Chicken Pot Pies

It was Guy Fawkes Night last week and in celebration of it and our one year anniversary back from the UK, I decided to make chicken pot pie. I was really pleased with this recipe from Epicurious. I served this to some friends with a side salad and it got good reviews.

While not exactly light, if you pour out the bacon grease instead of sauteing the onions in it, it's much more reasonable. I substituted the french beans for a frozen peas for a more traditional approach. They were easy and a delicious way to warm up a cold and rainy night.

Southwestern Beef Kebabs

This recipe from Cooks Illustrated caught my eye because of all the beautiful colors. The are easy and really delicous. The grilled pineapple is wonderfully sweet and the marinade adds a great kick of spice. A great summer option but tasty enough to eat yearround.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course. Published May 1, 2000.

Our favorite cut of beef for kebabs is top blade steak (known sometimes as blade or flatiron steak), but you can also use top sirloin. If you do, ask the butcher to cut the top sirloin steak between 1 and 1 1/4 inches thick (most packaged sirloin steaks are thinner). For maximum efficiency, prepare the fruit and vegetables while the meat is marinating. For a gas-grilled variation, see "Gas-Grilled Beef Kebabs."

3/4teaspoon table salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
2pounds blade steaks (about 4 to 5 steaks), trimmed of fat and prepared according to illustrations below

Fruit and Vegetables

1large pineapple (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, core removed, and each piece cut into six chunks (see illustrations below)
1medium red bell pepper (about 5 1/2 ounces), halved, cored, and each half cut into 9 chunks (see illustrations below)
1medium yellow bell pepper (about 5 1/2 ounces), halved, cored, and each half cut into 9 chunks
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1large red onion , ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into four pieces, and each piece cut crosswise into thirds (see illustrations below)
lemon wedges or lime wedges for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the Marinade: Combine oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, chipotle chile en adobo, cilantro, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add steak cubes and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Ignite 1 large chimney (about 6 quarts, or 5 pounds) of charcoal and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill and spread over three-quarters of grill surface. Position grill rack over coals; heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape rack clean with wire brush.
3. For the Fruit and Vegetables: Toss pineapple and peppers with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Brush onions with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Using eight 12-inch metal skewers, thread each skewer with a pineapple piece, a stack of onion, a cube of meat (skewering as if it were an uncut cube), and one piece of each kind of pepper, and then repeat this sequence two more times. Brush any oil remaining in bowl over skewers.
4. Grill kebabs directly over coals, uncovered, until meat is well browned, grill marked, and cooked to medium-rare, about 7 minutes (or about 8 minutes for medium), turning each kabob every 1 3/4 minutes to brown all sides. Transfer kebabs to serving platter, squeeze lemon or lime wedges over kebabs, if desired; serve immediately.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

I love making a big batch of enchiladas for dinner and then having something to bring for lunch all week - I think they taste best on the second day.

I made these while we were on vacation and I have to admit they were a little mushy but I am going to blame that on the Canadian corn tortillas instead of this Cook's Illustrated recipe which I've made before with better luck.

To make these a little lighter, I substitute chicken breast for the thighs (the sauce and cheese add enough moisture so a leaner meat works) and use less cheese.

10 enchiladas, serving 4 or 5. Published May 1, 2003.

If you prefer, Monterey Jack can be used instead of cheddar, or, for a mellower flavor and creamier texture, try substituting an equal amount of farmers' cheese.

INGREDIENTS

Sauce and Filling
1 1/2	tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1	medium onion ,chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3	tablespoons chili powder
2	teaspoons ground coriander
2	teaspoons ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	teaspoons granulated sugar
12	ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
2	cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
1/2	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
	1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapeños , drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
8	ounces sharp cheddar cheese , grated (2 cups)
Tortillas and Toppings
10	corn tortillas (six-inch)
	Vegetable cooking spray
3	ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
3/4	cup sour cream
1	avocado , diced medium
5	leaves romaine lettuce washed, dried, and shredded
2	limes , quartered

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE SAUCE AND FILLING: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.

2. 2. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.
   

3. 3. TO ASSEMBLE: Follow illustrations below to heat tortillas and fill, roll, and sauce enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and lime wedges separately.

Irish Times

With St. Patty's Day around the corner, I decided to use it as an excuse to have a few friends over for a dinner party. 

The menu was similar to one we cooked last year for some friends in London:

• Guinness and champagne (avoided the black velvets this year and just had the champagne on it's own)
• A selection of Irish cheeses including a cheddar, cheddar with whiskey, cheddar with ale and a Neal's Yard blue
• Irish Stew - This is quickly becoming a Count specialty.  It was delicious.
• Irish Soda Bread - Very easy for bread
• Green Salad - Nothing special but needed some greens
• Chocolate Guinness Cake - A Nigella Lawson recipe, you can't really taste the Guinness, but it makes the cake really moist.  
• Bailey's Irish Cream

The frosting is suppose to look like the head on a pint of Guinness

My one tip with this menu is the timing of the bread and the stew can be tough as they both need the oven and are at different temperatures.  If you don't have two ovens, make the stew first and then the bread.  Our stew was a tad cool by the time the bread is ready but I think if we had it on the stove on low while waiting for the bread, it would have been fine.

Irish Stew (Cook's Illustrated)

Serves 6.  

Try to buy the shoulder chops from the butcher (and try and get him to do step #1 below to save you some time). In most supermarkets, lamb shoulder chops are thin, often about 1/2 inch thick. At this thickness, the stew meat is too insubstantial. Ideally, we liked chops cut 1 1/2 inches thick, but 1-inch chops will suffice.

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2	pounds lamb shoulder chops , each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (see illustrations below and note above)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium-large onions , chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
4	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3	cups water
1	teaspoon dried thyme
2	pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes.  We also added some carrots to add a bit of color but traditional Irish stew is potatoes only
1/4	cup minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Cut meat from bones and reserve bones. Trim meat of excess fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Season meat generously with salt and pepper.

2. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of meat to pot so that individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, without moving, until sides touching pot are well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well-browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to medium bowl, add another 1 tablespoon oil to pot, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Brown remaining lamb; transfer meat to bowl and set aside.

3. 3. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have browned, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. 4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits. Gradually remaining 1 1/2 cups water, stirring constantly and scraping pan edges to dissolve flour. Add thyme and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Add bones and then meat and accumulated juices. Return to simmer, cover, and place in oven. Cook for 1 hour.

5. 5. Remove pot from oven and place potatoes on top of meat and bones. Cover and return pot to oven and cook until meat is tender, about 1 hour. If serving immediately, stir potatoes into liquid, wait 5 minutes, and spoon off any fat that rises to top. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off congealed fat and bring back to simmer over medium-low heat.)

6. 6. Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove bones if desired. Serve immediately