Recipe courtesy David Hagedorn

Serves 8

Ingredients for the chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon picked thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt-free all-purpose seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick
1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, quartered
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Pernod (optional)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 2” cubes
1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Ingredients for the crust
1 and 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup trans fat free margarine spread
3 tablespoons ice water

Directions
Prepare the chicken. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, tarragon, bay leaf, turmeric, salt-free all-purpose seasoning, pepper, salt and sauté for one minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for two minutes. Stir in the flour and coat the vegetables well. Add the Pernod, if using, and chicken stock and stir to blend well. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Stir in the chicken and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a 3-quart oval casserole. Cover loosely with foil and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. To make the crust, place the flour (and salt, if using) in a medium-sized bowl and add the margarine spread, cut into one-inch pieces. Cut the margarine spread into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter (this can all be done in a food processor) until crumbly. Avoid over-working the dough. Add the ice water and mix (pulse in a food processor) until the dough just comes together. Roll the dough between two pieces of film wrap until it matches the size of the casserole. (Hold the dish above the dough to check for correct size.) Peel off the top layer of wrap and bring the casserole next to the dough. Lift the dough by the bottom wrap and use it to help invert the crust onto the casserole. Trim the outside edges of the crust and gently press the dough so that it fits perfectly around the inside perimeter of the casserole dough. Cut eight, evenly spaced 1-inch vents in the dough as demarcations of portions and to release steam while baking. Place the casserole on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve the pie in a soup plate over a small mound of Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes.

Note: This filling for the pie can be made a day or so in advance. Feel free to put an egg wash (one egg whisked with a tablespoon of water) on the finished pastry before baking if you prefer a sheen on your crust.

This version of pot-pie is loaded with vegetables, gets rid of the cream or milk usually called for in other recipes, and the crust is trans-fat-free.

Dietary Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 fat