Monday, March 3, 2014

chicken, bunashimeiji and spinach mini-pies - an impossibly easy mini-pie recipe

I know I have blogged about quite a few mini-pies in this blog.

See, the thing is, it is such a versatile recipe - indeed, the possibilities for the fillings are endless - and it is so tasty, I just cannot help myself.


In addition to that, I tend to make batches of 12 mini-pies and no sooner had I taken the pies out of the oven then people in the house start pinching taking them to munch on. That means I have to make more pies.

Not that I am complaining, mind you. These pies are just so much fun to make and I really enjoy thinking up different combinations of fillings I can use each time.


Today I made chicken, bunashimeiji and spinach mini-pies.

I love spinach. I love adding it to pies because, well, since they have already been added to the pies, the kids would eat the spinach and never complain about having to eat vegetables. There is no need to coax or coerce. Isn't that just great? :)

To make the filling for the pies, I started by sauteing diced onions in a Dutch oven until the onions became soft and slightly translucent. I added minced garlic and cooked that for about 30 seconds.



Into this, I added chicken breast that had been diced.


Once the chicken had mostly turned white, I added bunashimeiji mushrooms and continued cooking until all the mushrooms had wilted.


While that happened, I squeezed the water out of the spinach which I had thawed. There is quite a bit of water in frozen spinach so it is important to try to get as much water out as possible - you do not want a watery filling for the pies.

The spinach was chopped.


Then added to the chicken mixture.


I added salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste, and the filling was placed in a bowl and set aside to cool.


To make the batter, I added the Bisquick mix, milk and eggs into a bowl and mixed with a whisk.




If you do not have Bisquick mix, I have also included a homemade Bisquick recipe at the end of this post.

I placed a scant tablespoonful of the batter in each hold of a 12-hole muffin pan which had been sprayed with vegetable oil.


Then in went about two tablespoons of filling.


Onto this, I added about 1 to 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar. Do remember to be quite generous with the cheese.


Finally I topped each hole with another tablespoonful of batter, and sprinkled some pepper. Just because I am mad about pepper. :)


These were baked for 30 minutes.

Let the pies cool completely in the muffin pans before transferring onto a cooling rack, or into an air-tight container. The pies can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.


They are great for breakfasts, or as a snack, or even as a part of your child's lunchbox!

RECIPE
Chicken, Bunashimeiji and Spinach Mini-Pies - An Impossibly Easy Mni-Pie Recipe (Makes 12)

Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 chicken breast (or 2 halves), skin removed and cunbed
1 packet frozen spinach, thawed
1 packet bunashimeiji, roots removed
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Saute onions for 2-3 minutes in extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and cook a further 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken, cook 3-4 minutes until most of the chicken has turned white. Add mushroom, and cook until mushrooms have softened.
3. Add spinach, salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Transfer into a bowl to cool.
4. Spray a 12-hole muffin pan with vegetable oil. Add a scant tablespoonful of batter, followed by 2 tablespoons of filling and 1-2 tablespoons of Cheddar. Top with another tablespoon of batter.
5. Sprinkle with black pepper. 
6. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes, or until the tops of the pies have turned golden brown.
7. Cool completely before removing from muffin pan and storing in fridge (2-3 days) or freezer (up to 3 months).
Note: Thaw in fridge over-night if storing in freezer before re-heating,

For the Batter using Ready-Made Bisquick Mix:
1/2 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk - this can be whole milk or low-fat milk
2 eggs

Method:
Whisk Bisquick mix, milk and eggs in a bowl until combined.

OR
For the Homemade Bisquick Mix:
3 cups plain flour, sifted
1/2 tablespoons baking powder, sifted
56.7g cold butter or shortening

Method:
Place flour, baking powder and butter in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter (or food processor) to cut in the cold butter until evenly incorporated. Keep in refrigerator for up to 4 months.

This is part of my collection of Impossibly Easy Mini-Pie recipes. These are the other recipes that I have posted. Do check them out! :)





6 comments:

  1. Hi! May I know where I can get Bisquick mix in Singapore?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Grace you can find them at any major supermarket, usually at the baking section where the pancake mix are :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks for this incredibly easy recipe. I just made my 2nd batch of the ham and cheese ones this week coz they were all gobbled up, especially by my kids! Just curious though, I'm always filling up only 10 of my 12-hole muffin pan. I'm wondering why :) Am I putting too much batter in them?

      Delete
    3. Hi Grace, good to know your kids are gobbling the pies!!! :) There are 2 things you can do. The first is to put less than a tablespoonful initially. I usually use 2 tablespoonful for 3 cavities. The other thing you can do is to put more filling into each cavity. Then you will get a relatively good-sized pie without need so much batter. Hope this helps! :)

      Delete
  2. You are asking to mix half cup of milk in half cup of bisquick mix. How much should I add in the home made bisquick mix

    ReplyDelete