(Food is Love. Food is Culture. Food is Connection. Food is Adventure.)


Friday, December 16, 2011

Macaroni and Cheese with Pancetta and Mushrooms

Three nights ago, Hubby whipped up some cheese sauce to pour over leftover home fries and bake them, thus making au gratin potatoes.  They were delicious.  There was, unfortunately luckily, lots of cheese sauce leftover.  So, tonight, he turned it into some very excellent Macaroni and Cheese with Pancetta and Mushrooms.


Here is Hubby's cheese sauce recipe, in his own words:
  • 3 tbsp salted butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • Salt
  • Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Cayenne
  1. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
  2. Add flour and whisk together to make a roux.
  3. Once thickened, add 1 pint cream, whisking constantly.
  4. Once roux and cream are well mixed, add cheese, continue whisking.
  5. Add seasoning to taste.
Use with: anyfuckingthing. It's that good.

For the macaroni and cheese, sauté chopped pancetta until the fat is rendered.  Add sliced mushrooms to the same pan, and sauté until cooked.  Finally, mix the pancetta and mushrooms into cooked macaroni along with the cheese sauce.

It's wife tested, kitty approved!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Bacon Palooza!

Last night, Hubby and I went to Bacon Palooza at Olde Magoun’s Saloon.  It’s a local bar in the town where we grew up.  They do rotating specials menus, always based on some theme.  This month, it’s bacon!  Mmmmmm, bacon.

They are doing their bacon thing in the style of tapas (small plates), so of course, we ordered a bunch of things.  Here’s what we got (I apologize that these aren’t great pictures; I only had my cell phone in restaurant-bar lighting)....


Fig-alicious
(figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in smoked applewood bacon)

(a close-up of the cut open fig dish)

Hog Wild Rangoon
(black pepper bacon, scallions and cream cheese stuffed in a wonton,
deep fried and served with a plum sauce)

Bacon Poutine
(waffle fries topped with crumbled bacon, cheese curds and
bacon onion gravy, topped with a soft egg)

Beef Bacon Blue
(mini beef filets stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon,
with caramelized onions and a pepper port reduction)

Chicken Fried Bacon
(battered and deep fried [Canadian] bacon, served with a bacon onion gravy, grits and two mini southern biscuits)

And finally, for dessert.... 


Praline Bacon Brownie
(it was chocolate cake on top of a chocolate chip cookie, sprinkled with what I think was walnuts and topped with a strip of candied bacon.  Served with homemade whipped cream)

Overall, I have to say that I was not too impressed with most of this.  Fig-alicious I really liked, and the Beef Bacon Blue was terrific.  But the rest, I give only a solid “meh.”  It could have been a lot better.  That’s okay, though, it won’t sway me from visiting this awesome local hangout in the future and tasting everything else they have to offer.  Their food is generally very good, and the other themed menus that they have done in the past were very nicely done indeed.  I still give the restaurant/bar two thumbs up.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Applesauce!

What does one do when the U-Pick apples that you got back in October are about to be past their prime, and you also have some apple cider that expires tomorrow?  Why, I’ll tell you – you grab your handy dandy new stand mixer, a pot, a peeler, and make applesauce!



I just kind of made this up on the fly, but it turned out well.

First, I peeled all the apples.  We had 12 left of various sizes and varieties (I know we had picked Cortland, Golden Delicious, Macoun, Empire, Cameo, and possibly a couple others that I cannot remember).  I only roughly peeled them -- not worrying about bits of skin left on the apples -- I wanted the final product to be somewhat rustic.


Then, I poured what was left of the apple cider into the pot.  I am guessing there was about a cup and a half worth at the most.  I added some water (this turned out to be unnecessary – more on that later), and put it on the stove to cook.


I brought it to a boil and let it simmer (covered) for about 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes it looked like this:


Next, it was time to whizz it up using the stick blender.


At this point, I decided that it was too thin and runny, but luckily I had cheesecloth on had.  So, I lined a colander with the cheesecloth and poured the applesauce in to drain out some of the liquid.


After draining (at least a half hour later), it looked like this:


The last thing I did was add a pinch of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, which changed the color slightly, as seen in the very first picture above.

Yummy!  The applesauce was very smooth, definitely much smoother than you'd be used to with store-bought stuff.  If you want that store-bought texture, perhaps a simple potato masher would be better suited than a blender of any type.  :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Three-Meat Beans

Today, in the spirit of love and giving thanks, I am going to share another family recipe.  This is a side dish that we learned from Jason's uncle Mark, and we make it every year for pre-Thanksgiving (Wednesday night) dinner at Jason's father's house.  Just like the 4 Layer Delight I posted recently, it's is a Southern thing....and so mouth watering.


INGREDIENTS
  • 5 slices of bacon
  • 1/2-pound of Kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/2-pound of ground beef
  • 3 Tablespoons of chopped onions
  • 32-ounces of canned Pork & Beans (depending on where you live and what size cans of beans are sold in your store, this might be two cans, or it might be three cans -- just make sure you end up with somewhere near 32-ounces total)
  • 1/3-cup of ketchup
  • 1/4-cup of brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons of molasses
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons of mustard

DIRECTIONS

1.  Pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees.

2.  Cook the bacon in a skillet; chop it up and set it aside in a large bowl (you will use this bowl later to mix everything together, so make sure it's a really big one).

3.  In the same skillet, brown the Kielbasa; remove from skillet into the large bowl, and discard the drippings.

4.  Add the beans, to the large bowl.


5.  In the same skillet, combine the onions and ground beef; cook, stirring, until the beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Dump the beef/onion mixture into the same large bowl.

6.  Add all the other ingredients to the bowl, and mix to combine.


7.  Pour it all into an oven-safe bean pot or baking dish, and bake (uncovered) for 30 minutes.


8.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

4 Layer Delight

This dessert is a classic Southern grannie style dish, utilizing both fresh and store-bought ingredients.  It's easy and very yummy.  The utmost gratitude goes out to Jason's Grandma Irish for sharing this dish with me -- what an incredible lady, may she rest in peace.


BOTTOM LAYER: Mix together 1-cup of flour, 1/2-cup of crushed pecans, and 1/2-cup of melted butter (yes that's a whole stick, kids) into a crumbly dough-ish texture.  Press it into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

I use the butter wrapper to keep my hand clean
Bake it at 350-degrees for 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.


SECOND LAYER: Mix together 1-cup of Cool Whip, 1-1/2-cups of powdered sugar, and 8-ounces of softened cream cheese (this is a whole helluva lot easier if you have a stand mixer or hand held electric mixer).  Spread the mixture over top of the now-cooled crust.


THIRD LAYER: Mix 2 packages of instant butterscotch pudding with 3 cups of milk (ignore the preparation instructions on the boxes or else you'll use too much milk and the pudding layer will be too runny).  Put the pudding in the fridge until it's almost firm, then pour it over top of the white layer and gently spread it out.


TOP LAYER: Cover the whole thing with a layer of Cool Whip and chopped pecans.


Refrigerate overnight to set.



I canNOT wait to dig into this tonight at pre-Thanksgiving dinner with the in-laws!!!  :')

Friday, November 18, 2011

Chocolate Bread French Toast


Not every recipe that I post can or will have nutritional information, because it's just not available (the bread in this recipe being the mystery item)....but sometimes, maybe we don't really want to know, right?  J

This indulgent breakfast is something we whipped up not too long ago with bread I got at the farmer's market....

Ingredients
  • 2 slices of "When Pigs Fly" chocolate bread
  • 1.5 large eggs
  • About 1 tablespoon of whole milk
  • Cinnamon to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter
  • A swirl of maple syrup
Directions
  1. Mix the eggs, milk and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or baking dish.  Soak the bread in it, flipping to both sides, until it won't soak up anymore.
  2. Cook over medium heat, flipping and pouring any remaining batter over the top, until your desired doneness is achieved.
  3. Serve with butter, and some really good pure maple syrup on top.
OMG this was soooooooo good!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Cook Yourself Thin - Cheezy Chicken Parmesan With Zucchini "Pasta"

This recipe comes from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook and is a healthy take on a classic favorite: chicken parm.  It's called Cheezy Chicken Parmesan With Zucchini "Pasta"


Their original recipe can be seen on the Lifetime Network website.  What follows below is my exact modification....

For the tomato sauce and zucchini pappardelle
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • one 28-ounce can Hunt’s No Salt Added Plum Tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 large zucchini, thinly sliced, seed centers discarded

For the chicken
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons extra for serving
  • 1/4 cup Progresso plain bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split in half
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Instructions

  1. For the sauce, heat one-half tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. (Check a few times during cooking; if vegetables begin to brown, add 2 teaspoons water and stir.) Add the tomatoes with juice, basil and another 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently 5 minutes. Then simmer very gently, partially covered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with pepper.
  2. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick long pappardelle-like strips, turning the zucchini and slicing on 4 sides only until you see the center seeds. Discard the centers (or save them for making homemade stock).
  3. Remove the tomato sauce to a bowl; no need to clean the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until wilted, tossing often with tongs for even cooking, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the tomato sauce to the pan, add a third of the parsley, and season with pepper; transfer to a bowl for holding, cover and set aside.
  4. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, the remaining parsley, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the egg white on a second plate or in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken into the egg whites, and then into the bread crumb mixture to coat completely.
  5. Heat the same nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until chicken is firm, and lightly browned on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes.
  6. To serve, make a “twist” of zucchini pappardelle on each of 4 plates. Lean chicken cutlets against the side of zucchini. Scoop 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each plate.  To garnish each plate, sprinkle with a one-quarter of the remaining Parmesan.  (The only reason we didn't do the "drizzle with olive oil" from the original recipe was because we forgot....and really, we don't think the dish needed it -- so why not save some fat and calories.)
Makes 4 delicious servings.
  • 364 calories
  • 39 grams protein
  • 24 grams carbs
  • 12 grams fat
  • 5 grams fiber
  • 628 mg sodium

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Today, I am changing the name (and somewhat, the raison d'être) of this blog.  It used to be called "The Robinator's Mostly Gluten-Free Foodventures" and was purposed at sharing photos, recipes, and nutritional values of stuff my husband and I created on our own, cooked from other people's recipes, or enjoyed at restaurants.  The vast majority of what we did was gluten-free and aimed at showing the world that being gluten-free doesn't have to be a challenge -- on the contrary, it can be wonderful.  We were doing pretty well at it....however, the whole thing is now being re-dubbed, simply

“The Robinator’s Foodventures”
(Happy-Go-Lucky Memoirs of a Foodie and her Husband)

There'll still be plenty of photos, recipes, and nutritional values of stuff my husband and I created on our own, cook from other people's recipes, or enjoy at restaurants, but the formerly requisite gluten-free aspect is going away.  The adventure is going back to its roots of pure, unadulterated, general fun with culinary exploration of all kinds.  Here’s why....

As I described in my very first post, Hubby and I had been eating gluten-free since about mid-September 2011.  We thought it was the solution for him.  But recently, as outlined in “Why We Decided To Try Eating Gluten Again, and How The Experiment Will Proceed”, we began to wonder if gluten truly was the bad guy after all.  We conducted our little experiment for about a week and a half, and are now confident in declaring that gluten wasn’t the problem.  Furthermore, we think we know what the real issue was, and is.

But if gluten was never the culprit, why did cutting it out of Hubby’s diet seem to make him feel so much better?  That was the thrust of our recent two-week trial.  We though, based on examining trends in how he felt, and noticing plenty of days where he ate gluten but felt fine, that maybe what made Hubby feel icky was all the other junk (chemicals, preservatives, etc.) that far too often come along with store-bought gluten-containing foods….just the sorts of things that we happened by circumstance to no longer be eating when we removed gluten and were forced to cook most meals from scratch.  In the end, the experiment disproved our theory -- it didn’t seem to be the additives, but it also definitely wasn't gluten.  What the test did clearly reveal to us, though, was something we had previously overlooked; something that when we cut out the gluten, we also at the same time started to be very careful with….DAIRY.

We knew all along (even before going gluten-free) that Hubby was lactose intolerant, but for some (stupid) reason never paid it much mind.  The only lactose-free dairy product we utilized was straight-up milk.  We’d eat regular ice cream, pizza, yogurt, cheeses, etc. and not bother with him taking a Lactaid pill.  And we'd certainly never avoid lactose-containing foods altogether….oh, the horror!  J  But when we decided to try living gluten-free, we concurrently ventured to keep a much closer eye on the lactose than we ever had before, and tried to make sure that he was using Lactaid when necessary.  Lo and behold, here are the results of Phase 1 of the experiment wherein we kept strict track of everything he ate and how his stomach felt…..

Click on the chart to enlarge it.
Each column shows a group of foods or a food type that we suspected could be problematic.
95% = the best Hubby will ever label his stomach short of colitis actually being cured.
We intended for the experiment to last longer, but the results showed themselves so quickly and strongly that we feel it's safe to call it done early.  What we found was that the *only* times his percentage went down was when he ate dairy without Lactaid.  In fact, the chart shows improvement while eating gluten, or gluten + chemicals, or gluten + soda, as well as improvement each time he stopped eating dairy without Lactaid.  Dairy with Lactaid had no negative effects.  We also had planned to do the experiment in two phases (one with gluten and no chemicals, the other with chemicals and no gluten), but the experiment also pointed out, sadly, just how hard it is to avoid chemicals, preservatives, and other food additives....and so we ended up testing both scenarios simultaneously.  We tried to eat all natural during these two weeks, but if you consume anything that you haven’t prepared completely on your own at home, you have to assume that as part of the United States food supply, there’s likely something other than the actual food in it.

For me personally during these two weeks, I noticed that I started experiencing greater blood sugar fluctuations (and getting the shakes/hypoglycemic when hungry) -- something that I used to experience once in a while, but that had stopped when we went gluten-free and thereby reduced our intake of processed simple carbohydrates.  I noticed over the two weeks that I was hungry more often and my appetite was harder to satisfy.  I found myself eating more food and more frequently.  I also had less energy overall.  I believe that all of this can be attributed, for me, not necessarily to gluten, but to too much of the time eating too many refined simple carbohydrates, and consequently not enough protein or complex carbs.

As for Phase 2 of the experiment, wherein we were going to see how Hubby did being gluten-free, but still allowing the chemicals and preservatives into his body….we simply no longer feel the need to test it out.  Neither of us wants to ingest any of that junk anyways (even if we “can” without tummy troubles), therefore why should we bother subjecting ourselves to it just for the sake of experimentation when we're going to avoid these "foods" from now on anyways.

A Learning Experience

I don’t think that being gluten-free for these past two months has been for naught.  It was certainly beneficial.  It caused us to carefully examine what we were putting into our bodies, what we needed to be putting into our bodies, and what we absolutely didn’t want to be putting into our bodies.  We learned that whole, clean, and natural tastes way better!  Being gluten-free (where it's virtually impossible to consume refined or processed foods), followed by the experiment of purposefully eating gluten (where the gluten and refined/processed grains always seem to inexorably go hand-in-hand), highlighted important dietary truths -- We now know (not just from anecdote, but from real-life first-hand experience) how and why certain foods make us hungrier, cause us to overeat, create metabolic fluctuations, and make us sluggish....and that when we eat the right foods, our appetites actually decrease, our blood sugar levels moderate, our metabolisms balance out, our cravings become more controllable, and our brains function more effectively (no fog or memory lapses).  We just feel more vibrant in general.

Being gluten-free, by necessity, made us (and showed us how to) willfully pay close attention to what’s in our food.  We saw how wrong we were about how healthy we thought we were eating before.  The problem in this country (if you ask me) is the food supply.  Go ahead, pick up any item off the shelf and tell me how many of its ingredients you can pronounce, identify, obtain without some special license, or create without a chemist's degree?  Chances are, nine times out of ten, that product you grab from the shelf is full of garbage, and unfortunately, in this day and age, the unnatural ingredients too often outnumber the natural ones.  Even some whole foods are going downhill, being genetically modified or otherwise altered from their natural evolution.  So some Americans try to eat clean, whole, sometimes even organic, foods….but then there is the issue of cost.  Why should the better food cost more?

Anyways, short tangent aside, back to how being gluten-free was a good thing even though it turned out to be unnecessary....being gluten-free opened our eyes to tons of new ingredients (most specifically grains and flours) that we otherwise wouldn't ever have heard of, nevermind thought to go out and look for or try.  These are foods that we won't abandon simply because we no longer “need” them, but rather they are things that we will continue to use for variety’s sake.  We discovered new ways of cooking and baking, and gained tons of confidence in the kitchen; not only with putting wonderful meals together, but also with writing our own recipes.  We are thankful for all of this, and we feel more accomplished.

New Parameters

So, as of today, we are changing our parameters.  This blog will be dedicated to journaling our adventures as foodies -- whether that be creating meals at home, eating out at restaurants, trying new and exotic things, or partying with friends.  For the fun of it all, plain and simple.  And while I will not get preachy about it (we are not crazy people on some holier than thou crusade, we aren’t on a mission to convert anyone to any particular way of being, we aren’t trying to change anyone’s opinions about anything, and our choices don’t make us better than anyone else), there are several parameters that, based on all that we have learned, we will endeavor to adhere to as much as possible:
  • First off, no more concern about avoiding gluten, even though we will probably still end up doing so a lot of the time by way of personally preferenced recipe alterations.  (For example, we often omit flour where it's not actually necessary in a recipe, we leave out the breading on chicken parm because we like it that way, we sometimes prefer burgers without a bun....also, I am sure we'll once in a while make brownies with nut flours because it’s healthier and just as delicious, or bake whoopie pies with alternative flours because they're frickin' awesome that way, etc.)
  • Lactaid for Hubby each and every time dairy is involved.
  • Whole, clean, all natural foods and ingredients as often as possible; minimize processed and packaged items.
  • Always as few chemicals, preservatives, additives, and other garbage as we can manage.
  • Basically, if it can't be grown in a garden, raised on a farm, or created without a scientific chemical reaction, we don't want to eat (most of the time -- see below).
  • Limited simple/refined carbohydrates (complex is always better) -- we don't often eat much bread, pasta and the like anyways.
  • And if all of this means making things from scratch that in the past I wouldn't have -- well, I don't have a problem with that at all!  In fact, I like it.
Now, don't get me wrong.  This isn't to say that we will never eat processed foods, or never eat refined grains, or never go out to a restaurant where we don't know exactly what's going into the food, or never eat whatever a friend might serve to us at their own house or bring to ours.  Oh, we will absolutely "cheat" sometimes, just like we did when living "98% gluten-free."   When we're faced with a great-looking dessert, when we flat-out want pasta or white bread, when we're eating out, when we go to a party or a friend's house for dinner.....we fully intend to enjoy ourselves, and as always, we would never expect anyone to accommodate us in any way, nor would we ever think food someone else made isn't good enough for us.  Honey, whatever you serve me, I'm gonna merrily eat it!  Enjoyment and contentment and to each his own....when all is said and done, isn’t that the point of this whole thing?

So, all of that is the last I will say about thoughts, opinions, and parameters.  I don’t plan to mention it again.  I am now getting off the horse, and putting the soap box away.  I am here because I want to share the joy of food with everyone.  That's it.  That's all.

Let’s let this delightful food journey proceed....

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Magic Stuffing

*** this recipe is NOT gluten-free ***

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, today I will share my formerly super-secret but completely, totally, and utterly delicious "magic stuffing" recipe.  This is one that I made up all on my own, just winging it one evening a year or two ago.  It plays on the tastes of the season, utilizing apples and apple cider.  And it's soooooo good! -- I really think I hit one out of the park here.   :)


A nice alternative to the usual meaty, buttery, fatty ones that we oftentimes see around this time of year -- this quick, easy, fresh, and healthy stuffing will go wonderfully with (or in) your turkey.  It's also great rolled into pounded out chicken breasts and then baked off.

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (you could probably get away with even less by using a non-stick pan)
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 large stalks of celery, chopped
  • ½ of a large yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 “baby bella” mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 medium apple (I use Gala), chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of savory leaves (not ground)
  • 12 slices of Arnold 12-Grain Bread, stale and cubed
  • 2 cups apple cider           
PROCESS
  1. If the bread isn’t already stale, pop the slices into the oven on low heat to dry them out.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic, celery and onion, along with ½ of the savory, until soft and fragrant.
  3. Then add the mushrooms, apple, and the remainder of the savory, and sauté further.
  4. Finally, add the cubed bread and the apple cider, and mix until everything is moist and well incorporated.
You will get about 12 one-half-cup servings, each with a pleasing:
  • 166 calories
  • 6 grams protein
  • 30 grams carbs
  • 4 grams fat
  • 4 grams fiber
  • 185 mg sodium

Friday, November 11, 2011

Chicken Pot Pie


I mentioned it in my post about the currently ongoing experiment, and so finally, here is the recipe for my first-ever chicken pot pie.  As evidenced by this mess of papers and scribbles, I studied many recipes, did some comparing, mixing, analyzing and matching, and then decided on a combination of them that I thought would work well to make the crust:


As for the filling, I basically winged it as I went along.  Here’s what I did (as best as I can remember)….

CRUST INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1-1/2 sticks of Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons of chilled Vegetable Shortening (Crisco)
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup cold water
CRUST DIRECTIONS

1.  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2.  Cut in the butter and the shortening.

3.  Add the egg and vinegar, and mix to combine (like you were hand-mixing a meatloaf).  Also add enough of the cold water (up to 1/2 cup), if needed at all, to make the dough not too dry.


4.  Turn the dough out onto a GF-floured board, and knead it for just a minute or two to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.

5.  Form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and toss it in the freezer.  (If you are making your dough the night before, no need for the freezer – just put it in the fridge.)

FILLING INGREDIENTS
  • 2 large Chicken Breasts
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 large Carrots
  • 2 Potatoes
  • A good handful of fresh Green Beans
  • Chicken Stock
  • Milk (I used 2% lactose free), probably about 1/4-1/2 cup worth
  • 2 Tablespoons Tapioca Flour
  • 3 Tablespoons water
FILLING DIRECTIONS

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees.

2.  Season the chicken breasts using whatever amounts of the above-listed seasonings are to your liking, and cook it in a large skillet until done.  Set the chicken aside to cool and let its juices redistribute.

3.  Chop the onion and start it cooking with the butter, in the same skillet that you used for the chicken.


4.  While the onions are cooking, chop the carrots, the potatoes, and the green beans.


5.  Chop up the chicken into whatever size pieces you desire, or you can even shred it if you want.


6.  Put all the veggies into the skillet, and season with whatever spices you like.  I think I used salt, pepper, thyme and savory.  Cook for a few minutes.


7.  Then, add the chicken and enough Chicken Stock to at least coat the entire bottom of the pan….but probably more like enough to come up a quarter of an inch.  Also add the milk, and then bring it all to a simmer.

8.  Mix the tapioca flour and 3 Tablespoons of water into a slurry, add it to the pan.  Stir, and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

9.  Pour the filling into your deep baking dish, and set aside.


10.  Get the dough ball from the freezer and roll it out to as close a size as possible to cover the baking dish. 


11.  Place it on top, patching any holes or tears with extra bits of dough that were cut off from the edges.


12.  Bake the whole thing for up to an hour or until the crust is golden brown and starting to crisp.

13.  Allow the pie to cool for abut 15 minutes before slicing.


We served it with a side of fresh steamed broccoli:


COMMENTS

For a first attempt, I really liked this chicken pot pie.  But I wish the sauce/gravy was creamier and thicker.  Maybe I should have used a different milk/chicken stock ratio (i.e. more milk and less chicken stock), perhaps some heavy cream (which I didn't have on hand that night), and/or a higher concentration of tapioca starch in the slurry.  In any case, the unexpected dinner guest that we had that evening certainly liked it enough to go back for seconds.  And we would have had seconds too, if we were hungry enough.

The next day, however, wow! -- the leftovers were even better.  By then, the crust had time to soak up some of the juices and get a little bit gooey, moist, and gummy (the way I personally like my pot pie crust).


In keeping with the all-natural road we are currently trying to stay on, I think it should be possible to make this meal again without the xanthan gum, because it’s certainly okay (and some might even say better) to have pot pie crust flake apart and get all mixed into the filling while eating it.  Don’t most people chop it up and mix it in anyways?  I do.  In any case, as I have mentioned in the past, I am venturing to perfect a gluten-free crust (savory, sweet, or otherwise), and now hopefully one without any chemicals or xanthan gum.  If we continue to have to eat gluten-free after the experiment and I ever come up with anything good, I will certainly let you all know.

Finally, there will be no nutritional values given for this dish, because obviously I didn’t measure anything exactly (was just sort of eyeing it) nor did I weigh anything.  Plus with all that butter in the crust, who really wants to know, right?