Back to doing what I do best

As promised, here are photos of last week's $5 Friday. As you can tell the Tex Mex Bowls can also be served as a taco filling.

I also recently purchased individual ramekins for making things like chicken pot pie. Since I still had a pie crust left over from making the apple raspberry crostata as well as some left over chicken stock, I decided to make individual chicken pot pies.



I am very excited about the way they came out if I do say so myself. They were also super easy to make.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies:

1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 2 cloves garlic minced)
1 onion minced
2 stalks celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1.5 - 2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (or 1 additional tablespoon butter)
2 tablespoons flour
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 tablespoon each: salt, pepper, sage, Emeril's Essence, granulated garlic
several sprigs fresh thyme

In a large dutch oven heat the olive oil over med. low heat. Add the carrots, onion, garlic and celery. Cook for a bit then add the chicken. Add the chicken stock, water (only add enough water to barely cover the chicken), thyme, salt, pepper, sage, essence, and granulated garlic. Poach the chicken in this mixture. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 (or whatever the pie crust directions say).

In a small skillet saute the zucchini in some olive oil or butter. Remove from heat.

Once the chicken has cooked remove from the poaching liquid. Allow to cool, then shred and return to the pot. Add the zucchini and the frozen peas. In a small bowl mix the butter (you may have to microwave it a bit to soften it), vegetable shortening and flour. Make a paste out of this mixture. Add to the chicken vegetable mixture. Whisk into the chicken mixture well. Return the chicken mixture to a low simmer.

Simmer the mixture until it begins to thicken. When the mixture looks like a very thick soup transfer to the baking dishes. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator. Roll out and cut rounds to top the chicken mixture. Place on top of the baking dishes (which have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) and brush with olive oil and top with some Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!