Recipe Review from 9/23/2018

In which this particular week started with lunch with internationally know science fiction writer Walter Jon Williams! How cool is THAT! Very cool. Weather was too, with an easterly wind coming off the lake and pushing big breakers up against the shore. Brisk and blustery - Fall is definitely making its presence known.

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftovers  (S) Out for Birthdays
Sun (L) Out with Author (S) Chicken Pot Pie
Mon (yoga/legion) leftover pot pie
Tues - leftover pot pie
Wed (The Husband gone for work) coconut cashew pancakes
Thurs (yoga) leftovers
Friday (mtg at Pike Lake) - leftovers

Lunches - Glazed meatballs and soba noodles

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie (modified from Two Peas and Their Pod)
I modified this (aka "cheated") by using a store-bought crust. I don't do homemade pie crusts - I find the putzy, difficult, and extra work on top of chopping, cooking, and cleaning up (and in this case, an additional two homemade loaves of bread and my lunches for the week). So I cheat and I'm quite okay with that.

So. The recipe below is with a store-bought crust. The link will take you to the full recipe with homemade crust.

This was quite tasty and very reminiscent (but better!) of the little frozen pot pies we used to get growing up. The sauce thickened quite nicely, I added a bit extra veggies and cut back one cup on the chicken. Three cups of chicken was just too much for my taste buds. This came together very easily, and I had extra time while cooking to make the next recipe.

Recommended!

photo from Two Peas and Their Pod

Serves 6-8
1 box (2 crusts) Pillsbury ready made pie crust
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup diced onion
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 and 3/4;cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups shredded chicken or turkey
1 cup frozen peas

1. I pre-baked the bottom crust according to package directions in a 9" pie pan. When crust is done, set aside and turn oven temp to 400*. Oven should now be pre-heated for the pot pie!

2. To make the filling, heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the flour, salt, black pepper, thyme, parsley, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Whisk until there are no flour lumps and then simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Stir in the shredded chicken or turkey and frozen peas.

3. Carefully unroll second crust and place over pie filling.  Pinch edges closed and trim any excess.

4.With sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the center of the top crust.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Use some aluminum foil or a crust protector if the crust starts to get too brown.  Cool for 10 minutes, cut into slices and serve.

Glazed Meatballs with Soba Noodles  (Ckng Lght, Sept 2018)  gluten free option**
This was another recipe in the make-head lunches in the September issue of Cooking Light.  So far, I made the Greek Chickpea Salad and the Curried Chicken and Rice.  I was in the mood for some Asian flavors and went with this one for the week.  It was easy enough to toss the meatballs into the oven at the same time as the pot pie.

This came together fairly quickly, several of the steps overlapping so it didn't feel like a lot.  You could certainly simplify the cabbage part by buying pre-shredded cabbage and carrot mix.   My main substitution was I swapped out the beef and subbed ground turkey.  I may have overcooked the turkey; mine ended up very dry, which was a real disappointment. 

As "advertised" this makes four servings.  My lunch tubs are all ready to go for the week - I just need to remember my sides (string cheese, grapes, and apples) and I'm good to go!

12 ounces 90% lean ground sirloin
1/3 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs**
1 large egg

photo from cookinglight.com

1 garlic clove, grated
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 ounces uncooked soba noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti**
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, divided
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/3 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; shape into 20 meatballs. Arrange meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400°F until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high. Add noodles; cook until al dente, 4 to 6 minutes for soba. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place noodles in a large bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, and remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt. Add cabbage, scallions, and carrots; toss to combine.

Stir together soy sauce, honey, Sriracha, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar in a medium skillet. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Add meatballs; toss to coat. Serve with noodles.

Coconut Cashew Pancakes (Ckng Lght, Sept 2018) vegetarian
I made these for supper - or "brinner", as my friend would call it ("breakfast" for dinner).  This came together very quickly, which was nice.  I did have problems with the batter being very thick and needing more liquid than the recipe called for.  I don't have white whole-wheat flour, so I subbed 1/4 cup ww and 1 cup AP.

I would make these again - I liked the hint of nuttiness from the cashews, with a hint of coconut in the background.  I added a poached egg on top for a bit of extra protein. Yummy! 

I had four meals of three 'cakes each time, these were quite filling!

photo from cookinglight.com

1 cup light coconut milk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons chopped cashews
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup pure maple syrup, divided
3 tablespoons toasted unsweetened flaked coconut, divided

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Whisk together light coconut milk, 1 large egg, light brown sugar, canola oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir in white whole-wheat flour, chopped cashews, baking powder, and kosher salt until just combined. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake into pan. Cook until tops are covered with bubbles, about 3 minutes. Flip; cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup pure maple syrup; sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. toasted unsweetened flaked coconut.