So I was in Swerve last Friday – a full-page photo thanks to the exceptionally wonderful and talented Bryce Meyer, who came and hung out and talked about Nepal and new parenthood and 80s music and skateboarding when you’re old enough to be the dad of most kids at the skate park – and there really is no way to bring it up here without coming across as HEY, CHECK ME OUT! I’M IN A MAGAZINE! Which I really don’t mean to do. But the bottom line is I’ve been getting a ton of feedback on it – about half my traffic callers yesterday and today actually had no traffic complaints and really called to tell me they loved my story (which of course I love to hear – I was a total wreck last weekend trying to write this in chunks, playing literary ping pong with the editor, and work on the Blog Aid book at the same time, and when it came out in print and was distributed throughout the city in every issue of the Herald as well as assorted coffee shops and other places where people grab reading materials it was a little like the time some kid stole my underwear in the locker room and ran through the school with it). And so I thought you might like to see it.
So here it is (although it looks like it was renamed Results May Vary – *Results Not Typical is, of course, the disclaimer attached to the bottom of virtually any diet program-based weight loss success story with an asterisk.) Have a read, if you’re so inclined. (Warning: it doesn’t include any recipes. Wait, yes it does… there’s a recipe for roasted salmon over apple slaw that’s really part of another health-related piece – the story should end with: As the late, great, food writer Laurie Colwin once wrote, “It is not just the Great Works of mankind that make a culture. It’s the daily things, like what people eat and how they serve it.”) So true, don’t you think?
Have I mentioned yet that one of my goals this year is to bring back Sunday dinner? I haven’t managed it yet, but I’m totally on it. (It’s the thought that counts, right?)
I do love the idea of a big bustling Sunday dinner. So when Good Bite and Campbell’s Kitchen asked 5 of us food blogging types to come up with a “Sunday Supper” idea using Campbell’s Condensed “Great for Cooking” soups, I agreed – if I win, I’ll be able to donate $1,000 to the Calgary Inter-faith Food Bank, who has seen a significant increase in demand this year. And of course for every $1 donated, the Food Bank can distribute $4 worth of food. (41% of their clients are children.) It’s a great cause, and I try to do whatever I can to support it.
So I came up with a simple pot pie recipe (and called it a cobbler because it’s topped with cheesy biscuits instead of mashed potatoes or pastry – it’s all in the branding, right?) made easy with any number of creamy soups – I like the lower fat, lower sodium ones. Total comfort food. This makes great use of leftover roast chicken or turkey (any meat roasted on the bone is more flavourful than, say, skinless, boneless chicken breasts cooked on their own) and any number of veg – load it up!
Roast Chicken or Turkey Cobbler with Cheese Biscuits
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (keep the leaves, too!)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 can 98% Fat Free Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off and chopped or shredded, or about 4 cups chopped leftover turkey
1/2-1 cup frozen peas
Biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 cup grated old cheddar or Gouda or 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
In a large, heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the butter and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, then the vegetables start to turn golden. Sprinkle with flour and thyme and cook for another minute.
Stir in the can of soup along with a can full of water, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened. (If it’s too thick, stir in another half or whole can of water.) Stir in the roasted chicken or turkey and peas and pour into a baking dish that will accommodate it.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the biscuits: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the milk and canola oil and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough.
On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a 9” x 14” rectangle. Stir the garlic into the melted butter and spread over the dough, then sprinkle with cheese. Starting from a long side, roll tightly jelly-roll style into a log. Cut into 8-12 biscuits using dental floss or a serrated knife.
Lay the biscuits on top of the chicken mixture, leaving a bit of space between them (they will rise in the oven), and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the the biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
