Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is something I always have in a freezer for those night that I either don't feel like cooking or I don't have time to cook. It is generally the Marie Callenders variety, as it is one of my hubby's favorites. Last week, I had some leftover rotisserie chicken and decided to give chicken pot pie a try. I found the recipe of Alton Brown's for curry chicken pot pie... we love chicken pot pie and love curry, how bad can it be, right? I used some frozen mixed veggies as well as store bought pie crust and still the results were AMAZING! I've made 6 individual pot pies and was able to freeze some for the "emergency dinners" The original recipe called for puff pastry, but I did not have it on hand, so I decided to use pie crust. Needless to say, I'll not be buying frozen chicken pot pies again. The recipe was easy, quick and DELICIOUS! Must try!



CURRY CHICKEN POT PIE



* 4 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots
* 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 2 tablespoons dried parsley
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
* 1 package puff pastry ( I used pie dough)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.

In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base, lined with foil, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. I used individual remakins and cut the dough to fit them. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

Since I can't use my oven, I've been cooking up a storm. I love having company to cook for and since my in laws are still visiting, it's a great excuse for me to experiment. I am not a big fan of chicken breast, but there are few dishes that I love to use it for...I always found that it is dry and flavorless (but then again, it might be me, not knowing how to cook it properly) One of the few dishes that I love to use chicken breast for is Chicken Parmesan. This recipe has always been a HUGE hit! It is very easy, flavorful and produces very crispy chicken that is moist on the inside. I've used Prego pasta sauce because it is my husband's favorite, but you can make your own or use your favorite brand.



* 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
* 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
* 1 pound chicken breast tenders
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 1/2 cups bottled of Prego Pasta Sauce or your favorite one.
* 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese


Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a skillet. Cook until heated through. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese and fresh basil (if you like it). Put cover on and let the cheese melt.

Serve with spaghetti noodles.

Chicken sun dried tomato alfredo pasta

So, it seems I have some blogging to do...It's been couple of weeks since I've posted anything and I'm a little...OK, very envious of all of your creations!
I am in mourning... On July 21st, 2009 tragedy striked in my kitchen... MY OVEN DIED :( I was going to roast some potatoes for dinner and it refused to heat up... Now, how often does that happen? This is the first oven EVER that had gone dead on me... I though Bosh appliances supposed to be good! I had a technician come to fix it and was told that my main rely board is fried and is going to cost $530 to get it working again!!! So, here I am two weeks later, with both ovens out of commission, miserable waiting for the new relay board to show up... there is no telling how long it will take Bosh to send the part so I can get some baking therapy. I've never thought that not having an oven will have that much of an impact on my day to day life, but it has been very challenging. I guess I did not realize how much I've used the oven till I no longer had it available.

Needless to say, I've been trying to keep myself out of trouble by cooking...My in-laws are visiting and my mother in law is a HUGE pasta fan... The pasta # 1 is adapted from Guy Fieri's recipe:


Chicken sun dried tomato alfredo pasta



* 4 chicken breasts cut into cubes
* 2 tabelspoons of Cajun spice
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 1 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
* 1/4 cup white wine
* 3 cups heavy cream
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound cooked fettuccine
* 1/2 cup sliced asparagus
* 1/4 cup of green onions

Generously sprinkle chicken with Cajun spice and brown it in the skillet. Remove the chicken and put it aside.

In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and lightly caramelize. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus and chicken. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.

When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt, pepper, and pasta.

Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Those of you who know me, realize that I am a huge fan of international flavors... I love the variety and abundance of tastes that different cuisines have to offer and love to sample things I've never tried before. When I moved to the states, I had no idea the culinary adventure that I was embarking on. The access to the variety of different ingredients and recipes gives me the ability to make any dish I like with mixed results :)

Indian dishes are among my favorites and I try to make them as often as I can. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the yummiest (is this a real word?) dishes I had...Broiled chicken breast with incredibly flavorful tomato-cream sauce-Uhmmm, heaven on the plate!!! You can serve it with white or brown rice. This recipe have been adapted from Cook's Illustrated magazine.I did not have yogurt on hand and used coconut milk instead. It worked very well in this dish. You can buy Garam Masala spice in a jar but if you do not have it on hand you can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Here is the recipe:

Chicken Tikka

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

Masala Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Chicken Chilaquiles

Chicken Chilaquiles
This is one of my favorite recipes.It comes from Cooking Light, July 2007 issue. If you like mexican food, this is "must try"



* 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, divided
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 (11-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
* 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
* 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, green onions, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Pour 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture into bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 corn tortillas in dish, and top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layer with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture, ending with tortillas.

Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups tomatillo mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.