Tofu-Mushroom Pot Pie
2 9-inch pie shells (I use prepared frozen ones; most brandshave lard in them, so read your labels or make your
own. I found one brand out of four at Safeway that
did not have lard in it.) (For vegan, use shortening
to make the crust instead of butter)
1 12 oz. package of extra firm tofu
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small russet potato, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced (IMHO there is no such thing as too much garlic)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 to 2 tsp. dried basil or fresh equivalent minced
1 tsp rosemary, crumbled
1 tbs cooking oil
for the sauce:
3 tbs butter (or oil for vegan)
3 tbs all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups veg stock or veg bullion or miso broth
black pepper to taste
Split the block of tofu and press (lay out 2-3 sheets of paper towel,
then the tofu halves, then 1-2 more sheets of paper towel, cover
with a plate, put a weight on top such as a jug of water, let sit 45 minutes
while doing other prep.)
Separate the pie shells and set out to defrost. One will be the top
crust, it needs to be removed from the pie tin and set on the separator
sheet. Alternatively if you like doing such things, whip up a
pie crust using grandma's (or betty crocker's) recipe.
Sautee the onions and garlic in the oil over a medium heat, stirring
occasionally, until they start to turn translucent. Add the potato
and carrots (and a stalk of diced celery if you're a traditionalist,
I didn't have any last night), stir, and cover. Let cook covered,
stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Add the mushrooms, peas, and herbs to the
vegetables, continue to cook covered with frequent stirring for about
10 more minutes. Depending on your vegetables a lot of liquid may
come out; if so, pour it off and use it with the stock for the
sauce.
In another pan melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium heat and
add the flour, stirring well. Keep cooking the roux until it just
starts to brown, then slowly add the stock, stirring constantly to
avoid lumps. Add fresh-ground pepper to taste. Cook until it thickens
sufficiently.
Dice the tofu into 1/2" cubes, mix with the vegetables, and spoon into
the pie crust. Pour the sauce mixture over this, top with the other
pie shell, and seal all around the edge by pinching it with your
fingers. Poke holes in the top for ventilation, then bake for 30-35
minutes until the crust is golden. (It will ooze some, so a cookie
sheet underneath is probably a good idea.) Let cool 10 minutes, then
slice and serve.
I served with a vegetable salad, mashed banana squash with butter,
and french bread. Serves 4-6 people.
cheers,
chuck/
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Variation: before adding the sauce, defrost and squeeze dry one
12-oz package of frozen spinach (the liquid can be used in the
sauce); spread over the pie, top with 3/4 cup nonfat mozarella cheese,
and proceed as above.
Source: rec.food.veg.cooking
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