Chicken Pot Pie

For my birthday meal this year I chose waffles with my family and chicken pot pie with mikes family. Both meals were very tasty! For the chicken pot pie we used a recipe that I found a few months ago. It is so tasty and flavourful. The ultimate comfort food on a wintery day. So I figured I should share it!

Enjoy:
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen carrots and peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
32 oz. carton chicken broth for boiling(reserve 1 3/4 cups chicken broth for sauce)
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I use the refrigerated pilsbury crusts)

Slightly bake the bottom crust before filling the pie so it isn’t soggy. Just bake for 5-6 minutes at 425 degrees.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a pot, combine the raw chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add the carton of chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (reserving 1 3/4 cup chicken broth for filling) and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and combine with the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery mixture. Here you can add more chicken broth if you like depending how runny you want your filling.
Place the chicken filling in bottom crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/07/chicken-pot-pie.html

chinese chicken lettuce wraps

as some of you know, I made a recipe blog a couple of years ago. I've been quite neglectful of it - plus, sometimes I find it too complicated to go to multiple logins etc.

anyway - from now on, as I find good recipes I'll just post them on here!
If you want to check out any of my previous recipe postings - here is the link:
tocookandbakelikethat.blogspot.ca

I found this recipe last fall when I was making a meal to celebrate my Mom-in-law's last day of work. I had always really liked the lettuce wraps at Joeys Restaurant and wanted to find something similar. I was really pleased with how this recipe turned out, and have made it again since then. Lettuce wraps are so tasty because they are both hot and cold, delicious and crunchy. just so good.

So, here it is - enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
(originally found on Food.com, changed and adapted by me!)
Original recipe says it serves 4-6, but I think those people must eat less than we do. I would say it serves 3.

Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce
Rice Noodles (about half a pack - although you can add more to expand the meal)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 can water chestnuts, slivered
1 cup carrots, sliced matchstick style (julienne)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (less if it is really spicy)
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 cup peanuts, crushed or whole (your preference)

Directions:
1. Unwrap lettuce into "cups" and wash thoroughly.
2. Chop vegetables and chicken.
3. Cook rice noodles (I pour boiling water over them in a bowl and cover them until they are soft.)
4. While noodles are cooking - pour oil into a wok and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken, stir fry until no longer pink.
6. Add onions, pepper, water chestnuts and carrots. Fry for about a minute.
7. While waiting for the vegetables to saute, combine soy sauce and sugar. Mix with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved.
8. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Add the hoisin and chili sauce. Stir well.
10. Add the coriander and peanuts (or leave the peanuts out and add them as you eat so that they stay crunchy).
11. Add the noodles and stir well.
12. Spoon into lettuce cups, roll the lettuce and enjoy!!

newer & tastier

i have a new blog
not to replace this one
but to go along side it

you can visit it and read my rather lengthy first post
but i'll give you the readers digest version to help you decide if you want to check it out

i love to experiment in the kitchen
i learned from the best (my mom & grandma)
my new blog will keep track of recipes
good and bad
hopefully with pictures & stories

to check it out go here: trying | tasting | experimenting & enjoying

the rest of my life will continue to be shared here

today i wish i knew how to make applesauce
that's how i would like to spend the afternoon
but alas i will work on printing hundreds of church annual reports instead :)

a refresher

i needed some refreshing
so i decided to refresh the room that i spend a lot of time in
the kitchen

i like to bake
and cook
and do dishes
organize cupboards
find new recipes
experiment

aka - i spend a lot of time in my kitchen
so, it got a much needed new look

on tuesday i decided to paint
on wednesday i drove to rona, chose 3 paint chips that i liked
the nice lady behind the counter showed me a can of paint that matched one of the paint chips that i had
it was a mistint, and therefore it was 50% off!

so, 15 dollars of paint, and two evenings and VOILA
new kitchen.
and i love it.

also, i decided to allow my inner 5 year old to play outside
and i made michael & i as snow people
and a snow cat to sit on my front step because i'm crazy like that

here are some pictures. enjoy.
i am off to spend the day at the spa with 2 of my favorite women in my life
mom & leah
can't wait!!

the before shot - a non exciting mossy green

the thiessen's - snowman style

i'm the one on the right with the blue bottlecap eyes :)

my snow cat

the after! a beautiful refreshing blue

my kitchen art that i love