Crumbly Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

I find that, with children, the same food presented two different ways can lead to two different results.  Preschoolers are more apt to dig into a bowl of food rather than a slice of pie.  For that reason, I serve all of my pies bowl style.  The crust is crumbled into the filling and makes it even yummier. In this recipe, sweet potato adds extra nutritional value to the dish and can be used in addition to or in lieu of the white ones. 

When baking the pie crust, a few small pieces may be cut out using mini cookie cutters or fondant molds and can be added as decorative finish as seen in the picture below.  The tiny cutouts need about 6 minutes of baking, turning over after 4 minutes.

Crumbly Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

2 Refrigerator pie shells

2 15-oz can low sodium chicken broth, divided

12 oz. boneless chicken breast, cut to 1/4 inch dice

1 large clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup carrots, diced to 1/4 inch cubes

1 1/4 cup sweet potato, diced to 1/4 inch cubes OR

3/4 cup each of sweet and regular potato, diced to 1/4 inch cubes   

1/2 cup finely diced onion

2/3 cup frozen or canned peas

2 tsp. (2 packs) sodium free chicken bouillon

1/8 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. ground oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. golden flaxseed
1/2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. cornstarch

Preheat oven.  Unroll pie shells on a cookie sheet and bake according to package instructions.   Remove and cool on rack.  Reserve 1/2 cup of chicken broth in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large pot on medium, add oil.  Stir in onion, minced garlic, sweet potato, and carrots.  Cover and allow to sweat for 5 minutes, stirring twice.  Increase heat to medium high and add white potato (if using), chicken bouillon, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, flaxseed, soy sauce, and the unreserved broth.  Loosely cover and allow to come to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in chicken and peas.  Increase heat to medium high and allow come to a boil.  Whisk together cornstarch and reserved chicken broth and stir into pot until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  When ready to serve, crumble a handful of crust and stir into pie filling.

Cheesy Spinach Layered Biscuits

This recipe transforms ordinary store bought refrigerated biscuits into something a little more special for kids.  With the addition of spinach and flaxseeds for nutrients and cheese for extra yummy factor, these biscuits are a great snack or side.

I came up with this recipe a number of years ago to get spinach into my family and daycare children’s diet.  It is still one our sneaky food favorites today.

Cheesy Spinach Layered Biscuits

1 can flaky refrigerated biscuits

1 1/4 cup frozen cut spinach leaves

1 1/4 cup shredded pizza cheese

2 tsp. ground flaxseed meal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place frozen spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Place in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds.  Wrap in a clean, dry towel or layers of paper towels and squeeze dry.  Separate and fluff spinach using fingertips.

Separate biscuit into three layers.

Reassembled biscuit.

Separate each biscuit into three layers.  Sprinkle flaxseed on all.  Add a thin coating of spinach to two layers.  Sprinkle cheese on all layers.  Stack the spinach layers on top of each other.  Top with the third layer (without the spinach).  Repeat these steps for all 8 biscuits.

Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 – 17 minutes.

Fish in a Bowl

Kids I know who don't eat fish like this dish.  Why?  Because it looks unassuming so they are not afraid to try it.  Once they have taken a bite, they realize that it really does taste good.  Every child who eats rice has eaten this dish for me.  Using a mild white fish allows it to blend into the rice, introducing children to the flavor of fish without it being overpowering.  Increase the amount of fish as the child acquires a taste for it.

When it comes to cooking rice, in my opinion, the best way is to use a rice cooker.  It’s foolproof!  But, there were times that I wanted to challenge myself by making it from scratch.  It has always proven to be a gamble, often times with disastrous results…too crunchy, too dry, too wet, or too sticky.  I finally figured the method that worked best for me.  The trick is to use a heavy bottom pan with a tight fitting lid and just the right amount of heat.

Fish in a Bowl

 4 oz. haddock, pat dried

1/8 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 cup uncooked rice

2 cups water

1 tsp. olive oil

1 generous tbsp. margarine

Salt to taste

Bring water to a hard boil.  Turn heat down to medium low to low range.  Add rice and stir for 30 seconds.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  DO NOT OPEN LID!  Turn off heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes, and fluff with a fork. 

Combine flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder on a plate.  Dredge fish in flour mixture and pat off excess.  Heat a small frying pan on medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add fish and sear till golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side depending on thickness. 

Flake fish into fine pieces using two forks.  Stir into rice.  Season with margarine and salt to taste.

Yummy Black Bean Brownie

My sister introduced me to the black bean brownie during one of her visits from Colorado.  It was delicious, but more suited for the adult taste palate, so I played around with the recipe until I achieved the texture and flavor more suited for children.  

The recipe below has both regular and low sugar options.  My sweetener of choice is White Stevia Powder.  To make a low sugar brownie, I use a combination of sugar and Stevia.

The first time I served this to a test group of children, four out of four ate it and three asked for more.  My teenage son who won’t eat beans, except for green beans, asks for this brownie!

Yummy Black Bean Brownie

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 eggs

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup sugar or

1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp. Stevia powder

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup ripe mashed banana

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tbsp. decorative sprinkles

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 8” x 8” baking pan.

Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips and sprinkles in a food processor until smooth.  Pour 2/3 of batter into pan, sprinkle on chocolate chips, and cover chips with remaining 1/3 of batter.  Bake for 18 minutes, remove from oven, and add decorative sprinkles on top.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  Cool completely, best when allowed to sit a few hours before serving.  Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter, optional.  Store refrigerated.

Note:

To make this recipe even lighter, replace eggs with 3/4 cup egg substitute.  Increase baking time 2-4 minutes.