Vegan Spring Vegetable Pot Pies
- Yield: servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/4cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4cup cornmeal
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 3sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- 1/4cup vegan shortening, chilled
- 1/4cup vegan hard margarine, chilled, cut into 8 pieces
- 3 to 4tablespoons cold water
- 2cups cubed yellow or red potatoes
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 2tablespoons vegan hard margarine
- 1small onion, chopped
- 1small shallot, diced
- 8ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2cups shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
- 1/2cup green peas
- 1/2cup asparagus tips
- 2cups packed baby spinach
- 1/2cup vegetable broth
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2teaspoons canola oil
- 12sprigs fresh thyme, optional
Instructions
1. Crust: In food processor, combine flour, cornmeal and salt and pulse until combined. Add thyme leaves and pulse 2 times. Dot shortening and margarine around work bowl and pulse 10 times. Scrape down sides and pulse until mixture is combined, about 5 times more. Sprinkle in 3 tbspof water and pulse 10 times until dough holds together when gently squeezed. If too dry, add water, 1 tbsp at a time, and pulse until dough holds together. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, for at least 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours.
2. Filling: In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently until tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking water. Set aside.
3. Place a large skillet with a lid or a Dutch oven over medium heat and let pan get hot. Add margarine and tip pan to coat. Add onion and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add mushrooms, edamame and 1⁄2 cup reserved potato cooking water. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas, asparagus tips and spinach and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in flour, while gently scraping bottom of pan. Gradually add vegetable broth, while constantly stirring. Simmer, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in potatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide among baking dishes. Arrange on prepared baking sheet and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 425 F.
5. Sprinkle work surface with a little flour. Cut dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a rough circle, approximately 1 inch larger than baking dish. Arrange dough circle over ramekin, allowing edges to hang attractively over sides, pressing lightly to seal over edge. Cut three venting slashes in crust and brush with 1⁄2 tsp of oil. Repeat with remaining dough and pot pies.
6. Bake pot pies in preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Place a few stems of thyme upright through vent slash of each pot pie, if using, and serve warm.
For quick crackers, reroll dough scraps and cut to desired shapes and sizes. Prick with a fork and bake at 425 F until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or salt and pepper while hot.
Excerpted from 350 Best Vegan Recipes by Deb Roussou © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.