So I had two of my favourite girls over for dinner and art last night. It was cold and a bit dreary, so I wanted to make something healthy, tasty and that was a comfort food. Potpie! Of course! Being a vegetarian, I like to make vegetarian versions of traditional dishes. I also really like to share said dishes with people, because they are yummy, healthy and shows that you can skip meat and still eat well! (Mind you, I don’t care that others eat meat, but I still like to share my foods). I got this recipe on Care2.com and altered it ever so slightly. I also cooked the pies in ramekins, so we each had individual little pies! Very cute ^_^
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 all-purpose potato, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 cups extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (I had to use canned peas, which worked, but frozen would be highly preferable)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves or 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cups Good Gravy (below)
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil ramekins or casserole dish
2. Make the filling: Cook the potato in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer the onions and carrots to the prepared casserole dish, add the tofu, peas, parsley, and potato, and stir to mix. Add the gravy, stirring to combine, and set aside.
4. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour and salt, pulsing to blend. Add the oil and process until the mixture is crumbly. With the machine running, slowly add the water and process until the mixture forms a ball.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to 1 1/4-inch-thick round a little larger than the casserole dish. Place the crust over the filled casserole and crimp the edges to seal.
6. Bake until heated through and the crust is browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6.
Good Gravy:
2 cups vegetable stock or water (I used vegetable stock)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water (dissolving it first is an important step!)
1/4 cup regular or soy milk (I used soy)
1. In a small saucepan, combine the stock, thyme, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, whisk in the cornstarch mixture, and boil, whisking, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk; do not allow to boil. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.
