Vegan Vegetable Pot Pie

Ahhhhh... comfort food. Winter screams comfort food, doesn't it? And this is something I've been missing... pot pie. I use to love chicken pot pie. I remember eating it with delight as a kid and that continued well into my adulthood. So I thought I'd try making a vegan version. My family liked it and so did I!!

It was fun to make, and if you buy pre-cut or frozen vegetables it goes together easily. If you've never used phyllo dough, don't let that get in the way. Just follow the directions on the package. If a sheet or two breaks in the process, don't worry, no one will know... but you could substitute the phyllo for a vegan pie crust if you like. 

Vegan Vegetable Pot Pie

This recipe can be made in ramekins. If you do that, it should make at least four individual servings.?? 

Filling:
2 T olive oil
1 C onion, diced
1 C celery, diced
1 C carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C cauliflower, diced
2 Russet potatoes, cubed small
3 T flour
2 C vegetable broth
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 C frozen green beans
1 C frozen corn kernels
garlic powder
celery salt
1/2 t salt
freshly ground pepper

Crust:
10 sheets of phyllo dough, you'll use 1/2 of a package
Earth Balance 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the cauliflower and russet potatoes and continue to cook for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir often so the vegetables don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and stir it into the vegetables. Once fully incorporated, add the broth and bouillon and scrap all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, greens beans, corn, garlic powder, celery salt, salt and pepper and simmer on low, stirring often, for 20 - 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, melt some Earth Balance and get the phyllo out of the refrigerator. Once the vegetables are done, remove the bay leaf and sprig of thyme, and pour into a  9" X 13" pan. Lay a single sheet of phyllo on top of the vegetable mixture and brush with Earth Balance. Place another sheet on top of that brushing it with Earth Balance. Repeat the process until all the sheets are used. Brush the top of the last piece with Earth Balance and put the pot pie in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until it is golden and the mixture is bubbling up around the edges. Let it sit a few minutes before serving.

Note: The picture is not mine.

Butternut Squash Soup

Here's a recipe I posted last fall. I think it's worth repeating. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash (3 – 3.5 lbs) - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1 t. fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (just a little)
3 leeks - white parts only, washed well and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 C. coarsely chopped cauliflower
2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 bouillon cubes, low sodium vegan vegetable (I used Rapunzel, one cube for every 2 cups of water)
6 C. water
3 large leaves of sage, chopped
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a sheet pan and spray it with Pam. Pour the cubed butternut squash onto the sheet pan and lightly spray the top of the squash with Pam. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and cracked pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, add the chopped sage and stir. Continue roasting for 15 minutes or more until soft.

In a large pot simmer the water, bouillon cubes, celery, cauliflower and leeks until the vegetables are tender. Once the squash and sage are finished in the oven, spoon them into the pot with the other vegetables. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in batches using a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. Serve.

Mashed Potatoes Parsnips and Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

 

Every autumn I look forward to cooking and eating late harvest vegetables. I love all the flavors. I haven't made mashed potatoes in a very long time and with the change in weather I've been anxious to experiment making them. This is my vegan take on mashed russet potatoes... and its a family approved recipe!
 
Mashed Potatoes Parsnips and Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

Roasted Garlic

1 bulb of garlic
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb. Lay the garlic bulb on top of a piece of parchment paper with a slightly larger piece of aluminum foil underneath. Drizzle the bulb with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Close the aluminum foil  and bake for 55 minutes. The cloves should be soft when pressed. Set aside and let cool as you finish the mashed veggies.

Mashed Potatoes, Parsnips and Cauliflower

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
2 thin parsnips (or one large) peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 C cauliflower florets (heaping above the measuring cup), cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 C Vegenaise
1 whole bulb of roasted garlic
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt to taste

Begin by bringing the potatoes and parsnips to a boil in pot of cold salted water. Add the cauliflower florets as the potatoes begin to become tender (after 10 - 15 minutes). Continue to cook until all veggies are tender. Drain and put back into the pot. Add the Vegenaise, roasted garlic and parsley. Mash and season to taste.

Note: The pictures are not mine.

Butternut Squash Soup

Here's a recipe I posted last fall. I think it's worth repeating. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash (3 – 3.5 lbs) - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1 t. fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (just a little)
3 leeks - white parts only, washed well and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 C. coarsely chopped cauliflower
2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 bouillon cubes, low sodium vegan vegetable (I used Rapunzel, one cube for every 2 cups of water)
6 C. water
3 large leaves of sage, chopped
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a sheet pan and spray it with Pam. Pour the cubed butternut squash onto the sheet pan and lightly spray the top of the squash with Pam. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and cracked pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, add the chopped sage and stir. Continue roasting for 15 minutes or more until soft.

In a large pot simmer the water, bouillon cubes, celery, cauliflower and leeks until the vegetables are tender. Once the squash and sage are finished in the oven, spoon them into the pot with the other vegetables. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in batches using a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. Serve.

St. Patrick’s Day Potato Leek Soup

In the past, I’ve always looked forward to St. Patrick’s Day. Not because of the green beer, but because of my yearly indulgence of corned beef with cabbage... You know, that over-cooked mess of brisket and vegetables that turns into mush on the plate… always smothered in butter… loaded with salt...and served with a side of mustard (probably the only healthy part). But now that I’m eating vegan, how do I celebrate? Is it a dinner limited to beer? (Hmmm...intriguing)

Well, the question is easily answered with potato leek soup, and coming up with a simple recipe omitting the cream was an excellent task for me. The following is the recipe. It’s easy and really very good. And you can still serve the green beer. Sláinte!

St. Patrick’s Day Potato Leek Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3-4 leeks, whites only, thoroughly washed, sliced
1 T olive oil
1 T Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread
5-6 C faux chicken or vegetable stock
1 veggie bouillon cube
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
salt to taste
Snipped chives for garnish

In a stockpot, saute onion, celery and leeks in the olive oil and Earth Balance for at least 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except chives, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve in bowls with chives sprinkled on top.

May you live a long life
Full of gladness and health,
With a pocket full of gold
As the least of your wealth.

Note: The photo I used was found on google images

Cannellini Bean Soup with Garlic

This soup was inspired by "Jewels' Favorite Soup Jill Makes" along with my love for garlic. My husband thought it was so good he went back for seconds... and he's not a lover of soup! That's what convinced me the recipe was "blog worthy." You'll have to make it and let me know what you think.

1 - 2 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 Cup)
6 C. water
3 vegan bouillon cubes
2 medium sized russet potatoes, diced (1 1/2 - 2 Cups)
1 C. chopped cauliflower
1 whole bulb of garlic, separated and peeled
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
4 15.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 t. white pepper
1/4 C. parsley, chopped
cheesecloth and kitchen string

In a large stock pot, saute the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add water and bouillon cubes and bring to a simmer. Tie the garlic, bay leaf and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth and place into the simmering stock. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and discard. Add the beans and puree half the soup in a blender then stir back into the pot. Add the parsley, pepper and enjoy!

Note: Right now, my camera couldn't take a decent picture to save my life. The picture above came from flickr.com, so it's not my soup, but it looks a lot like it.

Butternut Squash Soup

One morning I walked into work and found two bags of squash sitting on my desk. It was the last of a co-workers bountiful garden. As I looked it over, the butternut squash was staring me in the face, so I went home that night and made it into soup. This recipe is a big bowl of comfort.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash (3 – 3.5 lbs) - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1 t. fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (just a little)
3 leeks - white parts only, washed well and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 C. coarsely chopped cauliflower
2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 bouillon cubes, low sodium vegan vegetable (I used Rapunzel, one cube for every 2 cups of water)
6 C. water
3 large leaves of sage, chopped
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a sheet pan and spray it with Pam. Pour the cubed butternut squash onto the sheet pan and lightly spray the top of the squash with Pam. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and cracked pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, add the chopped sage and stir. Continue roasting for 15 minutes or more until soft.

In a large pot simmer the water, bouillon cubes, celery, cauliflower and leeks until the vegetables are tender. Once the squash and sage are finished in the oven, spoon them into the pot with the other vegetables. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in batches using a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. Serve.