Moroccan Chicken Pie with Sumac Yoghurt

Its definitely not been a long time between drinks for me but it's been a long time between blogging.  To be honest time is poor for me once again with many things happening outside these website walls consuming too much of my time.  I have to sit back and decide what I need to dedicate my time to and what is just wasting my time.  One of the things that gives me the most enjoyment is this blog "my nerdy hobby" I started for fun until my family started telling others about it and word got out.

So with that in mind and tasking myself with learning the art of prioritising I am moving forward.  And one of those things to assist is to cook.....

This Morrocan Chicken Pie not only tasted great but the house was filled with an aroma, sweet and spicy, that was entising and very pleasing on the nose.  Everyone was automatically drawn to the kitchen commenting on how good this smelled.

The taste was not disappointing either - with the pie being devoured by the whole family.   The balanced spices definitely laced the chicken with a Middle Eastern flavour combined with the sweetness of the apricots.  I removed the sweet potato from the original recipe as my family don't seem to do potatoes in pies unless it's Grandma's Curry Pie (made from left over stew) and added some extra vegetasbles. 

It must have been good I have had a request to make pot pies from this recipe so the individuals (you know who you are) can have them for lunch or for a snack after school.  Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

 

 

Moroccan Chicken Pie with Sumac Yoghurt

(recipe adapted from WW Eat Well Diabetes Cookbook)

Serves: 4

ProPoints per Serve: 9

500 grams chicken thighs, visible fat removed, diced

2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

400 gram can diced tomatoes
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 green capsicum, diced

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped

1 sheet Pampus reduced fat puff pastry

1/2 cup low fat natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon ground sumac

Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced. Lightly spray a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity ovenproof pie dish with oil.

Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add chicken and cook, in batches, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan. Heat remaining oil in same pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, ginger, cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Return chicken to pan with apricots, tomatoes, stock, carrots and capsicum and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir cornflour and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir cornflour mixture into chicken mixture and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in coriander.

Spoon chicken mixture into prepared dish. Cut pastry into eight 3cm-wide strips. Top chicken mixture with pastry strips in a lattice pattern. Trim excess pastry and press edges to seal. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Meanwhile, combine yoghurt and sumac in a small bowl.

Serve pie with sumac yoghurt.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Country Chicken Pie (Pies)

YES finally I am back in the kitchen and I must say I am enjoying myself.  I am actually home all this week so hopefully you will be able to read a few posts from little ol' moi!

 

The weather has started to change and Spring is starting to make her presence know however I still fancied a hearty dinner.  Country Chicken Pies perfectly hit the spot and I must say that they tasted amazing.

 

Originally the recipe is for a family sized pie but once the smell was drifting from the kitchen children were hovering around the kitchen so I knew it would be easier and fairer (yes fairer) if I made individual portions.

 

The filling, jam packed with tender chicken and vegetables, was enveloped in a thick creamy sauce which just left my taste buds wanting more.  Topped with a yummy crunchy pastry top it was a pleasure to eat.

Country Chicken Pie

(recipe adapted from WW Magazine June 2012)

 

Serves: 4

ProPoints per Serve: 10

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

500 grams lean chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 brown onion,  finely chopped

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen corn kernals

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 sheet frozen reduced-fat puff pastry, just thawed

 

Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.

 

Heat remaining oil in pan.  Add carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until stoftened.  Add chicken and any juices and flour.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add stock, stirring to combine.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Stir in milk, then cover and cook for 3 - 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens slightly.

 

Stir in frozen corn and peas, then parsley.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Transfer to a 20cm round ovenproof dish.  Set dish aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour to cool completely.

 

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 200 degrees Celsius fan forced.  Top dish wity pastry, allowing excess pastry to overhang.  Cut a small cross in the centre.  Spray with cooking spray.  Place dish on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

  

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Chicken Corn and Broccoli Pies

From such a heat wave to a cold snap here in Melbourne comfort food was on the menu last night.  All rugged up in our winter woolies it was nice to sit down to a warm homestyle pie full of creamy goodies hidden under a crunchy and light filo pastry lid.

These individual pies are a complete meal in themselves and very filling.  Using the filo pastry reduces the fat content dramatically but you could use puff pastry for a more tradition crust.

Chicken Corn and Broccoli Pie

Serves: 6

ProPoints per serve: 9

cooking spray

750 grams chicken breast, fat removed, diced

1 leek, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups skim milk

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cornflour

freshly ground black pepper

12 sheets filo pastry

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Spray a large non stick saucepan with cooking spray and cook chicken in batches over high heat until browned, remove to a plate.  Repeat with remaining chicken.

Respray saucepan with cooking spray and cook leek for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add wine, simmering until liquid has almost evaporated.

Add stock, mustard, dijon mustard, chicken, broccoli and corn to saucepan.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add milk and combined water and cornflour.  Stirring well to combine.  Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.  Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Divide mixture amongst 6 ceramic pie dishes.  Spray 1 sheet of filo pastry with cooking spray and scrunch together gently, placing on top of half the pie dish.  Repeat with a second piece of filo pastry and cover the other half of the pie dish.  Continue placing two sheets of pastry on each pie.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling heated through.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Tandoori Chicken Parcels

Last night I had planned Apricot and Ginger Chicken Stirfry but both kids turned their nose up at that decision and and after the busy day I had at work there was no way I was going to be cooking two seperate meals. So driving home I was thinking what is something that we would all enjoy and then "bingo" - pies! But not a plain jane pie I wanted to make something different, of course!

Knowing that I had all the right ingredients to make a 'cheats' tandoori chicken and that I also had filo pastry in the fridge I decided on these Tandoori Chicken Parcels and they were a hit! Not only did they taste great but they were very easy to make. I didn't precook the filling as I didn't want it to dry out too much and thankfully the filling was very most and full flavoured.

Served with a light salad, some mint raita and some mango chutney the room silenced as we ate!

Tandoori Chicken Parcels

Serves: 4

Points per serve: 7

200 grams low fat natural yoghurt

2 tablespoons tandoori paste

500 grams chicken breast fillet, diced

12 sheets Filo Pastry

cooking spray

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl mix together the yoghurt and tandoori paste until smooth. Add the chicken, stirring to mix well. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer if time permits.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Lay one sheet of pastry on a large chopping board or bench and coat with cooking spray. Lay a second sheet on top and spray again with the cooking spray. Lay a third sheet on the other layers. Place a quarter of the tandoori chicken mixture towards one end of the pastry. Fold over end and two sides to desired shape, respray edges and fold to enclose. Place on a lined baking tray. Repeat until all four parcels have been made.

Spray all four parcels with cooking spray and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook in the oven for 25 - 30 mintures or until pastry is golden and chicken is cooked through.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Meat Pies

On Saturday, we babysat our friend's two of their three children while they busily moved house. Noel helped with the move and I did what I thought would be helpful and picked up their children along with my children at lunchtime as I worked in the morning. Needless to say with four children out of the house things should have been a lot easier. Well one would hope so anyways.

Saturday night was "Homemade Pie" night which the kids enjoyed as they got to invent their own fillings. I made a basic beef mince gravy filling and then they added to it. I have a Sunbeam Pie Maker so the actual making/cooking of the pies is quite easy.

Basic Meat Pie Filling

fills approx 8 pies

cooking spray

500g lean mince beef

1 onion chopped

2 tbs gravy powder

1 tbs beef stock powder

2 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

Coat a large frying pan with cooking spray and cook mince and onions until mince is browned and onions soft.

In a large jug combine gravy powder, beef stock powder and water mixing well. Add to frying pan and stir until all combined and slightly thickened (if mixture is too thick add a little more water but not too much as you don't want the pie filling to be too watery.)

Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes. Use as desired.

Making the pies is very simple especially with the pie maker - I use frozen sheets of shortcrust pastry for the bottom and frozen sheets of puff pastry for the tops.

So with four children having their own ideas on "ACE" pies, it made for an interesting night. Some of the pies created were:

• mexican - adding 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning and diced capsicum
• meat and vegetable - adding steamed diced carrots and peas
• curry - adding 1/2 teaspoon of mild curry powder and a few sultanas
• mushroom - adding a few fried mushrooms (fried in a small pan with cooking spray)
• italian - adding 1/2 teapsoon of dried oregano, some diced tomato, capsicum and a layer of cheese underneath the pastry.

To top of the meal these pies were not only smothered with tomato sauce but they were served with Homemade Wedges and lots of soft drink!


Talk about serving up a feast to suit any child (not too mention big kids too).

As you can see by the photos the "kid friendly" dinner went down well!