potato, leek and chicken pie

My girlfriends and I are going to vacation in Ireland in September.  We each have certain things that we’re excited for (scenery! castles! beer!), and one of those bits of interest for me is the cuisine.  I’ve heard lovely things about Irish seafood, and I own Darina Allen’s cookbook The Forgotten Skills of Cooking, but my Irish food experience won’t be complete until I’ve tasted a savory pie in a pub.  

My friend Katie gifted me with a cookbook on Irish pub food, so I’m well on my way to learning the ins and outs of this mainstay recipe.  I made this pie for our Ireland trip planning meeting last week, and it was a hit across the board.  I’ll be adding this recipe to my permanent entrée repertoire.

Potato, Leek and Chicken Pie (from Irish Pub Cooking)

INGREDIENTS

2 potatoes, cubed (I used Yukon Gold, though the original recipe specified ‘waxy’ potatoes)

1/2 cup butter

6 ounces chicken tenderloin, cubed

1 leek, sliced

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (if you’re not a mushroom person, switch out for carrots and cook them up with the potatoes)

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

8 ounces store-bought filo pastry, thawed

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and cook the chicken for 5 minutes, or until browned all over. 

Add the leek and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually stir in the milk and bring to a boil.  Add the mustard, sage and potatoes (and carrots if you used them), season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan.  Line a deep dish (I used a 9”x13” pan) with half of the sheets of filo pastry.  Spoon the chicken mixture into the dish and cover with 1-2 sheets of pastry.  Brush with melted butter and lay another sheet on top.

Cut the remaining filo pastry into strips and fold/arrange them onto the top of the pie to create a ruffled effect.  Brush the strips with the remaining melted butter and cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.  Serve hot.  Yields 4-6 servings.

Note: I started Weight Watchers a couple of weeks ago (!) so I calculated the points – 10 per serving for this recipe.  And you get a healthy amount of veggies (always a good thing).

Recommended for: a hearty, homey main dish that isn’t too heavy or involved, and for a delicious taste of pub cooking at home.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking!

chicken, lemon and dill with orzo

I love hosting dinner parties.  It may have something to do with my firm conviction that the best conversation happens over shared a shared meal.  The thing is, many of my friends are booked for the weekends, so we end up having to make it work on random weeknights.  For me (or whoever else is hosting) that means finding no-fuss recipes that will feed several and allow us all to eat, drink, laugh and get home in time for a good night’s sleep.  The following baked chicken and orzo recipe was a huge hit this past Wednesday, and I was able to make Greek salad as an accompaniment while it was in the oven. YUM.

Chicken, Lemon, and Dill with Orzo (modified from an Everyday Food recipe)

INGREDIENTS

4 cups (32 ounces) chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 pound chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound orzo

2 1/2 cups crumbled feta (5 ounces)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice and zest of one lemon)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saucepan, bring broth, water, butter, salt, and pepper to a boil.

In a 3-quart (9”x13”) baking dish, combine chicken, orzo, feta, dill, lemon zest and juice. Pour hot broth mixture over orzo and stir once to incorporate.

Bake until orzo is tender and cooking liquid is creamy, 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle parmesan on top and let stand 15 minutes before serving.  Yields 6 servings.

Note: the feta, lemon and dill give this dish a serious burst of Mediterranean flavor.  If you’d like to serve with Greek salad, I suggest The Pioneer Woman’s recipe.  I also put a Pear and Cranberry Crisp in the oven – they baked at the same temperature.  It was a supremely delicious night.  Serve with white or red wine.

Recommended for: a delicious and stress-free recipe (if you can chop ingredients and zest a lemon, you can do this!) to serve friends or family and a flavorful baked casserole that will make several meals in one.

Interested in other food-related posts? Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!