Valentine's Day: Chicken and Artichoke Heart Pot Pies

Oh, mercy. I have so many recipes to share with you I don't even know where to start. But now there is a double request for something I mentioned in the comments of my friend Auld Hat's blog and so now I must comply.

About 8 years ago, The Spouse was sent to Philadelphia on a job. It was supposed to last 6 weeks. It lasted 6 months. He came home every other weekend, but it happened that Valentine's Day fell on one of the off weekends. I was bitterly unhappy about the fact that he was still in Philly at all so his absence on Valentine's Day stuck the knife in a little further. Granted, we don't normally make much of a fuss about VD but hey, when you're married you're supposed to have a built-in date for the big holidays, right?

I decided not to take it lying down and planned a superfantastic party. I invited my closest single girlfriends for dinner. Riffing off an idea of Ina Garten's, we had a simple but elegant little meal, champagne, chocolates, the works and then sat down for some entertainment. I had instructed each guess to bring some of her favorite romantic movies, cued up what she deemed the most romantic scene, and while we at our dessert and drank more wine, we watched all the clips. It was most awesome fun and actually, one of the best Valentine's days I've ever had.

Dinner was a variation on one of my signature dishes, chicken pot pie, tweaked to give it just a smidge more elegance for the occasion. Of course, I did it out of my head so the proportions here are somewhat variable but you get the idea. You could make this as one big dish but for a more refined presentation I made it up in individual ramekins.

Chicken and Artichoke Heart Pot Pie

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 quart chicken stock
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 shallot, finely diced
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 c. cream
dillweed
salt & white pepper
puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400° (or whatever temperature is called for on your puff pastry package).

Poach the chicken breasts in the stock until cooked through. Remove breasts and chop into mouthsize chunks. Conserve the stock.

In a large saucepan, saute the shallots in the butter, over medium high heat. When they are soft, add the flour and stir for one minute. Add in 2 cups of the chicken stock and cook until it begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue stirring and cooking until you have a lovely sauce. Season to taste with dillweed, salt and white pepper. When the sauce is to your liking, add the chunks of chicken and the artichoke hearts, stirring them through the sauce. Turn the heat down to low to keep everything warm while you prepare the puff pastry.

Roll out the pastry according to the package directions (unless you happen to be one of those obsessive people who makes his/her own puff pastry). Using a large heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out 6 pastry hearts.

Place 6 ramekins on a baking sheet. Ladle chicken and artichokes into the ramekins, making sure to get a nice distribution of both meat and veg, and top the ramers off with sauce. Place a pastry heart over each and brush with water.

Bake until pastry hearts puff up and are golden brown.

Don't Mock: Chipotle Chicken Wrap

This is my take on a new menu item available at a fast food conglomerate that shall not be named but golden arches are involved.

"Le horreur!", you cry. "Surely not! Why, isn't it against the International Foodie Rules and Regulations to even eat fast food, let alone fast food from (and your voice hushes to a whisper) there?"

A) Let's remember...I'm not a foodie and 2) when all you've eaten in a day is a Luna power bar and 3 cups of coffee and it's hours til dinner and you're on your way home and you are suddenly so hungry it's either pull into a drive-thru or chew off your own arm, yes, you do, in fact, eat fast food.

So I tried this particular little item and found it not at all un-tasty. It also begged for replication. My version is, of course, spicier and more loaded with veggies. And if you wanted to you could certainly forgo the flour-dredging-oil-frying method and use grilled chicken. You could even use poached chicken if you wished. You could add or delete veggies (some avocado on this wouldn't be out of line). That's the dandy thing about wraps...you can customize each one to suit the tastes of those you are serving.

Chipotle Chicken Wraps

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded about 1/4 inch thin and cut into strips

1 c. all purpose flour, seasoned to taste with ground cumin, chili powder and salt

olive oil for frying

1/2-1 head romaine, cut into strips

1-2 fresh tomatoes, diced

1/2-1 c. cheddar cheese, grated

sour cream

4 medium size flour tortillas (or whatever sort of tortilla you fancy)

1 c. of your favorite BBQ sauce (we happen to be fans of Sweet Baby Rays)

2-3 T. chipotles in adobo sauce (from a tin)

Pat chicken strips to dry and dredge in flour, knocking off the excess. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and saute until crisp and cooked through, 5 or 6 minutes.

While chicken cooks, warm the BBQ sauce in a small saucepan and mash chipotles into sauce, stirring to combine. (If you don't like too much spice, use a Tablespoon or less of the chipotle, to just get a bit of a smoky kick. If you are bold, use as much chipotle as you can stand).

When chicken is done, drain on a paper towel and arrange down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with the lettuce, tomato and cheese. Drizzle the whole lot with BBQ sauce and some dollops of sour cream. Pull up short end of each tortilla, wrapping the long sides into the middle.

The recipe given serves 2 adults. You can obviously adjust as necessary to feed as few or as many as you wish.

Savory and Sweet: Chicken Paillards with Lavendar Honey and Chevre

I adore dishes that combine the savory and the sweet. Don't know why. Maybe because it's just such a surprise.

I read somewhere that chevre and lavender honey go well together. So I tried it on during a cheese course for a French dinner. It was a revelation. The floral notes of the honey married with the sharp tang of the cheese and took it to a whole new level. And then I thought, "How else can I use this combination?" This was my answer to myself.

It should be noted that I have tons of lavender growing around my house. I like the idea of gardening but I'm terribly capricious about the actual work involved. Lavender, it turns out, is an ideal plant for me because it makes a big statement but aside from cutting the blossoms, it doesn't need any help from me to grow big and lavish and make the bees very happy.

This is a recipe for 6 but for obvious reasons it can easily be adapted to feed one person or a crowd. And it couldn't be easier.

Chicken Paillards with Lavender Honey and Chevre

1 c. clover honey
6-8 sprigs of lavender, plus more for garnish (make sure it's organic and pesticide free)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 oz. chevre, crumbled

Place honey and lavender in a saucepan and heat over low flame for 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and allow lavender to steep in the honey. This can be done well ahead of dinner time.

Place the chicken between 2 layers of plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4 inch thickness.

Heat large pan over medium high heat, add a couple T. olive oil and saute chicken breasts about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. (If making several batches, remove cooked chicken to an ovenproof plate and set aside in a low oven to keep warm).

Put one cooked paillard on each dinner plate, deglaze the saute pan with a little brandy (or dry sherry or white wine, whatever you have on hand) and spoon a little of the pan juices over each paillard. Then dress each paillard with 1-2 T of lavender honey and an ounce or so of the crumbled chevre.

Garnish with a sprig of lavender and serve.

Chicken with a Chutney Crust

My friend, Seattle Coffee Girl is heading into her third trimester and eager for some new recipes. She's being very clever and industrious and making all sorts of things to put aside in the freezer, against those early days when the household is adjusting to the arrival of Baby.

Then she sent me another email, suggesting a) that I was overdue for a food post and 2) that perhaps I could offer a recipe with 5 or less ingredients.

Not today. This one has 6, 7 if you count the olive oil. Alas.

Despite not meeting the current mathematical requirements, it is a breeze to whip up, taking mere moments. Plus it passes the "sure, it's quick but does it taste good?" test. The chicken always comes out perfectly done but plenty moist, with the crispy crust giving way to just a hint of savory sweetness from the chutney beneath.

Chicken with A Chutney Crust
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs
¼ c. dill weed
½ t. dried basil
l¼ t. salt
approx. 1 c. chutney (Major Grey's is the one I always have around but any sort that you like will do)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 425 ° F.

In a large, shallow bowl combine the breadcrumbs with the seasonings.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Spread both sides with chutney.

(Be safe: spoon a cup or so of chutney out into a bowl and then spread it on the chicken. Spoon out more if you need but don't go sticking that manky knife into the jar once you've started spreading chutney on the chicken).

Dredge the chutney-coated chicken in the breadcrumb mixture and place on a rack in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until chicken tests done (meaning it's firm to the touch and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer).

Summer Chicken Salad

The mission: light but elegant entree for a summer evening baby shower

Solution: this.

("Mom, why are you always taking pictures of my food?" asks The Child).

It is a pretty salad, a very refreshing salad, and a salad that is full of gorgeous flavors that stand distinct and yet work together beautifully.

I was very pleased with the outcome of this salad. It was a cobbling together of a couple different salads I've tried before. This little fusion worked particularly well and best of all, it didn't give the mother-to-be (or anyone else, for that matter) heartburn. It uses a smidge of curry, just to get the flavor but not the heat. This worked particularly well for the couple of guests who are not fans of curry. If you have no such issue at your table you could increase the amount of curry, but frankly, I wouldn't do it by much. It's more the essence of curry you're going for here, so that the other flavors are allowed to play nicely but stand on their own.

Lorraine's Chicken (Curry) Salad

5 poached chicken breasts, cooled
(Yes, of course, substitute left-over chicken if you have it)
1 head romaine lettuce
4 sugar mangos (or 2 regular)
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 red chilies
1 bunch scallions

Dressing
1 c. plain yogurt
2 T. mango chutney (such as Major Grey's)
1 t. curry powder
1-2 T. rice wine vinegar
olive oil

Dice the chicken in largish chunks and place in large bowl. As you prepare each of the ingredients, add them in with the chicken.

Cut the lettuce into a chiffonade.

Slice the mangos lengthwise, on either side of the pit. Make cross-hatch cuts in the fruit and scoop out the flesh into the salad.

Cut chilies in half, seed and finely dice.

Rough chop the cilantro.

Thinly slice the scallions, using the white and green parts.

When everything is in the salad bowl, gently toss with your hands until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

For the dressing: place all the ingredients but the olive oil in a blender and whiz for a couple minutes until everything is well combined. You can try taking the little top off the blender lid, running the blender on low and slowly pouring in a stream of olive oil but as that method results in my having to change clothes right before the party, the better bet might be pouring the dressing into a bowl and slowly whisking in olive oil, just until dressing begins to emulsify. This is supposed to be a thin dressing so you'll only use a few Tablespoons of oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. You might want to add a little salt.

Pour dressing over salad and toss again. May keep chilled for a couple hours before serving.

Little Celebrations: Gourmet Baffoo

1. The rains haven't completely returned. It is an Indian summer, cool mornings and nights, warm days. It's beautiful.

2. Yesterday I started to harvest apples. We have a columnar apple tree in the herb bed, what The Spouse charmingly refers to as "the apple stick". The apple stick is full of fruit this year, for a little tree. I have already baked one pie.


The above bowlful represents only about half of what is left on the tree, which doesn't include the ones which have already fallen or the ones which The Dog learned to steal from the bottom most branches. I have a hankering for applesauce cake (no raisins, eeww) and turnovers and tarte tatin.

3. Last night The Neighbor and I had our usual "cocktail hour", for about twice as long as usual. Sometimes it's just a quick check-in, "how was your day" sort of visit. Sometimes we really get going, like last night, talking about politics, personal responsibility, hope, reality tv, blogs and how much we both hate it when someone says, "Well, that's just the way it is".

Have I mentioned lately how much I love The Neighbor? Somewhere along the way she went from being a really cool neighbor who shared the proverbial cup of sugar over a fence and was fun (and convenient) to hang with to becoming one of my best friends. I heart her.

4. Ikea's frozen Swedish meatballs are the most delicious thing ever. We had them for dinner last night with lingonberry sauce. And it's a good thing I planned it that way, too, because it meant that I could spend extra time hanging with The Neighbor and still give the family a decent dinner, even though I was an hour late getting it to the table.

5. Our Jewish neighbors are preparing for Sukkot, which means that little huts are springing up in various back gardens. There will be a lot of late night feasting and laughter will come over the back fence from the Rabbi's house. The Rabbi's Wife has invited The Neighbor and I to stop in one evening and I think we will. I will have to get a bottle of kosher wine to take with us. The Rabbi's Wife is an excellent cook.

6. All my clean napkins are ironed.

7. Tonight we're having Gourmet Baffoo for dinner. A few years back, when The Child began to take a serious interest in cooking, she asked to invent a recipe. I was planning on doing something with chicken and she started to suggest how it should be prepared. It was basically a modification of my chicken and biscuits recipe, without the biscuits, and served over pasta. It was good. When I asked her what we should call the concoction she said, "Gourmet Baffoo". I don't know what the heck that's supposed to mean but that's what we call it.

Gourmet Baffoo

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 c. diced carrots
16 oz. farfalle or rotini pasta
2 T. butter
1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 c. half and half
1/2 c. frozen green peas
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. unseasoned bread crumbs

Bring a small pot of water to the boil and cook the carrots until just beginning to be tender. Drain and set aside.

Saute pieces in 1-2 T. olive oil until browned. Set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the mushrooms and onions. When onion is translucent, sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Add half & half and cook until sauce thickens.

When sauce is thicken add the peas and carrots, then stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain the cooked pasta and place in an oiled baking dish. Lay chicken pieces over pasta and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Summer Lovin': Chicken Paillards with Proscuitto and Figs

Last night I made one of my all time favorite summertime dinners. It is beautiful to look at, a revelation to eat and oh so elegant on a plate, with its gem-like colors. But it couldn't be easier to prepare. This has been served for Impressive Dinner Parties and as a regular weekday meal. Because the family deserves to eat just as well when it's just us as when we're entertaining.

The arrival of the first figs in the market is the cue that this dish will be on the menu. The original recipe called for fresh figs for the sauce but a) that can sometimes amount to a king's ransom (unless you know someone with a fig tree, you lucky thing) and 2) I think the dried figs actually impart a deeper, richer flavor to the sauce anyway.


Chicken Paillards with Prosciutto and Figs
Serves 4 but can easily be increased to serve more

6 T. white wine
3 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary plus 4 sprigs
1 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
1 t. salt¼ t. freshly ground pepper
¼ c. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded ¼ in. thick
1-2 pints fresh Black Mission figs (you're shooting for 3 figs per diner, although that seems stingy, doesn't it?)
1 one-pound loaf country bread, cut into 1 ½ inch thick slices
8 slices prosciutto

Combine wine, chopped rosemary, pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour into a large, shallow non-reactive dish. Add check breasts, lemon slices and 4 rosemary sprigs to the marinade. Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or up to overnight, turning chicken occasionally.

Brush grill with oil. Heat grill to medium hot. Just before cooking chicken, oil grill again. Grill chicken until juices run clear, 3 to 5 minutes, per side; set aside.

Grill whole figs on coolest part of grill until soft and warm, 3 to 6 minutes.

(If you want to be really groovy, take some long stems of fresh rosemary, pull off the lower leaves leaving just a tuft at the top and use these to skewer the figs, like kabobs. I forgot to do that last night but it makes a very nice presentation).

Slather bread with extra virgin olive oil and grill until bread is browned on both sides.Wrap prosciutto loosely around each chicken breast. Arrange on a platter.

Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve with Balsamic Fig Sauce, figs and bread.

Balsamic Fig Sauce
1 pound dried Black Mission figs, chopped
2/3 c. red wine
2 T. balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1 t. sugar
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Combine all ingredients with ½ c. water in a small saucepan.

Cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer; cook, partially covered, until fruit has broken down, 20 to 30 minutes.Let cool slightly; remove rosemary sprig. Press mixture through a large-holed sieve with a rubber spatula.

If the sauce seems too thin, bring it to a gentle boil and allow to reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.