Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie

One of the most underutilized appliance in my kitchen is my crockpot. Sure I use it occasionally, but not nearly enough. When I got the February 2012 issue of Real Simple magazine in the mail, I was excited to see that there was a whole section dedicated to crockpot recipes. In fact, the photo on the cover of these pot pies were enough to make me drool, so I immediately flipped to that section and made a list of things I needed to make that dish. While making the pot pies, I realized that as convenient as it is to use the crockpot, it is also a huge tease. The pot pies smelled so amazing, which made me so hungry, but as soon as I looked at the timer, I realized that I still had another 4 hours to wait! I guess it is my fault for making them on the weekend when I was home all day! Maybe I should start to use the crockpot more often while we are at work, to make meal prep super easy.

8 ounces Cremini Mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
4 Carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Onion, chopped
1/3 cup Flour
2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs (I used breasts)
Salt and Pepper
1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed (half of a 17.3 ounce package)
1 cup Frozen Peas
1 cup Frozen Green Beans
1/3 cup Heavy Cream

In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, mix together the mushrooms, carrots, onion, flour, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup water. Place the chicken on top and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Using a 4 1/2 inch cutter or a large glass, cut the pastry into 4 circles (I just made 4 rectangles). Place the pastry on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Ten minutes before serving, add the peas, green beans, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high or low until heated through, 5 to 10 more minutes; remove the bay leaf. To serve, place the chicken mixture in bowls and top with the pastry rounds.

Spiced Sirloin Roast

I've never made any sort of roast because I've never been a fan. I think mostly because whenever I had it growing up, the meat was cooked past the point of what I preferred. So for Valentine's Day, I decided to give cooking my own roast a shot. I went to the butcher and got a beautiful piece of sirloin and used this recipe that I found from An Edible Mosaic. The marinade for this roast smelled delicious, and even though I managed to cook the roast a little past my preferred medium-rare state, it turned out very good. My favorite part may have actually been the pan sauce, which I could have licked out of a bowl! All in all, I consider my first roast to be a success, and this recipe is definitely a keeper!

1 pound Boneless Beef Sirloin Roast
2 tablespoons Sesame Oil, divided
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
1 Garlic Clove, grated on a microplane
1/4 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Hot Paprika or Cayenne Pepper
3/4 cup Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Flour
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Marinade the roast at least 30 minutes before you want to cook it. To do so, in a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, sweet paprika, hot paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Put the roast and the marinade in a zip-top plastic bag and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, rotating the bag every so often.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. Discard the marinade. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to an oven-safe skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the roast and sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to the oven in the same frying pan you seared it in, and cook until it reaches your desired level of doneness. Medium doneness took about 50 minutes and registered 140 on a digital food thermometer. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Be sure to slice across the grain.

To make the pan sauce, mix together the butter and flour in a small bowl and set aside. Put the pan that you cooked the beef in over medium heat. Add the beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the butter/flour mixture and cook until the sauce is reduced by about 2/3. Strain the sauce if desired (I didn't), then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce drizzled over the beef.

Baby Hasselback Potatoes

Like I had mentioned in a previous post, Joel and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day, but instead just make a slightly nicer meal at home for the two of us. While I was scrolling through the many recipes I have saved for potential components of our meal, Faith at An Edible Mosaic posted a whole Valentine's Day menu on her blog, which stopped my search dead in it's tracks! Spiced Sirloin Roast, these Baby Hasselback Potatoes, and green beans sounded nicer than our normal dinners. I've seen, and saved, many hasselback potato recipes before, and now that I have made them, I have no idea why I hadn't done it sooner! What a simple and elegant way to dress up a plain potato. This recipe is super simple and will dress up the fanciest of meals, or be just as good with any weeknight meal.

3/4 pounds Baby Yellow Potatoes, scrubbed (I used 4 baby white)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
*Pinch of Mrs. Dash Salt Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning (I added)
Parsley, for serving (I added, though Faith had it in her pictures)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a potato on a wooden spoon. Starting at one end of the potato, using a large knife, cut until the knife touches the spoon (using the spoon ensures that you will not cut through the bottom of the potato), and continue cutting at 3-4mm intervals across the whole potato. Continue this process until all potatoes have been cut. Using your fingers, gently open the potatoes, then toss them together with the oil, salt, pepper, and additional seasoning, allowing them to marinade for 5-10 minutes. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with chopped parsley and serve.

Vanilla Creme Brûlée for Two

Did you enjoy your Valentine's Day? We aren't much for celebrating it. Generally, we just use it as an excuse to make a "nicer than normal" dinner at home and call it a night. We can't be bothered by the reservations, crowds, gifts, and exorbitant prices! I started searching for a menu for the night, and new I wanted it to include dessert. I tried to think of a "fancy" dessert that we would order at a restaurant, and that is when I thought of creme brûlée. Since it's just the two of us, I turned to Dessert for Two, which is a pretty cool blog that scales dessert recipes down to small servings. Lo and behold, the perfect scaled-down creme brûlée recipe was at my fingertips. Except…me being me, I failed to read the whole recipe very carefully until about 4 hours before I had planned on serving it, so my custard did not sit in the fridge for the recommended 8 hours. But, I think it turned out just as delicious as at any restaurant! So if you are looking for an elegant dessert to serve your sweetie next Valentine's day, or any day for that matter, give this a try. You won't be disappointed!

3 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Berries, for serving (optional--I added blackberries)

In a glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into 2 6-ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in an 8- or 9- inch  glass baking dish. Make a water bath for them to cook in by pouring 2 cups of very hot water into the dish, or enough to come up about 1/2 of an inch on the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 300 degrees for 50-60 minutes. The custards are done when only the middle is slightly jiggly. Cool the custards in the water bath, then cover them with plastic wrap before moving them to the fridge for at least 8 hours (I only cooled for about 3 and they were fine). When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over each custard. Melt the sugar with a torch until it is browned and hard (I put them under our broiler and it worked perfectly). Serve immediately, garnished with berries, if desired.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

About a year and a half ago, I hosted a surprise party for my dad, which I posted about here. As a main dish to serve the 40 guests, I made pulled pork (I used 16 pounds of pork to make sure to accommodate everybody). After a mishap with some of the ingredients, I needed a quick fix in a pinch. Realizing that I had all of the ingredients on hand, I used the spice rub and method seen here on The Piggly Wiggly. After everybody ate, I received numerous compliments on the pork. I had meant to post the recipe, but I never ended up taking a picture. Last week, we hosted a Super Bowl party with about 15 friends. I made chili and pulled pork, using the same recipe I had made for my dad's party (with 6 pounds of pork this time). Once again, everybody seemed to enjoy it, and this time I made sure to take a picture! I ended up with a lot left over, and luckily it freezes well, so we have an instant dinner for some day in the future too!

For the Spice Rub (per 2 pounds of pork):
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
2 tablespoons Paprika
1 tablespoon Salt

For the Pork:
2 pounds Pork Loin
1 cup Liquid (I used beer, but water, coke, or stock would be fine)
18 ounce bottle BBQ Sauce

Mix the spices in a bowl. Massage the rub onto the pork. Place the pork into a crockpot, cover with liquid, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. After the cooking has been completed, drain the liquid and shred the pork with 2 forks. Add the BBQ sauce and serve on rolls.

Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Being from Buffalo, "buffalo" flavored meals rarely come across our dinner table. Don't get me wrong, I love blue cheese and hot sauce, but buffalo flavors just don't have much appeal to me. As it is, I only eat wings maybe once or twice a year. Now, having said that, I'm not opposed to trying things that are labeled with the "buffalo" name. This week for the recipe swap, the theme was potatoes. I was intrigued, yet nervous, when I received this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie from The Jey of Cooking. On one hand, I had made shepherd's pie in the past and I liked how this recipe had ground chicken in place of beef, but on the other hand, it had that buffalo flavor. I knew I had to make it, so I gathered the ingredients and set off to work. I have to say that this meal did not disappoint! It packed a punch from the hot sauce, and the blue cheese in the mashed potato topping had a great flavor. As good as it was for dinner (both Joel and I had seconds, which is something we never do!), it almost tasted better the next day for lunch! Even though I still feel as if "buffalo" flavored foods are gimmicky, this recipe may make me give others a second look!!

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Ground Chicken
4 Celery Ribs, diced
4 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
1/4 cup Hot Sauce
4 cups Mashed Potatoes (I made these with red potatoes)
4 ounces Blue Cheese, crumbled and divided
Chives, chopped, for garnish

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned. Add the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and paprika. Deglaze the pan with the stock, and add the tomato paste and hot sauce. Stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add 2 ounces of blue cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Pour the chicken mixture into a 9-inch pie plate that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon the potatoes on top, and top with the remaining 2 ounces of blue cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees, until the potatoes are golden and the chicken mixture is bubbly. Sprinkle with additional smoked paprika and chopped chives. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower Penne Puttanesca

While reading the February issue of Real Simple, I stumbled upon this recipe in the "Weeknight Meals" section. The ease of this recipe, and it's quick cook time, really appealed to me. The addition of the cauliflower as the main ingredient also intrigued me. Cauliflower is an ingredient that I almost never buy, not because I don't like it, but because I always think of as part of a raw vegetable platter rather than cooking with it. As we were eating this meal, both Joel and I realized that we should really try to cook with cauliflower more often! I was nervous that the capers, along with the olives, would make this dish too salty, but the whole dish came together beautifully and the flavors were perfect!

3/4 pound Penne Pasta
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 small head Cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons Capers, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped 
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, olives, capers, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, until the cauliflower is tender, 8-10 more minutes. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Serve topped with the parsley and parmesan.

BBQ Sliders with Spicy BBQ Mayo

A few weeks ago, we went out for dinner with some friends to a tavern by our old apartment. We usually order a fish fry there, but everybody always raves about their burgers. We both decided to order the burgers, which was odd because I've never been one to order burgers out at restaurants (or even really eat them at all). Well, after eating it, I completely understood all the hype surrounding them. When deciding what to make last week, Joel suggested hamburgers, which was probably because after eating them at the tavern, we were reminded how much we enjoyed them every once in a while! After searching for a recipe, I adapted this one from allrecipes.com and made these cute little bbq sliders.  I topped them with this spicy bbq mayo sauce from Food Network. This would be a great recipe to feed a crowd, as I'm sure it could be easily adapted for any amount of ground beef.

For the Burgers:
1/2 cup Dry Breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Garlic Salt
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1 pound Ground Beef
1 1/4 cups BBQ Sauce

In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic salt, and brown sugar. Add the egg and 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce. Mix the meat into the breadcrumb mixture until well combined. Shape the meat into burgers (I made 9 slider-sized burgers, but would have made 4 or 5 regular-sized ones). Place the burgers onto a plate and pour the remaining BBQ sauce over the tops. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to cook, grill the burgers, flipping once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. At the last minute, place cheese on top of each burger so that it melts (optional).

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tablespoon Hot Sauce

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Spread the sauce onto a grilled hamburger bun. Top the burgers with tomatoes and red onions, and serve.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto

Beets and goat cheese are two of my favorite things. I love pairing them in salads, which until now, was the only way I have eaten them together. I've had this recipe from Beantown Baker bookmarked for quite a while, and for some reason just haven't gotten around to making it. I'm glad I finally decided to. Up until now, my favorite risotto flavor was sun-dried tomato and goat cheese, but this risotto was so amazing that I think it took the top spot! The pretty pink color made it pretty, too.

3 medium Beets, trimmed
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste

3 1/2 cups Chicken Broth (I used vegetable broth)
3 cups Water
1 small Onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled (I used a 4 ounce package)

Place the beets on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil into a package and roast on 425 degrees for about 1 hour, or until the beets are tender. Allow them to cool for about 30 minutes (I roasted the beets 1 day ahead of time and put them in the fridge). When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding the stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Meanwhile, bring the water and broth to a simmer in a saucepan (I skipped this step and everything turned out just fine). In a 4-6 quart heavy pot set over moderate heat, cook the onion in the oil, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup of broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth has been absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is tender and creamy looking, about 20 minutes. Reserve leftover broth--althoughI didn't have any left. Stir in the beets, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with any additional broth. Stir in the goat cheese and remove from heat.

Warm Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

I really enjoy being a part of the recipe swap that is hosted by Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking. It has really expanded my recipe repertoire and for that, I am so grateful! Take this recipe from Melissa at I Was Born To Cook, for example. I was never a fan of chickpeas and only recently have been coming around to them. Because of that, I don't think I would have bookmarked the recipe if I had just been choosing recipes on my own. However, this week, the swap theme was "Healthy Recipes" and this was the recipe I was assigned. At first, I was a bit hesitant due to my lack of love for chickpeas, but in the end I'm so glad it was assigned to me because I really did enjoy it. The cayenne pepper gave the roasted sweet potato a little kick, and the tahini dressing is so fresh tasting with the parsley. I love that this salad was warm but that it still had a little crunch from the raw onions and chickpeas. I never would have thought to pair these ingredients together on my own, but now I am looking forward to cooking with chickpeas more often! Thanks, Melissa, for sharing this great recipe. I look forward to making it again!

For the Salad:
1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
2 pinches Salt
1 (15 ounce) can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/3 cup Tahini Goddess Dressing (see recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, cayenne, oil, and salt and toss until evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until soft. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then put in a bowl and add the chickpeas, onion, and parsley. Toss with the dressing and serve. Serves 2 (as a main course, but we ate it as a side dish so it went a little further!).

For the Tahini Goddess Dressing:
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Tahini
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons Agave Nectar (I subbed honey and it tasted great)
1/3 cup Water
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped

Place all ingredients except parsley in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the parsley at the end and mix well. Makes 1 cup.