Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry

Hi! Today's post is one of my favorite recipes from childhood. Having not lived with my folks for the last several years, I haven't had the chance to eat it very often! So, the other day I got the recipe from my wonderful mother (who is retiring this week after approximately one million years in healthcare - thanks for all your years of service, Mama) and, with her blessing, will be sharing it with all of you today!

This recipe is delicious. It isn't the healthiest choice in the world, but it is a wonderful treat, especially during rainy weather. It is incredibly easy, but doesn't taste like it is. It just might be the perfect dish for company! Let's make some delicious...

...Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry

Serves 4

Note: I would suggest that you make a side dish of your choosing with this recipe. My husband and I ate kinda late and the chicken was plated before I remembered the broccoli was still in the bag. So whip up some of your favorite veggie and feel a little less guilty about this indulgent dish!

For this recipe, you'll need:

*1 397g package of frozen puff pastry (I use Tenderflake brand)

*flour for dusting 

*8 small or 4 good-sized boneless skinless chicken breasts (fresh, not the frozen kind)

*2 150g packages of Boursin cheese, Garlic & Fine Herbs flavour

*1 tbsp butter, melted

*salt and pepper

*1 egg

*1 tbsp room temperature water

*olive oil

*1 sweet yellow onion

*2 leeks

*1/2 a chicken stock cube

Note: Allot time for the puff pastry to thaw before you begin cooking. You can thaw the package overnight in the fridge, or let it sit on the counter for about two hours. I like to take a package out of the freezer, open it up, break it in two pieces, put on a plate on the counter, and go get the rest of my groceries. Do whatever suits you and your schedule. 

Preheat your oven to 400F. 

Once the puff pastry is ready, cut both halves in four equal pieces each. Sprinkle some flour on a clean countertop or a piece of parchment on another hard surface. Rub a little extra flour on your rolling pin, and roll each piece out as flat as you can. And then roll them a little flatter, trying to keep it as square as possible. 

And then a tiny bit flatter. 

If you have four good-sized chicken breasts, cut them in half at an angle, so that they resemble eight small chicken breasts. The ones I bought at the store were on the small side, so I skipped this step. Take all the chicken breasts and lay them flat in a large Ziploc. Seal the bag and pound the chicken breasts with a rolling pin or culinary hammer. Don't hit your fingers or your table, please! Once the chicken breasts are a little flatter, they're ready to be put into the pastry pouches. To get the cheese ready, unwrap both packages of Boursin and cut them into quarters. You should now have eight pieces of rolled out pastry, eight pieces of slightly pounded chicken breast, and eight chunks of Boursin cheese. 

Take a piece of pastry, lay the chicken in the middle of the square, and spread one eighth of the cheese on top of the chicken. Add a little pepper and salt. With a teaspoon, drizzle a tiny bit of butter around the edges of your pastry. 

Note:Please keep in mind that you are handling raw chicken. It is imperative that you don't touch the chicken and then touch something else without first washing your hands. If you are going to reserve any of the Boursin cheese for another use, separate the cheese you are using first so that you don't get any of the raw chicken juice in your cheese. Please always be careful when handling raw chicken! 

Now gather the edges of the pastry and squeeze them together along the top, creating little pouches and sealing in all that yummy cheese. Transfer them from your work area to one or two baking sheets covered in tinfoil, depending on your sheet and oven size. The tinfoil will save you a lot of clean up later. 

Crack the egg into a small bowl, and whisk in the tablespoon of water. Once it is nice and foamy, you have your egg wash. With a brush (I like the silicone ones), coat the pouches with the egg and water mixture. Don't use so much that it pools on the baking sheet, or it might burn. Just coat them all lightly, covering as much of the pastry as you can see without flipping the pouches over. 

Once all the pouches are sealed and covered in the egg wash, put the tray(s) in the oven. After 25 minutes, check on the chicken. When you cut into a piece of chicken, there should be no pink visible in the flesh. If you have a meat thermometer, government food regulations say the breast should be 170F. The cheese makes it hard to see any juices flowing, but when cooking chicken, always make sure that the juices run clear (if it's possible to see them). If the chicken isn't done yet (mine always takes about 35 minutes), turn the temperature down to 350F, and return the pan(s) to the oven. Keep checking it every five minutes. It should be done within 45 minutes, total. 

Now, jumping back a few steps... After you put the chicken in the oven, chop the leeks. Cut about two inches off the top (the green stalks) of one and an inch off the white part. Cut it in two lengthwise, and then chop the two halves into one inch chunks. Repeat with the second leek. Put the chopped leeks into a strainer or colander and wash them really well. Since leeks have so many layers, they trap a lot of dirt and sand. Make sure to wash them well so you avoid getting a nice gritty mouthful of sand during dinner. Leave the leeks in the colander or strainer to drain the water, and chop the onion. Put two tablespoons or so of olive oil in a deep frying pan or pot on medium-high heat and wait for it to be warm. You will know it's ready when you can feel the warmth if you hold your hand about five inches above the pan. Add the onion. Wait for them to soften a little bit, about five minutes. Shake as much water off the leeks as you can, and then add them to the onions. Leeks take quite a while to soften, about twenty minutes. Stir them regularly to ensure they don't burn. Ten or fifteen minutes after you put the leeks in the pan, add the stock cube. Crumble it up before you add it so that it mixes in easily. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

If the leeks and onions are ready before the chicken, just turn the heat down and let them stay warm while you wait for the chicken to be ready. When you take the chicken out of the oven and ensure that it is fully cooked, give it a few minutes to cool. Now get everything plated as quick as you can, cause it's time to enjoy delicious Creamy Chicken in Puff Pastry!

xoxo, 

Claire

Ginger Miso Tofu with Coconut Rice and Vinegar Steamed Veggies

Hello, again! For this recipe, I used a product called Miso Gravy from the Naam restaurant in Vancouver, BC. It is pretty much my favorite thing ever. I know it is available in most big grocery stores in BC, but I'm not 100% sure about other provinces or countries. There will likely be other brands available, but I can't vouch for them. Please leave a comment or email me if you find another great brand or make your own. I'd love to try to make it someday (too bad the Naam is so good at what they do!). Now, let's try making delicious...

...Ginger Miso Tofu with Coconut Rice and Vinegar Steamed Vegetables
Serves 2-3

For this recipe, you'll need:

*1 package firm tofu

*1 chunk of ginger, about two inches long

*2 green onions

*1/2 cup of Naam (or other) miso gravy

*3 cloves garlic

*2 red bell peppers

*2 carrots

*2 cups sugar snap peas (snow peas would work, too)

*1/2 tbsp sesame oil

*1/2 tbsp peanut oil, plus more for cooking

*1 tbsp soy sauce

*1 tbsp brown sugar

*2 tbsp rice vinegar

Note: Please see below for coconut rice recipe. 

To begin, slice the tofu into 10 pieces, like in the photo below. Pat them dry very well, and let them sit on paper towels for at least twenty minutes. Before you cook the tofu slices, pat them dry again. Too much moisture will hinder the cooking process, and since tofu is packed in water...you really need to do your due diligence here. Trust me, I've had many a soggy tofu meal. Not what you want with this recipe!

The knife in this photo was included for the sole reason that I wanted to tell more people how in love I am with it. This knife will seriously change your cooking life. Those little scoops from the blade make cutting anything incredibly smooth and keeps things from sticking to the knife. This means that instead of just crushing cheese or softer vegetables, you slice right through them. It's wonderful. So go buy yourself a knife like this (or get your father-in-law to, like I did)! You won't regret it!

Before I start cooking, I like to chop everything and have all the ingredients ready to go. This keeps me from realizing too late that I didn't leave myself enough time...and keeps my family from eating charcoal. Chop the garlic as finely as you like it. I love garlic in any way, shape, or form, so I leave it pretty big so that I can really taste in when I am eating. If you are more of a garlic-in-the-background person, go ahead and mince it finely. Chop the bell peppers in half, remove the cores and the seeds, and then slice them into long strips. If you're sharing the meal with kids, I'd recommend cutting the strips in half so they can fit the pieces in their little mouths. I like to leave them long if my daughter isn't eating with us. Peel the carrots and slice them into coins. If one end is much thicker than the other, chop the bigger ones in half. The sugar snap peas are ready for you (and so delicious - try not to eat most of them while you're cooking, like I did!). Chop both ends off the green onions, and toss them. Chop the rest of the stalks about the thickness of your finger. While you're at the cutting board, grate the ginger with a microplane or the smallest side of a cheese grater. 

Now would be a good time to start the rice. I used a recipe from About.com, for Easy Thai Coconut Rice. I did make a couple small changes, so I'll put the recipe I used here. The changes I made are tiny and just personal preference, so feel free to use either recipe. 

For the Thai Coconut Rice, you'll need:

*1/2 tsp coconut or other vegetable oil

*2 cups white Jasmine rice (the recipe at About.com provides a brown rice alternative)

*2 1/4 cups Lite Coconut milk 

*1 1/2 cups water 

*2 tbsp unsweetened baking coconut (shredded), plus more for garnish

*1/2 tsp salt

Rub the oil all over the bottom of a saucepan. Add the rice, Coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing burns or gets stuck to the bottom of the pan. When the liquid starts to bubble a little bit, give everything a good stir and put a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Immediately turn the heat down to low, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the rice after the timer goes off, and once most of the liquid has disappeared, turn off the burner. Leave the saucepan on the burner (still off) until you're ready to serve it. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Let's jump back a few steps. After starting the rice, put a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the minced garlic and let it saute without browning for about three minutes. Add the carrots, and wait about three more minutes. Now add the peppers and the sugar snap or snow peas. Give the vegetables a few more minutes to start to soften, and then add the sesame oil, peanut oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. 

Note: These vegetables are steamed in vinegar. This gives them almost a pickled taste. My husband and I like pickles and things like that, and so we enjoy this recipe. If you aren't into tastes like that, with a mild sour kick, skip the rice vinegar, or use an entirely different sauce for the veggies. 

Put a lid on the vegetables. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let them do their own thing while you cook the tofu. If you are going to toast some shredded coconut as a garnish, do it now and reuse the frying pan for the tofu when you're done. It will only take a couple of minutes, and the results are really yummy! Turn a burner on to medium, and put a dry frying pan on it. Add the coconut immediately, and keep a close eye on it. Give the pan a shake once in a while, or stir the coconut. Once the coconut looks like the picture below, wait about thirty seconds and put in in a bowl and leave it to the side. You can sprinkle it on the rice immediately before you're ready to eat. 

Give the frying pan a quick wipe (without burning yourself, please! Make sure you use a dry cloth or paper towel.) and put a tablespoon of peanut oil in it. Heat it on medium heat. Hold your hand about 5 inches above the pan to test the temperature. Once you can feel the warmth coming off the pan, add the grated ginger and the chopped green onion. After about two minutes, add the tofu slices. If you can't fit them all, do it in two batches. Let the tofu cook for about three minutes, and then turn one over. If it starting to become golden and crispy, turn the rest over. Otherwise, flip it back over and give them another two minutes. Once they are a light gold in colour, turn them all over and cook the other side. If you are using Naam Miso Gravy, pour it into a small saucepan and let it heat up over low heat. Stir it as often as possible. If it starts to bubble up, turn the heat down and do not stop stirring. It can burn very easily. Once it is warm, take it off the heat.

Note: If you need to cook the tofu in two (or more) batches, keep a close eye on the ginger and green onion. If they are starting to darken in colour, remove them from the pan and put them to the side.

Once all the tofu is done, the rice and vegetables should be ready as well. Put the vegetables and the rice on the plate. The vegetables shouldn't need any additional sauce from the pan, as they should already be very flavourful. Sprinkle some of the toasted coconut on the rice. Lay the slices of tofu on the plate, and spoon some of the ginger and green onions over them. Pour a tablespoon or two (or eighteen, if you're me) of Naam Miso Gravy on the tofu, and get ready to enjoy delicious Ginger Miso Tofu with Coconut Rice and Vinegar Steamed Vegetables.

xoxo,
Claire

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pesto Sandwiches

Hello! Welcome to Enjoy Delicious...! My name is Claire and I love to cook and try new recipes. I have had a pretty delicious run lately, and I thought that I would share some of them with you! My first recipe is one that I have been making for years, updating it here and there along the way. I had it for lunch today, and took a quick photo of it. Here we go! Let's enjoy delicious...

...Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pesto Sandwiches
Serves 1

For this recipe, you'll need:

*10-15 large basil leaves
*1 tbsp pine nuts (walnuts are a delicious substitute!)
*2 tbsps parmesan cheese, shredded
*1 clove garlic, minced
*olive oil
*salt and pepper
*1 crusty bun
*1/2 a small tomato
*2 slices red onion (optional)
*2 large or 4 small slices of mozzarella cheese

I like to start with the pesto. I use a mini Cuisinart for this, but you can also use a mortar and pestle. If you don't have either, chop everything extremely fine, and mix in a small bowl. There are endless recipes for pesto online, so go ahead and find one that works for you and your kitchen!

Start by roughly chopping the basil, reserving two leaves for the sandwich. Add the pine nuts, parmesan, and garlic. Using either setting (I like to switch back and forth), grind everything into a thick paste. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the parmesan cheese is salty on it's own, so don't overdo the salt. Grind everything up for another ten seconds, and check the consistency. If it is too dry, add a little more oil.

Note: I like a drier pesto for this sandwich, so the sandwich itself doesn't get too oily. I find that store bought pesto is far too oily, but feel free to use it to save some time. Just try to get as little oil as possible on the bun, or it will be pretty messy when you try to eat it!

Set your oven to 500F on the broiler setting. Remember to keep your oven door open a crack. I wouldn't want anyone setting their kitchen on fire!

Slice the bun in half and spread half the pesto on each piece. Put them on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. (Note: I like to save myself a mess later, but the tinfoil is totally optional!) Slice the tomato and arrange two or three pieces on each half. I find they fit better if you take a little bite of every second slice. Or maybe I was just excited to eat the sandwich... :) Put the reserved basil leaves on top of the tomato, followed by the red onion. Top it all with the mozza slices, and pop it in the oven once your broiler is ready. Keep the oven door open a crack. Once the cheese is nice and golden, the sandwiches are ready. Try and wait long enough for them to cool a bit and then enjoy delicious Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pesto Sandwiches!

xoxo,
Claire