Monday, March 7, 2011

Vegetarian Pot Pie Recipe w/ Vegan Option

This was originally posted on my Facebook.  I made a vegetarian version of this twice because 1) I impulse bought all butter puff pastry at Trader Joe's and 2) My Grandma Miller gave me an extra pie crust at Thanksgiving.

The funny thing is that I hated pot pie growing up.  I remember being very young and my dad feeding us frozen individual chicken pot pies.  I'd eat a few of the veggies out, then eat the crust and the flour-y sauce out from around the rest.  I definitely didn't eat the chicken chunks. (I did eat chicken at the time, but this chicken was dark meat and gross). I probably got in trouble for being so picky, but they were just awful.  I also believed that pies should always be sweet.  Needless to say, I've come a long way!

It could be made vegan very easily, as the contents of my pie were all vegan.  I haven't made a vegan crust for it yet and thus can't share a recipe, but the beauty of a pot pie is that you can just about make it any way you want to.  Try topping it with your favorite vegan scone, biscuit, or pastry recipe.  View my favorite vegan scone recipe here. Or, check out the natural foods freezer section at your local co-op or natural foods market.  I usually don't like taking short cuts because I enjoy the process, but this recipe is enough process without making your own crust!

This was the pie dough version. 

Vegetarian Pot Pie
Adapted from Aida Mollenkamp's Recipe on Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegan butter
2 leeks- rinsed clean and coarsely chopped
½ medium yellow onion- finely chopped
2 medium carrots- finely chopped
5 cups of mushrooms (I use crimini and shitake)
2 cups of potatoes- steamed until almost tender, chopped (I used tiny baby potatoes from Trader Joe’s that don’t need to be sliced or chopped, but do need to be pre-cooked or steamed)
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup non dairy milk
¾ cup vegetable or mushroom stock
¼ cup white wine (or just use more stock)
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup chopped chives
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp vinegar (I use balsamic)
1 large egg yolk for egg wash OR non-dairy milk for wash
1 sheet of puff pastry or pie crust OR vegan replacement recipe or ready made dough

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
 2. Melt the 3 tbsp of vegan butter in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or other 3-4 quart pot.
When it foams, add leeks, onions and carrots.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring rarely, until the mushrooms have shrunken a bit, about 6 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over vegetables, stir to coat, and cook 2 minutes.  Carefully add the broth, wine, and non dairy milk, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
 4. Remove from heat and stir in peas, herbs, and vinegar.  Season to taste.  Spoon filling into a deep pie plate or other deep 8x8 or 9x9 dish.
5. Whisk the egg yolk together with 2 tsp of water and a pinch of salt.  Or, mix a few tablespoons of non dairy milk with a pinch of salt.
 6. Cut the thawed pie or pastry dough to fit over the baking dish.  Place the dough over the filling and tuck in the edges.  Brush the dough with the egg wash and cut slits into the top of the dough to vent.  You can place the dish on a baking pan if it makes it easier to transfer to the oven.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or longer, until the crust is golden brown.  Let the pie sit a few minutes before serving.

Notes:

-This recipe is very forgiving.  Use whatever vegetables you have on hand and/or like.  Some suggestions include using some fennel in place of some of the leeks, or edamame instead of the peas to add more protein.  -Trader Joe's sells all butter puff pastry during the fall and winter for $4.99.
-This recipe feeds 2-3 people, which is perfect for Brent and I.  It could also be made in individual portions if you use 2 smaller oven safe dishes or bowls.
- I apologize for lack of a good picture- I made this before I'd even thought to start blogging my food and actually just took the picture above for my own future reference.  That's weird but hey, I needed a hobby and use for my new computer and camera.

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