It's Always Sunny on Somersby: January 2014

I went all out for National Pie Day. I made homemade Chicken Pot Pie for supper and Apple Crisp Pie for dessert. This was the first time I have made a Pot Pie from scratch. I must say the whole family was shocked at how good the Pot Pie was. It reminded me of the store bought ones I had as a kid. I found the Pot Pie recipe at reneebeck.com. The only thing I would change is saving myself a step and use frozen mixed veggies instead of chopping celery and carrots. I also used the pioneer woman's perfect flakey pie crust. Her recipe is perfect because it makes 3 crusts. 2 for the pot pie and 1 for the apple pie!

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from AllRecipes.com)

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 1/2 c. sliced carrots
1 c. frozen green peas
1/2 c. sliced celery
3 tbps butter
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. low-fat (1%) milk
1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley
2 (9-inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Chop veggies. Combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery in a saucepan. Cover with water. Boil until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and vegetables are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
Cook and stir onions in butter in a saucepan over medium heat, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Set aside.
Place chicken mixture in bottom pie crust; pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in preheated oven until pie is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie Crust from: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. ***Note: Separating it into thirds will result in three thin crusts. If you prefer a more substantial crust, separate it in half.*** Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Monday, January 27, 2014

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

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Ingredients

Preparation Instructions

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

4th annual Cookie Exchange