wine – The Llavender Llama

Chicken and Vegetable Bolognese Bake

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

I love Italian food but am trying very hard to stick to a low carb diet. So sometimes these two goals seem at odds with each other. One thing that I make frequently is a Simple Bolognese Sauce. In itself, this is low carb, full of vegetables and basically pretty healthy. So instead of using it to make a lasagne I decide to try something new and used my friends as guinea pigs.

Zucchini makes a pretty good substitute for pasta and I love mushrooms so I started by slicing up some of each. In order to make sure that they didn’t disintegrate into the sauce while baking I sprinkled everything with salt to draw out the excess moisture.

While I was waiting for these veggies to sweat it out I marinaded some chicken breasts in pesto. I was out of the homemade stuff so I used this from costco. It is good stuff, I had it in the freezer and pulled it out recently when my homemade batch finally ran out. As you can see, it is Grace approved.

While all of this was resting I served my guests wine, meat and cheese to wet their appetites. I figured if I placated them enough they would like my experiment.

Once all of these ingredient were ready to go I mixed them together in a casserole dish with the sauce, added in some fresh mozzarella and covered the whole thing with a shredded Italian cheese blend. A quick bake and dinner was served!

You’ll notice a little soupiness along the edges. This sauce was delicious and easily sopped up with some garlic bread. But if you want a drier casserole then simply cook the sauce down a little more before adding it to the pan. Usually when you cook with pasta it soaks up a lot of the moisture so you want a runny sauce. But with chicken and vegetables you are actually going to be releasing more moisture into your pan instead of soaking. I served this casserole with an Italian salad and garlic bread. Feel free to forego the garlic bread for a truly low carb experience.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups bolognese sauce
2 zucchinis
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1 package of fresh mozzarella
1 packaged of shredded Italian cheese

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice zucchinis into half moons.
Spread out mushrooms and zucchinis on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Marinade cubed chicken breasts in pesto sauce.
Let everything sit for at least 20 minutes.
Mix sauce, vegetables, chicken and pieces of fresh mozzarella together in a baking dish.
Cover with Italian cheese blend.
Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling.
Broil on high for 1-3 minutes to get golden cheese, if needed.

review, Travel, wine

Elk Island Winery; Goochland, VA

April 20, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

Virginia has tons of wineries. And they aren’t just in Charlottesville but instead scattered all over. A neighbor of mine has been telling me about the love Elk Island Winery for some time now. I have tried them before at the Virginia Wine Expo but never made it out to visit them. So we finally set a date and made a day of it.

The bright shades of purple on the pennants at the entrance were a good indicator that we had reached the wine and made them noticeable off the road. Once you turn in there is quite a steep incline down to the winery. It made the whole thing seem more rustic and hidden away. I really liked it! The tasting room is also unassuming it just looks like a neighbor’s house, no big deal.

And that quiet, unassuming, homey atmosphere continued once you entered the tasting room. The stairway leading upstairs was an impromptu gift shop, and the owner, Sue, was in the foyer putting labels on boxes! It was just the best entrance into a tasting room ever!

The entire tasting room is full of the cutest little knick knacks and signs. It invites you to wander around and peruse. The chessboard is a battle of corks and zorks which I thought was a really cute touch. And as the dog people that they are they had treats set out for your four-pawed friends.

They had another little corner with some items for sale. One thing that really stood out to me were some locally made soaps using the wines from Elk Island Winery! I love local, I love wine, I love being clean! Total winner in my books.

But, I digress from the wine! The tasting menu is very straight forward, you get to pick 6 wines for $5.00, but your tasting fee is waved with the purchase of a bottle of wine so it really is a steal. I stuck with the dry wines because that’s where my palette likes to be. And it very much enjoyed the Elk Island wines it tried.

Also, the tasting came with the cutest little penguin crackers. I named mine Timothy. Apparently these cheese penguins come from costco and they are super cheesy. I think I’ll search them out at my next visit there.

They have a variety of snacks and beverages on offer as well as merchandise for sale. They really do invite you to stay and relax with them after your tasting.

After our tasting we grabbed some drinks and snacks and sat outside. The house’s back deck serves as outdoor seating and really does complete that homey atmosphere. There are two more large tables with tables and extra chairs as well as smaller tables scattered around. There were three different groups out there with us and we never felt crowded.

One thing that I really love about a winery is when they allow outside food and non-alcoholic drinks and provide a comfy place to sit and enjoy their wine. We did bring some snacks but we also got their cheese plate. Which, at twelve dollars is a total steal.

And of course, drinks! I got a glass of their Chambourcin Rosé and just had to try the ginger green tea sangria because it’s so unusual! It was amazingly refreshing and perfect for one of the first warm spring days we have had!

If you are ever out and about in Goochland, VA take a trip over to Elk Island Winery! The atmosphere and wines won’t disappoint! Come thirsty and hungry because they have plenty to satisfy both cravings! Cheers Elk Island!

We headed just down the road to Byrd Cellars after we finished here. A perfect one, two combo!

review, Travel, wine

Byrd Cellars; Goochland, VA

April 20, 2018April 21, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

After our visit to Elk Island Vineyards we headed down the road a few minutes to Byrd Cellars for some more locally grown Goochland, VA wine. It is another very lovely and homey set of buildings divided into a tasting room and a winery.

The winery is painted a gorgeous shade of purple and catches the light beautifully. There are mentions of this being a subterranean winery on the website and the phrase was bandied about in the tasting room. But I didn’t ask at the time. I would really like to know if they do tours!

But the tasting room is the place to be. It’s so picturesque from the outside but the inside takes your breath away as well.

In fact, the tasting room was hand built by a minister who lived there with his wife for years. After his wife passed he decided to move on to travel ministry and rents his home out to Byrd Cellars. The place is beautiful inside with large windows overlooking the mountains and elegantly exposed beams. But, onto the tasting!

The wines they have on offer for tasting rotates and they have it listed behind the tasting bar. There were some sweeter wines that I usually prefer but overall it was a very good selection. A surprising was the “velvet” I thought it would be syrupy sweet but instead it was lovely and dry and the bitter dark chocolate hit you right at the end.

The staff was so friendly and knowledgable I could have stood there and sipped for a lot longer. But they were busy and I didn’t want to hog the bar. Instead I took a wander around the tasting room while we finished our glasses off.

The exposed beams held all the glasses from the different wine festivals that Byrd Cellars has attended and I thought this was such a neat touch and really gave you a sense of how vast wine making in Virginia is. I also loved these twine and button wine bottles!

It was a very successful girls’ day! Cheers to Virginia Wine!

Travel

Napa Valley Wine Train

March 17, 2018March 18, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

There is a train in Napa, CA where you can you eat fancy food and visit wineries. It is amazing. It is my new happy place.

The Napa Valley Wine Train was the main event for my bachelorette festivities and it was absolutely perfect. Since most of the trains were built in 1915 and still retain a lot of the original decor I decided that period dress was appropriate. We went for a roaring twenties look because feathers and sequins are always classy. And our style went perfectly with the ambience of both the train and the depot. The depot was great fun because they have a wine shop where you can purchase wine for your trip. If you are visiting I suggest perusing the shop. They do charge a corkage fee to open wine on the train but if you buy the right bottle it ends up being cheaper to do it that way than to buy a bottle on the train. And we had the loveliest server pouring wine for us.

Leaving the depot you cross a love lock bridge to board the train. While love lock bridges have gained popularity in recent years they allegedly date back to a small serbian village at the beginning of World War I. And they definitely add to the old world vibe of train travel that Wine Train is going for.

The train ride included a pre-fixe three course meal and wine for days. All of the food was spectacular and presented beautifully. But the setting was what really made it outstanding. The chairs had this lovely rich upholstery and the huge windows were richly draped. It felt like I was in the dining car of the Orient Express. All that was missing was Hercule Poirot solving a murder.

Our train took us to Grgich Hills Estate, which is run by the vintner responsible for the “Judgement of Paris” win in 1976. In a blind taste test Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay beat out the French Burgundy Chardonnay’s. This was a landmark win for American wine putting us above the level of French wine, which at the time was the gold standard. 2008’s Bottle Shock starring Chris Pine and the dearly departed Alan Rickman takes a lot of poetic license with this story but is definitely required viewing for any oenophile.

Our tour guide at the winery was astounding. he had so much energy and they had crafter the perfect tour that allowed to visit all the different aspects of the winery and tasting wine while we walked.

I had so much fun being all flapper sophisticated with my girls. It honestly is one of the best fashion eras. Getting ready in the morning was a whirlwind of hair curling, feathers, sequins, bold lips, pearl, tassels and mimosas. We also used a lot of nonsense roaring 20s lingo. I think my favorite phrase was “I’ve got legs that go all the way to the floor.” But honestly, look at these ladies! Don’t their legs go right down to the floor??

Grgich Hills Estate even lended some old world charm with perfect lighting in their barrel room and vintage racer that my friend, Phryne, posed elegantly against. We were not allowed to sit in the racer. And in the spirit of not getting thrown out we actually followed the rules.

I also have to say that they had really excellent crackers. You would be surprised the number of wineries I’ve been to with low quality or, gasp, no crackers.

After the winery we were back on the train to return to the depot. They were so nice and let us explore. We had a quick photo shoot on the caboose and along the corridors. It was definitely one of the most exciting parts of the adventure.

All in all it was the perfect event to celebrate my upcoming wedding. I love wine. I love my girlfriends. I love trains. I love the 1920s. I love Lloyd and am so glad he asked me to marry him so that I had an excuse to do all those things!

Food

Zuzu Tapas Restaurant, Napa, CA

March 17, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

We only went out to eat once while in Napa, preferring to cook at home. But our one meal out was definitely a home run. Zuzu in Napa, CA is a tapas restaurant that has a full wine and beer list, serves tapas in the traditional Spanish small plate style and also has authentic sangria and paella on hand to satisfy any customer. I got to have dinner with two of my oldest friends (and bridesmaids), Ermentrude and Phryne. As well as my friend, Kimbrough, from Richmond, VA whose heart is as golden as her hair.

I know small plates are a bit of a fad right now but tapas have been around for much longer than they have been hip in the restaurant scene. There are a couple of different origin stories but my favorite is that King Alfonso X of Spain had some mysterious illness that prevented him from eating large portions. So instead he ate only small meals with wine. This trickled down to the common people and became so popular that to this day wine must be served with food and so small plates are an integral of Spanish food culture. In fact when I visit my family in Spain we stop at this small restaurant in downtown Malaga and eat their entire tapas menu (except the sweet meats). The picture below is circa August, 2014. We are full of food and wine and all smiles!

But back to Napa, 2018. When I was looking for restaurants I actually found two different tapas restaurants blocks from each other on Main St. After some research I decided we should try Zuzu and I am so glad we did. They don’t take reservations but after a short wait at the bar we were seated and able to cheers to an auspicious start to our Napa travels! They have a great wine collection and we enjoyed a lovely Tempranillo with dinner. But what’s better than Spanish wine with Spanish tapas?

The most difficult thing about tapas is trying to decide what to order. We decide to each pick 2 things and then threw in about three honorable mentions based on the staff’s recommendations. The staff was brilliant and knew exactly what order to brings things out in. They started with the cold items and slowly built up to the heavier offerings. It was the perfect meal and in true Spanish fashion took us over an hour to get through. Some of my favorite dishes were the seared rockfish, roasted beets, arugula and shaved truffle salad and calamari ceviche pictured below. I also loved the flat-iron steak and fried Manchego but by the time we got to the heavier dishes I had put my camera away so I could just enjoy the food and company.

Zuzu is a smallish two story restaurant and we were nestled under the stairs. It was perfectly cozy and intimate this way. And since I’m short I wasn’t even at risk of banging my head! I didn’t try the other tapas restaurant to give a fair comparison but the vibe we felt when walking past to get to Zuzu was definitely not as homey. I think we made the right choice. Although speaking of choices we couldn’t decide what to get for dessert so we just got one of each!

Clockwise from the top we have a chocolate cream de pot, a caramelized apple empanada, a basque cake and a piece of heavenly tres leches cake. Despite the 12 small plates prior to this all four dessert plates were completely cleared. I can’t say enough how much I loved this meal. If you ever find yourself hungry in Napa and unsure where to eat I think you must go to Zuzu!

Travel

Napa, CA

March 14, 2018March 17, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

Admission time: I’ve been planning my bachelorette party since I was a little girl. Probably for as long, if not longer than I have been planning my wedding. Like the imagined wedding of my youth it has gone through many revisions. But one thing was for sure, it would be filled with friends, food, drinks and very little sleep. In recent years I have developed a deep love affair with wine and wine related vacations. When I discovered the Napa Valley Wine Train I know that was the ideal destination for the festivities I had in mind. Luckily Lloyd proposed shortly thereafter and following many months of planning and anticipation Napa Girls’ Trip 2018 is in the books. And it was indeed filled with friends, food, wine and almost no sleep.

We rented the cutest little cottage/bungalow house just down a ways from Main Street, Napa. There were many homes on offer in the Napa Valley through AirBnB and VRBO. But we were a large group looking to stay more central since our main event was the Wine Train and this cozy space met our needs perfectly. We actually rented through HomeAway and the property itself can be found here. It was painted a rustic green that made me think of grapes and vines and was well appointed with plenty of sitting space (inside and out) as well as rather snugly beds. It had an easy to use and well maintained gas grill as well as an hot tub. Both of which we very much enjoyed. And the kitchen had everything we needed to put together a lovely meal. We even used some of the fresh lavender that was growing next to the house to make simple syrup, as well as some Meyer lemons from Ermentrude’s backyard.

As wonderful as the kitchen and garden were the best part of this home was the gorgeous backyard with the aforementioned grill and hot tub. We spent one evening grilling meat and enjoying an homemade Mexican fajita bar and the next night in the hot tub drinking our bodyweight in Cava, Rose’ and West Coast Chardonnay.

The house had some really cute touches that I really enjoyed. The TV stand had a bowl of wine corks that people had signed and there was an adorable little fireplace in one corner. I really appreciated that they had plenty of pillows on the bed. When Lloyd and I sleep apart I make a Lloyd shaped pillow pile on my right side and pretend like it’s him. It’s not nearly hot, sweaty or snoring enough, but it does the trick!

If you ever have an evening free to spend with your girlfriends might I suggest a fajita bar? Make a couple of different dips and salsas, caramelize some peppers and onions, grill up your favorite meat and open many, many bottles of wine. Some people might ask why I skipped out on the classic margarita and to those people I say… tequila is a bad decision juice, that’s why. Even with sticking to wine I managed to forget to take pictures of the vast majority of the food we made that night including a tomato salsa, guacamole, a corn and black bean dip, caramelized red/orange peppers and onions, grilled chicken, steak and tortillas. Not mention a multitude of nibbly bits like almonds, cheese and crackers. And wine. Did I mention wine? So much wine.

My lovely ladies and most spectacular Maid of Honor, Olivia, really outdid themselves when it came to the decorating. There was glitter, bridal paraphernalia and male genitalia all over the place. I’ll keep the pictures of the naughty stuff off of here. But there were inflatables and straws and a world of other risqué items that had me blushing all night long!

Olivia even had shirts made for all my girls. Which was simply the best thing. She did a great job picking out shirts for people she had only ever heard me talk about. She is thoughtful and introspective that way. Also, etsy for the win! It was really fantastic having all these women I know from different walks of life under one roof. Having moved a lot for school and work I have a lot of close friends that live all over the country and the world (Australia, in particular). So I rarely get to see some of my nearest and dearest and most of them have never even met each other. It was a really special weekend for me watching all my best friends get to know each other!

I’ve been hemming and hawing trying to avoid crying while I write this. But I have to mention a special gift that Claire curated for me. In addition to being an excellent doctor and oenophile she is also a gifted scrapbooker. She got in touch with all the girls I invited to my bachelorette and asked them all to send in pictures of us together and fill out a little questionnaire she had put together. I read all the letters out loud and cried through all of them. It was one of the sweetest and most touching gifts I’ve ever gotten. Made more so by the inclusion of those friends who couldn’t make it. I couldn’t believe all the time and effort people so obviously put into answering Claire’s questions about our friendships. Their words and love touched the very cockles of my heart. And the whole thing proved exactly how much I need waterproof, air brushed, shellacked makeup for my wedding cause I can’t even type this paragraph without tearing up.

Every picture and page and letter included in this scrapbook makes me eyes well. This weekend taught me how important it is to cherish your friends and cultivate your friendships. All of these amazing women were in my life before Lloyd and helped me become the person he loves and wants to marry. They watched me stumble, grow, change and strive to become the woman I am today. They are my roots.

wine

Virginia Wine Expo 2018

March 5, 2018March 5, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

The Virginia Wine Expo is a bit of a tradition for me and mine. I’ve been for the last five years running, pretty much since I moved to Virginia. Lloyd has been with me since we were first started dating and this is the second year his Mother and Sister have joined us.

This year, though, was slightly different since the venue has changed. We had the distinct pleasure of being hosted by Richmond’s historic Main Street Station. If you ever driven up I-95 you have probably seen the distinct clock tower facade. Recently they have built a glass sided platform that really gives the station something special and was an excellent place to showcase Virginia wine.

We walked in and were greeted by Poseidon and the ubiquitous Virginia LOVE sculpture. Because Virginia is for lovers and the God of the sea.

Reidel glasses greeted us once we cleared the ticket check and the ID verification. I have quite the collection of Virginia Wine Expo glasses after years of attending this event. In fact, the quality if the glasses have made me a die hard Reidel fan.

One of the best things about the Virginia Wine Expo is their yearly showcasing of both a domestic and international wine region. This year we sampled Oregon wine as well as Australian/New Zealand Wines. The delightful Oregon Pinot Noirs and the crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs really made my visit this year. I visited the Willamette Valley a few years ago with some family and friends. I will have to write about that trip but allow me to wax poetic about Oregon wine for a few lines.

On my trip to Oregon we visited Adelsheim, Brooks and Erath. We visited a number of other wineries as well but Brooks and Erath continue to be some of my favorite that I have ever been to. One other winery, Big Table Farm, which is not show cased here was the standout of that trip though. I feel like I should soon write a blog about that trip to the Willamette Valley. In the meantime, a brief word on the Australian and New Zealand wines.

New Zealand is known for their crisp, citrusy wine. And these didn’t disappoint. I love the clean grapefruit finish you often get with a really quality Sauvignon blanc. The Drylands and Three Brooms were especially refreshing. Which brings me to the many. many Virginia Wines we drank.

I have been to a number of these wineries in person and they all do a very good job of showing off the best Virginia has to offer. However, they aren’t some of the more prominent Virginia wineries. These would require much more in depth blogging and I will try to do them justice in subsequent entries. There were a couple of non wine vendors worth mentioning. The I See Spain grater bowls and plates were a huge hit.

Lloyd decided to eat a couple of cloves of whole garlic which made for a malodorous few tastings following our visit to this booth. The very neat thing about these bowls and plates is that the bottom is textured so that you can grate cheese, chocolate, garlic, ginger and other foods. I have to admit that I bought a set and am looking forward to using them and blogging about them! Another new addition to the wine expo was a surprising number of distilleries the attended. While I normally love Whiskey I didn’t want to ruin my chances of a hangover free Monday so I only visited one such booth.

The whisky here was quite tasty and surprisingly smooth. I look forward to making a trip up there soon and promise to write about it when I do. All in all the 2018 Virginia Wine Expo was a definite success. It’s also nice to be enough of a grown up to know that I won’t be hungover tomorrow morning!

wine

Williamsburg Winery

March 4, 2018March 5, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

I think it’s time I start writing about wine as I promised I would. I’m going to start off with an easy one. Easy because we go to the The Williamsburg Winery often and are wine club members here. We love this winery so much that Lloyd and I are getting married there in December.

Every quarter we get a selection of three wines in a cute little carrying case and each month we have four free reserve tastings. These tastings are excellent. They are in a little back room and include a drier selection of wines. I really enjoy the more intimate setting of the backroom tasting. Chief among those reasons is the fact that members get to sit and it’s nice to have that option. The membership also came with a very nice discount on our wedding, so a total win-win.

If you are ever in Williamsburg and a lover of dry red wine you owe it to yourself to make a visit to this Winery and do the Reserve Tasting. Just look at that list of wine. The real stand outs are the two Malbecs at the end. The 2013 Apogeo is the first 100% Malbec that Williamsburg Winery has put out. And the second, the 2015 Reflective, is from their sister winery, A16, in Argentina. You can see that they scored very well in Wine Enthusiast, and the scores are justly deserved.

Of course this is just a small selection of their wine. There are many other tastings and tours available. Including one that ends in the notorious cellar wine jail. There are also two different restaurants on premises the Gabriel Archer Tavern and the Cafe Provencal. The Tavern serving more American style fair like this roast beef sandwich. Also you can combine tours with pre fixe menu deals at the tavern.

The Cafe focuses on French cuisine of a more haute variety. It’s a little pricier but their is also an option for a tasting menu coupled with a tour for a very reasonable price. The food and the service when we have eaten here has been amazing. I only took a few picture because I couldn’t be bothered to delay myself or the people I was with.

I want to give a special mention to the onsite hotel, The Wedmore Place. It was built ten years ago in the fashion of a french chateau. It oozes old-world charm, absolutely oozes. Each room is uniquely appointed and named after a different of old work Europe; Bavaria, Killarney, Andalusia, Champagne, Veneto, to name a few. I have visited the premises many times and seen inside a number of the rooms but have not spent the night there…yet. We will be staying there for our wedding weekend so expect a much more detailed blog post when that time comes. And maybe a word or two on the wedding itself. In the meantime I leave you with a picture of this lovely wine wall.

Food

Chicken Pot Pie

February 27, 2018February 27, 2018 TheLlavenderLlama

Chicken pot pie is basically synonymous with southern comfort. There are a lot of different recipes and approaches out there. Some more authentic, some more haute cuisine. This is my take on the southern classic. It’s not quite how my Mama used to make it. But that’s cause my Mama is Indian and it wasn’t chicken pot pie so much as chicken biryani. But, I digress. The first step is the grocery store. I usually have a kitchen stocked full of staple ingredients but when I woke up one morning last fall aching to make a chicken pot pie I had nothing. So I went to my handy dandy, around the corner from me, Trader Joe’s and did a very specific shop! I came back with nothing but what was on my list! Miracles do happen.

As you can see I cheated a little bit and used store bought pie crust. I do have an excellent pie crust recipe from food52 that calls for a little vodka. But that day I did have not the vodka or the patience to make a pie crust. I needed chicken pot pie in my mouth as quickly as possible. Which bring me to the recipe. If you want to take what is usually an hours long process of cooking/baking/prepping and speed things up the key is to be organized. Which is the case with most things in this life. The french have a word for this tactic it’s called mise en place and is literally translated to ‘putting in place.” So while my dutch oven slowly heated on the stove I set my pie crusts out to come to room temperature and got to dicing and chopping. I started with my onions, celery and carrots (a classic trilogy) and my herbs; rosemary and thyme.

And then while I slowly cook my vegetables down (carrots first, followed by onions and celery) and add in my spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder) I coat my chicken in flour and herbs. This marinades the chicken and allows the flour to evenly coat and cook once it goes into the pot.

Once you add the chicken in things get even easier. Pour in your chicken stock (low sodium is my preference) and then add your mushrooms and peas. Cover and let this simmer away while you prep your pie crust. Mine was store bought so I just poured myself a glass a wine and checked my instagram for a few minutes. I’m just kidding, I already had a glass of wine, I poured myself a second.

After a little while on the stove your filling should look like this, chicken cooked through and beginning to shred, veggies soft and glistening. Your basic food porn. Now pour it into your pie crust shell and then feel free to get creative with the top! I went for circles and dots because it allowed for a number of cootie shot jokes during dinner. By this point I was on wine glass #3.

I actually ended up having to refrigerate the pie and eat it the next day because of a scheduling snafu with my fiancé. But it was still very tasty and my circles and dots held up fairly well! What do you think?

Serves: 4-6

Total time: 1.5 hrs

Ingredients:

Medium to large onion
3-4 carrots
4-5 celery stalks
2-3 table spoons chopped rosemary leaves (to taste)
2-3 table spoons chopped thyme leaves (to taste)
2-4 minced garlic cloves (to taste)
2 table spoons flour
3-4 chicken breasts
1 box low sodium chicken stock
1 box sliced mushrooms
Half bag frozen peas
Pie crust

Recipe

While your pan heats (I use a dutch oven) dice your onions, carrots and celery. Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and rough chop them to whatever your tastes is. Peel and mince garlic. Cube chicken breast.
Add ingredients to the pan in the following order allowing each one to cook down before adding the next; carrots, onions, celery, garlic. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste as you go. Use splashes of your chicken stock deglaze as needed.
While your veggies are cooking coat your cubed chicken breasts in a mixture of the chopped herbs, flour and some more salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste).
Once the veggies are cooked down add in your chicken and let this get a nice sear, use the chicken to deglaze. Once you are happy with the chicken you can add in the rest of the box of stock. As the flour cooks your sauce will begin to thicken.
Now is the time to add your mushrooms and peas. If you don’t like mushrooms or peas feel free to opt out.
Reduce your heat and let it simmer, covered, stirring occasionally.
Prep your pie crust and then add the pie filling once you are happy with it’s consistency.
Cover your pie with the second crust in any way that makes you happy and egg wash.
Place in preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown. This time may vary depending on what crust you use. Remember the filling is cooked, you are only using the oven to get your crust cooked to perfection.

PS: I was just double checking that I had all ingredients listed by comparing my list to the first picture up above when I realized that I have a bag of parsley in there. This recipe does not call for parsley. I have no idea why it is in there. I suspect a food ghost.

PPS: Please share your recipes and takes on this southern classic! I’m always looking for new and different takes on an old favorite. And I would love to hear about any tips and tricks that have passed down in your family!