chicken pot pie

J and I were lying in bed, talking last night. Talking about life. Talking about our three little ones and how truly amazing it is to watch them grow and evolve into the people they will be one day. Talking about how much we love being able to guide them and watch as they go through life and figure things out on their own. It dawned on us that Em, the oldest, is a complete mini-me. In a lot of ways. Which, actually is kind of weird to see yourself in someone else. Cool-weird, though. But, she has this amazing spirit and kind soul that is all her own.

Then there's the baby. (Ok, she's not a baby anymore, but we'll always call her the baby, so she'll just have to learn to deal with it.) B is exactly like Daddy. Exactly. She's fiesty, headstrong, knows what she wants and goes after it. She also does not need all those hugs and kisses we give that gorgeous baby, as her brother affectionately refers to her. She loves her family, is the life of the party, and is clearly the most independent out of all three.

Hudson, my only sweet boy, is a complete mixture of us both. In every way, we can  see a blend of our two personalities come together. The best of both, actually, wrapped up in this inquisitive, loving-spirited, little boy. We parents, I'm sure can all agree, are given the greatest - and toughest - of all gifts in raising little minds and hearts to become great people.

This got me thinking. Life changes. People develop and grow. Situations transform into new circumstances. Sometimes you know where you're going and you know how to get there, but sometimes you stumble along the way. Not really certain of the destination or the plan. And, in my mind, that is totally ok. Life is about the journey, not about having it all figured out. I don't need to have all the answers, I just need to take comfort in what I do know and embrace what I don't. The one thing I know for certain, is that as long as I have my family to love and nurture and feed, it doesn't matter what comes along my way, good or bad, because I already have the greatest there is.

Chicken Pot pie

serves 4 *made 6 large servings for me

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen, or canned peas (2 cups)

1 ½ cups frozen small whole onions (I substituted celery to use what I had)

½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup vegetable shortening

¼ pound cold unsalted butter, diced

½ to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

*To make it a little easier, I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I recommend making the pastry first and let it rest in the fridge while you prepare the filling.