This chicken pot pie recipe is one of the few recipes that I’ve invented on my own, and it’s both simple and delicious. It was more of a sucessful experiment than anything else. I shared the recipe with my mom once, and now it’s a part of the regular rotation at my parents’ house. It’s very simple, but surprisingly delicious, and can even be made ahead and baked fresh. The way I make it now really relies on canned and prepared ingredients, but I do play with the idea of stepping it up a bit and making my own pie crust or using fresher veggies from time to time. But then I remember that one of the things I like best about this is how simple it is, and I just keep making it like this. Not everything has to be fancy, especially on a weeknight!

Teri’s Own Chicken Pot Pie

For the chicken:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the filling:

• 1 can of cream of chicken soup (if you want to lighten it up, the 98% fat free version works just as well)
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 can of mixed vegetables (like Veg-All) or if you prefer, a can of peas and carrots
• 1 small can of mushrooms (optional–my “test kitchen” doesn’t do mushrooms, so I skip them, but my parents include them)

For the crust:

• 1 box 9-inch ready-made refrigerated pie crust (such as Pillsbury; you’ll need both crusts in the box for a bottom and top crust) at room temperature.
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place one half of pie crust in the bottom of a thick pie plate (we have this awesome stoneware one) or an oven-safe skillet. A 9-inch cast iron skillet works well here, but I’ve also made this dish in a nonstick skillet as well (the bonus pan, pictured here). You just want it to be deep enough to hold all of the filling. Dock the pie crust by poking it several times with a fork and bake for about 10 minutes, until light brown. This helps to keep the bottom crust crispy.

2. While the crust is baking, sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, until it the surface begins to shimmer. Add the chicken and cook through, about 8-10 minutes. The edges will begin to brown and the chicken will be hot and white all the way through.

3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the soup, milk, vegetables, and mushrooms and continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Once heated through, pour into the prepared bottom pie crust. Carefully cover with the second pie crust to form the top.

4. Tuck the edges of the pie crust so that the bottom and top crust meet, and cut four slits in the top to allow steam to escape as the pie cooks.

5. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Bake the pie for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is crisp and golden brown. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into the pie.

Note: As I said, this recipe for pot pie is quick and tasty. The pie can be prepared ahead through step 4, and then regfrigerated until ready to be baked. If making the pie ahead, bring it to room temperature on the counter before baking. This method is actually pretty versitile. You could make just about any pot pie you’d like, just by changing around the ingredients. I’ve successfully made Beef Pot Pie, with just a few substitutions, but I plan to try others. I’ll let you know how they turn out!

This week’s Top Chef Rundown is in the format of quick, sometimes snarky comments. Here goes:

• Stefan’s actually less of a dick this week. Must have been humbled a bit by last week’s judge’s table.
• Cute how everyone’s nervous about Eric Ripert.
• Also, I don’t know a LOT about the guy, but he seems to be an amazing chef AND a great guy. Very humble for as good as he supposedly is at what he does.
• Leah sucks. You don’t just quit.
• Wow with the nail into the eel’s head. I guess that’s one way to do it.
• Stefan is a machine.
• Yeah, Hosea works at a seafood restaurant, but I bet they don’t serve eel there.
• I’m glad the chef’s actually got to enjoy their meal, instead of being thrown right into the kitchen, even if it was the preface to a challenge.
• I knew, as soon as Jamie complained about the celery that she’d be making the celery dish.
• Leah’s still a mess. She’s in charge of the fish at her home restaurant?!
• Did Stefan pick the easy dish? I don’t know—but it looked good.
• No surprise that Stefan wins.
• Some surprise that Jamie lost, but she did seem to be the worst this week, and they say that’s all that matters.
• At LEAST two of the remaining five chefs have no business being in the Top Four.
• If Leah gets to the Top Four…I don’t know what I’ll do.

In case you aren’t familiar, Israeli couscous is completely different from normal couscous. The regular couscous, which you’ve probably had before, is a middle eastern grain dish, shaped like little tiny dots of pasta. It cooks like rice, and is good for just about anything you’d use rice for. It’s quite tasty, and there are more and more options available in the regular grocery store these days: different flavors, different varieties, different brands. David’s not crazy about it, but Leah and I like couscous a lot.

In contrast, Israeli couscous rather than being made from a grain directly, is just small pearls of pasta. It has a lot in common with Orzo, actually, but the pasta is smaller and completely round.

This recipe, from the Bon Apetit Fast, Easy, Fresh cookbook, was pretty simple to make, but very, flavorful. The cooking method reminds me of a risotto, and maybe that’s why it shouldn’t surprise me that the couscous thickened like a risotto, and took on a sort of creamy texture. The toasted pine nuts added a lot of flavor to the dish as well. We had this with the Valentine’s Day Pork Chops, but I’m sure we’ll make it again. It was really good, and a nice change of pace from our usual repertoire of side dishes.

Toasted Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts
Adapted from Bon Apetit’s Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2/3 cup pine nuts (about 3 1/2 ounces)
• 2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 3 cups (16 ounces) Israeli toasted couscous
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and stir until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in same pan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add couscous, cinnamon stick, and 2 bay leaves and stir until couscous browns slightly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add broth, wine,  and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and pine nuts. Season with black pepper. Transfer to serving dish.

Note: As I was making this recipe, I noticed a similarity in ingredients to how we make our risotto, and decided to sub the white wine for a portion of the broth. It turned out really well.

Last year for Valentine’s Day, David and I stayed in and I cooked for him. We were newly engaged, in the process of planning a wedding, and as a consequence, pretty broke. So we skipped the presents and just spent a quiet night together, but I made David choose the menu. (That sounds like a gift–to let him choose what special dish I would make for him–but if you know us at all, you know that it’s simply not true. We both HATE to pick what’s for dinner!)

David chose this recipe from Bon Apetit magazine: Veal Chops with Roasted Shallots, Arugula, and Soft Polenta.

At first, I thought he was kidding. Veal?! He wants veal? I don’t know how to cook that! Does he even like to eat that? I thought. And really–Shallots? Polenta? It seemed awfully complex, as well as outside of our normal culinary experience.

But then, shouldn’t a special dinner be, well, special? Yes, it should. So I decided to give it a try. I made my grocery list and headed to Dominick’s, where I learned that Veal is expensive! The whole idea of this dinner in was to save money, and by the time I bought polenta, shallots, arugula, grape tomatoes, fresh thyme and everything else I needed, I couldn’t stomach paying $19 for two veal chops, especially when I wasn’t even sure that we liked veal. So instead, I made pork chops.

I’m sure that’s not the same. I’m sure that’s not what the author of this recipe had in mind. But I’m also sure that it was delicious. I’ve made this recipe several times since last Valentine’s Day, with thick, meaty pork chops, and it’s turned out great every time.

Valentine’s Day Pork Chops
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

• 1 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 4 2-inch-thick boneless pork chops (each about 8 ounces)
• 18 small shallots, peeled, halved
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 12-ounce package grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup drained capers plus 1 tablespoon caper brine reserved from jar

1. Whisk 3/4 cup oil and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Mix thyme, salt, and pepper in another small bowl. Rub thyme mixture all over pork chops; place in glass baking dish. Pour oil-lemon marinade over; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine shallots, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup oil in medium roasting pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until shallots are browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes to shallots and roast until tomatoes are soft and browned, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven. Add capers and 1 tablespoon reserved brine and stir to blend.

3. Meanwhile, heat large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Drain veal chops and transfer marinade to heavy small saucepan. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium.

4. Bring reserved oil-lemon marinade to boil; boil 2 minutes. Place 1 veal chop on each of 4 plates. Divide shallot-tomato mixture among plates. Serve Polenta alongside. Drizzle with oil-lemon marinade. Garnish with arugula and serve.

Note: This recipe turned out to be a great go-to for a special dinner. I’ve served this with homemade soft polenta, quick cooking polenta, and most recently, store-bought polenta slices, gently fried in extra virgin olive oil until the edges are crisp. The thyme brings a nice flavor to the chops, for sure, but I’ve also tried it with fresh parsley or fresh rosemary, and both have worked well. Clearly, this is a versatile recipe. Don’t be scared of the capers, either. Even if you think you don’t like them on their own, they go very well with the roasted vegetable mixture here.

Yeah, I know we talk Alton Brown a lot around here. And yeah, I know you look at an Alton Brown recipe and can’t help but wonder: “Is it worth all that work?” The answer here is a definitive ‘Yes!’

I’m not sure I can say enough good things about these ribs. They’re the only ribs I want to eat anymore. They’re rich and meaty…the perfect blend of sweet and salty. The pork is tender , but with just the right amount of structure to it. The sauce makes you want to lick every last drop off of the bone, the fork, the plate, your fingers. I’m not kidding. These ribs are amazing. And I know all of the instructions seem intimidating, but this was actually one of the first things that David really cooked. The only difficult thing about this recipe is hanging out in a house that smells like delicious pork for hours and hours before the ribs are ready to eat.

Bourbon-Spiked Baby Back Ribs
Adapted from Alton Brown’s Who Loves Ya Baby Back? Recipe as seen on Good Eats.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs

Dry Rub:

• 8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

To Finish:

• 1 shot of bourbon (We used Maker’s Mark)

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour, but up to 12 hours. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Stir in the shot of bourbon. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

Note: You will have dry rub leftover. Use it next time–you’ll be making these again.

As I said before, these ribs are absolutely worth the trouble. I served these with scalloped potatoes, but only because I’m side-dish crazy. You’d probably be just as happy to focus on the ribs.

These are the scalloped potatoes I grew up with, and they’re much better than anything you might find in a box, as you can probably imagine. They’re also just about as easy. Just do what I do:

Not From a Box Scalloped Potatoes

• Potatoes
• Milk
• Flour
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

1. Slice 4-5 large potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. No need to peel the potatoes, skin is fine.

2. Layer the potato slices in a large baking dish and top with two or three 1/2 tablespoon sized pats of butter, a sprinkle of flour, and a bit of salt and pepper.

3. Repeat. Top that layer with another layer of potatoes, butter, flour, salt and pepper. Garlic powder is welcome, but not required. Continue layering the potato slices in this way until you’ve reached the top of the baking dish.

4. Pour 1 & 1/2 cups of milk, half & half, cream, or any combination thereof (I like half and half, but we don’t always have it on hand) over the potatoes, tilting the baking dish back and forth to help the milk move through each layer.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10  minutes or so before cutting into the potatoes, so they have time to set up.

I served this with Alton Brown’s Baby Back Ribs, which you’ll be hearing about soon, but it is a good side dish for lots of things. Of course, I think the traditional partner for scalloped potatoes is ham. Yum.

As you might remember, David’s Christmas gift to me included cooking classes from The Chopping Block, in downtown Chicago. He planned for me to take the pasta making class (to get me all set to use my new pasta making attachments for the Kitchenaid), and another class of my own choosing, plus the Knife Skills class I took today. As a part of his gift, I got to choose my own fancy chef’s knife after the class.

All of this turned out to be a wonderful gift, because I LOVED the class.

Unfortunately, I was a little bit late; apparently David and I have trouble reading a schedule. But nevermind that.

I really enjoyed the entire class. There was an informative session at the beginning, with information about how the best knives are made, plus more info about buyng, caring for, and storing such knives. Then we started the actual chopping. The class was set up with stations for each person, with several different brands and types of knives to use. The teacher would demonstrate a technique, and then we’d try it at our station, while the instructors walked around correcting our technique and helping out.

During the 2 hour class, I diced and julienned an onion, julienned and brunoised a carrot, diced celery, chopped fresh herbs, finely diced a jalapeno, diced a green pepper, sliced a zucchini, and minced some fresh herbs.

The weird part is that I technically knew how to do most of those things (in my head), but I was able to follow along in a way that I never really managed to on TV or from a book. I really enjoyed the entire class.

And then I got to choose a knife!

I tried out several different types throughout the class: Henckles, Global, Shun…I ended up choosing a Chroma Type 301. Another cool thing about the class: The Chopping Block gives students a 10% discount on anything in the store the day of a class, and 15% on any cutlery, since that’s what the class was about. So we got a good deal on the knife as well.

I already used it at home to chop all the veggies for coq au vin and mashed potatoes for tonight’s dinner. And I love it!