A Lighter Chicken Pot Pie‏

This is a nice lite version of a Chicken Pot Pie... It's very easy to make and you won't miss one bit of the fat!


2 Cups Chicken - Cooked and shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken from the store)
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Cups Mushrooms - Chopped
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Carrots - Chopped
1 Cup Celery - Chopped (Optional)
1 Onion - Diced
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Fat Free Half & Half
1 Cup Frozen Peas
1 tsp Thyme - Dried
Fresh Parsley - Chopped (just a bit)
2 Cloves Garlic - minced
1 Peppridge Farms Puff Pastry Sheet - Thaw out before using
Salt
Pepper

Start by preheating the oven to 375.

In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium head. Add the carrots, onions and garlic - cook until soft. Add the mushrooms, celery (if used), chicken and flour, mix all together well and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the broth and half & half and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Add the seasoning and frozen peas, cook for about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a rectangular baking dish. unfold the pastry and stretch to fit and cover the entire baking dish. Cut 2 small vents into the pastry to allow steam to escape. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating,

Nikko

--

FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry - Brie in Puff

This one falls into the extremely easy category... Once you have the puff pastry thawed your prep time is less than 3 minutes... This is a great appetizer for home or if you're going to a party it travels well...

1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, will only need 1 sheet
1 round of Brie Cheese
1 package garlic cheese spread (will use about 3/4)

Start by thawing the puff pastry on a sheet of wax paper. Once thawed slather on a nice layer of the garlic cheese spread. Place the round of Brie in the middle of the pastry sheet and place a nice layer of the garlic spread on top. Fold in the corners of the puff pulling them tight against the brie. Lightly pinch the creases of the puff and place on a lined baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 then raise the heat to 400 for an additional 10-15 minutes until the pastry has puffed up nicely and is nice and brown. Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

--

FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

I've had some pretty amazing ravioli in my days but the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti ranks! As members of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz (www.foodbuzz.com), we were sent the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti to try, and we're so glad they did! This is an amazing product. The semolina pasta is very thin and has a smooth texture and great bite. The true gem of this product is the pairing of the mushrooms, garlic, and cheeses that makes for an explosion of flavor in every bite.

There are so many amazing things you can do with this pasta. Given it was our first time with this product we decided to go down a very simple road so we could experience the essence of the agnolotti. All we did was sauté the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti in some sage butter. That's right we didn't boil the pasta at all - just right into some butter infused with sage. The agnolotti cooked for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. All I can say is every single bite made me smile. All I could think of was that I wanted more when my plate was empty - it's just that good.

The next time we make the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti I believe it's going to be simmered in chicken broth with a bit of baby spinach, crispy prosciutto, and maybe some extra mushrooms...

I've tried a few more pastas from Buitoni's Riserva line of pastas and they are all amazing! I'm all for making fresh pasta at home, but if you want a quick 20 minute from start to finish meal - give them a try!

1 Package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
10 or so Sage Leaves chiffinade
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Saute sage in butter for a few minutes. Add the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Plate, eat, & enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

--

The Buzz Around Food

http://www.foodbuzz.com/

Love food? Love to Blog? Check out foodbuzz.com...



Bon Appetit...

~Nikko