Saturday, December 12, 2009

No kitty! My pot pie!

Looking for a pork loin recipe for a friend I stumbled upon a chicken pot pie recipe. Of course I'm a fan of pot pie. I just can't bring myself to eat the ones the stores have because I'm a meat snob. I had just enough left over soft wheat flour to make 2 pie crusts. I think I added a bit more salt and pepper than what it calls for and sage instead of oregano. ;)

Pot Pie

Pot Pie


Chicken Pot Pie


For this recipe, you will need:

* 1 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
* a double pie crust
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 2 cups chopped vegetables, like celery, carrots, and onions
* 1/2 teaspoon of spices like salt, pepper, thyme, sage, and parsley
* 1/3 cup butter
* 1/3 cup flour
* 3/4 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup milk (I used fat free)

Directions

Saute the Vegetables with the spices in the tablespoon of oil. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Now add the chicken broth and the milk, and cook this over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.

Stir in the vegetables and chicken, and then pour everything into the pie crust.

Cover the pie with the top crust, seal the edges together, and cut some slits in the top so that steam can escape while the pot pie cooks.

Cook at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.


Basic Savory Pie Crust

(Makes 2 pie crusts, enough for one 9-inch and one 10-inch crust)

Ingredients
* 3 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups cold lard or solid vegetable shortening
* 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Directions

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the lard and work it in with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, working it in with your hands. Add only as much as you need to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. For 2 crusts, cut the dough in 2 equal pieces and put the second half back in the refrigerator. For each crust, roll out the dough on the floured surface into a square about 14 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Gently fold the square of dough in half and then in half again so that you can lift it without tearing it, and unfold it into a square baking pan. Fill and proceed as directed in the recipe.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Not really by the book...

I got home from the store yesterday evening to find that all the carrots had been consumed while I was out. Due to the snow I had David's youngest brother drive me in his girlfriends SUV. I was NOT going out again for carrots in my Prius. So right there I knew I would be deviating from the recipe I found in Vegan Express. Here's what I kept ..

6 cups of water
2 salt free bullion cubes (I use Rapunzel)
2 cups of lentils (they called for red, I used green)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
Spike Seasoning (I did not use 2 teaspoons though)
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Salt
Pepper


I added..

4 or 5 red potatoes (skin on), small cubes
a bunch of green onions, chopped
1 small-ish green pepper, chopped

I pretty much swapped out every veggie the recipe called for. Of course I added parmesan to it before shoveling it into my face. ;)

Lentil, Potato, and Dill Soup











Fresh Milled Flour (for you Eve)

I've been asked to post about my grain mill, and I took pictures before Thanksgiving, but I'm just now getting around to uploading and posting it. :P


For reference on the size of my Nutrimill..

Nutrimill next to Kitchenaid


It's rather boring, but here's the collector of the mill all ready to be popped into place before milling..

Mill Before


Wheat Berries (I have the pictures labeled as soft white wheat berries, but I think they're hard white wheat berries)..

Wheat Berries


Pouring 4 cups worth into the hopper..

Pouring berries in


All ready to go..

Ready to go


Going..

Going..


Pretty much gone..

Just about gone..


The finished product, it was almost double the volume of what I put in..

Flour