Vegetable Pot Pies (Pie)

O.K, this recipe is supposed to make 8 x 1-cup individual pot pies, and I don't know about you, but I just don't have ANY (never mind 8) ramekins sitting around my kitchen! So, I just made one large vegetable pie (like my Mom's meat pies when I was a kid - still a favorite when she comes to visit!). So, it was great to discover a vegetarian version!

Served with oranges and a yummy jello (not shown - yes you are missing out!)

Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. cold soy margarine, cut into pieces

Filling

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium leek, white and green parts chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
• 8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 4 oz. red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 2 Tbs. creamy cashew butter, optional
• 6 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
• 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Directions

1. To make Dough: Whisk together flours and salt in bowl. Cut or rub margarine into flour mixture until no large pieces remain. Stir in 3 to 4 Tbs. cold water until smooth dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill while making Filling.
2. To make Filling: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add leek, celery, carrots, and mushrooms; sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in flour 
and garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, broth, and poultry seasoning. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cashew butter (if using), and 
cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and stir in asparagus, peas, and corn.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out Dough to 1/8-inch thickness. If using ramekins, cut into 8 4-inch rounds. Or, if making one pie, just roll it out!
4. Divide Filling among 8 1-cup ramekins (or pour all into a large pie dish). Place dough rounds on top, pressing dough around sides of ramekins with fork to crimp and seal. Poke hole in top of each pot pie. Place pot pies on baking sheet (important to contain overflow), and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Oops! I forgot to poke a cool design in the crust!

Our Opinions

Without getting direct quotes from everyone, let me just say that this was a huge success. Everyone really liked the vegetable pie! The only request is to use my Mom's pastry recipe instead of the one above (it is a bit dense and tough).

With the crust as written in the recipe, the average rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

If made with a light and flaky crust, the rating goes up to 4.7 out of 5 stars.

This recipe is a keeper! I will make it again, but with a flaky crust!

Potato and Cauliflower Burritos

To complete the meal, and add a bit of color to the plate, we served watermelon along with the burritos. But a green salad would have gone a long ways for a more appetising presentation!

Makes 4 burritos

Flavorful potatoes and cauliflower keep calories down but satisfaction levels high

1  15-oz. can fire-roasted crushed (or diced) tomatoes
1  chipotle chili in adobe sauce, drained (I couldn't find this in our store, so I used a can of chopped green chilis)
2  cloves garlic, peeled
2  tsp. canola oil
1  small onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2  tsp. dried oregano
3  c. small cauliflower florets
1  medium Yukon gold or russet potato (6 oz.), cut into small (1/4") cubes
3  Tbs. chopped cilantro
4  8-inch flour or whole wheat tortillas, warmed
1  c. cooked brown rice, warmed
1  c. grated monterey jack cheese

1. Pulse tomatoes, chipotle chile, and garlic in food processor until coarse purée forms.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil (I just used olive oil spray) in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and oregano; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, potato, and tomato mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover, and simmer 5 minutes more, or until cauliflower and potato are tender (I cooked about 30 minutes total, but I like my potatoes totally cooked!). Stir in cilantro.
3. Divide cauliflower mixture among tortillas, top with rice, and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas, leaving one end open.
4. Optional: We served with salsa and sour cream!

Per Burrito: 366 calories, 10 g. protein, 12 g. total fat (<1 g. sat. fat), 55 g. carbs, 491 mg. sodium, 7 g. fiber, 7 g. sugar.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine, June 2011, pg. 36.

Our Opinions!

Jeff:  "I thought the cauliflower was going to be a gag, but I couldn't have been more wrong! This recipe is a keeper!"

4.5 out of 5 stars

William (18): "Fully satisfying" (went back for 2nds!)

4 our of 5 stars

Erika (14): "I'm a pretty picky vegetable eater, and I liked it!" (Erika was concerned about tasting individual vegetable flavors, but couldn't, only the overall combined flavor of the dish)

4.5 our of 5 stars

Garrett (12):  "Pretty darn good!"

4 out of 5 stars

My thoughts: I thought the dish sounded weird at first. After all, I have heard of bean burritos, but cauliflower and potato? But I was also very happy with the combination of flavors. We added extra cauliflower and potato, since there were 5 of us and the recipe says it only serves 4, and have enough leftovers for about 3 more! Also, some people have to adjust to brown rice, but that is all we have eaten for years, so that was not a problem for any of us.

4 out of 5 stars

Overall opinion: This is dish is a keeper! We will add this to our repertoire of recipes!

Average rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars