Wild Mushroom Pot Pie

Oh my goodness, friends! It has been far too long since we last gathered around this table and talked recipes and wellness and life! What was supposed to be a brief little hiatus to restore, reconnect and rest after the holidays somehow snowballed into a month-long hibernation that involved lots of reading, brainstorming and planning for the year ahead. 

It was glorious! But I missed you terribly, and I’m so so happy to be back in my favorite little corner of the internet. You can expect some inspired and delicious recipes coming to the blog this month, including some fun Valentine’s Day treats and recipes for that perfect date night in. There will also be some fun and exciting announcements made this month via email, so be sure to subscribe to the Feast & Fable email list so you never miss a beat! 

Now…let’s talk about this recipe! It has been a cold winter here in Nashville so far (I can’t even begin to understand how my Northern friends are feeling!) and I’ve been craving the kind of hearty, one pot meals that warm you up from the inside out. For me, that’s typically a pot of smoky lentil soup, a big batch of chili or in today’s case, this Mushroom Pot Pie! 

Incredibly healthful, this recipe for Mushroom Pot Pie combines an assortment of earthy, nourishing mushrooms with chopped fennel, carrots and shallot to create a flavorful, yet bright, vegetarian filling. It calls for Mushroom Broth, which you can quickly make at home using dried porcini mushrooms and water or purchase pre-made Mushroom Broth if you’re pinched for time. Either way, I like to fortify the broth with a few tablespoons of shiitake mushroom powder to give it a more robust flavor. In my experience, dried shiitake mushrooms are easy to find, typically in the bulk herb section of your grocer, and you can easily grind them up in your coffee grinder or a combination spice grinder like this one. In some stores, you’ll be able to find the mushroom powder already ground up for you in the bulk bins and that will work just as well! 

I like to ladle this Mushroom Pot Pie filling into small, individual-sized ramekins, then line and top them with a layer of egg-washed pie dough. However, it will be just as tasty with a single layer of dough atop the filling, with a biscuit plopped atop or with puff pastry if that’s your preference. Either way, these individual pot pies are my favorite thing to serve a group for dinner. They bake up quickly, stay warm forever (seriously, don’t burn your tongue) and serve well with a light salad tossed with Bibb lettuce, fresh parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. 

I hope you enjoy this nourishing meal on a cold winter’s night and as always, thanks for stopping by! 

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Wild Mushroom Pot Pie 

makes 4-5 individual pot pies or 1 large pot pie

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 box refrigerated pie dough, or your preferred homemade pie dough recipe
• 3 cups Mushroom Broth 
• 3 Tbsp. Shiitake Mushroom Powder 
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms, such as cremini and baby bella, sliced and chopped 
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 3 Tbsp. sherry cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp. chopped herbs, such as parsley, thyme or marjoram + more for garnish 
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• red wine vinegar
• sea salt 
• black pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Place the Mushroom Broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the Shiitake Mushroom Powder and whisk to combine. Allow to come to a slow simmer and turn the heat down to low. 
2. While the broth warms through, prepare and chop your vegetables (I prefer to chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces). Then, place a dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and allow to melt. Once heated, add in the mushrooms, fennel, shallot, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. 
3. Once cooked through, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine well. Allow the flour to cook off for about 2-3 minutes while you stir occasionally. The vegetables should become pasty and stick together. Then, add in the sherry cooking wine and the broth and stir to combine. 
4. Bring to a low boil, then turn the heat down to let simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the filling has thickened to your desired consistency. Then, stir in the tomato paste and chopped herbs and salt and pepper to your liking. 
5. Once the filling has reached your desired consistency, add in a few splashes of Red Wine Vinegar to taste. This will help the individual flavors become more pronounced and will help with the consistency. 
6. Next, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the filling aside as you prepare the pie dough and ramekins. 
7. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and roll out. Place a ramekin upside down atop the pie dough and use a knife to trace and cut out a circle. Repeat for each ramekin. Then, roll out the remaining pie dough and line the insides of each ramekin with dough. 
8. Ladle the filling into each ramekin and cover with a circle of pie dough, pressing firmly to seal the sides. Then, whisk the egg with 1 Tbsp. water and brush each top with the egg wash. 
9. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F., for 30-40 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a pinch of finishing salt or course sea salt and garnish with chopped herbs. Serve and enjoy! 

Parmesan & Herb Biscuits

The other day I woke up craving biscuits. Biscuits! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? It means the South has won, I lost the fight and I’m having an identity crisis. Pretty soon I’ll be blessing people under my breath and saying things like, “I’m fixin’ to make supper!” 

Hell, I might even take up smocking. 

How did I not see this coming? My recipe sketch book is riddled with foods that would taste better with bacon fat. My family now calls on me for matters of etiquette and the other day my friend asked me to go to church with them and I didn’t run away. I guess 10 years in the South will do that to a girl and this post officially marks my giving in. 

Because if you can’t beat em’, join em’! And what better way to celebrate the South than with a hot skillet of homemade biscuits? 

Now I must admit, it took me a few attempts to yield tall, flaky biscuits. My first few batches were more like dense, greasy hockey pucks. But it’s my job to learn the hard way and now I get to share with you my quick list of tips and tricks! 

1. Use fresh baking powder! Baking powder is a leavening agent that is responsible for helping the biscuits to rise. When it’s past its prime, it won’t do it’s job. If your baking powder is 3 months or older, toss it. I used 6-month-old baking powder in my first batch of biscuits (a.k.a the flat hockey pucks) and when I replaced it with fresh baking powder, I got sky high biscuits.
2. Keep that butter cold! It’s imperative that the butter stay as cold as possible before going into the oven. I recommend cubing the butter (or grating it with a cheese grater) and placing it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before incorporating.
3. Get that oven hot! An oven temp of 475 degrees will help your biscuits rise and make the tops nice and golden. I like to rotate the skillet 3/4 of the way through the cooking time to ensure even cooking. 
4. Don’t twist the biscuit cutter: It’s tempting to punch the biscuit cutter down and give it a nice twist, but doing so seals the edges and can prevent the biscuits from rising. 
5. Work quickly/a food processor is your friend: In an effort to keep the butter cold, it’s best to work quickly with biscuit dough and get it into the oven as fast as possible. Many seasoned biscuit makers swear by using their fingertips to pinch or snap the dough into the flour mixture. This method is fun, and makes you feel all Little House on the Prairie, but if you’re not quick, your butter will soften. For this I say, rely on your food processor! I’ll be sharing that method below for this recipe! 

These Parmesan and Herb Biscuits would be the perfect compliment to a Thanksgiving meal or atop a chicken pot pie. They are fluffy, savory and incredibly flavorful from the blend of black pepper and herbs. 

As always, I hope you enjoy! 

xx Mackenzie

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Parmesan + Herb Biscuits 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh thyme 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 1  1/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cube the butter and place into the freezer to stay cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients, 20-30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. and lightly grease your cast iron skillet, then set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme and Parmesan cheese. Pulse 5 or 6 times or until the ingredients are evenly incorporated. 
4. Next, remove the cubed butter from the freezer and place the cubes in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the butter and flour combine to create a consistency of cornmeal or until the butter is the size of small peas - about 10 -12 pulses. 
5. Pour the flour mixture into a bowl and make a well with a spoon. Pour the cold buttermilk into the well and gently stir to combine. Be careful not to over-stir (about 10-15 stirs should do). You may need to use your hands to finish incorporating the flour. 
6. Scoop the dough out onto a floured work surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Gently knead the dough by patting it out into a circle and folding it in half. Repeat this step 2-3 times until the dough is soft and not too sticky. 
7. Finally, gently pat the dough out until it’s 1” tall all around. Press a biscuit cutter down on the dough and lift straight up. Line the outer rim of the skillet with the biscuits - allowing them to slightly touch, but not overlap - and then fill in the middle. You may need to combine the scraps and re-work the dough until you’ve made enough biscuits or used all the dough. 
8. Once the skillet is filled with biscuits, place it in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. My oven tends to bake unevenly, so I like to rotate the skillet about 3/4 of the way through. 
9. Once baked and golden, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Then serve warm or brush with melted butter and enjoy! 

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Garlic Challah Grilled Cheese

I was recently asked how I learned to create my own recipes without a fancy culinary degree or time spent as a line cook in a notable kitchen. And my answer is pretty simple - I made a lot of soup. 

In college, I pretty much lived off soup. It was simple to make, economical and could feed me for days with the right loaf of bread. And while it all began as an affordable way to make a nourishing meal, what it really taught me was how to chop, sauté and simmer, how to season with salt, spices and herbs, how to layer ingredients and make them sing together and ultimately, how to yield flavors and textures without consulting a recipe or rulebook. 

Unlike baking bread or working with dough, a pot of soup can be easily controlled. It’s all about tasting as you go, asking yourself what’s missing and learning how to achieve the flavor profile you’re after. 

Here are some of my go-to tips when tasting and tweaking a pot of soup: 

1. If a soup tastes too thin, thicken it with a slurry of corn starch and stock.
2. If the flavors are too dull or you feel like you can’t taste the ingredients, add more salt. I like to salt as I go, adding a pinch here or there with my fingers. I also recommend a good sea salt over table salt. 
3. If something still tastes like it’s missing, it almost always needs an acid. Try adding a splash of vinegar to help focus the flavors and make the soup taste more well-rounded (sherry, red wine or apple cider vinegars will all do), or add a bit of red or white wine to give the flavor more depth. Citrus is another great addition to soups and creates a brighter, more interesting flavor.
4. Always keep dried herbs on hand such as thyme, oregano, rosemary and bay leaves and spices like cumin, paprika and chili powder. 
5. The longer your soup is allowed to simmer, the better!

With this recipe, I knew I wanted to create a tomato-based soup that paired well with grilled cheese. And not just any grilled cheese, but one made with this Garlic Challah Bread - AKA the most popular recipe on the blog (and for good reason). So needless to say, the soup had to hold its own! 

I love tomato soups that are on the thicker side, but still silky, and soups that taste creamy, without using actual cream. I also like a savory tomato soup, not too sweet, which is why I opted to include red bell peppers and a carrot for a hint of subtle sweetness instead of a pinch of sugar. To give the soup more flavor, I decided to work with an assortment of tomatoes - including a variety of heirloom, plum and vine-ripened tomatoes - and roasted them along with the peppers and garlic for 30 minutes. Once those were added to the pot with a bit of stock and tomato paste, it was ready to simmer and then be pureed with an immersion blender. A quick taste called for a pinch of salt and a splash of red wine vinegar and this pot of soup was deemed worthy and ready to go! So simple, yet so flavorful! 

As always, I hope you enjoy this soup and find these tips helpful when creating your own delicious recipes! And if you’re really looking to expand your culinary skills, I highly recommend any of Michael Ruhlman’s books, but specifically "Ruhlman’s Twenty" and "Ratios." 

xxMackenzie

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Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup with Garlic Challah Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling the vegetables 
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2.5 lbs. of assorted tomatoes, I used a variety of heirloom, vine, and plum tomatoes. 
• 2 red bell peppers, cut in half with seeds removed 
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. oregano
• sea salt
• black ground pepper 
• 1-2 tsp. red wine vinegar 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, cut the tomatoes in half, core, and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the halved red peppers (seeds and stems removed) and the peeled, whole garlic cloves to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss. Pour the tomato mixture onto your lined sheet pan and sprinkle with another pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes. 
2. While your tomatoes are roasting, roughly chop your onion and carrot. Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium high heat and add in 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the carrot and onion to the pot and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Then, add in the chicken stock, tomato paste and oregano and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to let the stock simmer while your vegetables finish roasting. 
3. Once the tomatoes, peppers and garlic have roasted, remove them from the oven and place them in the pot along with their juices. Stir and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Once simmered, use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to puréed the soup. Once puréed, taste the soup and add salt and black pepper as needed. Then, add a teaspoon or two of the red wine vinegar to taste and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy! 

Garlic Challah Grilled Cheese

To make the Garlic Challah Grilled Cheese, follow this recipe to make a loaf of Garlic Challah Bread. Then, slice the bread evenly for sandwiches. Place a pat of butter in a skillet over medium heat and lay a piece of the bread atop the melting butter. Layer the bread with your favorite cheese (I like a simple Provolone or Gruyere) and top with the remaining slice of bread. Spread the top of the sandwich with additional butter and flip once the bottom is golden and the cheese begins to melt. Cook until all the cheese has melted and the bread slices are golden. If you’re making several grilled cheeses, place the finished grilled cheeses on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F. oven and cover with foil to keep warm until you’re ready to serve. Enjoy! 

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Crispy Sage and Gorgonzola

This time last week, I was sitting down in my Steve Jobs turtleneck with a cozy spiced matcha latte and enough crisp, cool weather to inspire an entire season of recipes. I was so ready for the new season in fact, that I didn’t even flinch when our air conditioning went kaput. “Oh what perfect timing!” I thought as I flung open the windows and decided it could wait until spring to be fixed. 

Well, surprise! It’s 90 degrees outside, 84 degrees inside, and I’ve got more box fans rigged up than a Beyoncé concert. But a food blogger’s job never stops! And honestly, what’s a few more degrees from the oven when you’re already in a hot, steamy wind storm?

Especially if there’s pizza at the end! This recipe for Pear and Prosciutto pizza is hands down my new favorite. It combines sweet pears, tangy red onions, salty prosciutto and creamy gorgonzola and is finished with a sprinkle of crispy sage leaves and a swirl of balsamic glaze. It’s the perfect fall addition to your Pizza Friday lineup (even if fall is on a brief hiatus) and it’s so simple to make! 

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

xx Mackenzie 

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza with Crispy Sage and Gorgonzola

INGREDIENTS 

• 16 oz. Pizza Dough, either homemade or store-bought**
• 1 semi-ripe Pear, thinly sliced 
• 1 package Prosciutto
• 6-10 Sage Leaves
• 1 small Red Onion, sliced thinly into rings 
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced 
• Olive Oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio (blend of Asiago, Fontina, Parmesan and Mild Provolone)
• Balsamic Glaze, for drizzling 
• salt and pepper 

**While I typically make my own pizza dough, I have to say Trader Joe’s regular pizza dough is a great alternative if you’re tight on time or want to make this last minute! 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. If using a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven while it preheats. If you’re working with refrigerated pizza dough, let it rest on the counter and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your ingredients. Place the garlic in a small bowl and cover with about 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Set aside. Next, thinly slice the pear and red onion and set aside. Lastly, heat 1/2” of oil in a skillet over medium-high. Once the oil is heated, place the sage leaves in the oil and let crisp - about 1 minute on each side. You want the leaves to sizzle, but if the oil starts to spatter or the leaves begin to yellow, turn the heat down. Once crisp, remove the sage leaves and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt and set aside. 

Then, place the pizza dough on a well-floured surface and press down with floured fingertips to shape the dough into a small flat disk. Working from the center, push the dough outward while spreading your fingers wider to make the disk larger. Flip over, and repeat on the other side. Then, pick up the dough and use your knuckles to stretch the edges of the dough while working in a circle. You want the dough to stretch to about a 14-inch circle. If you’re having a hard time stretching the dough, let it rest for another 10 minutes and try again, it is likely too cold. 

If using a pizza stone, place the stretched dough on a floured pizza peel. Otherwise, place on a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the garlicky olive oil onto the base of the pizza. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Next, evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese and then place the sliced pears evenly on top. Then, layer the red onions, prosciutto and gorgonzola. Drizzle with a small bit of olive oil and another pinch of salt and pepper. 

Place in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the cheese is evenly melted. Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle with the sage leaves. You can crush the sage leaves between your fingertips or leave them whole. Lastly, drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve! 

3 Simple Summer Salads

I know it’s August when the only thing in my fridge is a bowl of sliced watermelon and a half-eaten bag of sweet cherries. Cold things I can grab by the fistful. Because truthfully, I don’t do well in the heat and humidity. I become impossibly lazy. My sink begins to fill with yesterday’s dishes and little mounds of swept dirt piles begin to speckle the floor like forgotten landmines. And it's only after I step in one of these piles a good three or four times that I finally break down and finish the job. It's really quite pathetic.

I like to think that August offers us its cool crop of fresh summer produce as a peace offering. A little, “I’m sorry” for being so insufferable. And I’ll take it, because without the crisp, sweet promise of a cold watermelon or the flavorful burst of a cherry tomato, I don’t think I’d make it through. 

If like me, the heat leaves you lazy and a tad melodramatic, then welcome to this blog post and please pull up a chair. These salad recipes were created just for you! While each one is a bit different from the last, they all feature some of my favorite summer produce as well as rely on just a few pantry staples to come together. And perhaps best of all, they don’t require the heat of the oven - Amen to that. I’m sharing each recipe below with a few thoughts on preparation and pairings. 

Enjoy, my friends! And as always, thanks for stopping by. 

xx Mackenzie 

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Peach Caprese Salad with Mint

A spin on the classic Caprese salad, this recipe replaces tomatoes with fresh peaches and basil with fresh mint. Dressed lightly with a bit of oil and lime juice, it’s bright and flavorful, but balanced thanks to the cool, creamy mozzarella. This salad works great as a light lunch or as a side to just about anything on the grill! 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe peaches, unpeeled and sliced into wedges
• 1 package fresh mozzarella 
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 
• fresh black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

First, prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, lime zest, salt and honey in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and set aside. Next, cut the mozzarella into small 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl with the peaches and mint leaves. Gently toss. Lastly, drizzle as much of the lime vinaigrette over the peaches as preferred and gently toss once more. Season with fresh black pepper and enjoy!

Watermelon, Feta Salad with Lime

Watermelon is surprisingly good with just a spot of oil and course flakes of sea salt. But it really comes to life with a bit of lime juice and salty feta cheese. I like to add in raw red onions for a tangy bite to compliment the salty sweet combo. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small, seedless watermelon
•  feta cheese, sliced or crumbled
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• fresh mint, chopped
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. course sea salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
• olive oil, for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

First, cut the watermelon into bite sized cubes or triangles and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sea salt, black pepper and lime juice. Then, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and gently toss. Next, sprinkle with as much mint, red onion and feta as you desire and gently toss once more. 

Note: If making in advance, place the bowl of cut watermelon in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Adding salt too far in advance to the watermelon will release its juices and make for a soupy salad!

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Pint Nuts and Lemon

This salad is like a zoodle, but thicker, less watery and more substantial. It’s inspired by one of my favorite pizza combos and is a healthy, raw lunch that will leave you brimming with energy. I like to sprinkle the ribbons with feta cheese, toasted pint nuts and fresh mint and dress it with lemon juice, oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick. So simple! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash (optional, raw yellow squash is not for everyone and can come off as a bit bitter)
• 1/4-1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• feta cheese  
• olive oil, for drizzling
• red pepper flakes 
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the outside skin of the zucchini (and yellow squash, if using). Then, create long ribbons and place them into a bowl. Sprinkle with the sea salt, black pepper, toasted pine nuts and fresh mint. Then, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and toss. Add more lemon juice or olive oil as needed and dust with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Lastly, add as much feta cheese as desired and toss once more.