Vegan Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Pot Pie

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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To be honest – I prepped this thing a few months ago & it has been sitting in the freezer – uncooked – ever since.  I did this because this recipe makes enough for TWO full-sized pot pies.  So – cut everything in half – if you only want to make one.  Or – do what I did.  Make two pies & freeze one for later.

Vegan Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Pot Pie

Makes TWO pot pies

INGREDIENTS

4 pre-made vegan pie crusts – for the top & bottom of two pies

9 oz vegan chicken – cubed (I always use Beyond Meat)

5 TBS vegan butter

1 onion – diced

1/2 lb mushrooms – chopped

4 carrots – diced

3 small potatoes – cubed

4 celery stalks – chopped

1 cup peas

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups almond/soy/or other vegan milk

2 TBS fresh thyme – chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp dry thyme)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dry rosemary – chopped

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 TBS butter & saute the onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery & potatoes over medium heat – stirring often.  After about 5 minutes – add the thyme, oregano & rosemary, bay leaves & the stock.   Bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer & cook it down util the vegetables are soft & most of the stock boils away.

Meanwhile – melt the remaining 5 TBS butter over medium heat in a stock pot & whisk in the flour.  Once that is combined & thick – SLOWLY add the milk – in small increments – stirring the entire time.  Whisk continuously – until the roux is thick.

Stir the roux into the vegetables & add the peas & cubed chicken.  Simmer until it is thickened & then remove the bay leaves.  Season with S&P.

Press the crusts into two pie pans & divide the filling between them.  Top the pies with remaining crusts & pinch the edges closed.  Perforate the top with a knife of fork so steam can vent.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is the color you desire.  Mine wasn’t browning so I rubbed vegan butter on top & it helped a bit.

If you are freezing one (or both) of the pies – try to prep the edges tucked into the pan – like mine above.  That way there is no fragile rim to get crushed in the freezer.  Wrap tightly in foil & freeze.  You might want to write the date on the foil – so you can keep track of when you froze it.  To cook it – let it thaw & then just bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.  If you do not have time to thaw it – heat oven to 425 degrees, place the pie on a baking sheet, cover edges loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown

When your pie is cooked – let it rest at least ten minutes before cutting into it.

Vegan Chicken Salad Wraps

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Yeah, kids!  That’s my book!  Read the REVIEWS!  Pretty flattering!  Why not read it yourself?

And now – more amazing vegan fare!  I was never a big fan of real chicken salad but man – I loved this stuff!  Honestly – try it on a friend without telling them it is vegan.  I bet they never notice!  Easy, clean & cool.  Good for on top of a salad or wrapped in a tortilla or some butter lettuce.  Yummy & guiltless – and cruelty-free!   And know – almost all animal products involve suffering for some animal.  Even the cheeses & butter I use.  Hence my tapering off them.  And if you want to see some cows, literally jumping for joy – watch this video!  Then print the coupon I shared below – multiple times – and fleece your local for a free package every time you shop there.  I do!

 

 

VEGAN CHICKEN SALAD

Serves 2 in wraps

INGREDIENTS

9 oz vegan chicken

2 celery stalks – diced small

1/4 red bell pepper – diced small

1/8 red onion – diced small

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Stone Ground mustard (or 2 tsp of whatever nice mustard you have)

Parsley – minced

S&P

Lettuce

Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

I didn’t even let the frozen chicken thaw.  I just cut it into cubes and, by the time everything else came together, it was perfectly thawed.

Cube the chicken & prepare the other veggies.

Mix all the ingredients up.

S&P to taste.  And that is it, kiddies!  Now – either eat it from the bowl or wrapped in lettuce or a tortilla or other wrapping device.  Then, shove this badass shit in your face & head out onto the town looking for chickens you can stare down with your guilt-free conscience & your chicken-free breath.  Then go home & love yourself a little.  Even in a dirty way – if the mood strikes you.  You’ve earned it!

 

Vegan Pasta with Celery, Chickpeas, Lemon & Parsley

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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If you read my blog with any regularity, you know two things.  One – that I wrote a novel that is getting great reviews on Amazon!  www.BathingBook.com

And two – that I think both celery & parsley get short shrift.  I think they are both bursting with fresh flavor & add a great deal to dishes in which they are used – but they are typically written off as garnish.  So – this dish is my homage to the two.  Easy & clean & fresh-tasting.  An easy dish that can be whipped together very quickly.

I added the dried lemon zest seen here –

because I had some left over from my Brussels Sprouts & Burrata Pizza with Pecorino & Dried Meyer Lemon Zest.

It is completely unnecessary.  Regular lemon zest is terrific, quicker & more flavorful.

I used a lot of crushed red pepper because, well, that’s just what I do.  I add lots of it to nearly everything.  I have found, however, that different brands (and ages) of the stuff can have wildly different levels of heat.  So – always start slow & add it incrementally.

Pasta with Celery, Lemon & Parsley

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta of your choice

1 cup cooked chick peas – drained

1/4 cup or more Parsley – chopped – plus more for garnish

4 stalks celery – sliced diagonally (if the celery has leafy parts – you can chop these as garnish)

3 garlic cloves – chopped

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – or to taste

1-2 TBS lemon zest

1 shallot – diced

Olive oil

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cook your pasta according to directions & drain.

Meanwhile, boil another pot of water deep enough to hold the sliced stalks of celery.  Add a bit of salt & blanch the celery for a minute or two then drain, rinse under cold water & set aside.

Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat.  Add the shallots & cook until tender – a few minutes.  Add the chick peas & celery & maybe a pinch of chopped parsley & heat through.  Add the garlic & crushed red pepper & 1/4 cup or more of chopped parsley & saute another minute.

Add the pasta & stir to combine.  Add the lemon zest & season to taste with S&P.  Serve with additional parsley and, if you have them, the chopped leafy parts of the celery.  Season with a squeeze of lemon, if you like, or maybe some additional crushed red pepper.  And don’t be shy with the SALT (another villainized (sp?) ingredient) and pepper!  Eat it up & admit that parsley & celery are unsung heroes and promise to be nicer to them forevermore!

Buffalo Cauliflower Sliders with Celery Slaw & Blue Cheese Crumbles

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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First things first!  My debut novel was released this week.  Here is the cover.

Here is the synopsis:

BATHING & THE SINGLE GIRL is the smutty, mercilessly irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny debut novel by actress Christine Elise McCarthy.  Inspired by her one-woman short film of the same name, it’s the kind of novel Jonathan Ames might write if he’d dropped out of college and had been working as an actress in Hollywood for the last 20 years.

The life of an actress in LA isn’t all glamour, money, and bedding rock stars.  Sometimes it’s more about humiliation, red wine hangovers, and the bad decisions they fuel.  Ruby Fitzgerald has barely worked in years, not that anyone remembers her for anything but her short stint on a long-canceled but iconic TV show.  But that was back when her career prospects seemed on the upswing — longer ago that Ruby cares to admit, and awkward sex with regrettable partners is doing nothing to take the edge off. Everything once functional in her house is going on strike, but the unemployment checks barely cover the mortgage, and a self-respecting girl needs to be able to pay her bar tab — so repairs are on hold.  One more bubble bath and a few more cocktails.  A gal can always get responsible tomorrow.

With everything mounting against her, a cranky and increasingly despairing Ruby will have to find out if her life’s larger indignities are the result of bad luck, or a chronically bad attitude.  What follows is a walking tour of the hilarious depths you can sink to if you stop exercising your best judgment.

Check out the web site & buy the book!  It is available online at Amazon & Barnes and Noble etc.  http://www.bathingandthesinglegirlbook.com/

That said – I made these sliders today & I am in love!  Spicy & crunchy & creamy – all at once!  They come together in the time it takes to roast the cauliflower – which is about 20 minutes.  If you are vegan – I guess you have to lose the blue cheese crumbles but the slaw can easily be made vegan by subbing the blue cheese dressing with vegan mayonnaise.  Yum!

Buffalo Cauliflower Sliders with Celery Slaw & Blue Cheese Crumbles

Makes about 4 sliders (depending on the size of your veggies)

1/2 head cauliflower – cut into 3/4 inch slices

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup grated carrots

2 TBS blue cheese dressing plus extra for drizzling (or a vegan mayo)

Buffalo sauce – I used Frank’s Red Hot

Blue Cheese – crumbled (omit for a vegan variety)

Slider buns

S&P to taste

Scallions – sliced

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.  Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper.  Arrange the sliced cauliflower on it & smother with Buffalo sauce.  Roast for ten minutes, flip the cauliflower, add additional Buffalo sauce & roast another 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the carrots, celery & blue cheese dressing (or vegan mayo) & season with S&P.

When the cauliflower is done, simply assemble the sliders.  I topped the bottom bun with the slaw & then cauliflower, blue cheese crumbles & sliced scallions.  I drizzled a bit of blue cheese dressing & Buffalo sauce on them, topped them with the bun tops & ate them like they were going out of style!

Vegan Puree of Celery Root Soup with Jalapeno & Caramelized Balsamic Pears

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

~

All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

~

This is a VERY easy soup to make.  The caramelized balsamic pears REALLY make it, too, so do not skip them.  They come together very fast & will impress your neighbors immensely.

I drizzled a little olive oil on this soup – which isn’t necessary but it looks pretty & gave me a chance to try my Rosemary & Crushed Red Pepper Infused Olive Oil.

I must say, the oil has been brewing since June 6th & is still only VERY subtly infused.  Maybe I should muddle the herbs & spices a bit?  I don’t know.  I will experiment.

But this soup!  Healthy & delicious!  This makes quite a lot of soup so be prepared for leftovers. These sorts of soups age well in the fridge over a day or two – but they often need a bit of water added in the reheating, sometimes quite a lot.  So – don’t be afraid to add as much water as you need to get it to your desired consistency.

Vegan Puree of Celery Root Soup with Jalapeno & Caramelized Balsamic Pears

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS + 1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion – chopped

4 celery stalks – chopped & then divided into two portions

1 leek – sliced (white part only)

2 garlic cloves – chopped

3 celery root (about baseball size) – peeled WELL (get all that rough brown & hair off!) & diced

2 medium potatoes – cubed

2 jalapenos – seeded & chopped

4 Bosc pears – peeled & seeded

7 cups vegetable stock

S&P to taste

4 TBS honey

2-4 large rosemary sprigs (more for garnish – if you like)

2 TBS quality balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Heat the honey in a saute pan over med-high heat.  When bubbly, add TWO (reserving the other two) of the pears & the rosemary sprigs to the honey and, stirring constantly, cook until the honey is almost cooked off & the pears are soft & beginning to brown.

Add the balsamic & cook for another minute or two – being very careful not to burn the glaze.   Carefully (that glaze will burn you!) transfer to a bowl & set aside.  Soak your pan immediately.  That honey-balsamic glaze is HOT & will become like cement fast.

If you like a 100% pureed soup – skip this step.  I like a little bit of something in there to chew.  Heat 1 tsp olive oil & saute HALF the sliced celery stalks to the oil & saute until soft – without browning.  Maybe 2-3 minutes.  Drain on paper towels & set aside.

Be sure you have removed all the brown & coarse, hairy bits from the celery root.  Otherwise, you will be spitting what feels like hairballs into your napkin later.  Not fun.  Or pretty.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add the jalapenos, onion, the remaining half of the sliced celery (or ALL of it – if you are skipping the step above) & the leek.  Saute until soft but not browned.  Add the garlic for a few seconds then add the potato, celery root, the remaining two pears & all the stock.  Bring to a rapid boil then reduce heat & simmer about twenty-thirty minutes or until everything is very tender.

When the vegetables are tender either use a blender (immersion or otherwise) or a food processor to puree the soup until it is very smooth.  Add more water if it is too thick for your taste.  If you sauteed the 2 celery stalks, add those to the puree now.  Add S&P to taste.

When ready to serve, discard the rosemary from the pears, heat the puree & then pour some into bowls & top with about 1 TBS of the caramelized balsamic pears & maybe a sprig of fresh rosemary.   Drizzle with olive oil (infused, if you have it) & add some fresh cracked pepper & go to town!