Thursday, April 12, 2012

FABBY: English Chicken Pot Pie

  Hi lovely friends, how are ya? Another weekend of April is coming soon...wow, where is 2012 flying to??

 Although this picture came out dark, I kind of liked the window view from the breakfast table window.
 Now it's clear. Here is the Cream of Veggies, very healthy and light too. Our alabaster breakfast table.
 I used my dinner plate with an orange rim I have; as chargers, because the dinner plate on this vintage dishes are quite small, almost like a salad plate and it's here, under the soup bowl. The small bowls are for the dessert...natural yogurt, fresh fruit, coconut, walnuts and many other ingredients.
 The Calla and star lilies I have them since last Good Friday...I posted a small tablescape for two and the lilies are still blooming.
Place setting with soup bowl.
 Here are the individual Chicken Pot Pies, they came out really delish, but then, they always do, the English recipe from my good friend is really terrific! "Look for the recipes at the end of this post."

 The individual pies were made on pretty bowls made at, or our past ceramic co. Without the pie on them, they have pretty roses decorated inside them, lol..
The English pie setting.
Mother comes every Wednesday to have lunch with Alejandro and me and I must add that Ecuadorians' custom is to eat a hardier lunch, than they do dinner, therefore, I decided to make a very healthy and really light Cream of Veggies that my mom loves, as the antrè. As main course I cooked a wonderful Chicken Pie, that the recipe was given to me by an English girl that was married to a friend of "MR. LIVING", in the late 70's. I always remember her when I make her chicken pie and this time I made individual pies for the three of us. Sadly, cancer took Jeanette's life more than fifteen years ago.  For dessert I served Plain yogurt with fresh fruit, coconut and walnuts, it's great, easy and perfect for a luncheon.

ENGLISH CHICKEN PIE 

For the dough:

In your food processor put the following ingredients:  2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup margarine, 1 egg, 1 tsp. salt, 3-4 Tb. spoons cream and process til it forms a ball...if it's to dry you can add 1 Tb. cream more. Take it out and roll half of it to form whatever shape of greased pan you want to use...individual ones, like I did, or one pie plate. Sometimes the dough breaks, just mend it with some rolled dough.  Use the other half of the dough to cover a big pie plate or small ones.


For the chicken filling:


Cook a big chicken breast, or two small ones. When they are done, reserve the chicken and with 2 cups of the chicken broth make a French sauce, or Bechamel, already with, salt, pepper, garlic powder, (or fresh-mashed garlic) a dash of nutmeg and just add like a 1/4 cup milk, that's all. If it looks to dry add some more broth. Set aside.
Meanwhile, have cooked some mixed veggies that come in the frozen bags. Some can mushroom buttons, some cooked cubed onions, or leek rings, I like the latter cause they're more elegant. Mix it all with the Bechamel sauce and add 2 Tablespoons of sherry, or white wine, if you have. Lower the flame and mix it all well. Now add cubes of the cooked chicken you reserved and mix well.  Fill the prepared pie plate with this mixture, or individual ones as I did.  Roll the other half of the dough to cover top of the pie plate, or the small ones, like in my pics.  Bake in hot oven at 350F for around 35-40 min., check your oven.


CREAM OF VEGETABLES

This is easy and goes as follows:  Use veggies that you like, it doesn't matter.  Like cooked carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchinis, celery, red and green peppers, spinach, etc.
In a deep soup pot put 2 Tablespoons cooking oil, or olive oil and 1 med.cubed onion, saute. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin...if you like it.  Add broth, water with chicken or a meat bouillon cube and cook, than mix all your cooked veggies. Once it's all done, take it to your blender or Cuisinart and blend it all until it resembles a cream soup, add a 1/2 cup of half and half, or plain milk like I do...(less fattening). This is it. You can serve it with, a poached egg inside like my Mil used to and we love, bread cubes, or nothing. 


 Thank you lovely and sweet friends for your wonderful visits, they are always sooo very appreciated!


Thank you lovely and gracious hostesses for having me at your terrific and fun parties.


Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch
It's a Party at A Creative Princess
Open House Party at No minimalist Here
Delightfully Inspiring Thursdays at The French Cupboard
Share your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup from Mrs. Olson 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Inspiration Friday at The Picket Fence
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum 
Shine on Fridays at One Artsy Mama 
Beverly's Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Adicts (not so) Anonymous at Addicted to Decorating
Chari's Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper
Over Flowing with Creativity at It's Overflowing
On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable
Mix It Up Monday at Flour Me with Love
Masterpiece Monday at Boogie BoardCottage
Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Beautify it Monday at Bringing Beauty
Show Off your Cottage at The House in the Roses

Sunday, April 8, 2012

FABBY: Best Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Ever!

I made this brownies with my granddaughters when they were here two weeks ago...they enjoy baking and later eating anything, from cookies, to pizza, cakes and brownies.  I think I enjoy making anything with them more, lol..  This fudge brownie recipe was given to me by my friend Stephanie and they came from some southern, vintage Baking Book she has from her aunt. This Fudge Brownies are the best recipe ever...so here they are and so is the recipe.

Hope you all had a lovely and blessed EASTER SUNDAY.  Can't believe another Holiday is past and the year is rapidly going!!  Lots of hugs my friends and thank you in advance for your wonderful visits, they always make me so happy!

I will be at some parties...I love to party!...so thank you lovely hostesses for having me.

Lots of hugs and have a wonderful week.
 Here are my Fudge Brownies, best ever! I'm using my Spanish country style dishes with coffee, as today, EASTER SUNDAY; I had my first cup of coffee for breakfast this morning, after I gave it up for LENT and that would be for forty days! I'm a real coffee lover!
 I placed my brownies on one of my new mercury glass cake plates.
 If you can see there's like a space next to the higher brownie is caz my g'girls took one each, couldn't wait til I finished taking the shot, lol.. In case you didn't read what I said at the beginning; I made these brownies with my g'girls almost two weeks ago when they were here, visiting us.
 What you see sticking out of the brownies is shredded coconut...optional, though, but it's a great twist, it's my personal touch, we love coconut around here!
 The linen hand embroidered in BLUE tray-mat, was given by my Mil several years ago.
Here is me on some vintage, EASTER SUNDAY, after Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.. when I was around fifteen, I think.  I had a pretty cream color lace, mini dress under my blue mini coat and straight hair almost to my waste...LOL! My dad took this pic in the late sixties.   We would also go to Radio City Music Hall for the spring Rocket's Show! Great days! Miss my dad, he was so much fun!
LOVE,
FABBY

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CHEWY FUDGE BROWNIES


1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (1-ounce) squares bitter chocolate  (unsweetened chocolate)
1/2 Cup butter, or margarine
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 Cup walnuts, or pecans,chopped
1/2 Cup shredded coconut  (optional)

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium mixing bowl,  or (Kitchen Aid bowl): mix well, and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter on Microwave, or as you know better...maybe for a minute on high. Gradually mix chocolate mixture on flour mixture. Stir eggs, vanilla, and chopped nuts. (shredded coconut, if you like).
   Pour batter on a square, greased and floured pan: 9x9x2-inch pan.
Bake at 325F. for 40-45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool.
Cut into squares to serve. Yield 16 big squares...like in the picture, you can cut them smaller for tea parties, or serve the big squares with ice-cream for dessert.

Beautify it Monday at Bringing Beauty
Sally's Blue Monday at Smiling Sally
Recipe Party at The Sweet Spot
Your Cozy Home Party at Your Cozy Home Scenes
 Let's Dish at Kathleen's   
Recipe Party at The Sweet Spot
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch
Recipe Sharing Monday at 
Sally'sBlue Monday at Smiling Sally
On The Menu Monday at Stone Gable 
Mix it Up Monday at Flour Me With Love
Monday Market Place at Common Ground
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 
Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage
Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Tea Cups
Friends Sharing Tea at Berneeding's Tea Time Blog 
Trish's Tea Party Tuesday at Sweetology 101
Knick of Time Tuesday at Knick of Time
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
Wednesday Bunny Hop at Bunny Jean Decor and More
Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen
Riverton Housewives Up at The Real Housewives of Riverton
White Wednesday at Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp