Really Yummy Pot Pie

BRR!! These past few morning have been chiillllyyyy.

Ironically, it’s supposed to be back to being in the sixties next week – the weather we’ve been having is ridiculous! It actually snowed (okay, flurried) on and off all. day. long. today. Well, in between the five minute intervals of blue skies and sunshine.

So, what’s a great way to warm up from the deep freeze, you ask?

Why, pot pie, of course!

I realize I’ve been making veggie casseroles/pies/what-have-yous non stop lately. Case in point.

But really – what’s not to love?! I have fond memories of pot pies and shepherd’s pies as a child, and I guess those memories are still with me. When I made the butternut squash shepherd’s pie, I was having a hard time deciding between shepherd’s pie and pot pie, so it comes as no surprise that I made a pot pie last night.

Coming home and being able to curl up with the piping hot leftovers in a warm bowl on a day such as this couldn’t have been better, and I am sure I will be making this many more times.

It was not completely without flaw, however. Next time I will play with the crust recipe. I tried finding a basic crust recipe, but they all use butter. I’m not complaining about this – I think a good crust pretty much requires butter. The only problem I have with making a crust with butter is…the fact that I didn’t have any butter. Or earth balance – my weapon of choice. I just don’t use either often, and even my mom only had some margarine. Considering the fact that I just read a chapter on lipids and am in the middle of In Defense of Food, for some odd reason I didn’t think the trans-fats in margarine were in my best interest.

Shocker, I know.

And so I decided to use olive oil. Until I saw the sesame dressing I bought a while back at a farmer’s market and decided to use that. It’s a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sesame oil.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you have a good crust recipe – use that. I’m still going to include what I did, and while it’s not bad – it just needs some butter or earth balance.

After I put it in the oven I got this crazy idea that I should have made it with a cornbread crust, but I think that will be a post for another day.

Really Yummy Pot Pie

2-3 servings

First prepare the crust:

• 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1 t. italian seasoning
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 T. sesame dressing/olive oil
• ~2 T. cold water

Combine the first 4 ingredients, using a fork to combine it into a crumbly mixture:

Add the water 1/2 T. at a time until it just holds together when pinched. You don’t want it too wet and sticky.

When that’s all set, refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• olive oil, for sauteeing
• 1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 a block of tempeh, chopped
• 1 1/4 c. water (or vegetable broth)
• 2-3 T. white bean flour(thickening agent)
• 2 t. italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• dash of crushed red pepper, to taste/optional

Sautee the onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Add in the sweet potato and 3/4 c. water, season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook until the sweet potato softens a bit but still firm. While the sweet potatoes cook, you can roll out your crust.

Add in the frozen mixed vegetables, tempeh and Italian seasoning. Cook until the vegetables are heated through, and then sprinkle in 1 1/2 T. of the white bean flour 1/2 T. at a time. Make sure you stir thoroughly after each addition. Season with salt and pepper, and when it’s where you want it, the sweet potatoes are tender and it is beginning to thicken, shut off the heat. Transfer to a casserole dish, and add in the last 1/2 c. water and sprinkle another 1/2 T. white bean flour over the top, stirring gently to combine. Lay the crust over top, slicing a couple holes in the top. And, you know…making a pretty smiley face with the excess crust.

Cook for about 50 minutes at 400*. The crust should turn golden, and the “gravy” may be bubbling around the sides.

The sweet potato and mixed vegetables along with the tempeh, and the gravy formed from the white bean flour is just a phenomenal combination.

Ohhh,, Marie. I am sorry to say, but you have nothing on this.

While eating, I browsed my last environmentally unfriendly addiction: the new K-Cups. I am very happy to hear that Green Mountain is looking into ways for their K-Cups to become “greener.”

I am also very happy to hear that their holiday flavors are [almost] out. Gingerbread was my absolute favorite last winter (what a shocker there, I know) and I’m pretty pumped to try Spicy Eggnog. They didn’t make it last year, but I’ve had an Eggnog coffee in the past and it was phenomenal.

Aaaand remember that figgy peanut butter from yesterday?

Uhhhh, yuht. You knew what had to happen. That is just one part of a figgy peanut butter, honey, and nectarine panini. Oh, yes.

I was practically chanting “figgy peanut butter” all morning in my head.

I am also brazen enough to roast broccoli in our toaster oven at work. I may or may not have roasted an entire head to have with this panini.

I may or may not have stolen the air freshener from the bathroom in attempts to be super sleuthy and not give myself away.

I may or may not have still had my boss walking back only to exclaim “I thought I smelled burnt broccoli!”

In my defense, it wasn’t burnt. He just has a sensitive nose. Or something.

And while I was really excited last night to try peanut flour in my overnight oats, I was super bummed to realize something was missing this morning. It just didn’t seem…right.

And then I realized it was chia seeds I was missing, and am ever-so-appreciative of them now. It just wasn’t the same without them!

And with that, I leave you with this:

I promise he’s alive. Don’t you want to be a horse in your next life?!

If you could be reincarnated as an animal – what would you want to be? Random question, I know. Possibly a touch morbid for a food blog, too.