August 3, 2011: Asparagus Pastry Bundles Recipe

Here’s another way to bundle your asparagus (other than these asparagus in prosciutto and crispy asparagus bundles recipes) that looks pretty and tastes yummy. Although asparagus is traditionally a spring vegetable, I’ve found some beautiful spears in the grocery store lately so enjoy them fresh while you still can!

Almost ready to go into the oven - just need a quick spray and a sprinkle of garlic salt.

Asparagus Pastry Bundles

½ lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. lemon juice
½ sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
Cooking spray
Garlic salt, to taste

Mix together cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon juice.

After spreading the cream cheese mixture on the puff pastry dough, place the asparagus spears crosswise over the top.

Grease a cookie sheet. Lay the half sheet of puff pastry on top. Using a small rolling pin, gently roll it out to a thin rectangle approximately 6 x 12 inches. Cut into quarters. Spread cream cheese mixture over each quarter. Lay 12 thin asparagus spears in the middle of each piece of pastry. Fold corners up and over to encase vegetables in a pastry bundle; pinch edges together. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

May 13, 2011: Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

Are you wondering what to do with that leftover chicken in your fridge and you’re tired of chicken salad sandwiches? How about making quick and easy individual chicken pot pies for dinner?

The other day at my women’s Bible study meeting, our hostess, Phyllis, was giving away several old cooking magazine she no longer wanted. Being the foodie that I am, I jumped at the chance to take them home. As I was thumbing through a Southern cooking issue from last Thanksgiving, I found several recipes for pot pies. Although I usually think of this dish as a comfort food for cooler weather, I had some leftover chicken and it sounded good right now (besides, it’s been staying rather cool here and doesn’t feel at all like spring).

I took a conglomeration of those pot pie recipes and turned them into this one, simple dish that was perfect for using up all the leftovers in my fridge. Don’t feel compelled to use the same vegetables I did; nearly anything you’ve got on hand will work nicely.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

4 T. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup half and half
¼ cup chicken stock (if necessary to thin sauce)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cooked cauliflower florets
2 red potatoes, cooked, peeled, and chopped
2 cups chicken, shredded
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 4 individual baking dishes, including the rims. Take the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and thaw at room temperature while preparing the pot pie filling.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the soup, half and half, and chicken stock and heat through. Add remaining ingredients, up until puff pastry, and stir until combined. Divide mixture between the four prepared dishes.

The dough on these was a little too thick - next time I will roll it out thinner so it completely covers the top of the bowls.

Place the puff pastry sheets onto a floured surface and cut into fourths. Lightly roll out the sheets so they fit your baking dishes (the thinner the better it will cook) and place over the top of the chicken filling in each dish. Press down lightly so it covers the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.