Tasty Vegan Pot Pie

I just tried this amazing recipe from the Vegan Lunch Box Blog  Holy smokes was it good!  5.5 yr old Adelaide was over for dinner and she kept going on and on about it.  Mark and I loved it, our kids weren't quite as taken but seemed to like it ok.  Instead of following her directions for one large pot pie, I made individual servings.  Which made it fun for the kids.  Here is the recipe with my modifications:

Veggie Filling:
*note that the amounts of the veggies are easy to modify and switch out as needed. You just want about enough veggies to fill up your pot pie serving dish
3/4 cup petite peas, organic (frozen)
1 large carrot, diced
1 small potato, peeled/diced (I used left over sweet potatoes) - about 1 1/4 cups when chopped
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained/rinsed (MORE
1/2 cup shiitake portabella mushrooms, diced
left over asparagus

spices/oil for veggie saute:
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
a few dashes of black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder salt
a few pinches of cayenne (optional)

Cashew Base:
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups soaked raw cashews
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tbsp white miso paste (adds saltiness and subtle flavor)
additional salt if needed (if you do not use miso paste, you should add some salt)
a few pinches of cayenne (optional)

Crust:
1 cup white flour, organic
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil (used trader joes)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon juice
4-6 Tbsp warm water
a squeeze of orange juice (brush top of pastry with it, or squeeze over top)


Her dish: measures 9½ inches in diameter; holds 3.88 quarts (I used several different sized individual things

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Yes! At the start because this goes so fast!)

2. Add you cashews (about 1 1/2 cups before the are soaked) to a large bowl and cover with very hot water. The hottest setting on your tap. Add a pinch of salt and allow to sit while you do the veggie prep. (note: If you have time and plan ahead, soak the cashews for even longer - 4+ hours is great. This will help ease the blending process just a bit. This is advised if you are not using a high speed blender.)

3. Prep all your veggies. Set aside.

4. Add you potatoes to a deep skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. Reduce heat a bit and allow to cook until a tested potato is tender, but not mushy. Drain the water and set potatoes aside with other veggies.

5. Drain your cashews and add 2 cups of the soaked cashews to your blender. If you have any extra cashews you can thrown them in as well or toss them in whole with your veggie mix. Add the veggie broth, miso, sauce spices and acid. Blend from low to high until smooth and creamy. This may take a minute or so. Set aside. (Adjust salt and seasonings if desired.)

6. In that same skillet, add your oil and when the oil is hot add in the carrots, beans and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes until cooked down. Then add in the peas and potatoes and saute until peas thaw a bit. Over medium heat.

7. Pour the base sauce over top the veggie saute and toss until all the veggies are well coated. Turn heat to high and saute for another 1-2 minutes so that the flavor of the nutty sauce develops a bit.

8. Pour the heated veggie filling into your pot pie serving/baking dish. Set aside.

9. Quickly mix up your dry ingredients for your crust. Then using your hands, mash in the coconut oil. Then one tablespoon at a time, add in the water. Mixing with every new spoonful. Keep adding until your dough in kneadable yet still moist. When this occurs, knead a bit then roll out on a floured surface. This does not to be perfect at all! I very quickly pressed and rolled out my dough (as you can tell by the crumbly state after baking). Add to top of your serving dish and slice a few vent lines in top. Lastly, squeeze a bit or orange juice over top - or brush pastry lightly with it. It gives a subtle orange tint that beats an "egg wash" any day!

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve after about 20 minutes of cooling. Store in fridge and reheat as needed. Eat within 3 days. This dish probably freezes quite well, but I have not tested freezing yet