Heads It's Chicken...Tails It's Turkey

Tonight was our first bite of turkey meatloaf. Though I cooked the meatloaf on Saturday and the roast chicken on Sunday, we hadn't feasted on either all weekend. We went to the SOFA exhibit yesterday, but ventured to Chelsea Market first and ate lunch at a deli. The corned beef sandwich my husband ordered was as big as his head, while I had a huge fried chicken breast sandwich. So it was no surprise that when I made the roast chicken last night, after it cooled it went straight into the refrigerator, uneaten.

Tonight, we're deviating from the menu (again). For dinner: 4 to 5 ounces each of turkey meatloaf, some smashed potatoes, and the ever-yummy asparagus.

The turkey meatloaf is straight from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten, except that we make it with only 3 lbs of ground turkey (she calls for 5 lbs) and halve all the other ingredients. (The ground turkey in our supermarket comes in prepackaged amounts: 1 lb and 3 lbs only.) According to my serving sizes (no more than 5 ounces each), the recipe (using 3 lbs of ground turkey) makes enough for 10 servings. Right now, the recipe is available from Food Network at http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_21615,00.html. I won't recreate it here since, except for making a smaller batch, I follow the recipe faithfully.

Turkey Meatloaf
10 servings, 2 slices each (4-5 oz.)

Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: ; Carbohydrates: ; Protein: ; Fat: ; Cals./g:
*Points:

The turkey meatloaf slices were reheated in the microwave (about 2 minutes total time) after being moistened with some chicken stock (a few drops per slice). The asparagus spears were quickly blanched in boiling water (no more than 2 minutes) and served with a bit of butter. The smashed potatoes (one of my favorites) took the most time by far to prepare tonight (the fresh herbs were already on hand because of the chicken I made last night).

Smashed Potatoes
6 servings

4 very large potatoes washed (unpeeled)
2-3 medium to large scallions, chopped (white and large portion of green sections)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced dill
1/4 teaspoon fresh minced flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Boil potatoes for about 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Drain well.
4. Add chopped scallions, olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil to potatoes.
5. Mash all ingredients together well with a potato masher.

Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: ; Carbohydrates: ; Protein: ; Fat: ; Cals./g:
*Points:

Note: Tonight I plan to take apart the chicken (and try to take pictures without getting the camera all greasy). Most of the breast meat will be eaten this week. I'll post a revised menu later to take into account all the changes for this week.

One Chicken Pot Pie for Two

Tonight's chicken pot pie is so big that even though it's too good to share, you really should if you want to walk, and not waddle, away from the table.

I've adapted this recipe from one by "Barefoot Contessa" Ina Garten. I've made this before and I knew that it would amount to too much of a good thing. The first time I used four 18-oz. Apilco lion's head bowls. So, this time I used smaller bowls: five 16-oz. Emile Henry lion's head bowls (yes, I have a lot of lion's head bowls), and still it made too much. My husband and I shared one of the pies tonight, and it was plenty (as the pictures show). So, by my calculations, this recipe makes enough for 10 servings, not 4.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we made the chicken stock for this recipe from two chicken carcasses hanging around in the freezer. The chicken meat also came from one of those already-cooked-and-eaten birds. After we had eaten the breasts, I picked the bones clean and saved as much meat (white and dark) that I could for future meals. (Don't worry, the next time I do this I'll write about it and take many pictures.)

The pot pie recipe was adapted from Ina Garten's recipe that was online at the Food Network at some point; I can't find it in any of her books that I own (and I'm pretty sure I have them all).

Chicken Pot Pie
Serves 10

4 cups of cooked white and dark chicken meat (shredded and/or chopped)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cups homemade chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup all purpose, unbleached flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups unpeeled, diced carrots (blanched for 2 minutes)
2 cups of frozen peas
1.5 cups frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves

For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/4 pound cold butter (unsalted), diced
2/3 cup ice water (you might not use it all)
1 egg

Directions
Make the filling:
1. In a small sauce pan, over medium to medium-high heat, dissolve the bouillon cubes in the chicken stock as you heat the stock.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, then add the heated chicken stock to this mixture.
4. Simmer over low heat for another minute, stirring until thick. Add the salt, pepper, and heavy cream, then mix in the chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley.

Make the pastry:
5. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor (with the metal blade already in it).
6. Add the shortening (in bits) and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour.
7. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is in small pieces and the entire mixture looks crumbly.
8. Add the ice water while the processor is on and stop when the dough just comes together (when most of it suddenly clumps together on the blade).
9. Knead the dough quickly into a ball on a floured pastry board (don't overdo this!).
10. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Assemble:
11. Divide the dough among 5 or 10 ovenpoof bowls (like pretty Apilco or Emile Henry lion's head bowls) and roll out until about an 1/8-inch thick (or maybe a bit thicker or thinner depending on the ovenware you are using.
12. Wash the tops of the bowls with the beaten egg and pastry brush.
13. One at a time lay the dough on the top of the each bowl, then crimp the dough over the top edge of each bowl to secure it. I pinch the dough along the top edge with my thumb (placed along the inside rim of the bowl) and forefinger (positioned along the outside the rim of bowl), essentially pinching the top of the bowl AND the dough between my fingers. This method leaves a depression along the inside edge while creating a raised, puffy center.

If you are freezing your pot pies for another day, stop here. Carefully wrap in aluminum foil and put in a freezer bag. Then store the pies in the freezer. Defrost in the refrigerator a day or two before baking.

Bake:
14. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle Kosher salt and fresh black pepper on top. Slit the tops (to vent for steam) and bake on a baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees, until the top is golden and the filling hot (about 145 degrees).

Note: Be careful of the pearl onions! They might be extremely hot in the center (like little balls of napalm).

Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 711; Carbohydrates: 49 g; Protein: 25 g; Fat: 45 g; Cals./g: 1
*Points: