CHICKEN POT PIE

RECIPE MAKES TWO  9" PIES - COOK ONE AND FREEZE ONE!

TWO PIES SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 4 to 5 pound         Chicken – cleaned, trimmed of excess fat/skin

                                     Fresh thyme

1                                   Lemon, quartered lengthwise

1 head                          Garlic, sliced horizontally across the cloves             

                                     Butter at room temperature

                                     Salt and pepper

2 boxes                        Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crusts (2 crusts/box)

2 TBSP                        Oil

8-12                            White mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

2 medium                   Onions, chopped

4-5 stalks                    Celery, sliced on the diagonal

2 med                          Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

4                                  carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4” discs

1 – 10 oz box             frozen baby green peas (use 1 C of the peas, freeze the remainder for another use)

4 TBSP                       flour

2 tsp.                           Cayenne pepper flakes

2 tsp.                           salt

1 tsp.                           Fresh ground black pepper

                                    Chicken stock (from baking the bird)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425° - Loosely fill cavity of chicken with thyme, garlic and lemon wedges.  Spread butter on chicken and shake on salt and pepper.  Place in a rimmed baking pan and bake an hour and 15 minutes.  Remove the stuffing and place chicken on a plate to cool.  (Note:  at this point you have a delicious baked chicken!) 

Pour pan drippings thru a fine sieve to remove solids.  Add about a cup of water to the pan and rinse out the remainder of the pan juices, sieving them as well.  Discard veggies and set drippings aside.

Removed the chicken from the bone and cut into chunks – I include the skin because it tastes so good – and place in a large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°

Put the carrots on to boil – after they have been cooking for 8 minutes, add the potatoes – cook an additional 5 minutes.  Add 1 C of peas and bring back to a boil.  Remove from heat and drain; add veggies to the chicken.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat – add onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes; add mushrooms and celery and cook for 3-4 more minutes.  Add to chicken mixture.  Sprinkle cayenne, salt and fresh ground pepper into mixture.

Stir chicken/veggie mixture gently to blend.  Sprinkle flour and stir to coat.  Mixture should be very thick.  Add chicken drippings, about 1/4 C at a time, blending after each addition.  Continue GENTLY blending until mixture is thoroughly dampened and ‘gloppy’ but not runny.

Line pie plates with one pastry crust.  Pile and press half the mixture into each plate and drizzle about 1/8 C of drippings over each plate.  Top each with remaining crust.  Pierce crusts 5-6 times to vent.

Bake 50-60 minutes until pies are golden brown and bubbly.  Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

If you prefer, bake one pie and freeze the other one – let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then a couple of  hours on the counter before baking.

Freeze any remaining drippings and use as a base liquid for cooking rice or pasta.

CREOLE STEAK

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 lb.               Boneless round steak (ABOUT 1/2" THICK) 
Meat tenderizer if desired

1/3 C                    Flour

1 tsp.                    Salt

2 tsp.                    Paprika
2 tsp.                    Fresh ground pepper

1 medium             Onion – chopped

3 ribs                    Celery – sliced on the diagonal

1 medium             Bell pepper – chopped

3 TBSP                 Canola oil - divided 1, 2

1 C                    Jasmine rice

1 – 28 oz. can     Petite Diced Tomatoes – undrained

1 tsp.                    Crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp.                    Old Bay Seasoning

1-1/2 C                Water

               
Cooked rice for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Cut steak into serving size pieces.  Sprinkle with meat tenderizer on both sides and poke with a fork.

Combine flour, salt, paprika and pepper to form a dredge – coat steak on both sides.

Over medium-high, heat 1 TBSP oil in heavy skillet – sauté onions, celery and peppers until tender but not brown; remove to a plate.  In same skillet, heat 2 TBSP oil - add steak to skillet and brown quickly on both sides.  Add celery, peppers and onions back to skillet and sprinkle with remaining flour/dredge - stir gently to coat

Add rice,  undrained tomatoes, red pepper flakes and 1/2 C water.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Add remaining water and bring JUST to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and cover.  Simmer about an hour, checking often and adding more water if necessary to prevent sticking (loosen steaks but don't flip over)

Excellent with a green salad and hard rolls.

GLAZED HAM

SERVES: 20-24

INGREDIENTS:

1 – 6 oz.             Frozen orange juice concentrate – thawed and undiluted

1-3/4 C              Water    

1/2 C                  Honey

3 TBSP              Cornstarch

1 tsp.                  Dry mustard

1/2 tsp.               Salt

1/2 tsp.               Fresh ground nutmeg

1 – 3” stick         Cinnamon

1 – 7 to 9 lb.      Smoke FULLY COOKED whole boneless ham

                           Whole cloves

 2                        Oranges (zest removed) peeled and sectioned

DIRECTIONS:

Combine juice, water and honey in a medium saucepan.  Remove 1/4 C of mixture and combine with cornstarch and stir until smooth.  Add back into saucepan and stir well.  Add mustard, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon stick and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil – stir constantly – cook about a minute longer and remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick.  Stir in orange zest and set aside.

Score the fat side of the ham in a diamond design and push cloves into the ham where score marks intersect.  Place ham on a rack in a foil lined baking pan – fat side up.  Insert a meat thermometer.

Preheat oven to 325°.  Bake uncovered about 18 minutes per pound - about 2-1/4 hours.  Internal temperature should reach at 140°.  After the first hour, baste the ham with the juice/honey mixture about every 15 minutes until ham is done.

Add orange slices to remaining sauce and reheat… serve sauce on the side.

For an artery-clogging delight, pour the pan drippings into a LARGE measuring cup – rinse pan 2-3 times with a small amount of water, adding this to the cup until you have about 4 cups of ‘drippings’….  Bring to a boil; add salt, plenty of fresh ground black pepper and 2 C of long-cooking rice.  Cook about 18-20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.  Let rice stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

HONEY GRILLED PORK LOIN

SERVES: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1 C                Beer or ginger ale

1/2 C            Honey

1/2 C            Dijon mustard

1/4 C            Canola oil

2 TBSP        Onion powder

1-1/2 tsp.     Rosemary leaves – snipped into small pieces

1 tsp.            Garlic powder

1 tsp.            Salt

1/4 tsp.        Fresh ground black pepper

1 – 3lb        Rolled and tied boneless pork loin roast

       

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large ZipLoc bag and massage to blend ingredients.  Pierce roast on all sides with a fork and place in bag.  Massage to cover roast.  Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove roast and drain, reserving marinade.  Grill over indirect heat for about 2 hours, basting occasionally.  Cook to an internal temp of 160°.  Remove and let ‘rest’ for 15-20 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  use a few sprigs of rosemary bound with floss as a disposable basting brush

DELUXE HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

YIELD: 4 QUARTS - ALSO SHOWING FOR 6 QUARTS in ( )

INGREDIENTS:

8  (12)                      Eggs – separated

2  (3) C                    Sugar

2  (3) C                    Heavy cream

2  (3) TBSP             Vanilla

1/8  (1/4) tsp.          Flour

1/8  (1/4) tsp.         Cream of Tartar

Dash  (2 dashes)     salt

2-1/2  (3-3/4) C     Whole milk – not skim, 2%, etc.

       

DIRECTIONS:

Beat egg YOLKS with mixer until frothy – gradually add sugar and beat until thick.

Add cream, vanilla, flour and Cream of Tartar and beat until well blended.

In another bowl – combine egg WHITES and salt and beat until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture and stir gently.

Pour into 4-QT (6-QT) freezer and churn until hard – use plenty of rock salt.

When done, unplug freezer and remove motor, leaving the cylinder in place.  Pack the top completely with ice and cover with a thick towel and let ice cream ‘ripen’ for an hour before serving.

EASY HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

YIELD:  4 QUARTS (ALSO SHOWING FOR 6 QUARTS)

INGREDIENTS: FOR VANILLA ICE CREAM (SEE ***NOTE FOR FRUIT)

2 (3)                   Eggs

2 (3) C               Sugar

2 (3) cans          Pet/Carnation Evaporated milk (13 oz can)

2 (3) qts.            Whole milk***

1 (2) tsp.            Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Beat eggs with mixer until frothy – gradually add sugar and beat until thick.

Add remaining ingredients and beat until well blended.

Pour into 4-QT (6-QT) freezer and churn until hard – use plenty of rock salt.

When done, unplug freezer and remove motor, leaving the cylinder in place.  Pack the top completely with ice and cover with a thick towel and let ice cream ‘ripen’ for an hour before serving.

***If adding fruit, like peaches, bananas, strawberries – pulse the fruit in a food processor until ALMOST a puree to make 3 (4) cups of fruit  (add about 1/4 C of sugar if fruit isn’t completely ripe) – add the fruit to the egg mixture and pour into the freezer – THEN ADD THE WHOLE MILK TO BRING THE MIXTURE UP TO THE FILL LINE

Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk.