Food, Health and Fitness
Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, October 2, 1997 15
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Pot pies are popular...again
Depending on your age, a pot pie can bring to mind
many vivid images. As we think back to our grandmother's
kitchens, the memory of the rich aroma of mingled veg-
etables and baking piecrust makes us feel nostalgic and
hungry. Then came the arrival of frozen food and the little
hockey pucks our mothers popped from their cardboard
boxes and arranged on a cookie sheet to bake in the oven.
Not necessarily a gastronomical experience of the finest
kind, but oh so convenient.
Today we have the best ofll worlds with the availabil-
ity ofpremade piecrust, deli chicken and unequaled good-
ness of fresh, healthy vegetables. Recipes that use all three
colors of onions are rare, but this creative recipe incorpo-
rates red, yellow, and white onions with carrots, mush-
rooms, celery, and bell peppers for a delicious homemade
taste.
Newly released USDA reports show the onion is the
fastest growing vegetab.le in America's diet. Consumption
has increased 55 percent since 1980 to 17.9 pounds per
person. Our commitment to eating a healthier diet while
searching for great taste is one reason for this increase. The
onion's spectrum of flavors is a natural replacement for salt
and unwanted fat in our diet. Reduction of cholesterol and
blood pressure and also cancer fighting properties are
great added benefits to the glorious globes we are begin-
ning to use more creatively.
The new storage onion crop is just arriving in our
markets. The larger sweeter onions are coming from
Idaho/Eastern Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Washington and
California. Smaller, more pungent cooking onions have
their origins in New York, Michigan and Minnesota.
Use this easy-to-prepare recipe to create warm images
for your family to remember. It's the perfect choice for the
busy household that can not always sit clown to dinner
together, as this pot pie loses none of its appeal when
reheated.
Perfect Pot Pie
1/4 cup salted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups quartered mushrooms
1 cup white diced onions
3/4 cup diced red bell lpers
1 cup yellow dicaxt onions
2 cups diced boneless cooked chicken
1 cup red diced onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
213 cup of white flour
SAUCE:
1/4 cup wheat beer
2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
3/4 cup cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 tsp. salt
I Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/8 cut Italian parsley, minced
prepared piecrust
Combine first set of ingredients, except flour, in a large
heavy saucepan. Place over medium high heat and cook for
10 minutes, stirring often. Add flour and stir well to combine
with vegetables. Add sauce ingredients and stir very well.
Bring to simmer, while stirring frequently. Let cook for 10
minutes after coming to a simmer. Place 10 oz. of tilling in
each of six individual baking dishes. Set aside to cool
slightly.
Place prepared pie crust over tops of cooled filing and
crimp around edges to seal. Cut three small slits into the top
to let steam escape while baking. When pies are prepared,
place in pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 15-20
minutes until crust is browned. Serve immediately or cool
then re-beat in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until hot.
While reheating you may need to cover loosely with foil to
prevent burning the crust. Makes six servings.
Cutting an onion
Now that we are all using onions more frequently, here is a great tip from the National Onion Association
on how to cut an onion without shedding a tear.
1. Refrigerate an onion a few hours before cutting. Cut the top off first.
2. Peel down outer onion skin.
3. Leave root end (bottom)* intact while cutting.
* The sulfuric compounds that combine with the water in our eyes and creat a mild form of sulfuric acid causing
tears are concentrated at the root end. Keeping the root end intact reduces the release ofthese compounds and
eliminates tears.
