Food, Fellowship and Fun!

We invited guests for dinner the other night. It was ladies night. There were seven of us including my daughter, three long time friends, one out of town guest, who I had never had the blessing of inviting to dinner previously, and one new friend, who we were all eager to get to know.  Over roasted chicken, spinach pesto over baby shells, Italian green beans, a big Italian salad, and homemade bread, we laughed and talked. Oh, and we ate! It was quite lovely. 

And what made it more lovely was the fellowship. People need people. It’s a cliche and a song, but it is true. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11. I really like having the opportunity to offer encouragement and to receive it! And God has given us the tools to do this:

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

In this case one woman sharpens another. And then there is one of my favorites:

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Isn't that the best? Jesus is with us when we gather in His name. He is there to comfort us, to encourage us and mostly, to hang out with us when we are having food, fellowship and fun! So, did I say there were seven of us? Nope, there were eight of us!

And speaking of food, of course there were leftovers. I do love leftovers. If there are a lot of leftovers, we enjoy them for dinner the next day. This time, however, we had two pieces of chicken, Italian green beans and homemade bread. But, there was also a jar filled with roasted chicken pan drippings, and since I love gravy, I put on my creative cap and went to work. Pot Pie Gravy over Savory French Toast were born! On a TV cooking show, this may be called Deconstructed Pot Pie, so I’ll call it by both names! 

God is Good; All the time!

Priscilla

Pot Pie Gravy over Savory French Toast

Deconstructed Pot Pie

Pot Pie Gravy   

This recipe is versatile. I used leftover roasted chicken and leftover Italian green beans, but had to steam the carrots, potatoes and onion. However,  any  cooked or steamed left over veggies may be used.

1 1/2 to 2 cups green beans

1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced carrots

1 1/2 to 2 cups small potatoes, sliced

1/2 cup plus chopped onion

1 to 3 cloves minced garlic

2 cups cooked shredded or sliced chicken

3 Tablespoons chicken fat or butter or olive oil

3 to 4 Tablespoons flour (I use rice flour)

3 cups chicken pan drippings or chicken stock

1 cup cream or milk

2 teaspoons adobo seasoning or 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper

I used leftover chicken and leftover green beans but steamed the carrots, potatoes and onions:

In a large pot, add 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and a 1/2 tsp salt. Place a metal steamer into the pot. Add in the onions, then the carrots and the potatoes, and top with the garlic. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to a steady simmer and place a lid on the pot. Steam the veggies until they are tender, 12 to 20 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pot to cool. 

I used the same large pot to make the pot pie gravy, just drain any remaining water from the pot first. This is called conservation - not having to wash more pots than necessary! 

Now melt the chicken fat, butter or olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Add the chicken pan drippings or stock and stir until well incorporated. Continue stirring while the stock heats up. As the broth begins to heat, the pot pie gravy will thicken. Reduce the heat if the gravy begins to fly out of the pot. The mixture will appear to become too thick, but it will loosen up as the milk or cream is added now, followed by the adobo seasoning. Whisk until the milk or cream has mingled well with the gravy. Now gently fold in the veggies, potatoes and chicken. Turn off the heat. The veggies and the chicken will heat up while bathing in the hot gravy. Place a lid on the pot and set aside.

Savory French Toast

The rule of thumb that I use for when making French Toast is one egg for 2 to 3 slices of bread. So with that thought, this recipes makes 5 to 6 slices of Savory French Toast.

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk or cream

1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chicken fat, butter or olive oil

6 slices of homemade bread (find the recipe in the Our Daily Bread post on December 19, 2016)

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the milk or cream. Stir in the adobo seasoning. Place a slice of bread in the egg mixture to coat both sides.

Heat a griddle to melt the chicken fat or butter or oil over medium heat. 

Add the soaked bread slice to the griddle. Repeat with more bread until the griddle is full. Mine is large enough to hold up to four slices of Savory French Toast. Cook or fry for about 30 seconds and turn over. The cooked side should be golden. If it looks too pale and moist, flip it back and cook for another 10 to 15 seconds. Have a plate available to place the Savory French Toast when it is ready.  

To serve, place one to two slices of Savory French Toast on the plate and smother with a large ladle of Chicken Pot Pie Gravy.  Yum!