Chicken potpie the Latin way!

Cold winter days call for tasty comfort food, but they need to be easy to prepare. On top of my list is “chicken potpie” because they please the entire family and they are simple to prepare. I like to give a Latin American twist to my flaky and buttery individual potpies. I have a recipe that is nothing like your grandmother’s chicken potpie:

Puffy Chicken Potpies

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1 teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon

1 pound of chicken breast, boneless and skinless

1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ cup of red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of chicken stock

½ cup of fresh carrots, chopped

_1/3 of green peas, thawed and drained

1 small can (8oz) of pure tomato sauce

½ can of hearts of palm, drained

1 ¼ cup of kennel corn, thawed and drained

¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.

Preheat the oven to 425⁰F. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the chicken. Cook chicken in medium heat for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and red onion and stir. Season chicken with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Stir and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, corn, green peas and carrots. Lower the heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the hearts of palm (about 1 inch thick). Add parsley and hearts of palm and gently toss to combine. Remove from heat and keep it warm.

In a lightly floured surface, unfold and roll puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Divide the chicken filling among four 8-ounce individual casseroles. Place a square of puff pastry on top of each casserole.

Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust and puffed and golden.

It is Olive time!

I have always been a big fan of olives! When I was small girl my dad use to take me to the city's only Deli & Imports store to taste and buy olives and I was excited to go every single time! Sometimes I was so anxious to try all the different kinds of olives that I would put 2 or 3 in my mouth at the same time – it caused me swallow a couple of pits but it was worthy!

I like olives so much that I am always trying to incorporate them in my dishes. Today, I want to share with you two recipes that can be great life-savers when you are planning a party:

Tapenade

Ingredients

2 cups of Kalamata olives, pitted and drained

1/3 cup of green olives, pitted and drained

1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped

½ cup of sweet roasted peppers

1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

2 large leaves of fresh Basil, roughly chopped

¼ cup of olive oil

Ground black pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until you obtain the desired consistency. Put the tapenade in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion.

Use it in dips, savory tarts and appetizers or as a spread for sandwiches and bruschettas.

Light Olive Dip

 Ingredients:

15oz (1 container) of ricotta cheese

Tapenade

In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese and homemade tapenade. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Preserve it covered in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Serve it with crackers or small toasts.

If you don’t have time to make your homemade tapenade, you can use an entire jar of store-bought tapenade to make this quick and tasty dip.

Bon Appetite!