until squash is tender.
7. Remove pan from heat, squeeze a little more lemon juice over chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Not only was this an easy recipe, but it was delicious too —just ask Grenville!

Anyone else also trying to shed very unwanted pounds. If so, what works for you, besides not eating, of course.