WEEK 6: HEALTHY CHICKEN POT PIE

A challenge that I love is taking favorite foods and making them healthy. That's why for week six I wanted to share a healthy take on a comfort food classic. A couple of weeks ago, I got together with my sweet friend Ashley. She had sent me this recipe a while ago and it's been on my "to-make" list ever since. She surprised me at coffee with all of the dry ingredients that I would need to make the pot pie. That is my kind of surprise, the ingredients were perfectly measured making putting this dinner together for our anniversary a snap. Ashley and her husband follow a paleo diet, which if I had to define ours, it would be the same. This pie is gluten-free and absolutely delicious. I topped ours with some grated parmesan and it was heaven!

Chicken Pot Pie from The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook

pre-bake your pie crust as follows:
11/2 cups almond flour (ashley's note: i use Trader Joe's almond meal. it's unblanched so it's less expensive and adds a savory flavor and protein!)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon minced scallions
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon water

combine dry ingredients (including scallions) in a large bowl. in a separate small bowl, whisk oil and water. stir wet ingredients into dry and press into a pie pan. i typically spray mine with a bit of grapeseed or olive oil to prevent sticking. bake for 12-15 minutes (or until golden) at 350.

filling ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons or so grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalked, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (this is a thickening agent)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pre-baked pie crust

heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. saute onion for about 10 minutes and decrease heat a bit. add celery, carrots and salt and cook covered for 10-15 minutes (until tender). add mushrooms and chicken and cook covered until chicken is no longer pink. add in peas and parsley. in a small bowl, whisk the arrowroot powder into the vegetable stock until dissolved. raise the heat under the chicken-veggie mix to high and add then arrowroot mixture. stir constantly for about a minute as the chicken-veg mixture thickens. pour mixture in the the pie crust and top with black pepper (and cheese if you wish!)