Thursday, October 11, 2012

Lazy Thursday

With the exception of three loads of laundry done around 1:00pm, today was all about relaxing. Curled up with Bowie in the crook of my arm, I watched Damages, did some shopping in the Kindle store, and then popped in Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so I could drool over Daniel Craig. I knew I had to cook something, but I wasn't hungry. Not until the smell of slow cooking vegetables and gravy drifted to my nose, that is.

When I was a little girl, my mom made Swanson pot pies in the oven all the time. She would always turn mine over onto a plate, and I often protested, "I want to eat it out of the little pan!" I guess she worried I'd burn myself or make a mess, but it wasn't until I was a grownup that I baked one up in my own oven and ate it out of the aluminum pan that I realized that I liked it all over the plate. It reminded me of my mom.

I searched all over the place for little pie pans yesterday, but none were quite deep enough, so this one was made in a standard pie plate, so it serves more than just one person. With a salad and a veggie side, this could serve four.I am far too lazy to deal with making pie crust, so I opted for puff pastry for this one. Pepperidge Farm makes a vegan puff pastry, albeit completely hydrogenated and non-organic. Since I buy a package of the stuff maybe once a year, I figure I'll live.

vegan pot pie
Just out of the oven

vegan pot pie
 

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie
makes one standard pie or four mini-pies

1/2 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp margarine
1 cup not-chicken broth (I use Edward & Sons Not Chicken cubes. 1 cube in a cup of boiling water)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cashew cream or soy creamer 
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley 
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup chicken flavored seitan (I used some Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, thawed and cubed)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350°

In a saucepan, heat the margarine until melted. Add onion, celery, and garlic and stir, lowering the heat. Cook until soft. Stir in broth, and increase heat. Whisk in the cornstarch. Stir over a low boil until thickened. Add seasonings, cream, and wine. Stir in chicken seitan and vegetables. Heat for about two minutes, and then pour into a pie pan that's been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. 

Roll out the piece of puff pastry to fit the pie pan. Brush lightly with some melted margarine. With scissors or a pizza cutter, cut into a circle. Lay the pastry over the pie, buttered side down, and crimp the edges. Brush the top with non-dairy milk. Bake 30 minutes or until golden. Let rest five minutes and serve.

1 comments:

GiGi said...

Oh man I haven't had puff pastry in a while, now I have a hankering for not just any pot pie, your pot pie ;)