Essentially homemade chicken pot pie

Even though it's somehow basically summer again outside here in Atlanta, last week was absolutely frigid. so naturally I made my favorite cold-weather dinner: chicken pot pie.

I love this recipe because you can be as complicated or no-frills as you want to be with it. I think the most important part of a recipe is that it should be reasonably doable on an average night. So I took a potentially complicated, exhausting recipe and made it just that. Here's how:

• Homemade crust? Sure, if you're into that kinda thing. Me, I don't have any kinda time for that business. Who wants to spend 5 hours making a (extremely temperamental) pie crust before even starting to cook dinner? Not this moi.

• Another potential point of debate: the frozen veggies. Look. Look. Listen. Listen. Look. Come on, who really likes celery? I find no shame in grabbing the organic Publix-brand frozen mixed veggies that come in the exact amount that I need. aka more of what I want for less effort. I pick that.

• Optional white wine aka an excuse to buy a bottle of white wine. Even if you're not into wine, it really does enhance the flavors, so don't skip it unless you really have to.

• Final point of flexibility: the protein. If you've got a leftover chicken breast or two that you can cook and chop up: go for it. You can also buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery and pull the meat off--sometimes it's cheaper than buying raw chicken, plus it's already cooked! Have leftover chicken from a roast? Use that. Lots of room for flexibility here.

Special Thanksgiving hint: this recipe is AMAZING with leftover turkey. Do yourselves a favor and set aside 2 cups of turkey so you can make this--it's WAY better than turkey sandwiches, I promise.

Okay, enough defending my choices. Just try it and you'll see for yourself. My family requests this over and over again, and it might just be what snags me a husband one of these days. It's that good.

Laura's Chicken Pot Pie

1 pie crust (if you get the two-pack from the store, freeze one for next time!)
1/2 stick butter
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
2 cups chopped or shredded chicken (or turkey!)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
splash of white wine (optional) (not really)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp thyme (or to taste. I use dried/ground because lazy)

Preheat oven to 400.

(Cook your chicken and shred it up if you haven't already.)

Melt butter in a large skillet. Toss in frozen veggies and, stirring, cook until heated through (a couple minutes). Add the chicken and stir, coating the chicken in the remaining butter. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to coat. Cook over medium for a couple minutes (this helps the chicken and veggies stand up to the liquids).

Pour in broth, stirring constantly to deglaze (get the crispy stuff off the bottom) the pan. Let it return to a simmer and add a splash of white wine. Stir and let return to a simmer. Then add heavy cream.

Bring to a slow boil and let simmer for a few minutes until the mixture thickens a little to an almost gravy-like consistency. While simmering, add salt, pepper and thyme. I hardly ever measure these things (#YOLO) I just keep adding and tasting until I'm happy with it.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish or pie dish (at least 9-in). Unroll the pie crust and carefully place over the mixture, and press the edges into the side of the dish (so the insides don't boil out). Slice vents in the top of the crust.

Bake 30-40 mins or until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool just slightly before serving (because the inside will be at molten lava temperatures).


Make it tonight!
    

    

Cuban chicken pizza

I've rediscovered an old college meal that used to be a treat (it was so fancy!), and have re-purposed it into my easy, go-to delicious weeknight treat (I now consider treats things like when I don't have much to clean up after dinner).

Cuban chicken pizza is 1. Delicious. 2. Fairly healthy. 3. Easy. 4. Adaptable.

Everyone needs a break during the week, and when I don't feel like really cooking, this is a lifesaver. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken (or any other kind of meat), and you can clean up your (little) mess while these babies cook. Win-win.

For 4 pizzas, you'll need:

4 10in tortillas

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1-2 ears of corn, off the cob 

4 tsp cumin seed (1 tsp per tortilla)

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your liking

1 lb chicken, cooked and diced (1 whole breast, or leftover meat)

Cilantro, chopped

Sriracha (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour tortillas flat on a rectangular baking sheet (you'll probably need two), so they're not overlapping. Sprinkle each tortilla with the cumin seed. Pop those suckers in the oven for 5-10 minutes to toast up (you can omit the cumin seed if you want, but you'll be sorry). You don't want them to brown, just start to puff up. Take them out once you can see them starting to puff and you can smell the cumin. 

Top tortillas with diced chicken, black beans and corn. Sprinkle with cheese as desired. Bake again in 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and tortillas have started to brown and get crispy- less than 10 minutes. 

Let the pizzas cool for just a minute, then sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with sriracha, if you dare. The cumin + cilantro + sriracha combo is out of this world.

Viola! Easy weeknight meal. On to the next thing, Eaters.

Until next time,

Eat your veggies, kids!

[so many veggies. these, plus spinach, too!]

I've been eating pretty terribly lately. Lots of empty carbs and too much dairy and I was starting to feel it in my all-around well-being. Time to eat some veggies. Now, being an ESTJ, I'm a go big or go home kind of person, so I went all out. This recipe has sooooo many veggies in it. and lots of spices (which are good for your heart). So if you're feeling a little sluggish and gross from all that sugarrrrrr, make this tonight! Sidenote: it makes a TON, so it's perfect for a week (or month...) of leftovers!

Oh! and it's vegetarian AND vegan friendly!

Fun fact: Marrakesh is a major city in Morocco, so this is a Moroccan-style dish. Another fun fact: Morocco is at the top of my list of places to visit. It looks so beautiful!

 [Saute away, little babies.]

Marrakesh Vegetable Curry
originally found here

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 eggplant, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 Tbs olive oil, divided (3 for the veggies, 3 for the spices)
3 cloves garlic, minced (get you that canned stuff, it is magical. no shame)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbs curry powder (I used two)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup blanched almonds
1 zucchini, sliced
2 Tbs raisins
1 cup orange juice (I used the Naked carrot orange, it's perfect)
10 oz spinach

In a large Dutch oven place sweet potato, eggplant, peppers, carrots, onion, and 3 tablespoons olive oil (don't accidentally add your zucchini yet, it will be mush!). Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.

In a medium saucepan or skillet, place the other 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Saute over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir often so it doesn't burn!

Pour the spice mixture into the Dutch oven with the veggies. Add the garbanzo beans, almonds, zucchini, raisins, and orange juice. Simmer 20 minutes, covered.

Add spinach to pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice or couscous!