Magickal Meals - Low Carb Chicken Pie

So, recently I've been looking closely at what I eat and how it affects my body. This ended up with me working on removing sugar and most refined carbs from my diet. Which in turn has lead to experimenting with what I eat and seeking out new recipes to replace old favorites.

One of my favorite indulgences as it gets colder is chicken pie. Huge chunks of chicken bathed in a creamy white sauce and wrapped in pastry or topped with mashed potato. On a day like today, where when i look out my window i see Maryland already having the first snow of the season, this is exactly what I want! Unfortunately, this really did not fit with how I am trying to eat! 

But, after some long talks with Mr Google I found an amazing website just stuffed full of low carb and zero sugar recipes. Step Away From the Carbs has recipes for all occasions, most of them don't require weird ingredients or hours to prepare. Her chicken pie recipe is what instantly caught my eye and was promptly tested.

I loved it, mostly. I found I did not like the taste of the cauliflower mash with horseradish. I ended up topping the chicken with broccoli florets, then some butter, then cauliflower florets and finally some shredded cheese to glue it all together. Yum!

So, with a few adjustments, here it is. 

Individual Low Carb Chicken Pies
Makes two servings.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 3 chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 handful of fresh baby spinach
• Low Carb White Sauce (recipe follows)
• Broccoli and Cauliflower for topping
• Shredded Cheese for Topping
• 1-2 Tbs Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken pieces. Add baby spinach and continue to cook until it has thoroughly wilted.
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and spinach and transfer them to two 12oz baking dishes.
4. Make the white sauce according to the recipe, then divide the sauce between the two dishes.
5. Top filled dishes with steamed Cauliflower and Broccoli Florets, Top with butter and shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown.
6. Leave for 5 minutes before serving.

Low Carb White Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup cream cheese
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup water
• 1 egg yolk
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add the cream cheese, cream and water to a saucepan and cook over a low heat until the cream cheese has melted.
2. Temper the egg yolk by adding a little of the cream sauce to it, mixing well, then adding the yolk back into the cream mixture.
3. Stir constantly over a low heat for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Magickal Breakdown

When you look at what each of these ingredients contributes, you end up with a dish that is very home focused. These all combine together to give you something that helps to strengthen each person as well as their bond with each other and helps them feel nurtured and loved. Perfect for a cold and miserable winter day!