Next time with mashed potatoes

As I made dinner last week, I tried to brainstorm things to do with leftover mashed potatoes.  It seemed like I had a lot of extra, especially with meatloaf and broccoli also on the menu.  Shepherd's pie includes mashed potatoes, I think, but my cookbook didn't have a recipe for that.  The only thing in the index under "Pies, savory" that involved this ingredient was chicken pot pie with a mashed potato crust.

Salivating at the thought of crusty, oven-browned potatoes, I decided to tackle a homemade pot pie the next night.  Unfortunately, there were fewer leftover potatoes than I had thought there would be, so we went the route of a traditional crust.  Still, it came out pretty well and was actually not very difficult.

Steve and I merged recipes from two different cookbooks and added a few of our own touches.  Here's my best approximation of what we did.  And, next time, we are going to try it with the potatoes.

1. Cook 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in boiling water.  Remove, let cool, shred into pieces, and set aside.
2. Simmer 4 c. chicken broth (or cooking liquid + bouillon) until reduced by about half for about 2 cups.
3. Meanwhile, sautee diced vegetables in oil: 1 large onion, 3-4 carrots, 3-4 celery stalks, 4 cloves garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once vegetables begin to soften, add 1/3 c. flour and reduce heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning.  Cook for a few minutes until mixture turns tan.
5. Add broth and 2/3 cup milk (or half and half), heating until just barely boiling.  Stir constantly.  Mixture will thicken.
6. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning.  Stir in chicken pieces and frozen peas and/or thawed frozen green beans.
7. In ungreased oblong baking dish, layer store-bought (like Pillsbury) pie crust on the bottom (optional - can just use one crust on top).  Brush lightly with beaten egg.
8. Add filling and top with a second pie crust, brushing top with beaten egg.  (If using mashed potatoes, top the filling with a layer and omit the egg.  Use the same baking time).
9. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for about 35 - 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

If I could fly, like birds on high

Seemingly immediately after writing about how much I liked snow despite myself, we were hit with our second huge blizzard of the winter, followed a few days after by our third.  People have been calling it by all kinds of corny names like "snowpocalypse" and "snowmageddon."

This onslaught of snow has, at once, marooned us in the house, transformed Safeway into a mob scene, made street parking a cutthroat battle with the neighbors, and turned deadlines at work completely upside down.  It has been inconvenient and annoying and, particularly considering of tomorrow's potentially snowy forecast, I do not really want any more this season.  Yet I stand by my previous post.  Snow is almost magical in its ability to beautify the dreary winter cityscape and engender a sense of adventure and camaraderie amongst friends and strangers alike.  And, for that, I am grateful.

In between watching a marathon of old Lost episodes with Steve and shoveling lots and lots of snow, I've been listening to this song.  It's majestic sounding, yet slightly whimsical, and it fits my mood this past week or so pretty well.  The lyrics are in French, but they pay homage to the fickle, entrancing characteristics of the sea (and are completely different than those of the English version featured in lounge singers' repertoires and in the end credits of the movie Finding Nemo).