Individual Chicken Pot Pie

Happy Valentine's Day and I hope all of my fellow East Coasters survived all the snow and ice! If you're not a planner, and haven't given any thought to what you want to make for tonights' dinner, (like me!) it's fine. There is still plenty of time to whip up a special dinner for two and your significant other will never know you haven't been planning this for weeks!

These individual Chicken Pot Pies are so comforting and are easy to make. In fact, this was one of the first recipes I shared on my blog almost 3 years ago and is also in my cookbook. Though the original recipe called for making an entire pot pie, the filling is the same with the addition of horseradish in this recipe just because I like a little extra kick. In 45 minutes you can have a home cooked meal waiting on the table. To make this recipe tonight, make a quick stop at your local grocery store and pick up the following items:

• Pre-Made Roasted Chicken (those rotisserie chickens work wonderful for last minute dinners)
• Refrigerated Pie Crust Dough (Can usually be found by the milk and eggs)
• Frozen bag of Mixed Vegetables (I use the corn, carrot, pea and green bean mix)
• Staples: You should have some chicken broth, Dijon mustard, horseradish and cornstarch, but if not...pick those up too! 

~Enjoy!

Mixed Greens with Avocado and Beets in a Champagne Vinaigrette

Mixed green salads offer you the opportunity to try different varieties of lettuce at the same time. This one had baby beet greens, mizuna and oak leaf lettuce. Baby beet greens have purplish-red veins and come from the top of an immature beet. Mizuna or otherwise know as Japanese greens, have a slightly strong flavor, but add a nice compliment to the other subtle flavored greens. Oak leaf lettuce resembles red leaf lettuce with the reddish tops, however they are shorter and have a softer texture. The combination of all three of these greens combined with the earthy flavors of fresh beets, avocado, pecans and the light champagne vinaigrette, makes for a tasty, light lunch or a precursor to a formal dinner. 

 Mixed Greens with Avocado and Beets in a Champagne Vinaigrette
4 c. Mixed Greens
2 tbsp. Pecans, chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
1/2 c. Beets, cooked and sliced
1/4 c. Prepared Champagne Vinaigrette

Directions:
1. Add the lettuce and pecans to a bowl, then add the dressing; toss gently to coat the leaves. 
2. Add the sliced avocado and beets to the top. Serves 2. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 384, Carbs 20.4g, Fat 34.3g, Protein 4.5g, Fiber 9.3g

Champagne Vinaigrette
1 Garlic Clove
3 tbsp. Champagne Vinegar
4 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor (I used a mini one) and pulse until it has emulsified and formed a smooth consistency. Makes 1/2 cup, store the remainder in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

*Nutritional Information per 1 tbsp. Dressing: Calories 68, Carbs 1.8g, Fat 7g, Protein 0g, Fiber 0g

Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Pink Grapefruit & Mint

Today is World Vegetarian Day and since I normally don't follow a Meatless Monday format on a regular basis here on the blog, I figured I can at least share a recipe that doesn't contain meat in honor of this day. Vegetarians, though having different levels of participation, mainly do not eat any meat, poultry, fish or seafood. If you are interested in finding out more about the specific types, please click here. 

While we were in Rome this past summer, we visited a local restaurant where they served Fettuccine with Lemon and Mint that was OUT OF THIS WORLD! However, since you can't find lemons that size here in the states, I opted to use grapefruit instead. This was such a light, refreshing meal that would make a great date night supper for two. 

Fettuccine with Pink Grapefruit & Mint
1 lb. Fettuccine, cooked according to instructions
2 Pink Grapefruit 
1/2 c. Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice
1 tbsp. Fresh Mint, chopped
2 c. Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
1/2 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cut the top 1/4 off of the grapefruit and scoop out the insides. Add the inside pulp to a blender and pulse. Strain through a fine strainer reserving the juice to use in the recipe. 
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan then add the mushrooms. Cook until softened. 
3. Stir in the mint and flour, then add in 1/2 c. grapefruit juice and chicken broth. Mix well. 
4. Add your cooked pasta and the cheese, then toss. Serves 2 (with leftover pasta for 4 additional servings)

*Nutritional Information per Slice: Calories 186, Carbs 31.9g, Fat 4g, Protein 6.1g, Fiber 1.4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

*Tip: For a healthier option, use whole wheat or whole grain pasta