Whole Foods Friday: Comfort Food (Part 1)

It's that time of year, isn't it? No, I don't mean the holidays that are rapidly approaching. Not quite. And I don't mean cold weather, either, although that's sort of related.

What I mean is comfort food potluck season. In the summer, it's barbecue-style potlucks. But now it's about bringing comforting foods foods, whether it's for a family gathering or an office party, or a get-together with neighbors. Main dish, side dish, or dessert, these recipes will get you through the events in style.

And to keep these from being too ridiculously long, I've made each recipe its own post.

First up - right here - is a chicken and turkey pie - a hearty and homey main dish. In the next post is a baked bean recipe for those parties where you need to bring a side dish. Last, there's cheesecake.

When I was a kid, my mom wasn't a big fan of convenience foods. But every once in a while she relented and bought one of my favorite things - pot pies. I wasn't fond of the beef pot pies, but I loved both the chicken and turkey pot pies.

When mom made chicken, it was usually roasted. And turkeys were for Thanksgiving. The idea of cut up bits of chicken or turkey in a sauce was something different, and that made it appealing. And as a kid, eating pie for dinner was a plus.

Later, I learned about different kinds of dinner-worthy pies, like shepherd's pie. This poultry pie is a combination of those two ideas, with a chicken and turkey filling like the pot pies I loved so much, and a potato topping like shepherd's pie. But of course, that's not enough of a twist. I didn't use white potatoes for the topping - oh no, I went for sweet potatoes, for a brilliant pop of color.

This can be made ahead of time and assembled and reheated just before serving. And if you don't care for sweet potatoes? Sure, you could use white potatoes. Or serve this over rice or noodles, if you prefer.

Chicken and Turkey "Shepherd's" Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 turkey tenderloin, cut in 1-inch cubes
4 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 celery stalks cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large onion - cut in large dice
1 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 pound mushrooms, halved or quartered
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup frozen peas
Kernels from 2 cobs fresh corn
1/2 cup cream or milk (optional)
2 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat - a cast iron dutch oven is perfect. Brown the chicken and turkey on all sides. You might need to do this in several batches, depending on the size of your pan - you don't want to crowd the pieces. When the chicken is browned all sided, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Add the carrots, celery, onions, and salt. Lower the heat to medium and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook, stirring as needed, until the water has just about cooked out. Add the mushrooms and thyme and continue cooking, stirring as needed to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. When the liquid is cooked out, add the flour and stir until it has coated the vegetables and you don't see any dry bits of flour any more.

Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are fork-tender - about 15 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the carrots. Add the peas and corn. Add the chicken back to the pot. Stir in the cream.

Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes. The easiest way is to poke them a few times with a fork and microwave until tender. Or, if you prefer, roast them. When they're done, scoop the flesh out, put it in a bowl, and add the butter and a pinch of salt. Mash - or if you prefer a smoother puree, blend with a stick blender. transfer the potatoes to a pastry bag fitted with your preferred tip, or to a zip-top plastic bag with one corner snipped off.

Portion the chicken mixture into individual serving containers and top with a border of the sweet potatoes.

If you prefer, you can serve this family-style from a larger serving bowl.

See this page for information about Whole Foods Friday.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Vegetables

I like to keep a few things on hand that I can cook quickly when I'm pressed for time, and for sure shrimp is one of those things. Every once in a while it's on sale, frozen, so I'll pick up a bag and stash it for when I need it.

Unlike a steak or roast, shrimp thaws quickly, so you don't have to plan very far ahead. Pull them out of the freezer, put them in a bowl with some cold water, and let them rest in the refrigerator while you prep everything else, and they'll be ready to cook when you're done. And if you're really in a hurry, you can thaw them under cold running water.

Lately I've been paying a lot more attention the the country of origin for seafood. I'm not saying I won't buy anything that isn't from the US, but there are some countries that I prefer not to buy seafood from.

In this recipe the radicchio is all about the color. The pop of purple is nice. If you don't have any on hand, don't worry about it.

Stir-Fried Shrimp and Vegetables

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sherry or rice wine
1 small zucchini, cut in matchsticks or julienned
1 small yellow squash, cut in matchsticks or julienned
1/4 cup thinly sliced radicchio

Sprinkle the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes and set aside while you heat the oil in a wok or frying pan.

When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onion and pepper and stir fry until they just begin to soften, then add the shrimp and the sherry or rice wine. Stir fry a few moments, then add the zucchini and yellow squash.

When the shrimp is just barely done, add the radicchio, give it a quick stir, and transfer to a serving bowl.

I served mind with rice that was cooked with a pinch of saffron - plain white rice is fine.

These vanilla cookies aren't plain vanilla

Holidays are creeping up, and that means a few things. First, the weather is getting much more conducive for baking. And second, there are a lot of new cookbooks coming out, just in time to get on your Christmas shopping list - or your own wishlist.

When those two things combine, it means one thing: I'm going to be trying some brand new baking recipes.

I got a review copy of Dolci Italy's Sweets from the publisher and I browsed through it looking for something different to make. I almost decided on making biscotti.- the recipe looked interesting because it included vin santo, and Italian dessert wine.

But then I saw a recipe for vanilla cookies. It was intriguing.

Okay, vanilla cookies might not sound all that intriguing, but there was one ingredient in there that I've never used in cookies, and that was enough to steer me to this recipe.

The secret special ingredient? Egg yolks. But not just ANY egg yolks. This one uses cooked egg yolks.

I've never - ever - ever seen cooked egg yolks used in a recipe before. I had to try it.

The result? These cookies have a very distinct vanilla flavor and fine crumbly texture so the sort of collapse when you chew. These would be a great addition to the Christmas cookie tray.

Vanilla Cookies
Adapted from Dolci Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan

5 hard-cooked egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
14 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (7 ounce) all purpose flour
Confectioner's sugar, jam, or melted butter (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the cooked egg yolk and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the butter and process until creamy. Add the cornstarch and vanilla and pulse until combined. Add the flour and pulse again until just combined - don't overprocess.

Pinch off bits of dough and roll then into 1/2 in balls. Arrange them on the prepared sheets. Press down gently in the center of the ball to flatten the balls and make a little divot. Place the sheets in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up the dough.

Bake at 325 for 20 minutes - the cookies should be dry to the touch, but they will still be light in color.

Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets - they are very fragile when they're warm. Serve plain, or dust with powdered sugar. Or, if you like fill the divots with a bit of jam or melted chocolate.