Rosemary Spoon Cornbread with Crispy Onions

You know tomorrow is Thanksgiving when you have homemade pumpkin pie for dinner. I am SO far behind in posting my recipes but I just have to share this one I made earlier in the week because it was so gosh darn a-maize-ing (there, I got my corn pun out of the way). I think spoon cornbread is one of my all-time favorite sides, I could just eat it for the whole meal. The texture is almost like if a pudding and a bread had a delicious food baby and then you decided to add some fresh herbs to the mix AND crispy fried onions because this IS a holiday after all and what is a holiday without a little indulgence?

Chicken, Potato, and Brie Tart With Onion Jam

Being married to a meat eater has taught me to vastly expand my standard chicken recipes. I mean, you can only make so many chicken salad sandwiches...

When I saw this chicken tart recipe from The Kitchen, I was very intrigued. Not only does it sound fancy, but it is fairly easy to make (especially if you're lazy like me and used a pre-made puff pastry-shhhhh). I also rediscovered my love of Brie cheese which is, in my opinion, the lord of all cheeses - it's soft, melts beautifully, and has that rich creamy taste that allows you to pair it with sweet or savory meals. For a pre-meal snack I cut up thin slices of apple and topped them with some of the onion jam and a dot of brie and it was amazing. The tart itself was a perfect balance of richness and a sweet/sour flavor from the onion jam, all in all a perfect brunch or dinner meal!

Chicken, Potato, and Brie Tart With Onion Jam

makes one 11" tart

Recipe adapted From The Kitchen

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium sized onions, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS sugar, leveled

1 sheet of thawed puff pastry
2-3 large waxy potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 cups cooked chicken, torn into big shreds
1/2 cup brie, pinched off into bite sized pieces
4 eggs
2 tsp dried thyme (I also garnished with fresh German thyme)
1/2 cup cream

Directions

1.For the onion jam, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper, and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes until nice and soft, stirring every once in a while so that they don't catch on the bottom. In between stirring, half covered with the pot lid. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar, remove the lid and cook a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

2.Put potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, season with salt and bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer and cook potatoes 15-20 minutes until just able to be pierced with a knife. Drain and set aside to cool.

3.Roll out pastry to fit a 11" round removable base tart tin. Pop in the freezer to chill while the oven heats to 180˚C (350˚F). Layer the onions, potato and chicken into the pastry shell. Dot with brie. Whisk eggs, cream and thyme, then pour evenly over filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is set and the pastry is golden. Serve immediately on it's own or paired with a salad.

On a side note - Houston had some pretty major storms last night which resulted in flooding. This is the second time the weather has tried to kill us lol, I am starting to get a complex Houston - what's your problem?! Seriously though, I hope everyone is okay and my prayers go out to those that lost their cars and homes last night, stay safe!

English Fish Pie

So I'm convinced anything in pie form is gonna be delicious...

This recipe actually all started when we were checking out restaurants one evening (yes, I am a major restaurant creeper - I am a total Yelp and Urbanspoon junkie) and we came across this British Pub called The Black Labrador. Usually pub food is pretty predicable - Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash all the usual suspects but this menu was very diverse and offered some semi freaky items like Scotched Beef, Sole in it's Coffin, annnnd English Fish Pie!

One thing I appreciated about this pie is you don't have to fuss with a crust and instead use mash potatoes, so it's sort of like a seafood version of Shepard's Pie...

I looked around at a couple of recipes online and all of them poached the fish pre-bake which I didn't think was necessary considering that fish only takes about 5 minutes to cook. Instead, I just heated the milk and poured it over the diced fish and veggies and the heat from the milk pretty much cooked the fish halfway, and then it finished out cooking in the oven.

This recipe is also very versatile, I happen to utilize all the leftover bits in my fridge and it turned out really delicious but you can use any type of white fish or vegetables you have on hand (spinach, parsnips, tomatoes, or shrimp might be a nice addition).

English Fish Pie

serves 4-5

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver

4-5 medium large potatoes, washed, diced small and boiled until tender (you could peel them if you don't like the skins)
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 cup unsalted canned corn
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS olive oil
2 large white fish fillets such as Swai, cut into bite sized chunks
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups full fat milk (or I mixed half and half with 1%)
1 TBS flour
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. After you boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and mash in a bowl adding olive oil, salt & pepper and milk as needed. Set aside.

2.In a large sauce pan add olive oil and saute onions for 4-5 min. on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent (about 3-4 more min)

3.Add carrots and celery and saute for 5-10 more minuets (you may need to add more oil at this time) until carrots begin to soften. Add salt, pepper, herbs (except bay leaf) and corn and mix thoroughly. Remove and place in mixing bowl. Place raw fish chunks on top.

4.In the same sauce pan you used for the veggies, add milk. Heat on medium low heat, stirring regularly. Add bay leaf. Once milk has reached a warm temp, add flour and stir then add cheese and mix until melted. Carefully remove bay leaf. Pour milk over chopped fish and veggies. Mix well.

5.To assemble, in a large baking pan, layer fish and veg mix then top with potatoes. Bake for 30-40 min. or until potatoes turn slightly brown on top.

This pie was so comforting and delicious! It had all the flavors of a classic chicken pot pie.

We'll probably check out The Black Labrador soon and see how their pie hold up - stay tuned for a restaurant review!

Savory Bread & Butter Pickle "Cupcakes"

Okay, before you say anything I just wanna say numero uno, no, I am NOT pregnant and numero dose, I have NOT lost my mind! When I received these wonderful new Farmer's Garden inspired pickles from Vlasic, I thought of all the usual pickle recipes. I could have easily used them to make relish, egg salad, or simply placed them on a burger but I wanted to do something freaky and I think these cupcakes definitely make you look twice. I use the term "cupcake" because it's really more like a savory biscuit in cupcake form.

When I searched for pickle cupcake recipes online there was only a couple of results (surprise, surprise) so I decided to base this recipe off a lemon cake recipe I had previously done subbing the acid from the lemon with pickle juice. I tamed the pickle flavor with cheddar cheese and creamed corn. The result? A moist, almost biscuit like cupcake with a very light pickle taste, if you're a fan of pickles, you will LOVE these cupcakes - if not, you might want to consider just sticking to the lemon.

Bread & Butter Pickle Cupcakes

makes 12 large cupcakes OR 24 mini cupcakes

*After making these I think I would rather have these in mini cupcake form, they would make a great passed appetizer at a get together.

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dill
At low speed, add:
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles
2 tablespoons pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
1 (8.5oz) can of creamed corn
1/4 shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, sugar, and egg on medium speed until light and fluffy - add corn and mix.

2.In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and dill. Add to wet ingredients on low speed and mix until combined. Slowly add remaining ingredients (pickles, pickle juice, cheese) and mix.

3.Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake for 13-14min.

For the "frosting"...

1/2 sour cream
1/3 low fat cream cheese
1 tsp dried dill
splash of hot sauce

top with shredded cheese and green onion

1.Blend sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend. I used a Wilton 1B piping tip to decorate cupcakes.

Disclosure - This post was sponsored by Vlasic's tasty new line of pickles, Farmer's Garden! All opinions shared are my own. These pickles come in super cute rustic jars and there are no artificial flavors in them (woo-hoo!). They're inspired by pickling pioneer Joseph Vlasic, who started making pickles 70 years ago! Aside from the bread and butter chips used here, they also make zesty garlic chips, kosher dill spears, kosher dill halves, and dill chips. to see what other fun things are going on it pickle word, you can follow #farmtojar.

In addition be sure to enter their sweepstakes: Farmer’s Garden is celebrating the authentic taste of #farmtojar with the savor simplicity sweepstakes running from 5/7/14 – 7/31/14. enter HERE for a chance to win a weekend cooking adventure or summer entertaining package, each worth $1,500. one winner will be chosen each month. a $1 off coupon will also be given to all entrants immediately following entry!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies (with homemade flaky crust)

One thing I've had to work on in my new married life is actually taking the time to consider providing food for another human being. I've been cooking meals for myself since I was 13 so thinking about my own dinner is nothing new to me, however, when you have a non-pescatarian hungry man in the house, that's another story.

These chicken pot pies are not only small and cute, they're also delicious and the perfect size for 1-2 servings. When I think of the perfect pot pie, the utmost important factor is the crust. It must be light, flaky, with that melt in your mouth buttery flavor. The filling must be creamy and rich with the perfect balance of vegetables, meat, and herbs; and like any other unbelievably tasty entree, it should fill you with the desire to lick the bowl and pick off the remaining bits of crust on the leftovers (but do so sneakily to avoid suspicion).

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

serves two...or one, depending on how hungry you are

1 raw chicken breast
1 large carrot, cut into small cubes
1 large stalk of celery cut into small cubes
1/2 of a small onion, diced small
1-2 small (russet or red) potatoes, diced small
3 TBS butter (separated)
1 TBS flour
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

(you can add peas or corn as well if you would like, I didn't have any peas in the house at the time)

click here for my go-to Pie crust recipe

Prep:

3.Prepare pie crust (if using) and set aside in fridge.

2.Take chicken breast and put it in a sauce pan, cover with water. Turn on medium heat and boil for about 10-15 min. or until chicken is firm to the touch and has an internal temperature of 165 F. remove chicken breast and when cool, cut into cubes.

3.To cook the potatoes, cut them into bite sized cubes. Place in a sauce pan and cover with water. Boil potatoes until tender (about 10 min). Drain and set aside.

Directions:

1.Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease two 10-ounce ramekins with butter or olive oil spray.

2.Roll the pie crust out and use a bowl (slightly larger than the ramekin), trace and cut out 2 circles, using the scraps to make more if needed. Keep the dough circles in the fridge so they stay cold.

3.Melt 1 TBS of butter in a large sauce pan. Add in the diced carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the diced onion and celery and season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent and the carrots are soft (but not too soft).

4.Now add in the remaining 2 TBS of butter and let that melt. Once melted add flour and stir often while it cooks for 2 minutes (or until you smell a nice nutty flavor). Pour in the chicken broth and the milk. Let that simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened 5-8 minutes. Add herbs and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Let cool slightly before topping with crust.

5.Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly divide the diced cooked potatoes into each prepared ramekin. Spoon the cooled pot pie filling evenly over the potatoes, filling the ramekins to the brim. Cover with dough circles and crimp the edges then, with a sharp knife make a couple of slits for ventilation.

6.Slide the tray of pot pies into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*For a glossy top crust, try beating an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush over top before baking.

My Personal Favorites From 2013

Looking back at my culinary adventures from last year, I realize I have become a more seasoned veteran in the kitchen (pun intended). Listed below are some of my personal favs from 2013. This year my goal is to experiment more with foreign/rare ingredients, and master the perfect pie crust. What are some of your food goals for this new year?

Listed from top left to right:

-Speckled Egg Italian Cream Cake
-Gâteau fondant aux poires - French Pear Cake
-Spicy Shrimp Bites
-Authentic Black Forest Cupcakes (Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen) with Meringue Mushrooms
-Secretly Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Butter Bean Hummus
-4th of July Fruit Trifle
-Key Lime Pie cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting
-Cranberry Lemon Tart
-German-Style Potato Salad (Kartoffel Salat)
-Mini Dark Sweet Cherry Pies
-Apple Marzipan Tart
-Gorilla Bread Muffins
-Blueberry Cobbler Bars
-Healthy and Hearty Pumpkin Bread Topped with Toasted Pepitas
-Pistachio encrusted salmon with balsamic glazed cherries and citrus infused quinoa