Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Words & Brush Recipe Corner: Creamy Chicken, Ham, and Mushroom Pie

 

by John Kirk Wood, Profoodhomemade

https://profoodhomemade.com/chicken-ham-and-mushroom-pies/

How to make delicious, Creamy, Chicken ham, and mushroom pies, easy step by step instructions, from start to finish.

Ingredients


  • The filling:
  • 400g / 14oz Chicken breast or Thighs (Diced small)
  • 70g / 2½oz Cooked Ham pieces
  • 3 large Chestnut Mushrooms
  • 200mls Chicken stock
  • 30g / 1oz Plain or all-purpose flour
  • 30g / 1oz Butter (unsalted)
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic
  • 1tbls Cider or White wine Vinegar
  • 120mls Double cream
  • ½tsp Salt
  • ½tsp White pepper
  • ½tsp Black pepper
  • ½tsp Dried Thyme
  • Small Bunch of Parsley (Chopped)
  • 1 Large egg, and a dash of milk, for the egg wash
  •  
  • The hot water crust Pastry:
  • 400g / 14oz Plain or all-purpose flour
  • 170g / 170mls Water
  • 90g / 3¼oz Butter
  • 100g / 3½oz Lard or solid vegetable fat
  • 8g / 1tsp Salt

Method

  • Making the hot water crust pastry:
  • Mix the salt and flour together
  • Place the water on a low heat, add the butter and lard to the pan, bring to a simmer.
  • Soon as the fats have melted, pour the hot liquid onto the flour in the bowl, and bring it all together.
  • Tip the contents of the bowl out onto a non floured surface.
  • Gently knead the dough until it all comes together.
  • Cut the pastry onto 2 equal pieces.
  • Cover in plastic wrap or food bags, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
  • Making the Pie Filling:
  • Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan, on a low to medium heat.
  • Add your diced chicken pieces, stir-fry until they turn white and firm up.
  • Add the salt, black and white pepper, and dried thyme, mix those in.
  • Add the garlic, followed by the mushrooms, and mix those in.
  • Stir in the flour and the vinegar, and thoroughly mix.

  • Pour in the chicken stock, followed by the cream, and bring to a simmer, your sauce should now be starting to thicken.
  • Add the ham pieces, and the parsley, stir in, and bring it back to a low slow boil, soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat, clean down the sides of the pan, cover with the lid, and allow to completely cool and set, before using it, this filling can be made well in advance, even the day before.
  • Grease 6 small non-stick pie tins, the dimensions of the tins I use, are 10 x 2.5cm, that’s 4 x 1in.
  • Roll out your pastry to approx, 3mm / 1/8in,thick, and cut out 6, 12.5cm / 5in circles for the bases, and 6, 10cm / 4in circles for the lids of the pies.
  • Place the pastry bases in the pie tins, using a small piece of waste pastry, gently press the pastry right down into the corners, make sure to leave some pastry sticking over the rim of the pie tin.
  • Add the now cold chicken filling to each of the pastry cases, level with the top of the pie tin, the filling does expand some in the oven, so do not over fill.
  • At this point, preheat your oven to, 170°C / 340°F / Gas mark 3.
  • Brush egg wash all around the edge of the pastry in the tin, and some around the edge of the pie lid.
  • Place the lids on the top of the pie bases, and gently press it down, using your thumb and forefingers crimp the 2 pastries together, try not to get egg wash between the pastry, and the tin, as this will stick when baking.
  • Place all 6 pies on a baking tray.
  • Cut 2 vent slits in the top of each pie.
  • Give each pie a good coat of the egg wash.
  • Place the tray on the lowest part of the preheated oven, and use the bottom element in your oven if you have one, if you don’t have separate elements in your oven, bake these in the middle of the oven.
  • Now set your timer for 40 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, and place the 6 tins on a wire rack, allow them to settle for 5 minutes.
  • While they are still hot, carefully remove each pie from their tin, serve piping hot with mashed potatoes or chips/fries, sweet peas, and a thin chicken gravy.
  • They can also be served cold on picnics and buffets.
  • Enjoy.
enjoy


This page was posted by Sputnik One of the Sputniks Orbit blog

Please Recommend this page and follow us on:
https://disqus.com/home/forum/https-www-wordsandbrush-com/

Friday, April 7, 2023

Words & Brush Weekender: Easy listening music and chat, Friday 7th April 2023, Free Choice - all genres of music welcome

 Easy listening music and chat, Friday 7th April 2023, Free Choice - all genres of music welcome!


Enjoy some good music here on Words & Brush, it's your free choice so please post any of your favorite music of all genres! 



Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Words & Brush Recipe Corner: Tunisian tuna and preserved lemon sandwich

Tunisian tuna and preserved lemon sandwich

Recipe by Vered Guttman

https://veredguttman.com/index.php/2020/08/06/tunisian-tuna-and-preserved-lemon-sandwich/


Imagine a large bread roll stuffed with canned tuna, tomato sauce, preserved lemon, harissa, warm potato, half-boiled egg and chopped vegetable salad. This is the classic Tunisian sandwich, a take on the French pan bagnat tuna sandwich. But you can think of it as the best tuna salad sandwich you’ll ever have.

The sandwich was brought to Israel by Tunisian Jews, and although it is not the most popular street food, it can still be found in the Shouk in Natanya, Ramla and Tel Aviv. The Israeli version changed a bit over the years and does not include tomato sauce, for example.

The original sandwich is made with fried bread roll called fricassee. We will use regular Italian sandwich rolls (or any roll you prefer) to make the process much simpler and less oily.

Preserved lemon is available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s (around the winter holidays, for some reason) and at Middle Eastern and some Kosher supermarkets. Or make your own, which is both easy and so much better in taste. Recipe here.

Harissa sauce is available at Whole Foods, Middle Eastern and Israeli supermarkets. Or better yet, make it yourself.

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Yukon gold potatoes

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • 4 eggs

  • Italian sub rolls or any long shaped rolls

  • Harissa (recipe here or store bought)

  • Two 7 oz. cans tuna in olive oil, drained

  • ¼ – ⅓ cup Preserved lemon, chopped (recipe here or store bought)

  • ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

  • 4 green onions, sliced

  • 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

  • Cook skin on potato in salted water until tender. Cool until warm and slice to ¼ inch slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
  • Bring salted water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Use a spoon to put the eggs in the water, bring back to boil, cook for 7 minutes and transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
  • Split each bread roll lengthwise and spread the bottom half with about 1 tablespoon harissa. Crumble tuna on top of the harissa then sprinkle with chopped preserved lemon. Arrange sliced potato and sliced egg, olives, green onion and cilantro. Put the top half on top of the cilantro and press using your hand to let the flavors run into the bread, and serve.


enjoy


This page was posted by Sputnik One of the Sputniks Orbit blog

Please Recommend this page and follow us on:
https://disqus.com/home/forum/https-www-wordsandbrush-com/

Sunday, April 2, 2023

April Open Thread


Now it maybe time to plant and start on spring cleaning.  








 



Any hour of the morning is coffee or tea time, join us!  Tell us where you are on your project. Are you happy where it's going?

Maybe the beach will inspire you










Some stories and movies you wish would just keep going, 

I always wonder what happened and the story was just left open ended.






After coffee the gears start churning to get to first tasks of the day.











And this month is spring break for many.  Whether it's the beach, pizza or the mountains or just a staycation works just find t6o recharge.



















Go out for seafood at that little restaurant on the beach everyone is talking about.











Remember the nutritional content and the zinc and selenium with omegas in seafood will help recharge the mind and body to write that big important story as it should be written.  Don't forget to read a good book!


















Of course  many are homebound but put this on and through the night, very relaxing to take you away for awhile.










In the meantime keep on journaling!