Chicken Pot Pie

My Mom use to make chicken pot pie often. My sister makes it for supper for her girls a lot. I'm unsure why I don't. It could be my husbands adverse fear of peas. We once had a family member make it for us and she had omitted the peas. I figured I would do the same and make my husband happy. However, I figured I would do most of the prep the day before to make it easy on me. The day before I made this chicken for supper. Since I normally roast vegetables with the chicken, I went ahead and used the same type of vegetables. I just chopped additional vegetables in preparation of making this dish. I also made the pie crust and stored it in the refrigerator. The chicken had lots of flavor which added a nice touch to the dish. My husband loved this dish. The pie crust had flavor. The kids ate it up. Anytime I have leftover chicken/turkey, I may just be making this dish again.

Chicken Pot Pie
3 celery stalks, finely diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (8") pie crust


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables. Gently, mix to combine.
6. Add the chicken broth and stir.
7. Add the milk and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.
8. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. 
9. Pour the mixture into a deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.
10. Roll out the pie crust so it will be slightly larger than the casserole dish.
11. Place the pie crust over the chicken mixture. Cut slits on top of the pie crust.
12. Bake the pot pie for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Allow the pot pie to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook.

One year ago..............................I made PB Nutella Oatmeal.
Two years ago............................I made Agent P Sandwich.

Did you already know..................
-Chicken pot pie consists of chicken, gravy, and vegetables.
-Meat pies have been around since Roman times.
-Early pot pies were cooked on open hearths. 

Blueberry and lemon Breakfast Rolls

I heard a bird singing the other day so I'm sure spring will arrive soon. I am very hopefully even if the ground is still buried with lots of snow. I even warned the kids that they had better enjoy the snow because soon it will be mud season. Yes, we have mud season here in Maine. It is what happens when the snow disappears. In anticipation for the arrival of Spring, I made blueberry and lemon cinnamon rolls. They came out pretty good. My daughter loved them. My son really loved the icing. 

Blueberry and Lemon Breakfast Rolls
Rolls
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 (1/4 oz.) packages of instant yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
4 cups bread flour

Filling
3 cups frozen blueberries
3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Icing
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
Rolls:

1. In a large pot, boil the potatoes in water until tender about 10 minutes.
2. Remove 3 cups of the potato water and set aside.
3. Drain the potatoes and mash. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Allow the potato water to cool to 110 degrees F.
5. Add the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar to the cooled potato water. 
6. Allow the yeast to sit for 5 minutes to proof.
7. Add the yeast to the large bowl with the potatoes.
8. Add 3/4 cup sugar, the melted butter, eggs, and salt. Whisk the mixture together.
9. Add 3 cups of all purpose flour to the potato bowl and stir until incorporated.
10. Add 4 cups of the bread flour and mix until incorporated. 
11. Add the remaining all purpose flour and mix until the dough is no longer very sticky. (More flour may be needed.)
12. Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in size about 1 hour.
13. Punch down the dough and recover. 
14. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium bowl, gently combine the blueberries with the sugar, lemon zest, and flour. Set aside. 
2. Grease 2 9x13 inch disposable pans with butter and nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 
3. Remove half of the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface.
4. Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
5. Spread the melted butter over the dough.
6. Sprinkle the blueberry filling over the top of the dough.
7. Starting on 1 of the long side of the dough, carefully roll the dough tightly to the other side to form one long cylinder.
8. With a sharp serrated knife, cut the roll into 2 inch slices.
9. Place the slices with the cut side down into the greased pan. Leave about an inch apart between each slice. 
10. Allow the rolls to rise for an hour in a warm place until puffy.
11. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
12. bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until light brown.
13. Remove the rolls from the oven. Set aside.

To make the icing:

1. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 
2. Spread the icing on top of the rolls while warm.
3. Serve immediately or once cooled. 

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen Cookbook.

One year ago..............................I made Chicken Cutlets.
Two years ago............................I made Tiramisu.

Did you already know..................
-The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox.
-At Spring, the Earth's axis is tilted towards the sun.
-The Number of hours of light and darkness occurs before the Spring Equinox.

Jambalaya

I know I live in Maine and there is an abundant of seafood but I normally don't serve it in meals. My husband and son love seafood. If we are eating at a restaurant and there is fried Maine shrimp, my husband will order it every time. He says Maine shrimp is more tender. We even have clam and lobster festivals in Maine. So, I figured I would make some jambalaya with Maine shrimp. I was surprised we had a hard time finding my husband's desired shrimp so I cheated and went with cocktail shrimp. I really liked this dish since it is a one pot meal with heat. It was very popular at my house.

Jambalaya
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, diced
8 oz. sausage, cut into cubes
5 oz. chicken breast, cut into bite sizes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup water
3/4 cup rice, uncooked
1 cup cooked small shrimp
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the sausage, chicken, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring often.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water.
5. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the rice. Allow to boil.
7. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or rice is cooked.
8. Stir in the shrimp and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
9. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

Receipt adapted from Epicurious.

One year ago...................................I made Macaroni and Cheese.

Two years ago.................................I made Butterscotch Fondue.

Did you already know....................

-In 2014, the shrimp fishing was banned in Maine.
-The last ban on shrimp fishing in Maine occurred over 35 years ago.
-As shrimp mature, male shrimp change their sex to females.

Beignets

Ever since my daughter tried beignets, she keeps asking me to make them. It makes me feel good that my daughter just assumes I can make them especially since I may make fried foods once a year. Just for her, I figured I would do it. If you have never had a beignet, it taste like a combination of fried dough and a doughnut. It is so light and delicious. This recipe makes a lot. We filled four large storage bags and still had some left over. I'm not even including the ones we ate in the amount of beignets I made. My daughter is happy. My neighbors are happy. Ben-Yay!

Beignets
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
1 (1/4 oz.) package of active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk
4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups all purpose flour
oil for frying
powdered sugar for dusting the tops

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and evaporated milk together.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture. Mix well.
4. Add one cup of bread flour at a time. Allow to mix for 1 minute before adding the next cup.
5. Add the shortening and mix for a couple of minutes.
6. Add one cup of all purpose flour at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side. The dough should not be sticky or more flour is needed.
7. Knead the dough for 8 minutes.
8. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray.
9. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with a greased plastic wrap.
10. Allow the dough to rise for at least 2 hours.
11. Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. in a deep fryer or large pan. 
12. Line a large plate with several sheets of paper towels.
13. Place a cup of powdered sugar in a sifter and set aside.
14. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
15. Cut the dough into 1 inch squares.
16. Carefully place the dough into the heated oil.
17. Cook the dough for about 1 minute or until golden brown before flipping it over to allow the other side to cook until a golden brown color.
18. Remove the beignet from the oil and place onto the paper towel lined plate.
19. Lightly dust the beignet with powdered sugar.
20. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen.

One year ago........................................I made PB Nutella Oatmeal.
Two years ago......................................I made Agent P Sandwich.

Did you already know..............................
-Beignets are very popular in New Orleans especially the French Quarter.
-In 18th century, the French immigrants brought beignets to Louisiana.
-A beignet is a square doughnut with no hole in the middle of it which has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Cajun Biscuits

Have you ever been to Louisiana? Maybe you've been to Mardi Gras? Maybe you are heading to Mardi Gras which begins next week? I will admit I've never been to Mardi Gras but it sounds so wild. I have been to New Orleans and walked down Bourbon Street. I enjoy Cajun food so I figured I would make some biscuits with a little heat. I did forget to tell my husband so he was pleasantly surprised.

Cajun Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Cut in the butter until it resembles course meal.
5. Mix in the sour cream and milk until just incorporated.
6. Roll out the dough about 1 inch thickness onto a lightly floured surface.
7. Cut out the biscuits into 2 inch circles.
8. Space the biscuits about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet.
9. Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago...........................I made Macaroni and Cheese.
Two years ago.........................I made Butterscotch Fondue.

Did you already know..............
-The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge.
-In Louisiana, the largest city is New Orleans. 
-Louisiana is divided into parishes and not counties.