Chicken and Leek Pie

 I'd never used leeks before until this recipe. I am sorry I waited so long to use them. They are quite tasty.

Pie Filling 

16 oz. chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
75g. butter
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and cut into ½ inch slices

2 garlic cloves, crushed
55g. plain flour
7 oz. milk
2–3 Tbsp. moscato (optional)
5 oz. heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Pie Pastry 

350g. plain flour, plus extra for dusting
175g. butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

To make the pie filling: Heat the stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. 

Cover the saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the stock. Reserve the stock for later.

In a very large saucepan, melt 25g. of the butter. Then stir in the leeks and coat with the butter. Cook over medium low heat for several minutes. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute.

Add in the remaining butter. As soon as it has melted, stir in the flour. Stir continuously for 30 seconds.

Pour the milk in slowly, about an ounce at a time. Stir very well between each add, making sure the milk gets absorbed. 

After all the milk is incorporated, add 10 oz. of the reserved chicken stock and the moscato (if you're using it). Stir until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't let this boil or your milk will break. Gentle simmer only.

Remove from the heat, stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with cling film, making sure to touch the surface of the sauce with the film so a skin won't form on it. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put a baking sheet in the oven to warm up.

To make the pie pastry: Add the flour and butter to a food processor (or cut with a pastry blender) until the mix resembles course breadcrumbs. 

In a small bowl, mix the egg and cold water together, beat lightly. Add to the food processor. Process until the mixture comes together into a ball. 

Portion off 250g. of the pastry for the pie lid.

Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning the pastry frequently until around ¼ in. thick and 1½ in. larger than the 9 inch pie dish. 

Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and place it gently into the pie dish. Press the pastry firmly up the sides, making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides. 

Cut the chicken breasts into bitesized pieces. Stir the chicken into the cooled sauce. 

Pour the chicken filling into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg. 

Roll out the reserved pastry for the pie lid. Cover the pie with the lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim any excess pastry. 

Make a small hole in the center of the pie with the tip of a knife. 

Glaze the top of the pie with beaten egg. 

Bake on the preheated tray in the center of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown all over and the filling is piping hot.  

One of my all-time favorite savory pies!

Adapted from a BBC recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

16 oz. cream cheese
1 c. ranch salad dressing
3/4 c. Frank's Redhot sauce
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
25 oz. chicken, cooked and cubed

Add everything to a skillet. Cook over medium heat until the cream cheese is completely melted, and everything is heated through. Serve immediately or transfer to a crock pot to keep warm.

Serve with tortilla chips and celery.

Aw, yeah.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

 Super easy and tasty!

2lb. chicken, diced thinly
15 oz. green enchilada sauce

12 oz. chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 c. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, add the chicken. Cook on medium heat until almost cooked through. Add the broth. Simmer until chicken is fully done.

Add everything else to the pot. Stir and heat on medium low until it is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

I will make this again soon!

Clam Chowder

 12-13 oz canned clams
1/2 c. celery, thinly chopped

2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. heavy cream
2 c. whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
cooked bacon, crumbled
oyster crackers

Drain the clams, reserving the clam juice.

In a large saucepan, add celery and potatoes, and the clam juice and chicken broth. Add more broth if the potatoes aren't fully covered in liquid.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. 

In a separate pot over medium low heat, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour until smooth. Let cook for 20 seconds, then season with salt and pepper.

Add the cream and milk to the butter and flour, stirring constantly so there are no lumps.

Add the cream mixture to the potatoes and broth. Add the clams. Simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

Serve with bacon and oyster crackers (if that's what you want). This is my new favorite soup. I will be making this a lot more this winter.

I adapted this recipe from Kyleecooks.com

Pain de Campagne

 400g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
100g wheat flour
10g salt
15g dry active yeast

50g butter, softened
large bunch of fresh oregano, destalked and chopped
300 ml water

Put all the ingredients, except the water, into a bowl, then slowly add the water and mix in with your hands until all the flour on the sides of the bowl has been incorporated.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl and leave for 2 hours.

Lind a baking tray. 

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a ball, then slightly flatten with your hands and dust with flour.

Using a knife, mark out a square shape on top of the dough. Put the bread on the baking tray and leave to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe courtesy of Paul Hollywood's 100 Great Breads Cookbook

Instant Pot Cincinnati Chili

 Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
8oz tomato sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. ground beef
Cooked spaghetti noodles

Optional toppings:
white onion, chopped
oyster crackers
cheddar cheese, shredded
dark chocolate, grated

Turn on the saute function in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and add the oil and then cook the onions until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Or saute on the stove top if you prefer.

Turn off the saute function.

Add the garlic and all the seasonings.

Next, add chicken broth, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, then stir in the ground beef, making sure to break it up into pieces; don't add it in one big slab. Then add the tomato paste on the top.

Lock the lid, turn the steam vent to sealing and using the manual or pressure cook button, adjust it to cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.

When the cook time time is up allow it to naturally pressure release for about 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure before opening.

After you open the lid add the tomato sauce and stir well to combine.

The chili will still be fairly liquidy at this point, so let it simmer on a low heat like the lowest saute setting until the liquid reduces and it thickens up. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes for mine to thicken up.

 

Serve over cooked pasta (or don't), and add the optional toppings of your choice! Enjoy! This is my new favorite chili recipe! 

Here's a link to the recipe I adapted. https://www.noshtastic.com/pressure-cooker-cincinnati-chili/

 

Whole Wheat Scones

 250g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
250g whole wheat flour
75g caster sugar
30g baking powder
75g butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 egg, beaten separately for eggwash
270ml milk

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking tray.

Put the flours, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl and mix together.

Add the butter, eggs, and milk. Using your hands, mix together thoroughly for 6 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and, using a rolling pin, flatten it to about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out the scones.

Put the scones on the baking tray and brush with the eggwash. If you have time, chill the eggwashed scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.

Remove the scones from the fridge and brush the tops again with eggwash, being careful not to let it dribble down the sides as this will hinder their rise in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little. Serve with jam.

Recipe from Paul Hollywood's100 Great Breads Cookbook

Babbish New York Style Cheese Pizza

*Plan ahead, needs to chill  

This is my go-to pizza dough recipe. It is amazing and simple.

Dough

16oz. of bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/4 c. ice water
1 Tbsp. avocado oil, plus more for greasing

Sauce
28 oz. can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with their juices
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. sugar

8 oz or more low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella, shredded

To make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast until well combined. 

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the ice water and avocado oil, and with the machine running, slowly drizzle the mixture in through the feed tube until a ball of sticky dough forms.

Transfer to an oiled work surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. 

Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight before using.

To make the sauce: In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Process until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the pizza: Remove the dough from the fridge about an hour before using. 

Preheat oven to 500 F.

Grease a pizza pan with a little oil.

Dust a work surface with flour and place dough on top. Pressing gently with your fingertips, push the dough out to form an 8 or 9 inch round, leading the edge slightly thicker. Pick up the round of dough and drape it over your knuckles, letting gravity stretch it. Pass the dough hand over hand until you have about a round the general size of your pizza pan. 

Transfer the dough to the prepared pizza pan, and reshape the circle how you need to, leaving the edge slightly thicker.

Ladle about 1/2 c. of pizza sauce onto the dough and spread until evenly coated, making sure to leave a 1/2 inch border exposed. 

Scatter the mozzarella over the sauce.

Bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots. Usually about 10-12 minutes. Serve hot! Enjoy! 

Recipe courtesy of  Binging with Babbish Cookbook

Beef Empanadas

 Dough
400g all purpose flour
1 egg yolk
110g butter
180 ml milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling
400g ground beef
1 large onion, diced
50g butter
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. dried oregano
pinch of salt
1 egg white
1 egg yolk

Sauce
15g dried oregano
50g flat parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
pinch red pepper flakes
75 ml olive oil
25 ml red wine vinegar
sugar

To make the dough: Mix the salt, butter, and flour in a blender or food processor until it resembles crumbs. 

Pulse the milk and yolk in slowly until a ball forms.

Remove from the processor and knead lightly in order to bring everything together into a ball.

Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator for 25 minutes.

To make the filling: Over medium heat, melt the butter, add the diced onions. Cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the beef and spices. 

Fry until fully cooked. Allow to cool.

Assemble the empanadas: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough thinly. Using a cookie cutter, make round discs, makes about 18-20.

Place a spoon of filling in the center of each pastry disc.

Brush the edges of the pastry with egg white and fold the disc closed, forming a pocket that encases the meat. 

Lightly pinch the edges together and fold over in order to seal the parcel. Rest the empanadas in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To make the sauce: Put the spices, garlic, and shallot in a bowl. Pour the oil and vinegar in. Season with salt and sugar. Mix together.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Brush the empanadas with egg yolk before baking for 25 minutes. Serve with the Chimichurri sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Deborah Flynn

Salmon Tacos

 5-6 corn tortillas
7-10 oz salmon fillet
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced

few handfuls of baby spinach
cilantro sprigs
canned corn, drained
cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to the lowest setting. Place tortillas on a baking sheet in the oven to warm.

Season salmon fillet on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle about 1 minute.

Place salmon into the skillet and sear for 3-5 minutes or until it easily releases from the skillet. Flip over, turn heat to low, and cook another 3 minutes. It's ready when it flakes easily. Remove the salmon from the skillet.

Add the spinach and cilantro to the hot skillet and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add in the corn and heat through.

Shred the salmon with two forks, then return to the skillet to heat through. 

Top warmed tortillas with salmon, greens, and corn. Add cheese if you want to. Quick and tasty meal!