Valentine's Day Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Hearts

 A hearty soup, made with chunks of chicken and vegetables in a thick delectable sauce, is topped with the cutest puff pastry hearts just in time for some Valentine's Day soul-warming food!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Hearts

This is one dish that the whole family will love.  Perfect for this cold weather, and cute enough to serve to loved ones this Valentine's day.  This Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Hearts has all the flavors of chicken pot pie without the effort of using a pie crust.  (love that!)

Tender chunks of chicken along with carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, and peas simmer in a thick sauce to create a warmly satisfying soup.  Top it with cute little hearts made from puff pastry and you have one delicious celebratory meal!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• canola oil
• russet potato
• celery 
• carrots
• flour
• low sodium chicken broth
• boneless skinless breasts, cooked and shredded
• frozen peas
• puff pastry

Substitutions and Variations

• Substitute leeks for the onions

• Add mushrooms, green beans, or corn to the mix

• Any fresh herbs such as thyme, bay leaf, or oregano will be a nice addition.

• Leave off the puff pastry or top with a biscuit

• Cooked turkey would be great in this soup.

• Add white wine for a sophisticated flavor

• Add poultry seasoning for a more developed chicken flavor

• Add some heavy cream for a richer creamier soup

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• For the chicken:  boil breasts or use an Instant Pot to cook the chicken and shred

• Use a rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken

• Stores often carry pre-cut onions, celery, and carrots for convenience in the produce or frozen food sections.

• When adding flour you want to allow it to cook a little bit before adding the broth, so the flour taste cooks out.

• Other ways to thicken the soup is to create a flour, cornstarch, or rice starch slurry (starch/water mixture) added after the broth.

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Puff Pastry Hearts

serves 6

2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
2 celery rubs, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled, and cubed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 14 1/2 oz. cans low sodium chicken broth
2 large boneless skinless breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup frozen peas
1 sheet of puff pastry

Set out 1 sheet of puff pastry to thaw.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes, onion, celery and carrots.  Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is soft.

Stir in the flour and stir coating vegetables, and allow to cook for about 30 seconds.  Add salt and pepper and add in the broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  

Meanwhile, using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hear shapes using the puffed pastry.  Place them on a sheet pan.  If your dough is cold proceed to baking them for 10 minutes until golden.  If the pastry is room temperate stick the cut out dough in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and then proceed to bake for 10 minutes.  The colder the dough the puffier the pastry will be.

Add in the shredded chicken and peas to the Dutch oven, stirring to combine.  Cook 10 minutes to heat through.

Serve in bowls and top with pastries.

Winter Breakfast: Eggnog French Toast

It's time to celebrate winter with a cozy breakfast made with one of the most winter holiday flavors of all....eggnog!  This decadent French toast recipe uses eggnog to amp up the flavor and make this breakfast company worthy!

Eggnog French Toast

What's better than Eggnog French Toast?  Only one thing.  Eggnog French Toast cut out in cute little pine trees!  Surprisingly our local market still have eggnog for sale.   So I grabbed a bottle and decided to use it in my cooking.  This Eggnog French Toast has all the creamy nutmeg flavors you love from the drink which makes for a decadent cozy winter breakfast.  And, did I mention that this recipe is sooooo easy??

To make this more fun, I used large tree cookie cutters on my day old bread and it sure made this winter breakfast all the more special.  I used 4 inch cookie cutters to get the most from my country bread.  Let me tell you the kids will go crazy for this!  

What Ingredients do I need?

• eggs
• eggnog
• vanilla extract
• nutmeg
• butter
• country bread
• powdered sugar
• maple syrup
• berries (optional)

Substitutions and Variations

• Use challah or french bread, or brioche

• Add cinnamon to the mix

• Use different cookie cutters for the holidays

• Skip the eggnog and substitute milk for wonderful french toast

• Add spices like pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice

• Add different flavored extracts such as Mexican vanilla, orange, lemon, or rum

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Good cookie cutters here, here, here, and here

• Make sure your bread is day old so that it soaks up the egg mixture and doesn't make your bread fall apart.

• A large skillet helps when making different shapes.

• To keep cooked French toast warm, place on a sheet pan and keep in a oven on 200 degrees.

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Eggnog French Toast

serves 6

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 loaf of country bread, day old, cut in to 1" slices
optional toppings:  powdered sugar, maple syrup, berries

In a medium bowl add eggs, eggnog, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Whisk until combined.

Cut out bread in to desired shapes using a 4" cookie cutter if desired.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat.  Dip your bread one at a time in the egg mixture, turning over so both sides are covered with the egg mixture.  Place in the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Continue until all bread has been dunked and cooked adding more butter to the skillet as needed to prevent sticking.

Serve several slices of bread on a plate and serve along with favorite toppings.

Fresh Start: Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

Juicy lean steak topped with a basil lemon compound butter with saute'd snap peas & carrots.  A lean, low carb dish made in under 30 minutes!

Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

My New Year's "intentions" always include eating healthier.  Lately I've been making dishes that are lean, full or flavor, low carb, and easy to prepare.  Cooking an involved meal on a weeknight is NOT what I'm about.  This dish is simple to prepare and provides you with a healthy dinner, perfect for my "intentions".

Sirloin steak cooks up quick and turns out juicy.  Top it with an easy compound butter of lemon, basil, and garlic and your steak turns up a notch.  On the side we have a simple saute of snap peas & carrots flavored with the same profile of garlic and lemon.  This is one EASY and FLAVORFUL weeknight dish you can make in under 30 minutes!

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• sirloin steak
• carrots
• sugar snap peas
• butter
• lemon
• basil
• garlic

Substitutions and Variations

• Use the lean steak of your choice

• Use chicken, pork chops, or fish as the protein

• Change up the vegetable combo: mushrooms and snow peas, zucchini and bell pepper, tomatoes and green beans

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Double the recipe for more servings

• Set out your steak about 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature

• Pat your steaks dry before cooking to get a good sear

• Slice your vegetables thin so they cook and get tender quickly.

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Sirloin Steak with a Basil Compound Butter, Snap Peas & Carrots

serves 2 - 3

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. sirloin steak
2 medium carrots
1 8oz pkg sugar snap peas
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon
4 Tablespoons butter, unsalted, divided use
salt & pepper

Cut the butter in small pieces and place in a small bowl.  Set aside to soften.

Zest 1/2 lemon into the bowl with the butter.  Cut the 1/2 lemon in to wedges and set aside.  Peel and mince garlic and add it to the bowl with the butter.  Add chopped basil to the bowl.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pat dry your steak(s) and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to the skillet and swirl to coat.  Add steak and cook from 2-5 minutes per side until desired doneness.  Transfer to a clean plate and cover with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile steak is cooking, peel the carrots and slice into thin rounds.  Add more butter to the skillet (1 Tbsp) and swirl to coat.  Add carrots and snap peas.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir fry veggies until fork tender, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Stir the butter and add-ins until smooth and blended.

Thinly slice the steak across the grain.  Divide steaks among the plates and top with a dollop of butter.  Serve with carrots and sugar snap peas on the side.  Squeeze lemon over the veggies.