FLOWER POT KITCHEN: 1950's CAMPBELLS WILD MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN STROGANOFF PIE

7 Nov 2013

1950's CAMPBELLS WILD MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN STROGANOFF PIE

EAT MYSELF SLIM IN STYLE

This is a non guilt full flavour low fat chicken and wild mushroom stroganoff filo pie, the filo pastry is low in fat and does not disappoint as a pie crust. The hot smoked paprika rich creamy wild mushroom and dark chicken meat filling is everything it promises to be, Ooh I Love a Pie...

Each pie approx.: Kcal 309 / 23g fat / 5.2g sat fat / 26.6g carbs / 14.5g protein

Such a passion for the Mushroom and Pie, I love this time of the year where mushrooms are growing wild everywhere. We have recently been on a mushroom foray and found 28 different species of mushrooms in our local woods. I was most pleased when we were encouraged to pick some, we took a Cep, Chicken of the Woods and some winter Chanterelles , I look forward to learning more in depth knowledge to forage for mushrooms on our own, but I am secretly still a bit of a scaredy cat at the moment!

INGREDIENTS

(makes 4 pies)

300g mixed mushrooms

4 chicken thighs meat only

1 small onion fine diced

2 cloves garlic fine diced

salt and pepper

1 tsp smoked hot paprika

2 tbsp ghee

250ml white wine

1 chicken jelly stock pot in 100ml water

1 can low fat Campbells mushroom soup

200g crème fraiche 1/2 fat

1/2 juice of a lemon

1 pack of filo pastry

Pan fry the onions and garlic in a little of the ghee until soft but not coloured, remove to the side, gently cook the mushrooms for two minutes, mushrooms only need to kiss the pan, remove and place with the onions, now add the chicken thigh meat and sear, sprinkle over the hot paprika and season, add the white wine which will de-glaze the pan lifting all the gorgeous flavours into the sauce and reduce by half, add the chicken stock, crème fraiche, Campbell's mushroom soup and stir well.

Add back in all the mushrooms, garlic and onion to the sauce and bring up to a simmer and taste for seasoning, then leave to one side to cool before we place in the pie crusts.

I have allowed two sheets of filo per pie, which is generous and gives more depth to the pie crust,this is so you really feel you are getting more pie crust than you should when on a reduced calorie intake. Line your individual or one large pie tin with the filo pastry, this is such a forgiving pastry so don't worry if you tear the sheets, make sure that the filo goes up and hangs over the top of the pie tin by a few inches, this is because you will fold these overhangs into the centre of the pie to create the pie crust top, brush with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes and enjoy.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.