The Main Attraction!!!!

It is the time of year here where the days are beautiful. The air is cooling down and at night you can sleep with the covers on! 

Easter is not far away, the shops have Easter eggs everywhere.

In other parts of the world Spring approaches.

Years ago when I went through Colorado, in one of those cute little ski towns, I discovered something unusual. 

In the main street there was a Bakery, nothing unusual about that, except what was out front.  Street trees with Bagels on them! 

The bakery was open so I went inside and inquired why this was so! The lady explained she felt sorry for all the little birds that had hardly anything to eat through Winter and one day she decided to place a day old bagel on the bare leafless tree. Within minutes, a lot of little birds came and ate it. So, she decided from that day on to put a few out each week in Winter for the birds to eat.

I didn't try the bagels but they had the best cinnamon rolls and coffee I ever tasted!

They had so many yummy things to choose from, little individual pot pies caught my eye, they looked great and the lady gave me the recipe, which I changed to my taste and want to share with you.


Chicken and Leek Pie
                                                                                                          
Ingredients

Serves 4 people

1kilo of chicken breast fillets, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons of butter
2 leeks, washed and chopped finely
Half a cup of plain flour
2 to 3 cups of chicken stock
Three quarters cup of sour cream
4 medium potatoes peeled, cubed and cooked(boiled)
1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
4 puff pastry sheets
1 egg

Method

In a fry pan put in oil and chicken, cook on low to medium heat until lightly brown. Take off stove and place chicken in a bowl. 

Return fry pan to stove, add 4 tablespoons of butter and a drop of olive oil (this will stop butter from burning). Place in chopped leeks and cook until soft. Gradually add flour one tablespoon at a time to leeks. This will thicken quite quickly. Take off stove and gradually add chicken stock, sour cream, potatoes and mustard. Return to the stove and allow to cook until mixture combines and you have a nice creamy texture.

Have the ceramic oven proof individual dishes ready(about the size of a bread and butter plate). Place in chicken mixture - fill to about three quarters of the way (If you fill them to the top it bubbles over the edge in the oven). Now place one sheet of pastry over each dish. One at a time, cut edges off the pastry looks it like a lid. With extra pastry you can cut out decorations. I normally do two leaves, roll a couple of ball shapes and put them in the middle.


Finally, take egg, beat and then brush over pastry, this will make it nice, golden brown and crunchy.


Place on a tray and put in a moderate oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.