chicken pot pie - just hear me out.

I know some of you are probably saying ew. ew. I don't eat pot pie. Pot pie is gross/nasty/sick. I was one of those people but I have fought through, and I love it. Firstly, you should eat it out of a bowl which obviously makes it a winner right off the bat. Secondly, it's warm, filling, comforting and makes a nice big amount so that you don't need to make lunch for your husband the next day (hurray!). Another reason I love it is that it can really be a blank canvas for delicious culinary adventures.

I start with Martha Stewart's lighter chicken pot pie recipe and revise a bit: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/lighter-chicken-pot-pie.

Firstly, I roast 2 chicken breasts (usually bone in, skin on because they are more flavourful) until fully cooked. I do not enjoy rotisserie chicken because I have zero idea what is actually in it. Scary stuff. Let the breasts rest and shred them up with two forks (wayyyy more better than diced chicken or strips here). I also experiment with adding new vegetables into it to kick it up in the flavour and nutrition departments. In this one, I have added mixed wild mushrooms and zucchini discs (which, my husband so beautifully cut - I bet he even measured the width of each one as he was cutting). I also use thyme instead of the tarragon and add about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice at the same time as I stir in the peas.  Makes it perky. The great pea debate comes up when I'm making this dish when my husband is around. He would have twice the amount of peas but me, I enjoy it on the lighter pea side. So, after a lengthy argument, we usually settle for about 1/2 a cup. Moving on?


The topping of the pot pie is where things got wild. I am trying to follow a low-gluten lifestyle as much as possible lately so I am experimenting with substitutions for the phyllo (which is lovely especially when very crispy). I saw a wild rice topped chicken pot pie on the Whole Foods website and took it a bit further here. I used a combination of 1/2 C Quinoa (cooked) and 1/4 C black wild rice (cooked) mixed together and sprinkled on as the topping. Right before baking, I used my most favourite microplane to grate some good quality parmesan cheese all around. A quick drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and it was time for 30 minutes in the oven. Crunchy topping, creamy and light inside - pot-pie-umptious!

I served my pot pie with a winter salad of spinach, arugula, thinly sliced apples, 2 year old aged white cheddar and walnuts. For a simple dressing, I reduced some balsamic vinegar on the stove and then whisked in about 1t dijon, 1t maple syrup and 2T olive oil. Add salt & pepper and toss with the salad. Dare I say scrumptious.