Perfect Pot Pie!

I had a great weekend that started with my very first sleepover at school! I volunteered to be the female chaperon for the high school's 24 Hour Theatre weekend, where the 2nd year IB students take the 1st year IB students through a whole production that they wrote, crafted and casted. Although I didn't relish sleeping on the theatre floor, I did enjoy being a part of something from a different division.

Kevin was amazingly wonderful and brought me a great vegan Chinese take out meal from one of our favourite restaurants. It was great, and hugely appreciated. Saturday, under the cloud of Ms. Cranky-pants (lack of sleep & hard floor = super crank fest), we went scouring the city for a new dining room table. We found a perfect specimen in an antique shop, but decided to wait a couple of days before putting the money down (I don't recommend making big purchases when sleepy), and hope to pick it up this week sometime.


We hit my favourite house shop afterward, where I cheered up while picking out new tea canisters, magnets and cookie cutters. I even kept my mood up long enough to pick up the world's cutest bunny rabbit socks! We capped the night off with one of my guilty pleasures (a new episode of House), and some hummus and rice cakes. Perfect pre-bed combo. Kevin was a great guy and took all the grumping with a grain of salt..thanks Kev!


Sunday, with sun in the skies, and the sleep no longer in my eyes, we hung around the house, went to the Flagey market and made some of the best treats I have yet to concoct. I am so very proud of my Vegan Blog Inspired Vegan Pot Pie! It was amazingly glorious and I am so excited to make it over, and over again. I was also really happy with the stewed Plum/Apple gloop that made for the greatest breakie this morning.
And the Pearl Barley and Leek Soup that I made with the leeks we had left over after our pot pie production looks and smells delish! Can't wait for my post-work out lunch!


I also had some time to putter around in the much neglected garden. I moved the sage that was growing, growing and growing in our window box to a pot that would allow it to spread its roots a little more. I also checked on our bulbs, and cut back some of the rosemary (the sprigs were a part of the pot pie).

I almost forgot to share the wicked Parsnips Mash I made on Thursday night of last week! It was amazing, amazing, amazing! I had a pumpkin burger and some market corn with it. Look at the fresh herbs I mixed with some market garlic - I threw this in with the parsnips mash right at the end.

We have a three day week of school, with accreditation work on the Thursday and a retreat on the Friday. The one frustrating part of this job is that I feel that between holidays, my conferences, P.D. days and any of the other various reasons for not being at school, that I see too little of these great kids I get to work with.....hmmmm.

Please Eat This Pot Pie

Crust
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup of cold water
2/3 cup of olive oil
dried or fresh herbs as you wish

Filling
4 leeks - white bottoms cut into coins and then diced up
2 cups of brown mushrooms - sliced
1 block Extra Firm Tofu - pressed and sliced/slivered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
sage, rosemary, pepper, yellow mustard, black mustard

Sauce
2 tablespoons of vegan
1/3 cup of chickpea flour
1 1/2 cup of soy milk
water as needed


I prepared my pastry first. I decided before hand, on the advice of K, that the best way to make a lighter version of the pot pie (not that I don't dig the full on version) was to just make a cap for the pie, rather than a bottom as well.

This pastry was super insanely easier. I just put my flour in my bowl, added the water and then added the oil. I mixed it all up with my hands (any excuse to get dirty), and eventually broke it into two chunks, throwing one in the freezer for future creations. I rolled it out with my rolling pin and set it aside.

I will admit that I was stressed while making the filling and the saucy running bit. I was trying to make this, using the basic concept from a V-con recipe, while skyping with the nurse-mom and the uni-sister. They got to watch their own little version of the VeganCowGirl Cooking Show!!!

I made the innards of the pie by browning the fu first, and setting it aside. I used a smidgen of oil to heat up the dual mustard seed party, before adding the leeks and shrooms. The shrooms gave off quite a bit of liquid, which was great for keeping the contents from sticking (without the need of any additional oil). I added some more spices and let her simmer, while I prepped the sauce.

The sauce was a newbie for me. The whole pot pie idea was new, but in their own parts, the pastry and filling wasn't all that new - but a creamy inside....yikes...it was a part v-con and part guessing, but in the end I like what I ended up with. I started with melting the marg, added the soy milk, slowly added the flour and kept my eye on it while whisking away. I eventually added some more water, as I wasn't initially pleased with the consistency. In the end, I added the whole thing to the tofu/leek and mushroom madness, allowing that to simmer for about 10 minutes.

I used an oval shaped casserole dish, and added the inside, filling it almost to the top, before capping it off with the pastry. I was cheesy and added two cut out hearts to the top.

Kevin, on my orders, whipped up a pretty kicking Mushroom & Onion Gravy. He pulled the whole notion out of that brilliant bearded head of his and created something that totally topped off the pie leaving it in a state of perfection. I can not express enough how much I want you to get in that kitchen and give this one a try. It was amazing!!!!