Oh My Pot Pie!

I am already behind on my promise last week to keep on top of the blog.  Damn you Kevin Spacey and House of Cards!  Netflix is both my love and my curse.  I have never been good with things that I can binge on…it is why I stay away from buffets.

Menu Board for week of March 29th

This week is a short one, thank goodness for a four day week!  So that also means a shortened menu board.

The recipe I want to share with you tonight is a good one, if you like mushrooms, which I am surprised how many people do not!  Mushrooms are a fungus, so perhaps people are turned off by that, or the fact that it grows best in manure, or it is just a texture thing.  The thing I love most about mushrooms is that they are neither plant, or animal.  They belong to the ‘fungi’ kingdom which includes bacteria and yeast.

I love mushrooms, they are a favourite and are often used in this kitchen as a meat substitute.  This recipe is full of em.   Chicken and Mushroom Pie, you’ll love it too.  Pot pie’s have a long history and are ubiquitously British.  During the Roman Empire times meat pies were served at banquets and it has been said they would put live birds under the crust.

Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

  

  Sautéing veggies

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 2 large portabello caps, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup cashew cream (or half and half)
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
• 10 oz puff pastry

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. In a medium cast iron pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add leek and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and celery and cook 10 minutes more until soft and starting to brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add shredded chicken and chicken stock; turn heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens a bit about 2 minutes. Turn heat off, stir in cashew cream, lemon zest and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Either transfer mixture to another pot or leave in cast iron and let cool. Top with puff pastry, crimping the edges around the pan.
6. Cook for 25-30 minutes until puff pastry is puffy and golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before cutting into!

Chicken Pot Pie