Savory Pies

Mom's Veggie Pot Pie

Before going plant based, this was a curried chicken pot pie. But I think this has even more flavor as a veggie pie!

When I first started making this without the chicken, I par-boiled the 1st 4-cups of vegetables (#1 below) using the chicken broth, then added the flour to thicken. This gave me a sauce that I then added to the final mixture. This helps get the consistency of the sauce the way you like.

But I found this to be unnecessary, and too much work. If the vegetables are cut small enough, then they easily cook given 30 minutes in the oven. Now I use the recipe below where a little flour and water is added to the vegetable mixture and cooks (thickens) while in the oven.

• 8 cups of raw veggies
• 2 – 4 TBSP flour (varies based on type of vegetables); optionally use ½ cup pre-soaked, blended cashews)
• Spices per taste
• 9” pie shell

1. Cube some or all of the following veggies into bite-sized pieces. As a rough estimate, these raw veggies should measure about 4 out of the 8 cups. With the smaller pieces, par-boiling is not required.
   • Onions or leeks
   • Butternut squash (do not use yellow squash or zucchini, as these are too watery)
   • Carrots
   • Chopped spinach (or other leafy greens, such as kale); don’t even bother measuring spinach since it shrinks down to nothing.
2. For the remaining 4 cups, add some or all of these:
   • Broccoli or cauliflower
   • Peppers
   • Corn or peas (I like to use creamed corn, since this adds a little “sauce”)
   • Black beans (optional; makes a south-western pie if you also add corn and chili seasonings!)
   • Throw in any leftovers if available, e.g. chili, burrito filling, roast veggies, rice.
3. Add the desired spices. My favorite is a curried veggie pie (salt, 1+ TBSP curry, onion powder, garlic powder, zesty seasoning blend).
4. Add a few tablespoons of water (or left-over pasta sauce, leftover soup!) and 2 – 4 TBSP flour. This is where experience comes in, since it depends on the vegetables you use. Black beans that are not 100% drained, creamed corn and spinach provide some extra liquid. In general, cooking of any vegetable produces at least some liquid so you will always need at least a little flour.
5. Place in a pie crust and bake at 375° for at least 30 minutes until crust is brown and filling is bubbling.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

This is a very British dish, which my husband ate plenty of while growing up. I recently found out that Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb, and when made with ground beef, it's called Cottage Pie. Cumberland Pie is either of these but with the addition of a grated cheese and breadcrumb topping on the mashed potatoes.

This is a delicious vegan version of the traditional British recipe, using lentils as the protein. Don't worry too much about measuring ingredients, just throw in the amount that you like. In this recipe I use a total of 4 cups lentils and mushrooms, 2 cups of each. But if you love lentils, just use lentils and skip the mushrooms. Anything works!

The amounts listed below are for a 9x13 inch pan.

For the potatoes:

• 3 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 medium-large)
• 3 TBSP vegan butter
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the lentil layer:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cups yellow or white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup carrots, grated or cut into 1/4" pieces
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 2-3 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped)


• 1 TBSP cornstarch or 2 TBSP flour
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth (I use "Better than Bouillon" seasoned vegetable base)
• 3 TBSP tomato paste
• 2 tsp smoked paprika


• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 15-oz cans (about 2 cups) lentils, drained (or cook 1 cup dried lentils)
• Fresh spinach, chopped
• 1-2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

*** Instead of adding fresh chopped carrots, replace 1 cup of frozen peas with 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables.

Potatoes:

1. Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small mixing bowl.
2. Stir the butter into the potatoes until melted, then add the milk and mash until fluffy. Season with garlic, salt and pepper. Cover, and set aside until needed.



Filling:

3. Preheat oven to 375℉.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil and add onion, garlic, mushrooms, celery, carrots and thyme. Sauté over medium heat until onions are golden and carrots are cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Add cornstarch (or flour) to the skillet, stir to coat. Add the broth and tomato paste, and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Consistency should look like a thick stew.
6. Fold in the peas, lentils, spinach and seasonings and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until spinach has wilted and peas are cooked.
7. Remove from heat. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
8. Spread lentil mixture into a 9X13 pan. Cover with mashed potatoes. Use a fork to make designs, which will help to brown the potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
9. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden and the lentil mixture is bubbling. You may want to place a pan underneath to catch any spills. You can always use the broiler to brown the potatoes a little more. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Filling will thicken as it cools.

Caramelized Onion and Broccoli Quiche

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
• 2 small heads broccoli, chopped into small florets (or combo of broccoli and finely diced carrots)
• 14-oz firm tofu (not vacuum-packed), drained
• ½ cup aquafaba (liquid in a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans)
• ¼ cup almond or cashew milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup shredded vegan cheese

1. Add a little oil or vegan butter to a nonstick pan and heat it on medium.
2. Add the onions and a pinch each of sugar, salt and baking soda.
3. Turn the heat to low and caramelize the onions, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. They should cook for at least 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400° while the onions are cooking. Grease an 8X8 inch square cake pan.
5. In the meantime, prepare the quiche mixture by combining the tofu, aquafaba (unwhipped), non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, soy sauce and spices in a blender or food processor. Blend for at least 2 minutes to whip up the aquafaba.
6. When the onions are caramelized, add the broccoli and turn the heat back to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes until broccoli softens. Don’t overcook, as cooking will continue in the oven.
7. Remove from heat and fold the onions and broccoli into the liquid quiche mixture.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the vegan cheese on top, if using.
9. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
10. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

I like to serve this with whole cranberry sauce, either homemade or canned.

Spinach and Mushroom Galette

In case you're not familiar with French cuisine, a galette is a freeform pie-like pastry that does not require a special pan. Essentially, pastry dough is hand wrapped around a savory or sweet filling and baked on a flat sheet.

This recipe is from Parade Chef John Ashton, and I'm including it here for easy access. If you love cooked spinach, you will love this. Make sure you don't skip the "everything bagel" seasoning, since that really adds some good flavor! This was my first attempt, so it's not very symmetric 😉.

• 2 TBSP vegan butter, split
• 1 leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 5.2 oz pkg Boursin cheese
• 2 10-oz pkgs frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (use a tofu press!)
• 1 TBSP whole grain mustard
• 1 pkg refrigerated rolled pie crust
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 TBSP everything bagel seasoning

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. In a large skillet over medium, melt 1 TBSP of the butter. Add the sliced leek, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes or until leek is tender and just beginning to brown. Scrape into a large bowl.
3. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, and add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms have released their liquid and are golden brown. Add to the bowl with leeks.
4. Add the Boursin cheese and stir until melted.
5. Stir in the spinach and mustard. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
6. Unroll the pie crust. Sprinkle the Gruyere cheese over the crust, leaving about 1-1/4 inch border. Top cheese with spinach mixture. Fold edges of crust over the filling, overlapping slightly, and leaving the center of the filling exposed.
7. Brush crust with egg, then sprinkle with the everything seasoning.
8. Bake 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetarian Crustless Quiche

If you're someone who eats gluten free and dairy free but is OK with eggs, then this is a great lunch or dinner with perhaps a side of fruit, salad or potato hash.

• 8 eggs
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 8-10 oz. box of frozen spinach, defrosted
• 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
• 1-2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 2 TBSP unsweetened non-dairy milk
• Optional spices such as garlic, oregano and thyme, onion salt, and mustard
• 2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and coat a 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add veggies (onion, pepper, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli). Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent and veggies are soft.
3. While the veggies are cooking, whisk eggs in mixing bowl and add non-dairy milk.
4. When veggies are done, add to egg mixture. Add spices, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast (if using).
5. Pour entire mixture into prepared baking dish and cook 35 minutes or until eggs are completely set.