Veggie Pot Pies - A Treat!

I wanted to find a dish that I could get excited about serving on holidays or special occasions.   We used to have turkey pot pie the day after Thanksgiving, and I looked forward to that more than the actual Thanksgiving meal.  I decided to convert my turkey pot pie recipe to a vegetable pot pie recipe.

Let me say from the onset, that this is not a health conscious meal.  I won't be serving this more than two or three times a year, at most.  Just because the puff pastry is plant based does not make it a healthy item.   I do think it will be a nice treat once in a while, and I think non plant based eaters will love it also.


In the past I would use egg to seal the pastry onto the dishes and to brush on the pastry for a pretty crust.  I used olive oil instead for sealing the pastry to the dish and used almond milk for the top of the pastry.  The almond milk brushed onto the top of the crust  did not come out as dark and shiny as when I used an egg wash, but it was still pretty.

When working with the puff pastry, do so as quickly as you can.  If the pastry gets warm, it can get stretchy and hard to handle.  It would be ideal if the completed pies could be placed in the freezer or refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking them.  I got impatient and did not do that, and they came out fine.



VEGETABLE POT PIE WITH PUFF PASTRY CRUST

3-6 small red potatoes, enough to make 2 cups diced after boiled
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
olive oil as needed
¼ cup flour
2 cups vegetable broth, room temperature or warmer
1 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen English peas, thawed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper, freshly ground
2 sheets packaged frozen puff pastry, vegan friendly, thawed overnight
1 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil
 2 Tbsp. almond milk
pepper for top of pies

Boil the potatoes until just tender.  Cut into a small dice and set aside.  Saute the onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil or vegetable broth for about 10 minutes.  If vegetable broth was used for the vegetable saute, add in 2 Tbsp.  of  olive oil to the vegetable mix at this point, to make a roux.  Stir in flour and cook two minutes, stirring constantly.   Gradually add broth and stir until thickened, over medium heat.  Add the almond milk to the vegetable mixture.  Add cooked, diced potatoes and thawed green peas and corn.  Stir in salt and pepper.


Pour into greased ramekins.   Roll one pastry sheet to 1/8 inch thickness.  Roll or cut pastry ½ inch larger on all sides than the ramekins.   Using a pastry brush, paint the outside top of the ramekins with olive or coconut oil, to use as a glue to hold the puff pastry onto the casserole.  Place puff pastry over the filled ramekins, pressing firmly to the sides of the casserole dish.




With a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with almond milk and sprinkle with a small amount of pepper. Cut several steam vents in the top of each pie.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes, until top is puffed and browned and vegetable mixture is bubbly.   Let the pot pies sit and cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.  Beware that the filling will be extremely hot.

At holiday or special occasion times in the past, I would start thinking about trying out a new recipe.  It was nice to try this out without the added stress that it absolutely must be great for guests.  Now I can serve it with confidence for the next special occasion.



Husband's note:  After dinner last night she put a few in the fridge for lunch the next day. My son and I warmed two in the microwave for 2 min. then set in the oven  for 10 minutes.  This made the crust crunchy again.  They were great. You don't have the soggy crust on the bottom, like traditional pot pies, but that means less calories.  I encourage you to give these a try.  My regret: I won't be home for dinner tonight to have another one!