Recipe Review from 1/13/2019

A couple years ago I bought the companion tome *cough * cook book from the America's Test Kitchen TV Show.  Now why America's Test Kitchen can't make this book smaller - like offer single years, heck, even just five years at a go, I don't know.  But my version has 16 years in it, it weighs a ton, and is difficult to work with and I have to be careful where on the shelf it's stored so I don't end up with a warped shelf. 

And I haven't been using it enough.  So I pulled it out (good thing I've been lifting weights) and picked out a couple recipes - Jambalaya and Chicken Pot Pie.   Results below!

Of course, I forgot to take pictures.  Dishes turned out as visually appealing as they do written. 


The Meal Plan:
Sun   (L) leftovers   (S) Jambalaya
Mon (yoga)  leftover Jambalaya
Tues - Chicken Pot Pie 
Wed - leftovers
Thurs (yoga) - leftovers
Fri (yoga) - take n bake pizza
Sat (L)   leftovers   (S) brats and baked beans

Skillet Jambalaya (modified from ATK TV Show Cook book) gluten free
I do love a good jamabalya, and if it's from ATK, it should be good.  And it was, but I've noticed that sometimes even ATK can make things more complicated than it needs to be.

My modifications - I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and I skipped the chopped fresh parsley.  I cubed the chicken at the start and sauted, rather than futzing with skin and bones at the end of cooking. 

I also thought this could have benefited from a dash of Creole or Cajun seasoning - not a lot, but a tich.  Perhaps on the chicken prior to cooking?  Just salt and pepper left the dish a bit bland, and had us reaching for the Siracha sauce.  Still, recommended for ease of prep and leftovers. 

Made about 7 servings (three meals for two, then one bowl for one)

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
vegetable oil
1/2 lbs andouille sausage, cut into 1/4" coins  (kielbasa is a good substitute if you can't find andouille)
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced fine (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8oz) bottle clam juice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
1 lb large shrimp (31-40 shrimp/lb) peeled and deveined

1.  Heat a table spoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Saute chicken until just browned on all sides, remove from pan and set aside.

2.  Saute andouille (or kielbasa) and cook until lightly browned on both sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Remove any excess fat from pan, leaving about 1 tbsp or less.

3. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt to pan, scrapping any browned bits off the bottom.  Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and cook until edges turn translucent, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, clam juice and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.  Return chicken and juices to pan.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 30 minutes.   My notes: Check periodically to ensure there is enough liquid in the pan to keep the rice cooking and prevent burning to the bottom of the skillet.  Add 1/2 cup of water as necessary.

4.  Stir shrimp and sausage into the rice and continue to cook, covered, over low heat until shrimp are fully cooked and rice is tender.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits!  (modified from ATK TV Show Cook book)
I've had a hankering for pot pie and with temps dipping below zero, this recipe fit what I was looking for.  I did make the biscuits that came with the recipe and they are definitely were easy enough to justify the time.   You can buy the Pillsbury or store brand for simplicity.

Other than baking the biscuits, the whole dish is made in one skillet.   I also simplified this one, by cutting the chicken breasts before browning so I wouldn't have to futz with at the end of the dish.  I had about 4oz of mushrooms in my fridge from a quiche I made the week before, and quartered those and added to the pan with the onion and celery. 

First bites I was a bit disappointed that the sauce wasn't thicker and that it came across a bit bland, but as we ate the leftovers, the consistency thickened nicely and the flavors really came through.  Recommended!

Made 5 servings for us; two dinners and lunch for one. 

Biscuits
2 cups AP flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking poweder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Filling
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
salt and pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 cup vermouth (I used a dry sherry)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed

Biscuits
1.  Preheat the oven to 450* with oven rack in the upper middle.   Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  Stir in the cream until a shaggy dough forms.  Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and gather into a ball.  Knead dough briefly until smooth.  About 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3.  Pat dough into a 3/4" thick circle.  Cut biscuits into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch cutter or wedges using a knife.   My notes:  I used a sturdy glass since I don't have a round cutter.

4. Place dough on prepared baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Filling
1. While the biscuits bakc, season the cut chicken with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 tbsp butter in a 12" skillet over medium high heat.  When foaming stops,  add chicken and brown on all sides, remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

2.  Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to the skillet and return to medium heat until melted.  Add onion, celery,  (My notes: this is where I added quartered mushrooms) and dash of salt and cook until the onion is soft.  About 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until the flour is well incorporated, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in the vermouth and cook until evaporated.  Slowly stir in the broth, cream and thyme and bring to a simmer.  Return chicken and juices to the pan, add the peas and carrots, and cook another 10 minutes - or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is nice a bubbly.  Serve with biscuits.