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!

Vegetable Rosti with Tomato-Corn Relish

We served the Rosti with fresh watermelon and orange slices, along with artisan bread (not shown). As Jeff said, "the watermelon is the perfect thing to serve with this, it really compliments the dish"

A little flour and egg bind together grated vegetables to make satisfying patties. We’ve topped them with a summery relish, but you could easily substitute salsa or sautéed mushrooms.

Serves 4

Tomato-Corn Relish

• 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped (11/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. chopped onion
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

Rosti

• 2 medium white potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. To make Tomato-Corn Relish: Combine all ingredients in bowl. Set aside.
2. To make Rosti: Grate potatoes, carrots, and zucchini onto clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel around vegetables, and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Transfer vegetables to bowl, and stir in onion, flour, and garlic. Fold in eggs, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 Tbs. Rosti mixture for 
each patty, shaping with spoon to make patties. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bottoms are crisp. Carefully flip with spatula, and cook 2 minutes more, or until browned on both sides. Serve with Tomato-Corn Relish. 

Per Serving (6 rosti and 3/4 cup relish): 328 calories, 12g protein, 8g total fat (2g sat. fat), 57g carbs, 93mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 8g fiber, 15g sugar

Recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine, June 2011, pg. 63.

Our Opinions

This dish was very favorably received! It was a very hands on dish to prepare, but we do a lot of cooking as a family, so everyone pitched in to help.

William: "It's not something you are eating because you are a slave to the culture" (we had been discussing hot dogs!). William helped form and cook the rosti.

4 out of 5 stars

Erika: "I thought it was pretty good. The combination of fresh, full flavors, exploded in my mouth."

4 out of 5 stars

Garrett: We used basil in the relish, but G. thought the amount called for was a bit too much. He would cut the basil in half and leave the rest alone.

4 out of 5 stars

Jeff: I really liked the rosti's. I thought the relish was also a little heavy on the basil. They were refreshing and delicious, and I would want them again. I really enjoyed the meal overall, the rosti, oranges, watermelon and bread.

4 out of 5 stars

Me: I also really liked the dish. The rosti were warm, but the relish cold, but together they were a nice combination. I definitely encourage adding salt and pepper (preferably while they are cooking).

4 out of 5 stars

Overall opinion:  This is a dish we will have again! Everybody liked it, and with a few tweaks with the basil, this meal an all round winner!

Average rating: 4 out of 5 stars