MODERN CHICKEN POTPIE
This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “Here's a radical notion: chicken potpie does not have to be filled with goopy white sauce, carrots and peas. Traditional recipes are long on starch and richness, short on flavor. This updated version is savory with chicken stock, herbs, and wine (no white sauce needed), easier to make, and still familiar. Use thigh meat, for more taste and better texture than breast. And vegetables should be served separately, not forcemarched into the filling. Roasted carrots, peas with mint and buttered steamed asparagus are all nice to serve alongside chicken potpie.” Yield: 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.
This was featured in “Chicken Potpie for the Modern Cook” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
6 ounces bacon or pancetta, preferably thick-cut, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, such as button or cremini, thickly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups rich chicken stock
1/4 cup Marsala, Madeira or sherry
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, more for garnish
1 9-inch pie crust, chilled, or 1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Preparation
Heat oil and garlic together over low heat. When it sizzles, add bacon and onions and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is golden brown. Adjust the heat so the bacon slowly gives up its fat. Remove garlic clove and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and slightly softened.
In a sealable plastic bag, combine flour, thyme, paprika, 2 large pinches salt and 1 large pinch pepper. Add chicken and shake well to coat.
In the skillet with the bacon and mushrooms, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and any flour that remains in the bag. Cook, stirring, until chicken pieces are golden and the flour on the bottom of the pan is browned. Pour in stock, Marsala and vinegar. Scrape bottom of pan, and let simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened. Taste for salt, pepper and vinegar and adjust the seasonings. Turn off heat and stir in parsley.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Transfer chicken and sauce to 9-inch round pie dish or 8-inch square baking dish. Roll out pie crust to desired shape and size. Drape crust over filling, making a few slits or decorative holes on top. Tuck edges down around filling and brush crust with egg wash. If the dish is piled high with filling, place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow before transferring to oven.
Bake until crust is browned and filling is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.
Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes, before serving with a big spoon. If desired, garnish each serving with parsley.
Tips
To make individual potpies, divide the mixture among 6 large ramekins, mini pie pans or ovenproof bowls. Roll the pastry out into a rectangle and cut into 6 squares, each one large enough to cover the filling and drape over the rim of the dish. Lightly place a pastry square over each dish and evenly fold down the four corners on the outside edge. Press gently to seal. Snip or cut a few slits in the top. Place on a cookie sheet for baking.
Leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) can be used instead of raw. Add the flour mixture by itself in step 3. Cut leftover chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into the pan at the end of step 3 to heat through.
PEAR SNACKING CAKE WITH BROWN BUTTER GLAZE
This is from Melissa Clark, also The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This moist and tender cake has a similar texture to pumpkin or banana bread, with a delicate pear flavor scented with nutmeg and a touch of clove. But the real star is the brown butter glaze, which is nutty and rich, tasting a little like butterscotch, with a strong vanilla sweetness. The cake keeps well when stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, though the glaze will lose its snap from the chill. Or, bake the cake ahead, then glaze it a few hours before serving for the best texture. You can freeze the unglazed cake as well, up to a month ahead.” Yield: 12 servings.
This was featured in “A Snacking Cake Packed With Pears”, and can be viewed online here. (Note: I love the video that went with “A Snacking Cake…”. You’ll have to wait through a 15-second-ish ad, but the video is worth watching.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, more to grease the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 large pears (2 1/4 pounds), peeled, cored and shredded or finely chopped (to yield 2 1/2 cups)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
For the Brown Butter Glaze:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Preparation
Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-2-inch square or 9-inch-round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars, baking powder, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda and beat for 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
With the mixer on low, beat in half the pears, and then beat in the flour until smooth. Beat in remaining pears, then the oats, beating until well incorporated. Beat in nuts.
Spread batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center of the cake, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter, then let it simmer until the foam on top falls to the bottom of the pot and turns brown, about 3 minutes. It will smell nutty and rich when it’s ready.
Whisk in brown sugar until it dissolves. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla and salt until you’ve got a thick glaze with the texture of hot fudge sauce. Spread this over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set for at least 2 hours before serving.
FROZEN CARAMEL-APPLE CRUNCH CAKE
This comes from Daring Gourmet in the Tablespoon e-newsletter. She wrote, “A frozen layer of apple pie ice cream laced with caramel and sandwiched between a top and bottom layer of crunchy crushed granola bars.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes; Makes 8 Servings.
To view this online, click here. And check out Daring Gourmet’s blog here.
Ingredients
1 box Nature Valley™ granola bars, crushed into coarse crumbs
1/2 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 cups softened vanilla or cinnamon ice cream
3/4 can apple pie filling (chop up the apple pieces)
1/4 cup caramel sauce, plus extra for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place the Nature Valley granola bars in a food processor and process to a coarse crumb consistency. In a large mixing bowl, add the granola bar crumbs, flour, brown sugar and melted butter and stir to mix together. Spread the mixture out onto a pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool completely. Spread half of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish. Reserve the other half of the crumbs.
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened ice cream and stir in the apple pie pieces and caramel sauce. Pour the mixture over the crumbs in the 8x8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top, cover with aluminum foil and freeze for at least 3 hours.
Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
DYLAN DREYER’S PIEROGI CASSEROLE
This comes from TODAY’s Dylan Dreyer and was in TODAY’s food email. This begins, “You only need six-ingredients for Dylan's easy creamy pierogi casserole that's made with layers of store-bought pierogi and fresh spinach and topped with gooey melted cheese. She can't get over how good it is, so we had to share the recipe on TODAY Food!” Makes 8 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 16-ounce packages store-bought potato and onion pierogi
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces fresh spinach
1 small onion, diced
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Boil the pierogi according to the package's instructions. Drain.
In the meantime, in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium high neat. Add the onion, spinach, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onion is cooked through and the spinach is wilted.
In an 8-by-8-inch casserole dish, spread a good dollop of the canned cream of mushroom soup. Add half of the pierogi. Add half of the cooked spinach and onions. Top with the cream of mushroom soup. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients in this order: pierogi, spinach, soup, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden and bubbly. Enjoy!
BAKED APPLES STUFFED WITH WILD RICE AND QUINOA
This is from Vegetarian Times. It starts off, “The stuffing for these baked apples can be made up to two days ahead.” Yield: Serves 8.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1 cup mushroom broth
1/2 cup wild rice
1/4 cup red quinoa
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
4 medium Red Delicious apples
1/2 cup grated sharp white Cheddar cheese, optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring broth and 1 cup water to a boil in saucepan. Add wild rice, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 50 minutes. Stir in quinoa, and cook 20 minutes more, or until most of water is absorbed.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion, and sauté 7 minutes. Stir in sage and wild rice, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, and stir in cream cheese. Fold in cranberries.
Halve apples through stem, and scoop out core and seeds, leaving 1/4-inch-thick wall around sides. Fill apple halves with 1/3 cup rice mixture. Place in 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Fill baking dish with 1 cup water, cover tightly with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Uncover apples, sprinkle with Cheddar (if using), and bake 15 minutes more, or until apples are soft and tops are beginning to crisp.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 184; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 8 mg; Sodium: 141 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 13 g
VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO
This is from Jolinda Hackett, About.com’s Vegetarian Food expert. Jolinda wrote, “A vegetarian and vegan twist on classic Italian risotto - pumpkin! Why not? Pumpkin adds a sweet and unique flavor perfect for fall, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving entree, or anytime. Whether or not you're actually vegetarian or vegan, pumpkin risottos is a delicious, unique and creative entree choice for a fall, Halloween or Thanksgiving meal. It's also a great way to use up any leftover pumpkin you might happen to have on hand from the holidays.
“This Italian risotto recipe is both vegetarian and vegan, as long as you use a vegan margarine instead of butter. If you need it to be gluten-free as well, just be sure that the vegetable broth that you use is gluten-free, since all the other ingredients - including the rice, white wine, pumpkin and seasonings - are all gluten-free.” Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 4 - 6 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Instructions:
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups arborio (risotto) rice
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp vegan margarine or butter
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Sautee the diced onion in the olive oil over medium heat for about three to five minutes, or until the onion is mostly soft. Next, add in the rice. Allow to cook, stirring, for a minute or two, just to lightly toast the rice, and being carefuly that it doesn't burn. Slowly add in the white wine.
Next, start to add the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the moisture to cook off before adding the next 1/2 cup.
Stir frequently, and continue adding the vegetable broth 1/2 cup at a time. Many chefs advise keeping the vegetable broth heating on the stove so that it is already simmering and hot when you add it to the rice.
Once you've added all the vegetable broth and the rice is nearly cooked, add in the canned pumpkin, fresh ginger, nutmeg, fresh basil and vegan margarine or butter. Stir well to combine everything well, and season lightly with a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
All everything to heat, just for another minute or two, until everything is thoroughly heated through, and stirring frequently.
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