Curry In A Hurry: Curried Chicken Handpies

Last summer I was on a quest. A quest to stock my freezer with meals that were not only delicious but somewhat healthy too. I knew with the arrival of little Eli my world was going to be turned upside down and I would not have time to cook dinner (or clean, shower, brush my teeth...) I found several recipes that fit well into my repertoire but these Curried Chicken Hand pies from an old MS Living article were my favorite. In fact I found myself eating half of them right away and then freezing the rest.

These samosa inspired pies have such a wonderful spiced flavor and the best part is-unbaked, these pies can be frozen for about a month. Just pop them in the oven and you have a quick lunch or dinner ready within a half hour.

Curried Chicken Hand pies
makes 16
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. ginger powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 T. AP flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. plain yogurt
4 1/2 t. tomato paste
1/4 c. applesauce
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. heavy cream
4 standard sheet of puff pastry
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Bring 1 quart water to a boil and add the chicken. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool. Shred chicken into 2 inch pieces.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in curry, ginger, cumin and flour and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a boil. Stir in yogurt, applesauce, and tomato paste and boil for one minute. Reduce to simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken and peas; cook until thick. Stir in cream and 2tsp. salt. Let cool.
4. Lay pasty sheets on lightly floured surface; cut each into 4 squares. Spoon 2 tablespoons chicken mixture onto each square, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush edges with egg; fold squares to form triangles. Press to seal.
5. To bake now: Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. To freeze: unbaked handpies can be frozen up to a month wrapped in plastic and foil. Thaw before baking. 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
   

For The Love of Lemon

When did my love affair with lemons begin? I really can't recall because it seems like they have always had a constant presence in our kitchen. I love the tart, bright, fresh flavor the sunny lemon offers. As a kid I loved eating lemon cookies and drinking my grandmother's lemonade. And because of that particular memory I find myself squeezing a fresh glass of lemonade quite often.
As I became older and could bake on my own I found myself making lemon curd and lemon bars to satisfy my craving. I continued my quest for the love of lemon making cakes with luscious lemon butter cream frosting, candied lemon peel, and thick sour lemon sauces that I spooned generously over gingerbread.

I have a lot of great lemon recipes. The Lemon Cake from Ina Garten's book Barefoot Contessa Parties is one of my favorites. I seem to make it once I feel the warmth of Spring appear, there is something about her warmth, her freshness and vibrant colors that tempt me to make my favorite Lemon Cake.

Lemon Cake
Barefoot Contessa Parties

nocoupons nocoupons

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, add the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Make a lemon syrup combining 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; pierce the cakes with a dowel or toothpick; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides. Let cake rest for 5 to 10 minutes and allow glaze to harden.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Gifts are sometimes a funny gesture, whether meant to be or not. For instance, my valentine present from my mom was the infamous Snuggie. She had only bought it because I had made so much fun of the commercial and it was a nice giggle as we (my dad) paraded around the house roll playing in it (choir member, monk etc.)

Many years ago she bought me the Magic Bullet. When I ripped into the present and saw the Magic Bullet in front of me, I honestly did not know what to think. Three moves and four yard sales later this little device still has a spot on the kitchen shelf. I've used it to make cream of porcini soup, puree roasted vegetables to thicken my pot roast gravy and for the most part make smoothies. The following is my favorite smoothie. The strawberry-banana smoothie is simple, quick, sweet and frothy. And such a refresher.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
2 servings

• 2 c. strawberries, quartered
• 1 banana
• 1 c. milk (I used 2%, but usually use Very Vanilla Soy Milk)
• 2 T. honey
• 6 cubes ice

Put all ingredients in a blender (or in my case The Magic Bullet). Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Easter Eggs And Easter Baskets

I always looked forward with excitement and pleasure to Easter time. As a family we would attend our small Methodist Church in Beaumont, looking back as a child I thought it was quite spacious. All religious celebrations were considered special, but Easter was preceded by other days of observance.

The Sunday before Easter our church would honor Palm Sunday by passing along palm branches to the children and faithful adult volunteers and walk down the church aisle waving the branches high. I remember one Palm Sunday a member of the church dressed as Jesus and lead the choir to their loft. The children were directed to wave our branches as they passed by. I was personally directed by a woman to exclaim "Look Mom! It's Jesus"-however I did no such thing, I remember being uncomfortable saying that to a woman who was not my mom.

In later years, we would celebrate Maundy Thursday to commemorate The Last Supper. It was usually a Pot Luck held at the church. On Good Friday, as a child, I was thankful to not be in school. As I got older, I had a greater appreciation for this observance.

Saturday night we decorated, dyed, and embellished our eggs in as many ways as we could invent. We would write on them in white crayon and then dye them, tie rubberbands on them to create random stripes, marbleize them, cover them in stickers and Dad always made his very own egg creation. I remember Rebekah (maybe two at the time) sitting in her highchair crying as we dyed the eggs, she didn't like it that much. All the sisters have an egg creature we made when we were younger, they still sit on the mantel after all these years, each seeing their better Easter days.

Shannon and I had our very own, very fancy handmade Easter basket given to us by our Godmother. One was red and one was purple and they seemed huge. Mom had several other pastel Easter baskets carefully placed as decoration.

Easter morning we woke up early for our private Easter egg hunt. Poor Shannon never had a chance. From the moment I stepped foot into the hallway, my eyes were darting and scanning in every direction. Even as we were looking at the goodies the Easter Bunny left us, I was focused on the hidden eggs. Shannon, I think focused on the candy that laid before her. Rebekah, fourteen years my junior, would have been major competition during my prime.

After Sunday School we would walk down the covered walkway that led to the Sanctuary, luckily for me, it was next to the play yard where the Easter eggs were awaiting to be found. Eventhough I was told not to look, once again I was scanning the playscape and field in every direction. Little did I know and soon to forget until next year-there was an egg "cap," ten eggs per basket.

After all this you would think we were done, but Easter Lunch, enjoyed by our family, relatives, friends, still had to be served. Our rituals would continue year after year, altered slightly by the passing of time, and by our growing up and leaving home. But I still look forward every spring to the coloring of eggs and the filling of baskets.Stuffed Tomatoes
Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grained brown rice
• 6 ripe but firm large tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Cut a 1/2-inch thick slice off the top of each tomato; reserve the tops. Cut and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the tomato juice and pulp.

4. Coat the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish.

5. Toss the rice with the reserved tomato juice and pulp. Add garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. Combine well.
6. Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes, mounding slightly. Sprinkle leftover stuffing on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle entire dish with olive oil. Place the reserved tomato slices atop the tomatoes. Bake until the rice is heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Charles' Poulet Chasseur

I inherited this recipe from my friend and Central Market coworker Charles. As a young man he left his hometown of New Orleans and traveled to France working as a hotel kitchen cook in exchange for room and board. He had learned first hand the art of French food from pure life experience and was a great teacher to all of the aspiring chefs and bakers at CM.

Charles was the type of guy that made his own mayonnaise, had friends return from Europe bearing gifts from their journeys (I remember him receiving black truffles from France.) He would correct our French and Italian (I remember him correcting my pronunciation of prosciutto) and make homemade Chicken, Cognac & Truffle pate w/ aspic for Christmas gifts. One of the greatest gifts he had given me was a print out of recipes he had learned from a woman in Alsace-Lorraine.

He was a wealth of culinary information and inspiration. My relocating away from Texas unfortunately separated us, but I will always have his recipes to remind me of our friendship and culinary bond.

Poulet Chasseur
(Hunter Style Chicken)
according to Charles, there is a misconception that many believe "hunter" refers to the hunter of game, when in truth it represents the hunter of mushrooms

4 skinned chicken thighs
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 c. assorted mushrooms (I used Texas Brown, Oyster & Cremini)
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

• Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in hot fat
• Remove chicken and add vegetables and bay leaf. Cook until the onion is translucent
• Add the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes more
• Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot
• Add wine, chicken broth, tomato sauce and garlic
• Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
• Cover and simmer for 45 minutes over low heat until chicken is tender
• Stir in chopped parsley and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve over mashed potatoes or with boiled and buttered new potatoes.

The Poor College Students Peanut Butter Cookies

There is one certain moment while in college I will never forget. As I was sorting out my laundry one afternoon a quarter fell onto the floor from my pants pocket. I remember having such a sigh of relief considering that that one quarter was half of a candy bar, a bag of chips or a soda. (Yes, vending machines only charged 50 cents at that time!) It was in that moment that I realized I was a very poor college student and had a great appreciation for what little money I had.

Being a poor college student did not deter me from sweet satisfaction though. My roommate and I made these peanut butter cookies often as they are common pantry ingredients that anybody (even poor college students) have on hand. They are chewy, crumbly and peanut buttery and I still find myself making them when I need a quick fix.

I only see it fitting to share this recipe now during a time where America's economy is faltering. I believe even in hard times such as these everyone deserves some type of sweet satisfaction.

The Poor College Students Peanut Butter Cookies
makes 1 1/2 dozen
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 egg
drizzle of honey (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

Add all ingredients into a bowl and stir until mixture stiffens a bit. Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto parchment covered or pan sprayed cookie sheet (about two inches apart). With tines of fork create a traditional crosshatch. Sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Fondue in Honor of Two

This past weekend we threw a baby shower for my sister. I had the idea of having a fondue station on the food table because she likes The Melting Pot and always has nice things to say about that restaurant. I made two different fondues, one cheese and one chocolate. We set out rosemary bread, buttermilk sourdough and vegetables to accompany the cheese fondue. Fruit, shortbread cookies and homemade marshmallows were made for the chocolate fondue. Fondue is super easy to make and is a great party idea. I think the people at the party really enjoyed it.

Chocolate Fondue
16 oz. semi sweet chocolate
2 c. heavy cream

Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or double boiler. Using a wooden spoon, stir chocolate and cream together until smooth. Transfer to fondue pot and set over warming candle.

The marshmallows I made were from Ina Garten's Coconut Marshmallow recipe sans the coconut. I usually make marshmallows from a recipe that involves egg whites but taking a precaution for my pregnant sister I tried this egg-less recipe. I actually like it better than my old stand by!

This recipe received mixed reviews online, the lack of the marshmallow setting in humid climates being the main complaint. I made these at my parents house which sits pretty much on the Gulf of Mexico. It was a rainy, damp day and my mom had the windows open earlier making the house very humid. Nevertheless, I trucked on following the instructions but mixing the marshmallows with a hand mixer for 30 minutes rather than the suggested fifteen. They came out perfectly!

Homemade Marshmallows
adapted from Ina Garten; foodnetwork.com
nocoupons
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Blind Baking-Misadventures in Molten Chocolate Cake

I have about one month left in this apartment until we move into our glorious new home. This apartment has absolutely no light (natural, indirect, fixtures.) My range light has been out since we've moved in and last night as I was cooking the overhead kitchen light (one of two light fixtures in the whole apartment) went out. So my efforts in making the molten chocolate cake was hindered.

It actually is a quick and very good recipe. If I could have seen the cakes no longer jiggle I would have pulled them out sooner. Needless to say they were not as molten as I would have liked. My chief taste tester (the hubby) liked them and asked how I melted chocolate chips in the middle-so at least someone was impressed with them.

Molten Chocolate Cakes
from: Good Food Fast
serves 4

4 T. butter, plus more for pan
1/3 c. sugar, plus more for pan
3 eggs
1/3 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
8 oz. chocolate, melted
confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Butter 4 cups in a standard muffin tin, dust with granulated sugar tapping out excess
   
2. Cream sugar and butter together until fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat until incorporated
4. Add sifted flour and salt, mix until incorporated
5. Stir in melted chocolate
6. Pour into cupcake pan
7. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes

To serves, turn out the cakes and place on serving plates; top sides up. Dust with confectioners sugar and serves with whipped cream, if desired.