Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

It was Valentine's week, and all I could think of were three little words.

Chicken. Pot. Pie.

The first six weeks of 2010 are showing signs of a Comfort Food Renaissance here at the Bite Me Kitchen: Hearty soups, savory pastas, a sandwich, fish tacos... so it was only natural to continue the trend.

Rose and I both admit our comfort food addiction, but we remain wary of the sky-high fat and calorie count of our favorite buttery-bready-cheesy treats. Check out Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie, weighing in at a whopping 550 calories per serving!

Wait a second, that doesn't sound like much... Ohhhhhh... There are TWO servings in ONE pie?!

Right there in black and white: 1,100 calories for the whole pie. Who's this mysterious half-pie eater, you ask? We shared a chair lift once when I was snowboarding with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, and I never saw him again. Those of us who live in reality know that whole pie gets cooked and eaten by a party of ONE. There will be no, repeat, NO SHARING.

To make a long story short, the US RDA nutritional info for any item is based on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet. The offending pot pie consumes half that, and tips the scales at 105% of your daily fat allowance. I just can't justify that kind of splurge for what's basically a TV dinner. Our re-imagined Lighter Chicken Pot Pie explodes with pan-roasted vegetable flavor and sports a flaky phyllo crust that satisfies without breaking the calorie bank. A sneaky blend of low-fat ricotta and non-fat yogurt stands in for blubberizing heavy cream, and a hearty serving of nutrient-rich vegetables bring you comfort food that won't leave you feeling guilty.


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 medium carrot, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup celery diced
• 16 pearl onions, blanched and peeled
• 1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered
• 2 Tbsp parsley, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• salt and cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup sherry (we used Amontillado that was on-hand. Marsala will also work for a sweeter touch)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• Cream Substitute: 1/2 cup non fat ricotta blended with 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (whisk until smooth, let stand a few hours for best results)
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 cup poached chicken, shredded (about 1 large breast)
• egg white, lightly beaten
• thyme, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400'
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter over medium heat, saute garlic and shallot until translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Add all vegetables (except peas) and 1 Tbsp olive oil if needed.
4. Pan-roast vegetables, covered with lid, tossing occasionally until golden browned
5. Add 1/2 cup sherry and deglaze pan until most liquid is gone.
6. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour, stirring continuously to coat vegetables.
7. Add chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper (to taste).
8. Simmer and reduce 10 minutes.
9. Add chicken, fold in peas and parsley and remove from heat.
10. Stir in lemon zest, cream substitute and Gruyere cheese.
11. Divide filling between 4 - 8oz ramekins or oven proof casserole dishes (or mugs, bowls, whatever, as long as they're oven safe!).
12. Lay out puff pastry and divide into 4 equal squares. Dock pastry all over (poke holes with fork) so that the pastry doesn't inflate too much.
13. Top each ramekin with 1 square puff pastry, stretching to cover and crimping the sides down with fingers.
14. Brush top of pastry with lightly beaten egg white.
15. Bake, rotating if necessary for even baking, until puff pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
16. Sprinkle with thyme & serve!

LEFOTVERS: These were awesome the next day. We baked all 4, then allowed 2 to cool to room temperature and placed them in the refrigerator uncovered. We reheated in a 300' oven for 15 minutes the next day and they were PERFECT!