Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Make the crust: place the almond flour, tapioca starch, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Pulse in the egg, then the lard. Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a ball. Split it in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to return to room temperature. (I know this seems counterintuitive, but the lard needs to re-firm and then soften in order to roll out.)

Take one of the dough balls and place it between two pieces of waxed paper floured well with tapioca starch. Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thick. Remove the top layer of waxed paper. Invert the crust over a pie dish, then peel off the top layer of paper. Use your fingers to fit the crust into the dish. Poke some holes with a fork in the bottom of the crust. Bake for 12 minutes.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter or coconut oil and add the fresh herbs, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Cook for 1 minute, then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Stir once, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Return heat to medium and add the chicken. In a bowl, make a slurry by whisking the tapioca starch with the chicken stock and cream. (I use my Magic Bullet or immersion blender for this.) Add the slurry to the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the filling thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

Once the bottom pie crust is done baking, add the chicken mixture to the pie shell. Repeat the rolling out process with the other half of the dough. Place this on top, seal the edges, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.