Not Your Childhood Chicken Potpie

Growing up, chicken potpie meant a Swanson’s frozen dinner, pulled hot from the oven before my parents escaped for a night of freedom. Those nights meant freedom to my sister and me, too: babysitters!

The Love Boat! Fantasy Island! Oh my, how we looked forward to watching Charo charm Captain Stubing and his merry crew, sharing a bowl of hot buttery popcorn balanced between our nubby, bandaged knees.

I wanted to recreate the sheer joy, if not the actual taste, of that childhood meal, with a crust that could be drenched in gravy and still retain a crunch, vegetables that stood on their own but melded well together, and chicken that added a savory layer of its own. I also wanted it to be easy.

Easy and homemade chicken potpie aren’t usually used in the same sentence, this much I know. And because I didn’t want to use too many premade ingredients, I had to pick my battles. Prepared puff pastry? Done (easy choice, since I’m a mess at baking). Rotisserie chicken, now that’s another sodium-laden story altogether; no. Pre-sliced mushrooms, frozen peas, organic low-sodium chicken broth? Yea, sure and okay, fine.

Traditional chicken potpie, frozen or otherwise, usually includes this vegetable trifecta: peas, pearl onions and carrots. I prefer my carrots raw, thank you very much, so those went out the window. I did test this recipe with pearl onions, and while my dad liked them (I suspect they reminded him of my grandmother’s first edition Joy-Of-Cooking-era cooking), I did not. So I opted to act like the child of my youth and pick my own vegetables. Cook’s prerogative, right?


Mushrooms, potatoes and peas made the cut; diced onions are the base of the gravy. I roasted the chicken with a simple salt and pepper rub. Obviously, something this nostalgic warranted the full-fat treatment: heavy cream made it into my shopping cart for the first time in ages.

You’ll notice I do cook the vegetables and the chicken separately before combining them with the gravy; don’t let this lure you into thinking the recipe is time-consuming or challenging, because it’s neither. In fact, I managed to prep the filling (once I’d roasted the chicken) in under an hour.

The result? A remarkably easy, make-ahead dish that also freezes well. Oh, and did I mention how delicious it is, how positively can-I-have-another-one fabulous? Just be sure to set a few extra places at the table, this one’s too scrumptious to keep to yourself.

Gluten-free update: Whole Foods sells a great gluten-free pie crust that works well in place of the puff pastry. Substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the flour in the gravy.

Love-at-First-Bite Chicken Potpies


The Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

The Vegetables
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
2 cups red potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 package pre-sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt

The Gravy
5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups red onions, chopped (about 2 medium onions)
¾ cup flour
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

The Crust
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
1 egg

Prepare the Chicken (this step can be done the day before)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Place the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet, brush the oil over each side, then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Set in oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, cooked through until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
4. Let cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the Vegetables
1. Steam the peas in the microwave per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pot of water until boiling, add potatoes and a pinch of salt and boil for 10 minutes; potatoes should begin to soften but still have some crunch. Drain and set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the Gravy & Filling
1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Warm ¼ cup olive oil, then sauté the onions until soft, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, heat the chicken stock over medium heat.
3. Once the onions are translucent, stir in the flour and reduce the heat to low, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture has begun to thicken.
4. Add the hot chicken stock to the flour mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and the heavy cream.
5. Add the chicken, peas, mushrooms, potatoes and parsley and mix well. Taste and season as needed.

Prepare the Pies
1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the puff pastry sheets, one at a time, until you reach a 12”x12” square. Cut each sheet into four squares; you’ll have 8 total.
3. Divide the filling between 8 ovenproof bowls (I used 10-ounce ramekins).
4. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush the rim of each bowl with the egg wash.
5. Cover each ramekin with a square of dough, crimp the edges, then wash each lightly with the egg wash.
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for an hour, or until the crust has turned golden brown.

Adapted from various recipes by Ina Garten.

Flank Steak with Balsamic Vinegar Marinade

Now that the rain storm has passed and the ocean breezes are warming up again, I’ve got grilling on the brain. Or more specifically, I’ve got Mr. Gonzo doing the grilling on the brain (despite his heroic efforts to teach me to grill, I still can’t do it).

This marinade works for flank steak or any cut of meat that can stand up to some serious tenderizing. I clipped it years ago from a site called Tavolo, which I vaguely recall was absorbed into a larger site and/or never heard from again. At any rate, some of their recipes live on in my recipe file, including this one.

I like meat to marinade for a long time, at least half a day or overnight, when possible. Be sure to remove the meat from the fridge about 30 minutes or so before grilling to allow the meat to come to room temperature. Toss any unused marinade.

Grilled Flank Steak with Tangy Balsamic Marinade

1 red onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (or reduced-sodium soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 2-pound flank steak

1. Combine everything but the steak in a small bowl, whisk to combine.
2. Place meat in a Ziploc bag or a glass container with lid.
3. Pour the marinade over the meat, turning the meat a few times until fully covered.
4. Place meat in the refrigerator and marinade for at least three hours, or up to overnight.
5. Grill as desired.

Adapted from a recipe originally found at tavolo.com.

Mother Knows Best

Croatia – That’s me and my mom on the left with the other moms and daughters on our trip.

Growing up, I could always find my mother in the kitchen. She wasn’t necessarily cooking in there; it was more command central for afternoon cocktails with friends, list writing or perhaps (most likely) a place to escape from us kids.

That’s not to say she never cooked; believe me, she did. She was an early proponent of old school California Cuisine and taught my sister and me the importance of fresh, local, lean ingredients that could be simple or complex, but always delicious.

So here, in honor of my mother, are Ten Things I Learned from My Mother (in the kitchen):

1. Cocktail hour begins at 5:00 (time can be adjusted accordingly).
2. Grilling is a great way to get out of the kitchen (with the added benefit of making it harder for short people and hairy dogs to find you).
3. Buy regional cookbooks when you travel, even if you don’t understand a word of the native language.
4. Snack foods can be dinner, too. Ditto for cereal.
5. Eat fruit for dessert.
6. The best way to celebrate family and tradition is with a huge meal shared together in the dining room.
7. Drink low-fat milk but eat full-fat cheese.
8. When all else fails, make pasta smothered in butter and Parmesan cheese.
9. If you need comfort food while traveling, order pizza. It’s a taste of home no matter where you are (I’ve tested this theory in Cairo, Zagreb, Taipei and Tokyo).
10. There is grace in small rituals, from setting the table with candles to serving food on plates handed down through the generations.

Love you, Mom!

Union Square Spiced Nuts


Posh bar nuts are one of those cookery tricks that every girl should have up her sleeve. The first time I ever had fancy nuts was at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua in Maui, on a surprise trip with Mr. Gonzo (then a mere boyfriend). Served in a tiered silver dish, the nuts were meatier, saltier, richer than I’d ever had before, no offense to Mr. Peanut, whose roasted peanuts had been a family staple growing up.

Continue reading Spiced Nuts >> “Union Square Spiced Nuts”

Table for One: Steak’s On

Meet the hardest working pan in your kitchen: the cast iron skillet. With it you can grill, sear, roast, bake, toast…am I missing anything? Like cooking itself, I came late to the cast iron skillet party.

When Mr. Gonzo and I first shacked up together, he had an ancient pan that was lovingly seared. At one point I tried to get rid of the pan (man, is it heavy!), but with a mere raise of his eyebrows Mr. Gonzo let me know the pan and the man would not be parting ways.

Today I happily cook all manner of things in his cast iron skillet, and even added a grill pan and mini-pan to the collection. Just this morning I pulled it out to stove-grill a steak for lunch (and by morning I mean 11:30am, because, honestly, who doesn’t crave a one-pound NY steak for lunch?!). A huge hunk of meat is not my usual lunchtime fare, but I’m taking little GG to her school’s art show tonight then out to dinner, and since Mr. Gonzo is dining in the OC I figured, why let a good steak go to waste?

Prep the pan by heating it over medium-high heat for five to six minutes; you’ll know it’s ready by flicking a few drops of water into the pan. If you hear a sizzle, you’re good to go.

Meanwhile, I spritzed the steak with a few squirts of olive oil, then did a quick rub of a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper per side. Not too spicy, not too salty. Once the pan is ready, cook per side the way you’d grill your steak. I’m a rare-steak kind of girl, so I did five minutes a side. Transfer the steak to a plate, cover in tin foil, and let rest for five to ten minutes while you pull together a salad, steam some edamame or simply wait for your steak to rest.

Then tear on in, lunch is on!

Spinach Pesto

Spaghetti with pesto is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. The fresh zing of garlic at the end of each bite, the ritual of scooping the oil into the ribbons of pasta, cleansing the palette with red wine before going back for more; it’s something familiar no matter where you are.

In Cairo this January, in the midst of the peaceful end of the demonstrations, Mr. Gonzo and I shared a pesto pasta so perfect I easily could have eaten it night after night (we actually ate some pretty fantastic pasta in Jordan, too).

But back to the pesto. For me, it’s a special occasion kind of thing, what with the massive amount of oil, the raw garlic (so not date-night friendly) and the general carb overload that can only lead to one thing: a massive belly.

Wanting to have my belly be described as anything but massive, I decided a figure-friendly pesto was in order. As I mentioned on Monday, I’m cooking from The New Abs Diet Cookbook this month. Their version of pesto was my springboard; I looked to Giada for the landing.

The Abs recipe uses baby spinach as a base, an idea I love since spinach is so healthy, not to mention unexpected in a pesto. But you’re meant to wilt the spinach in a garlic sauté, and I’m not the biggest fan of cooked spinach in any form. And true to the abs, you only use a tablespoon of olive oil, which might be enough if you had the liquid from the wilted spinach to form the pesto’s creamy texture, but since I intended to skip that step, I needed something else.

As my omega-3 pasta burbled away, I had an inspiration: starchy pasta water.

Actually, a light bulb had gone off over my head earlier that day at the market when I threw a lemon into my basket, hoping to work it into the dish somehow. Abs doesn’t call for a lemon, but I knew someone who might: Giada De Laurentiis. I uncovered a spinach pesto recipe of hers that included not just lemon juice, but lemon zest as well. She also skipped the garlic. Love it!

The result is a pesto is so light and delicate you’d never know it’s also good for you. By reducing the oil and creating a smooth mixture with the starchy pasta water, you achieve a pesto-like consistency without the extra fat. This would also work well spooned over fish. Make only what you need; this does not keep well.

And because there’s no garlic in this recipe, it’s perfect for date night. Man, am I good.

Gluten-free update: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in this recipe. If you haven’t had luck with gluten-free pasta, see this post at Gluten-Free Girl for making a perfect pot of gluten-free pasta.

Spinach Pesto

8 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
2 cups baby spinach leaves
½ cup walnuts or pine nuts
2 teaspoons lemon zest (one medium lemon for this ingredient and next)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup reserved pasta water
Pinch of kosher salt
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. As the pasta is boiling, carefully scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water. Reserve.
2. Add the spinach leaves, walnuts, lemon zest and lemon juice to the bowl of your food processor; pulse lightly.
3. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil.
4. Add the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until the pesto is creamy.
5. Add a pinch of salt. Taste and season if needed.
6. Stir over the drained pasta and serve with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Creamy Oatmeal Muesli

Last week I mentioned the beautiful strawberries that just arrived in our markets, and I wanted to share what’s turned out to be one of my favorite uses for these sweet berries.

This week and into next month I’m cooking from a rather surprising source: The New Abs Diet Cookbook. I’m not usually one for diets, but I’m donning a bikini soon and after a winter of chili, chicken pot pie and San Diego’s finest, Stone IPA, I figured a few weeks spent eating mindfully could be a good thing.

Please don’t judge this book by its title. Honestly? It should be called something like, “Eating Your Way to Health with the 12 Power Foods.” I’m blown away by how much more energy I have eating this way, not to mention that I don’t spend my entire day hungry (never fear, I’m still thinking about food all the live long day).

I’ll showcase a few spinach-based recipes from the book in the upcoming weeks, but for now, enjoy this little taste, if you will, that transforms simple instant oatmeal from wallpaper paste into a hot, creamy Muesli in just minutes.

Creamy Oatmeal Muesli

1 packet unflavored gluten-free instant oatmeal
2/3 cup skim milk, more to taste
½ cup strawberries (or substitute your favorite fruit such as bananas, apples or other berries)
1 tablespoon sliced almonds or chopped walnuts (again, you may substitute your favorite nut)
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon honey

1. Combine oatmeal and 2/3 cup skim milk in a microwave-proof bowl; microwave for one minute on high, stir, and microwave on high for an additional 30 seconds, or per package instructions.
2. Stir in fruit, nuts, flaxseed and honey. If you’d like a more creamy consistency, microwave an additional 1/3 cup milk in a separate bowl for 25-30 seconds, until heated, and stir into the oatmeal.
3. Serve immediately.

Adapted from The New Abs Diet Cookbook.

Spicy Chickpeas

I’m a savory kind of girl: given the choice between cupcakes and salted nuts, I’ll take the nuts every time. In fact, I’m making my favorite spiced nuts this weekend to munch while watching whisper-thin actresses sob over their Oscars. But even a gonzo gal can get tired of an old favorite, which was why I was excited to try roasted spicy chickpeas.

Continue reading Spicy Chickpeas >> “Spicy Chickpeas”

Jordan & Egypt

Considering we were in Egypt during the demonstrations, our trip was very serene and peaceful. Yes, we had some anxious moments, most notably when all Internet access was shut off and we couldn’t use Skype to call home. Fortunately for us, Arab hospitality extends to sharing cell phones, and our ship’s captain, Samir, let us borrow his phone whenever we needed a taste of home. We were also traveling with a generous, friendly group through Abercrombie & Kent, and our fellow travelers also were kind enough to share their cell phones with us.

I never felt like we were ever in any danger and, in fact, our Egyptian hosts were so polite and their hospitality so genuine throughout our stay, it’s hard to believe there was anything going on at all.

On our second day in Cairo, two days after the first demonstration, our group toured the Egyptian Museum and I came face to face with King Tut’s Gold Mask, something I hadn’t seen since I was eight years old, and the spirit that created in me a lifelong passion to see Egypt, the land of this golden boy king.

Yesterday the revolts succeeded in their goal: Mubarak stepped down. I’m curious to see what the next few days and months bring to Egypt, and I hope they find their version of democracy and create a government that works for the people. My daughter is still a little young for international travel, but already she loves the thought of seeing the pyramids, riding camels and meeting the Egyptians (a word she’s mastered, that’s my wanderlust girl!).