Chicken Pot Pie

The pie is in the oven and my house smells like baking cheese cake, pie pastry and comforting roasting chicken and vegetables.
The last time I made Lucindas Chicken Pot Pockets I had wanted to make a few changes. I did and I think she'd approve. I made an actual pie rather than pockets because I had less time to work with. I almost doubled the amount of veggies and added peas. And this time, I had chicken stock and shredded chicken left over in the freezer from when I made stock for Siri's Italian Wedding Soup. This cream cheese pastry literally took me 7 minutes to make. While the dough chilled in the fridge for 1/2 an hour I cut the veggies and made the filling. Super quick and super healthy.




Cream Cheese Pastry:
8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand with a fork.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling: (Adapted Version)
3 T. butter
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup cup chopped celery
2 chopped carrot
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 t. coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 heaping cup of shredded chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375.
-Roll out dough, lay half in a 9 inch pie plate, fill with filling, top with rest of rolled out dough, curl edges of top piece under edges of bottom piece.
-Crimp edges with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush top of pie.
-Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden and juices are bubbling.
-Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
-Serve with mashed potatoes or green salad or steamed green beans. Or put greens beans right in the pie!! The more veggies the better.

Source: Adapted from "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

No, I did not make this up.

Cuz that would be creepy, but I stumbled upon this blog the other day when I was researching Lucinda Scala Quinn. The blog author claimed to be Lucinda herself. To be honest, I really didn't think it was her. I thought maybe it was someone who is more obsessed with her than me, but I didn't think it was actually her. I thought it was kind of frightening actually. So I left a comment and this is what she said. Now I'm not sure if I need to carry on with this thing we call blog....
Does it get any better than this?

Ashleigh said...
Is this really Lucinda? I make her recipes, I own her book. In fact I made eggs poached in tomato sauce this morning. I have a whole label dedicated to her. Check it out.

February 21, 2010 12:39 PM
LUCINDA SCALA QUINN said...
Ashleigh:
Yes, it's Lucinda and you ROCK. Love those eggs too.
Best,
LSQ

Eggs Poached In Tomato Sauce

Oh Lucinda...Once again you've outdone yourself.
I added green onion to this dish and next time I would have put the egg over fresh or cooked spinach.

-1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes or crushed or pureed
-1 T. olive oil
-2 Garlic cloves
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper
-6 Large eggs
-6 slices toasted or grilled bread
-Freshley grated parmesan

Transfer tomatoes and their juices to the jar of a blender. (I used a food processor) Blend until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil-season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Crack eggs into tomato mixture, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from skillet, uncover, let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer egg to a piece of toast. Spoon sauce over egg. Garnish with cheese.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn

Chicken Pot Pockets

This is a great "To-Go" recipe. You can heat these pockets up and eat them on your way out the door. Very delicious. I'm not sure if it's because I'm pregnant...but the smell of the boiling chicken pulls this recipe out of the running for "The Signature Dish".
WHEN I make this again, I will add more vegetables and some fresh groung pepper. I will also make an actual pie, rather than pockets because I think it would save time. The pockets are extremely clever though, and the cream cheese pastry just proves that Lucinda is a genius.




Cream Cheese Pastry:

8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling:

1 whole chicken(I used a 3 pound chicken and still had lots of shredded chicken and broth left over to freeze for next time)
2 T. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/2 t. coarse salt
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth(from reduced poaching liquid)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Place chicken in a pot, add water to barely civer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.
-Skim and discard any foam that arises to the surface. Remove chicken to cool.
-Continue to boil broth to reduce and concentrate to about half. Remove meat from chicken.
-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375. Butter a baking sheet.
-Rool out dough, cut 5 inch circles. Wet the edges of the dough with water.
-Place 1/4 cup filling on the circle and fold dough over to form half circle. (I could only fit a T. of filling in mine)
-Crimp edges with fork. Poke the pocket top twice with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush pockets.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

Flaky Buttery Biscuits

Lucinda says that these are the epitome of a cozy breakfast or great for dinner with fried chicken. Slather with butter or jam.
In my experience...they are almost easier than making toast or garlic bread, and much more impressive.













1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. coarse salt
6 T. chilled unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk

Preheat Oven 45o

-Butter or line baking sheet
-in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Using fork, combine butter and flour mixture until resemble coarse meal. Slowly add milk, stirring with fork to desired consistency.
-Drop 2 T. of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

(For firmer less cakier bisuits add less milk and roll out dough, cut with biscuit cutter or rim of glass)

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell

Apple Pie

I don't like apple pie, but if I had to eat an apple pie...this would be the one I'd eat.


350 degrees

Basic Pie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. coarse salt
1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup very cold milk or water

-In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter pieces and mash with fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour milk. Combine until the dough just holds together in a ball.

-Cut ball of dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic. Refridgerate for at least 15 minutes. Handle dough as little as required. Ready to roll out.

Apple pie filling:
2 T. lemon juice
8 apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 t. all-spice (Revised by me)
1 T. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1 T. milk

Peel, quarter, core and thinly slice apples. Put into lemon juice to prevent browning. Add Sugar, flour and spice. Toss to coat. Pile into pie plate lined with dough. Dot with butter. Lay second piece of dough on top. Curl edges under. Close with fingers or fork. Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process. Beat milk with egg yolk. Brush on top. Bake pie on center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least one hour.

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell