Today on The Hungry {Romance} Writer, we’re again spending the day with Carina Prioleau, a character in my Deadly Force romantic suspense series. Carina has been hosting a New Year’s Brunch for the other heroines in the series and they’ve been having a wonderful time getting to know each other. And today, I believe, Carina is serving Chicken & Mushrooms over Puffed Pastry.
Carina Prioleau: “Welcome back to my New Year’s Brunch! Last week I served Spinach & Strawberry Salad while I asked Sarah, Samantha, and Juliet to join the board of my Children’s Christmas Toy Foundation. They all said yes and I’m so thrilled. My twin brother Calum will be happy too since he’s insisting I go out of my way this year to make new friends.
But now it’s time to move to the dining room for one of my favorite winter dishes: Chicken & Mushrooms over Puffed Pastry. Once we’re settled and enjoying a lovely glass of wine, the conversation floats again to men. It’s a subject that’s hard for me since I’m a widow, but it’s also a subject I appreciate. I’ve had my heart broken twice: once by death and once by the vagaries of youth. But since things often happen in threes, maybe there’s hope that I can find love again. And who knows. Maybe the young man I once loved will find his way back into my life.
The women laugh over another one of Samantha’s jokes (she’s really quite funny) and somehow I end up agreeing to go on one of her ghost tours. I grew up in Savannah and it’s been a particular pleasure of mine to say that I’ve never been on one of those touristy adventures. Especially since Calum lives in one of the most haunted houses in the city! But today I’m laughing and having fun and decide that maybe it’s time to make some changes. Maybe it’s time to take a tour, find some ghosts, and see if I can let go of the past and make new future for myself.
Chicken & Mushrooms over Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 can cream of mushroom condensed soup
- 1 can cream of celery condensed soup
- 1 8-ounce package mushrooms (your choice) washed and sliced
- splash white wine or sherry
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells
- 1 can no salt added sweet peas (I prefer Le Sueur)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425℉.
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In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, 2 cans of soup, wine, and mushrooms. Stir well. This mixture will be thick, but it will thin as it cooks. If necessary, add wine (or water or chicken broth) to thin the sauce.
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Season the mixture with Herbs de Provene, salt, and pepper.
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While cooking the sauce, bake the puff pastry according to the package directions. DO NOT open the oven door while baking.
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Heat the peas in a small saucepan while the pastry bakes.
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When the puff pastries are one, remove from the oven and plate them. Cover each pastry with the chicken mixture and s eve with a side of peas.
