Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Pot Pie

I find pot pies to be the some of the very best kinds of comfort food.  This is the recipe as I learned it:

If you like your pot pie to actually look like a pie, then make your crust.  Pick the crust recipe you like best.  If you are not a fan of that sort of thing, you can always top the pot pie mixture with mashed potatoes.  

Thoroughly cook 2-3 chicken breasts.  If you don't have any use another meat. The amount of space that three full decks of cards take up - that is the amount of meat you want to use.  However, you do not HAVE to put in any type of meat at all - you can use tofu or just add more vegetables.

If you intend to use a mashed potato topping, this is the time to start the mash potato process.  Fill a pot with cold water and then toss in 5 potatoes.  Make according to the way you like them best.  Or shortcut with instant mashed potatoes. 

While the meat, if you are using it, is cooking, chop up 2-3 cups of vegetables.  Peas and carrots are traditional.  Set aside.  Chop up an onion - about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.  Set aside.  Make sure you have butter, flour, salt, pepper, garlic, one egg, chicken broth and milk.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup) on stove top in the sort of pan that works best for you.   Add the onions and let them caramelize.  Then add 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper.  If you like pepper it's OK to add more.  Remove from heat when the mixture starts to bubble.  Add milk and chicken broth. Mix thoroughly and place back on burner until it starts to boil.  Add vegetables and chicken.  Mix thoroughly and place in cooking dish. 

If you made a crust, place the top crust on and brush egg (well-beaten) onto the top.  If you decide to take the mashed potato route mix the egg into the potatoes.  Top pot pie mixture with mashed potato and egg mixture.

Place the dish in the middle of a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Crust should be brown/mashed potato topping should have some browned peaks.  Let pot pie stand about 10 minutes before serving.


Food substitutions that I have tried and liked:
Unflavored soy milk in place of milk,
Olive oil in place of butter,
Rice flour instead of regular flour,
Vegetable broth in place of chicken broth,
Sweet potatoes/yams in place of regular potatoes,
The egg can be skipped if necessary.

*Cross posted in my own blog CrochetedKitten.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Death by Jello

Not really, but made you look!  Maybe.  I found the Stringativity Blog and wanted to share it with my fellow 'Puffs.  The Blogger in question posts about her experiments with Jello on 12/09/2007.  She even posts a follow up pic in the post dated 12/14/2007 - so you can see what a jello swatch looks like once its been knitted up.

Jello in the microwave from http://stringativity.blogspot.com/

In a mixing bowl in the order listed:
5 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 pkg regular Jello Berry Blue (color used in the example)
1 cup vinegar.
81 grams of wool

 Add wool and swish it around a bit allowing the dye to soak in.  Stir with a utensil unless you like the look of colored hands. 

You will need a microwaveable bowl. Place jello soaked yarn in bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes on high heat.  Allow it rest a bit to cool.  Repeat 3 times. 

Their is a bit more - the rest of it can be found on the Stringativity blog.  A place I am pointing to as it is an amazing blog.