Saturday, December 4, 2010

Vegetable Pot Pie

As you may know from following my blog this past month, I have been working hard on my vegan pie crust. The challenge with this particular recipe is not in making it vegan. That is actually quite easy, using Crisco instead of lard, butter, or a combination thereof. The texture is great, flaky and light, and the taste is delightful, perfect for a number of fillings. The challenge is in rolling and mostly, just getting it in the pan. So, I am taking every possible opportunity to improve my skills as a pie maker.

Pie is traditionally associated with dessert, and sweet filling, of which I am a devotee, but I am also enamored of a savory pie. Chicken, turkey, clam, and corn have all found their way into a delicious crust and light gravy in my oven over the years. But, I could never be a contented vegan if I had to forego the All-American pot pie. So I nixed the chicken (metaphorically speaking, of course) and loaded my pie with all manner of vegetables, and a light vegetable based gravy resulting in a warm, savory dinner (and subsequent lunch) that satisfied all my pot pie cravings.

For the crust, see my vegan pie crust recipe. I restrained myself, and only used a top crust. It gets the same point across and dramatically reduces the calorie count.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
2 carrots chopped roughly
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup broccoli chopped
1 cup cauliflower chopped
1 cup green beans chopped into 3” pieces
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup hemp milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook each vegetable, except the onion and peas, individually until it is slightly underdone. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 400º. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the other vegetables and the peas, and coat with olive oil. Add the flour and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the vegetable stock, stirring frequently to avoid lumps. Finally, add the hemp milk and cayenne pepper. Taste for salt and pepper. Transfer the contents of the pot to a pie pan.


Lay the crust over the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is hot and bubbly. Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. What a great looking dish. I can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete