Chicken Pot Pie with Rosemary

A few nites ago I baked a chicken for dinner.  I had put some potatoes in with the chicken.  Today I saw the left overs in the fridge.... and I though chicken pot pie.  I began by taking the chicken and deboning it.  I cut/pulled/yanked all the meat off the carcass.  There were even 2 full potatoes with skin on so I used them as well.  I cubed the cooked potatoes.  Then I took two carrots, I peeled them, and coined them thinly.  I was going to add a 1/4 cup of frozen peas at the last minute....but I got side tracked putting clean linens on the beds and did not remember them until after I had the top crust on.....so tonite this chicken pot pie has no peas in it!  I put aside the chicken, potatoes, and carrots.  I then diced one A onion and cooked it with 6 tbsp of butter until it was soft.  I then added 1/3 cup flour to the onions along with 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups chicken broth, and 1/2 cup milk.  I boiled this until it became thick.  No need to boil the flour taste out because you will cook it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. 

Onto the crust...  This seems to be intimidating to people and often they will purchase premade crusts....and really that just fine.  But making the crust will be so gratifying!!!  I have simplified the crust.  For every stick of butter you use...use one cup of flour.  Its really that easy.  I used 2 sticks of salted butter (ALWAYS salted butter) and 2 cups of flour with a pinch of salt.  Cut the butter into chunks ahead of time.  Its much easier to work into the flour if you cube it first.  At this time add dried rosemary.  Take a palmful and toss it into the flour and butter.  Using a pastry cutter cut the cold butter into flour until you have pea sized flour pieces.  You will add cold water sparingly.  Whatever sandy flour pieces the butter doesn't grab the water will grab.  But only a very small amount of water is to be used.  

flour, butter, salt, rosemary

Once the sandy part of the flour is gone grab the mixture with your hands.  It will stick together.  At this point cut the dough in half and pat into two flat disks.  Wrap each one in saran wrap and place both in fridge for 30 minutes.

the dough just coming together

pat dough into disks, wrap in saran, chill 30 minutes

 After the dough has chilled for 30 minutes roll each one out.  Place the bottom one into the casserole.  Add your potato, chicken, and carrots and then pour your gravy mixture over this.  Roll out the top crust and place it on top.  Pinch the edges all the way around.  This should look rustic...not perfect.  Cut a few slits in the top of the crust to let steam escape.  

bottom crust, filling, gravy, top crust

 Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes et voila!  Perfect chicken pot pie with rosemary crust.

out of the oven

Bon Appetite!

Lasagna ~ noodles from scratch

If you have never had lasagna made from homemade noodles then you really must!  This is no doubt the best lasagna you will ever have.  Don't worry about how the noodles look.  Once you assemble the lasagna you will never care how irregular the noodles turned out, how wide, how skinny, how long your noodles turn out.   I have a hand crank pasta machine that was a gift to me from my mother in law.  

Pasta Queen pasta machine 

Here is the recipe for the pasta per the instruction book that came with my pasta machine:
4 eggs
3 C flour
water if needed
Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center.  Add the eggs.  Using a fork break the yolks and begin to stir bringing flour in each time you stir round.  Do this until the eggs and flour are well blended.  If it is too dry add water...but very small amounts at time.  Once well blended move mixture onto floured board and knead until smooth.  Wrap in towel and let rest 10 minutes.  Cut dough into slices 1/4" thick.  Begin working this dough through the pasta machine beginning with the widest setting and gradually reducing the thickness of the noodle by adjusting the regulator knob.  The instructions are easy to follow and anyone can do this.  It does get a little messy... there is usually flour all over the cupboard and floor and you will probably need to vacuum when your done making the noodles. 

Eggs and flour

Once I get a thin, wide noodle I lay it down on a clean towel while I make the rest of the dough into noodles.   Next, boil some salted water.  boil noodles until they float and bounce around in the water.  This will only take about 3 minutes.  Remove from water and place on greased cookie sheet.  Once all noodles are cooked you will assemble your lasagne using your favorite recipe.  I bake my lasagne at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Noodles 

Baked lasagna

Bon Appetite!

Banana Cream Pie

When I was a little girl we would make the long trek from Montana to Tennessee to see my grandparents.  The drive would take us 2 days over 1,800 miles from hot and dry Montana to humid and green Tennessee.  When we would arrive my Granny Sue would have a freshly made, still warm, homemade banana cream pie.  She made it because she knew it was my favorite and it made me feel so special.  My granny was and still is a fantastic cook.  Although this isn't her recipe....it is a an old recipe.  I found this recipe in a vintage cook book called 'The American Woman's Cook Book' published in 1947.  It was a wedding gift to me from my cousin Sherron as she knows how much I like anything vintage.  I always double the cream portion of the recipe....so I have already done that here for you.  I  use 4-6 bananas cut into coins and 1 box of Nilla Wafer cookies.  I layer them starting with the
Nilla Wafer's first then a layer of banana's followed by a layer of the warm cream.

layering the wafers, bananas, then the cream

Ingredients for the cream:
3 C milk                           2 tbsp butter
1/2 C sugar                      1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt                        2 egg yolks
6 tbsp flour                      (save the whites)

Scald 2 Cups of the milk.  In bowl mix sugar, salt, flour, and remaining 1 Cup milk.  Stir well with whisk.  Add this to the scalded milk and stir constantly over  low heat until thickened.  Once it boils continue to boil and stir for about 3-5 minutes.  You do not want it to taste floury.  Cook until the floury taste is gone.  Now you will need to add the egg yolks....but you want to temper the yolks so they don't turn into scrambled eggs when you add them to the hot mixture.  To temper the yolks take a large spoonful of the hot mixture and drizzle it into the egg yolks while stirring quickly.

tempering the eggs

Once you have tempered the eggs you can then add the eggs into the hot mixture stirring quickly while they are added.  Return the mixture to heat and cook for about one minute.  Remove from heat and add the butter (pre cut into small chunks) and vanilla.  You are now ready to layer your wafers, bananas, and cream.

The final touch to this pie is the meringue.  Use the 2 eggs whites you saved.  Whip them up into soft peaks with 3 tbsp sugar.  Place on top of the last layer of the pie (the cream).  Place under the broiler until golden brown et voila!

Enjoy warm or chilled.  Bon Appetite!!