Thursday, October 23, 2008

Roasted Green Chile, Butternut Squash and Corn Pot Pie

****Forgive me fellow bloggers. There seems to be some sort of commenting glitch today. I'm brimming with mute praise for all of your fabulous creations; if only I could post you a comment!
It's Barefoot Thursdays, so kick off your shoes, tie on an apron and sprint to the kitchen. We're cooking some of Ina Garten's recipes at home, so join and eat like a contessa on the cheap.At our farmer's market this week, a bus full of tourists stopped across the street and filed out of a bright red tourbus. We were just a few feet away when I saw them cross the street, hourdes of them, like clowns emptying out of a VWbug at a circus. Since the market is only about 1/4 mile from my home, my two little charges and I will often walk there midday to buy a juicy apple, or a perfect peach, or a comely vegetable for dinner. It makes a lovely little homeschool recess sojourn. But, darn it, this was too much company, and I have an issue (i.e. impatience) with long lines. Had we arrived just a few minutes sooner we would have had the market to ourselves, and now it was swarming with peach pinchers, oohing and ahhing whilst stealing the only ripe avocadoes. (Well, not exactly stealing, since they paid, but by golly, I had my name on one of those avocadoes.) So instead of marching straight to the cash register with my market bounty, I was stuck waiting in a long line of single item purchases when we should have been back home studying James Watt and the Industrial Revolution. But there, in the back of the snake-line, pressed up against the refrigator, I spotted them: a black and blistered bag of freshly roasted green chiles. And I knew then that whatever was playing for dinner, that these smoky green chiles would get a leading role. So instead of making Ina's exact recipe for pot pie, I chopped some green chiles, kept the squash, but added some corn, southwest spices and mexican style tomatoes, and topped it off with a cornmeal and cheddar coated crust and a fresh pico de gallo. It was so delicious, smoky, sweet and just the right amount of spicy (thanks to those green chilies) that I'm almost sort of glad that I had to wait in that long line. Sort of. Almost. I'm reprinting my southwest version of the recipe below. Dear Ina, bless her heart, had 34 tablespoons of fat in her four serving recipe. So you can bet your blistered green chile that I had to make some changes. Ay, mamacita!

Money Saving Tips: Use your microwave to cook your squash to save time and money. Roast your own green chiles (if you can't find them at your farmer's market), chop them and freeze them in zip top baggies. If you're short on time, you can use the canned, but always buy the biggest one available and freeze any extras. Use vegetables that are in season for maximum flavor and lowest cost. Always make at least two pie crusts at a time, one to use now and one to freeze.

Roasted Green Chile, Butternut Squash and Corn Pot Pie
adapted from Ina Garten
Estimated Cost: $7.00
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and cumin
1 and 1/2 cups corn, fresh, frozen, or drained from a can
1 cup chopped roasted green chiles, or 1 (7 ounce) can, drained
1 14.5 ounce can Mexican style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 of a large butternut squash, cooked, peeled and cut into /2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup half and half of whole milk
prepared pie crust, homemade or purchased (I made mine with half whole wheat)
1 heaping teaspoon cornmeal
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about five minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin and cook for one minute. Add corn and tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the butternut squash and cilantro. Pour in half and half or milk to get a creamy and loose texture. Pour into greased pie dish. Top with pie crust. Sprinkle pie crust with cornmeal and cheddar cheese. Bake pie for thirty minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is brown. Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream if desired.
Pico de Gallo: Chop 3 parts tomatoes, 1 part each onion and cilantro, and some minced hot pepper. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste.
Coming Tomorrow:
Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Sugar Chicken for Tacos

61 comments:

Emily said...

I am going to have to stay up late more often to get to post a first comment on your page! how exciting! Your changes to Ina's recipe sounds soooo good! I am seriously craving some mexican food! (I am picturing your little adventure at Frei's in my head!!!) I am jealous! Hubby and I miss this little town!

Clumbsy Cookie said...

34 tbsp of fat for 4! Oh my, trust you to "thin" it Prudy!

Suzie said...

I'm definitely glad that you had a long wait at the store - what a wonderful take on Ina's recipe. It all looks delicious as usual.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Hooray for Barefoot Thursdays!! I love that the pot pie is made with such a flavorful mix of produce - yum!! Well worth waiting at the store for ;0)

Deb in Hawaii said...

Your pie looks great--love all the additions/adaptations you made! Wonderful job!

NKP said...

I love your Southwest spin on the pot pie!
I am not fond of crowds either, reminds me of my favourite line from Barfly, "It's not that I don't like people..... I just seem to feel better when they're not around..."

Aggie said...

I'm so jealous you live only a 1/4 mile from the farmer's market! I would be there everyday! Love the story...glad you found the chiles! This looks fantastic!

chocolatechic said...

Wow! Yours looks so great.

Sharon said...

Thanks for lightening up this delicious looking meal. I don't have patience for long lines either...or people who join the express lane with a cart full of groceries!

Anonymous said...

Yours look so much better than mine...I like the Southwestern twist.

gigi said...

I love the changes from fat to thin friendly! I love all the fresh veggies and the fun story of the farmers market. I always have a wierd experience at the farmers market. I'm beginging to think it's just me??

Laura said...

Your tex-mex lightened version sounds wonderful, Prudy! Gosh, I sure do feel guilty about all that butter I kept in mine (but, boy howdy was it good!) I'm trying to take solace in the fact that I made 8 servings out of mine somehow (extra potatoes I think).

And I have to share with you that everytime I come on to your site, my 3 yr old and 15 month old break out into a dance (I think the 3 yr old has that song almost memorized :-)

Anonymous said...

Love your version. Bummer about the long line at the market, but at least you scored the green chilis! Yum!

Anonymous said...

I love the changes you made. I don't know what Ina was thinking with all of that fat? Yours looks so tasty! Glad you found some good stuff at the market, even with so many people!

Allie said...

What a gorgeous dinner and I love all the veggies added yum!!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

Your southwest take is wonderful. This looks like a party my taste buds would love to have.

Veronica said...

Great Southwest version! Sorry about the last avocado!

Marjie said...

I hate lines, too. I really feel your agony over the tourist invasion. Gee, couldn't they have waited until recess and snack were over?

I once made a turkey pot pie, along about 1994. I can never again make such a thing, because I still haven't heard the end of it. This is a pretty take on a classic!

Peggy said...

Oh what I wouldn't give for an avocado right now. Just break it open and smear it on a cracker. Yum. Your version looks outstanding! I would never have thought of tossing in the southwest flavors with this, but you are just truly an inspiration to me. I will have to try it again now with the peppers in it! My piecrust should be in the history book of worst looking piecrusts ever, but it was tasty.

Audrey said...

I love finding not just produce but homemade ingredients at farmers' markets. And you were so brave to count...I just cut Ina's amounts in quarters, or close my eyes (and my arteries). Unfortunately, this time, I think I needed more butter for my sauce, because it was(to use a school metaphor) like library paste. But it still tasted good!

Cathy said...

[WARNING: embarrassing display of gushing adoration to follow] Prudy, how do you do this day in and day out? How do you spot a green chile while in line at the farmer's market -- when you are already annoyed, to boot -- and dream up the most amazing, creative, inspired version of a pot pie that I have ever seen? How? And I knew that I should have just asked you ahead of time how to deal with the butter problem in Ina's version. I tried a DIY fix and didn't quite get it right. BTW, I made your monte cristo sandwiches with strawberry jam last night. You weren't imagining it -- you really WERE hearing tears of joy emanating from 1000 miles away.

Eri-chan said...

Wow, what a clever twist on the original. Kinda like a grown-up tamale pie. I might have to try something like this myself!

Catherine said...

This looks so delicious! I'm so glad you found those peppers! Everything looks great and I can't wait to try it myself!

Melanie Anne said...

Mmmm this looks so good! Cna't wait to try it!

La Bella Cooks said...

This looks comforting and I would enjoy all the mexican flavors going on. Who can resist a slice of this pie? This is a great recipe

Emily Rose said...

wow- what a fabulous twist on Ina's recipe- her recipes are delicious but often overwhelmingly rich (34 tablespoons of fat?!!)

Cynthia's Blog said...

Way to use those chiles. I do my own every year. My sister brings they up from Hatch, New Mexico, and we roast on the grill and freeze them. I am going to get mine out and use them today! And I am glad your farmers market is thriving. Remember the farmers need those long lines!

Patsyk said...

I love Ina, but often have to adjust her recipes so that I won't feel like I'm feeding my husband a heart attack on a plate!

Now, I just have to keep your "voice" in my head when I'm shopping so I remember to buy the larger can of chiles and freeze the rest - brilliant!

Lisa said...

Ingenious to make it Mexican! A woman after my own heart. Good work!

The Blonde Duck said...

So put this on your list for things to feed me when I get to your house. It's up there with all those delicious apple creations you've been whipping up. After Candy's review when she made it I wasn't going to attempt this, but you can bet I'm going to make yours. We're in SA, baby! Everything is Mexican here!

As for the comments, somebody up at Google done screwed something up. If they don't fix it, I'll drive to CA and start rolling heads.

Esi said...

34 tablespoons of fat in the original?? I am glad I changed mine a lot too. The southwest version looks wonderful!

anudivya said...

Yep, there was a problem with blogger earlier, I wasn't able to post comments too. Hope it works this time.

Coby said...

You just never know when something that seems like a bad deal is really a great deal in disguise:) This time the good deal is for all of us who get to salivate over this amazing recipe - gosh it must be so aromatic, not to mention delicious!

vanillasugarblog said...

Aren't you lucky to be able to walk to your Farmers Market. I would love that ability.
Another perfect creation here. I love the fact that it's cheap to make.
I just posted a little dity about how much I love corn relish. I bet your kitchen smelled so good when this was baking in the oven.

Chef Jeena said...

Hey Prudy, I love this kind of pie it is just so filling and tasty and I love your choice of veggies I would pick just the same....that is why I love your cooking I can always imagine using your ingredients. :-)

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but by the time I scroll down to get rid of that loud music, I'm just out of the mood to read your blog. Could you move it a little closer to the top, like at the top?

Anonymous said...

Haha! You're too cute. LOVE the pie recipe (and your music too!)
~Cat

Sophie said...

LOL I like the fat reduction :)...I mean, not reduction as in cooking, but reducing it lol...it's been a loong week. :)

Sophie said...

Oh yeah...I LIKE YOUR MUSIC TOO!

Pam said...

Such a creative recipe. I love pot pies and making them with Mexican flavers makes this girl happy. I can't wait to try this one.

test it comm said...

I am liking the texmex flavours in this pot pie!

As for the comments, I found that if you switch the comments to use a full page instead of being at the bottom of the page they work.

sewtakeahike said...

this looks absolutely fabulous!! Cannot wait to try it!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Wow -- that is a masterpiece! The more I hear about your life the more idyllic it sounds. You are so lucky to be able to walk to the farmer's market and get such fresh produce!

Wonderful!!!

Mary Ann said...

I love what you did with this recipe! I switched it up a bit too and really enjoyed it. I am going to have a small part on studio5 next Thursday. I am not a regular viewer but I happened on a little contest and got to participate today. I will let you know what happens!

Kelly said...

Oh yummy..Looks fabulous!
Gosh I miss cookin'..its been awhile since I got my hands 'dirty' in my kitchen..since I work..but hey, I figure with the extra $ I can buy all those expensive ingredients that you only use once..like truffle oil...haha
Your making me hungry!

Linds said...

I love your tex/mex variation, great idea!
I had the same reaction to Ina's butter content- yikes! ;)

Darius T. Williams said...

This looks great - and because it's vegetarian this means I can eat more!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

Prudy said...

Kevin:
Thanks! It worked!

grace said...

i'm sorry, did you say 34 tablespoons of fat? my heart hurts, literally.
in my humble opinion, your version is far superior to ina's, not only because of the lightness, but also because of the spice. i'll go ahead and send a shout-out to those tourists--i'm glad we got this recipe. :)

Prudy said...

Anonymous:
Point well taken. I'll see what I can do. However, I must admit that my area of expertise is in the kitchen, and not in computers. I'd like to clean up my sidebars and I've got a couple ads going up, so I can't promise anything. I can recommend my preferred method: I leave my speakers off altogether.

Anne said...

I have to cut the fat, too- it's just too much! Your spicy version looks wonderful and I love the gree chiles- yum!

Rosie said...

Your pie looks gorgeous!!

Rosie x

Dee said...

I was at the store today and almost keeled over at the prices. Local pumpkin cost 3 ringgit, butternut was 20 ringgit. Then I saw the tiniest, most perfectly formed little pumpkins, vaguely labelled as American Halloween pumpkins; they cost 12 ringgit. I bought cabbage.

The recipe (those chiles!) sounds amazing. Sigh.

Andrea at Nummy Kitchen said...

I know I'm late leaving a comment on this one but it looks amazing! I absolutely love your southwestern pot pie variation and will have to try it! Everything always looks so yummy on your blog, and the squash lasagna reminded me of a favorite I made last year I will have to find the recipe again. The penne with peppers and feta, oh my goodness I could do a monthly meal plan off of your recipes :)

Marie Rayner said...

How wonderful it must be to be able to buy freshly roasted green chilies! I Love Mexican food in any way shape or form! This looks especially delicious!

Natalie Que said...

I do NOT kid, this looks amazing. I'm so on a 'Mexican' kick myself lately, I can't get enough. This MIGHT satiate me...

Anonymous said...

This looks a thousand times more interesting than the Ina recipe. The flavors and textures you used are wonderful!

I wish Ina would challenge herself to use her recipe developing talents to come up with a "healthy" cookbook! Thirty-four tablespoons of fat is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, this was amazing! Seriously, one of my favorite things I have made in a long time.

I wrote about it on my blog: http://emily-catherine.blogspot.com

Love it!

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