Making a good pot pie is no easy task.
There are hardly any ways to really get a vegetarian version either.
So when I found a good tasting, vegan pot pie recipe that didn’t take me all day and 50 bucks in groceries, I nearly fainted.
Amy’s Vegetarian makes some good frozen pot pies, but they cost like four dollars each and are the same size as the buck-fifty Swanson chicken ones.
The recipe I originally adapted this from was vegan, so I’m keeping it vegan for the sake of all my friends who eat dairy free.
By using a muffin pan instead of a pie plate or casserole dish, you get single serving pot pies that taste just as good, but then no one is in danger of getting the piece from the middle with barely any crust.
The only hard part is finding a puff pastry that is actually vegan, but they are out there, and if all else fails, make your own pie crust.
Start by heating up the cooking oil in a saucepan. I use a two quart one to give me some room to stir.
Stir in the onion and garlic and let them heat until the onions get see-through.
Toss in the rest of the veggies and spices and heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix in the margarine, wine, tofu and soy milk as you stir slowly while pouring each in.
Add the flour last and allow the sauce to thicken as you cook another 7-10 minutes, then let it cool a little as you’ll be pouring it into the crust soon.
Preheat your oven to 325.
Start by either laying flat the dough if you have store bought or rolling it out if you made your own. Cut small pieces that will fill the bottom and sides of one cup in a muffin pan. Rolling out puff pastry a little thinner than normal is a good idea unless you want the pot pie with a big fluffy crust.
Carefully scoop or pour the vegetable and sauce mixture into the dough. It’ll probably still be hot, so watch out.
Take a second piece of the puff pastry and lay it over the top, pressing the edges to create a seal around the sides of the dish. I let the excess hang over the edge for the burnt crust edges, but you can trim it if you’re not strange like me.
If you trim the edges, you can use the excess dough by rolling it all together and using it for more mini-pot pies.
Some people make the sides pretty with some pie edging techniques, but I don’t see the point since it’s probably just gonna get devoured quickly anyway.
Make sure to vent the crust on top, one X in the center of each should do the trick.
Bake it for about 45 minutes, or until the crust turns a golden brown and gets bubbly.
Let it cool for a little while before you pull them out of the pan and start eating so that the inside can settle and solidify a bit.
Even without greasing the cups, these pop out pretty easy, so there is no need to add extra calories and fat by using shortening or oil in the pan.
The great thing about this is that it tastes good the first time, but seems to get better as leftovers.
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen puff pastry
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1 12-14 oz pack of tofu, diced small (you can easily sub diced seitan or Morningstar Farms Chik’n strips chopped)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of chopped baby carrots
¾ cup of peas (frozen work just fine)
½ cup corn (frozen is fine)
1 large potato diced small
1 cup of soy milk
1/3 cup white wine
2 Tbsp unbleached flour
2 Tbsp vegan margarine
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
RSS
