One reader e-mailed a tiny complaint: I publish too many dessert recipes. Many people are trying to eat better and lose weight.

Duly noted, dear reader. And yes, it’s true that I’d rather make dessert than prepare entrees or side dishes or salads or just about anything else. Except maybe bread and pasta, which aren’t exactly diet foods, either.

So instead of publishing Mr. Economou’s baklava recipe, I’ll offer you my half-the-calories chicken pot pie recipe.

When I set out to develop a pot pie recipe, I wanted one that was quick to prepare during this hectic holiday season, but one that also tasted good, and wasn’t fattening.

To cut the time, I used frozen vegetables (I love those baby peas and tiny pearl onions), and frozen cubed chicken that I cut and saved from the last time I had leftover chicken. Also, unless you happen to have pie dough discs waiting in your freezer, I encourage you to use prepared, store-bought pie dough.

Finally, here are my two biggest secrets for cutting the pot pie calories in half: First, instead of a making a bottom and top crust, ala traditional Banquet pot pies, I only put a crust on pot pie’s top. The bottom goes crustless.

Second, cut the portion sizes in half and dole them out in individual servings. For example, I used small coffee cups, which held less than 2/3 cup of the chicken filling. A small cup of pot pie with a salad on the side should be plenty of food, and makes a nice balanced meal.

If someone decides to eat two pot pies, that’s not our problem.

We did our part.

 Print This Recipe[print]

Doni’s Herbed Chicken Pot Pie

Saute in a large pot over medium heat until tender the onions, shallots and herbs.

Stir in the flour and cook until the floury taste is gone.

Add the chicken broth and white wine. Simmer and stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Add the frozen vegetables. As the sauce cools, roll out enough pie dough to cut 8 tops, including enough excess on each piece to hang down over each cup’s top edge. (I hope this makes sense. If not, look closely at the picture, above. Imagine the dough discs are lids fitting on and over a jar lip.)

Spoon enough filling into each modestly sized cup or small bowl so it nearly reaches the top. Brush the cups’ top lip with the egg wash, including a little ways down the outside edge, so the dough will stick to the cups. Set a dough disk on each cup top, pressing firmly around the edges to hold in place.

Make a tiny steam-escape slit in the top of each dough top. Brush the dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and dried oregano or rosemary.

Set the cups on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated, 375-degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown.

Serve hot. Makes about 8 small pot pies. (More or less, depending upon the size of your pot pie containers.) [/print]

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Veterans Memorial Wreath Update

Sunday I told you about this week’s wreath-making project at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. I mentioned the cemetery’s ambitious goal: make about 1,000 fresh wreaths: one for every headstone.

Friday was the expected deadline.

The public was invited to help assemble the wreaths from materials predominately funded by Rotary of Anderson and provided by Wal-Mart of Anderson. Kim Chamberlain, a strong supporter of veterans issues and an Anderson community dynamo, spearheaded the push for the wreaths and presented her idea to her Anderson Rotary members, who answered the call and donated nearly $1,000 for wreath supplies.

Monday morning, I saw Kim at the cemetery, where her husband, Paul, is buried. I also met Sgt. Cathy Strudle, the cemetery’s honor guard team leader, who allowed volunteers to use the maintenance building as a wreath-making station.

And I chatted with Jerry Mires, retired deputy sheriff, who works a few days a week overseeing inmate work crews who do, as Mires put it, “work nobody else will do.”

Monday, Mire’s inmate crews made wreaths. Dozens of them. I helped for few hours, with the plan to return again Thursday morning. I just heard about a change of plans that means I won’t be making wreaths Thursday, after all. So I’ll be there Wednesday morning, instead.

Because the wreath project went faster than anticipated, Sgt. Strudle said the final wreaths should be finished by the day’s end Wednesday, instead of late Thursday.

Therefore, she said the wreath-laying part of the event will happen Thursday at 1 p.m., not Friday.

Those who wish to join and help make the remaining wreaths can do so from 8 a.m. until around 5 p.m. Wednesday. (Dress warmly, in work clothes, wear gloves and bring any favorite clippers or trimmers.)

After that, you can drive out to the Northern California Veterans Cemetery throughout the holidays and see the hundreds of hand-made wreaths, put there to honor our veterans.