Warm Up Winter with a Hearty Pot Pie

A pot pie recipe contest inspired me to create my own rendition of the hearty savory pie.  Although my recipe didn’t make the cut in the contest, it was a winner on my dinner table.  The ingredients and flavors of Tuscany are among my favorites and are the heart of the recipe.  I chose boneless chicken thighs for their moisture and flavor as well as being cheaper than boneless breasts.  Since I wanted this to be a quick dinner, I went the convenient route and used a prepared pie crust, but added my own homemade touch by flavoring it with some fresh rosemary and Parmesan cheese. 

If you want to save some calories and time, you can serve the chicken filling as a hearty stew.  Versatile dishes are Smart Meals!

Tuscan Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 4 servings

¼ pound pancetta, diced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup white wine

3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 (15 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 9-inch refrigerated prepared pie crust

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1.      Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 10-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2.      Cook pancetta in large skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove pancetta from skillet.

3.      Add chicken to pan drippings and cook until browned.  Remove chicken from skillet.

4.      Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat for 1 minute.  Add onion, red bell pepper and garlic.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes.  Add wine and 2 teaspoons rosemary.  Cook and stir until wine evaporates. 

5.      Stir white beans, cooked chicken and pancetta into onion mixture.   Sprinkle flour over chicken mixture and stir until dissolved.  Stir in chicken broth and heat to a boil.  Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pie plate. 

6.      Unroll prepared pie crust onto lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary.  Using rolling pin, gently roll rosemary into pie crust. 

7.      Place pie crust over pie plate and firmly press edges around rim of pie plate.  Slit crust in several places to allow steam to escape.  Brush crust with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

8.      Bake for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per serving: 620 calories, 30 g. total fat, 8 g. saturated fat, 134 mg. cholesterol, 1384 mg. sodium, 28 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. dietary fiber, 3 g. sugar, 52 g. protein

Braising a Winter Winner

Brisket is one of my favorite go-to meals during the winter.  Braising the meat slowly not only tenderizes this cut of meat, but also adds delicious, mouthwatering aromas to the house.  With a few simple, but flavorful ingredients, you have an easy hearty meal perfect for family or entertaining.

This may not be a meal that is doable on a weeknight if you’re not home to assemble and put the dish in the oven during the afternoon, but the leftovers certainly make a welcome quick night meal.

If I’m serving this recipe when I’m entertaining, I time the brisket to come out of the oven at least an hour ahead.  This gives me time to slice the meat and thicken the cooking liquid for the gravy.  I simply arrange the sliced meat in the roasting pan, cover it with the prepared gravy and keep warm in the oven until serving time.  I usually round out the meal with egg noodles or mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Smart meals fill the house with delicious aromas and make for a satisfying dinner.

Balsamic Brisket with Onions

Makes 12 servings

1 (5 pound) beef brisket

2 large onions, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar

½ cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1.    Heat oven to 325°F.  Spray a roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

2.    Place brisket in pan and top with onions and garlic.

3. Mix balsamic vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar in a small bowl; pour over  

    brisket. 

4.   Cover pan tightly with foil.  Bake for 3 hours or until tender.

5.   Remove brisket to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

6.   Heat oil and flour in large saucepan over medium heat until mixture bubbles. 

7.  Add pan liquid with onions and cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Serve gravy with sliced meat.

Nutrition Information per serving: 409 calories, 14 g. total fat, 5 g. saturated fat, 168 mg. cholesterol, 239 mg. sodium, 8 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 5 g. sugar, 58 g. protein

A New Twist on Lentil Soup

The lentil soup my mother made always started with a meaty ham bone after a holiday meal.  I’ve similarly carried on the same tradition of making lentil soup with a ham bone, which means we don’t have it very often. 

Then I happened upon the most amazing tomato lentil soup at Caviar and Bananas while on vacation in Charleston, SC.  Lentils and chick peas were simmered in a rich tomato broth.  My requests for the recipe in store and by email went unanswered, but I was determined to recreate it.  Although not identical, this recipe is pretty delicious, and vegetarian too if you use vegetable broth.  I made up a pot today to have on hand if I run out of time to make dinner during the holiday rush.  It also travels well in a lunch bag and is better the second day. Smart meals take the stress out of “What’s for Dinner?”  

Tomato Lentil Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 stalks celery, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth*

2 cans (about 15 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 cup dry lentils

1 can (about 15 ounces) chick peas, drained

1.      Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until tender.

2.      Add broth, tomatoes, lentils and chick peas.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Nutrition Information per serving: 203 calories, 7 g. total fat, 1 g. saturated fat, 1 mg. cholesterol, 762 mg. sodium, 28 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. dietary fiber, 7 g. sugar, 9 g. protein

*If you like a brothier soup, increase the broth to 6 cups.

One Pot Cooking

I love this recipe because it’s a complete meal in one pot with easy clean up.  I picked up many of the fresh ingredients at our local farmer’s market.  The butcher even sells the stew beef already cut into the perfect size cubes trimmed of all the fat! 

When I brown the beef, I make sure I don’t crowd the cubes in the pan to be sure they get nicely browned.  If there are too many cubes in the pan at one time the beef will steam rather than brown.  Covering the stew with a tight fitting lid while cooking over low heat keeps the moisture in and allows the mixture to cook without stirring.  However, the stew liquid may thin down a bit during this time.  So I uncover the stew for the last period of cooking to allow some of the liquid to evaporate and thicken up the stew. 

Don’t worry if you have leftovers….the flavor gets even better the next day!  Smart meals are great meals!

French Onion Beef Stew

Makes 8 servings

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds beef round, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed French onion soup

1 ½ cups dry red wine

1 pound small new potatoes, halved

6 carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced 1-inch thick

1 package (10 to 12 ounces) baby bella mushrooms, halved

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1.      Mix flour and pepper in resealable plastic bag.  Add beef cubes and seal bag.  Shake the bag to evenly coat the beef cubes with the seasoned flour.

2.      Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Brown the coated beef cubes in 2 batches in the hot oil. 

3.      Return all the beef cubes to pot with the soup, wine, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic powder, thyme and rosemary, stirring to blend.  Heat to a boil.

4.      Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook for 1 hour.  Remove the cover and cook 15 minutes more or until beef and vegetables are tender and gravy thickens. 

Nutrition Information per serving: 341 calories, 10 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 77 mg. cholesterol, 491 mg. sodium, 17 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 28 g. protein

Low Country Cooking

One of the highlights of a recent vacation in Charleston, South Carolina was having the opportunity to sample the area’s traditional dishes in many of the great downtown restaurants.  Grits is a common item found on breakfast menus in the south, however, I particularly enjoyed the popular shrimp dish, Shrimp ‘n’ Grits.  So much so, we tried it at several restaurants over the course of the week and noticed each chef put their own spin on the dish.   My favorite was at Southend Brewery & Smokehouse.  The savory sautéed shrimp and Tasso ham sat atop rich creamy grits.  When I got home I was determined to make my own ‘better-for-you’ take on the dish.  I was able to bring the fat down but keep the creamy richness in the grits by using fat free half & half.  There is usually ham, bacon or sausage sautéed with the shrimp, however I opted to leave it out to save on some of the sodium and fat.  I was able to infuse some smoky flavor into the dish by adding smoked paprika.  The dish comes together pretty quickly, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Creamy Shrimp ‘n’ Grits

Makes 4 servings

2 cups fat free half and half

2 cups reduced fat milk

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup stone ground white or yellow grits

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 green onions, diagonally sliced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1.   Heat half and half, milk and black pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Stir in grits and return mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

2.   While grits are cooking, heat oil in large skillet.  Add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. 

3.   Add shrimp, green onions and paprika.  Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink.  Serve shrimp over grits.

Nutrition Information per serving: 365 calories, 11 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 240 mg. cholesterol, 684 mg. sodium, 29 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. dietary fiber, 18 g. sugar, 32 g. protein

It's Chili Time!

Chili is one of those dishes that is easy to pull together.  It’s classic one pot cooking which lends itself to easy prep and clean up.  Instead of using canned tomato sauce for my chili, I use jarred salsa.  It packs a lot of flavor in just one ingredient.  I still like to add some onion and green bell pepper for fresh flavor, color and texture. 

As for the meat, I usually use ground beef for chili for the rich meaty flavor from the browning step which you don’t get when using ground turkey.  However, I discovered a way to use lean ground turkey and still get a rich flavor by adding unsweetened cocoa along with the spices.  Adding chocolate is typical to some Mexican dishes like moles and I found it adds a nice layer of flavor to the chili when using ground turkey. 

Zesty Turkey Chili

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon oil

1 ½ pounds extra lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 cups salsa

½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt or nonfat sour cream

¼ cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese

1.      Heat oil in pot over medium heat.  Add turkey and cook until browned, stirring occasionally to break up meat.

2.      Add onion, pepper, garlic, chili powder, cocoa and cumin.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

3.      Add salsa.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.      Serve topped with yogurt and cheese.

Nutrition Information per serving (1 ½ c. chili, 2 tbsp. plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese): 418 calories, 15 g. total fat, 6 g. saturated fat, 86 mg. cholesterol, 1225 mg. sodium, 26 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. dietary fiber, 11 g. sugar, 47 g. protein

Zesty Turkey Chili with Beans: add 1 (15 to16-ounce) can black beans, drained with the salsa.

The Flavors of Tuscany

Fresh rosemary was the inspiration for this recipe.  My daughter brought home several stalks of this fragrant herb grown in a coworker’s garden.  I was planning on meatloaf for dinner so decided to explore the flavors of Tuscany.  Rosemary is an herb commonly found in Tuscan cuisine, so I pulled in red wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic which are also typical of the cuisine of the region. 

I like to use fresh bread crumbs in my meatloaf.  Instead of buying a fresh loaf of crusty bread to make crumbs for this purpose I always make crumbs of leftover bakery bread to have on hand in the freezer for uses like this.  The meatloaf mixture comes together quickly and is ready for the oven in no time.

The star of the dish is the balsamic flavored mushrooms.   The earthy mushrooms soak up the sweet-tart flavor of the vinegar along with the garlic and rosemary to make the perfect complement to the meatloaf. Buon appetito!

Rosemary Meatloaf with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

Makes 10 servings

½ cup red wine

¼ cup tomato paste

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced, divided

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 ½ pounds ground meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1.      Mix wine, tomato paste, eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in bread crumbs, onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons rosemary and pepper.  Add meatloaf mix and thoroughly combine.

2.      Shape into a 10 x 4 x 2 1/2- inch loaf and place in a foil-lined and greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

3.      Bake at 350°F. for 1 hour 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.  Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

4.      Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.   Add mushrooms and remaining garlic and rosemary.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.  Add vinegar and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until syrupy.  Spoon the mushroom mixture over the sliced meatloaf.

Nutrition Information per serving: 320 calories, 10 g. total fat, 3 g. saturated fat, 134 mg. cholesterol, 589 mg. sodium, 14 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 34 g. protein