This is what we had for dinner last night. It was a perfect meal for cool(er) weather.
The pie crust is from one one of my favorite cookbook's, Linda McCartney on Tour: Over 200 Meat-Free Dishes from Around the World.
I used whole wheat pastry flour to make it a bit healthier.The filling was made from a hodgepodge of what I had in the fridge.
I created a sauce by sauteing mushrooms and onions, adding a dash of wostershire, soy sauce, and flour. Once everything was brown, I added some vegetable stock.
Then I added carrots, potatoes, sweet peas, and some dry lentils. I added water and let that simmer until the lentils were soft (they only take about 20 minutes).
Then I added the filling to the pie crust and baked it in the oven until golden brown.
Want to know how I engaged my oldest son in the preparation of this dinner? Read my latest post on Raccoon School called Flour Sifter.
Looks yummy. Is the pie crust vegan by any chance? I doubt it, but I thought I'd ask.
ReplyDeleteHappy Tuesday... loving this Fall weather.
No, unfortunately. I have not been a faithful vegan as of late. I'd say I'm about 75% vegan at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThis pie crust has about 12 tbsp total of butter. Yikes!
I guess you could use butter substitute. I wish I had tried that. I guess I was afraid to risk ruining all my hard work on this dinner by using some substitute I've never tried before.
What are your thoughts on butter substitutes?
I'm not really big into "substitutes" for butter, cheese, etc. Well, I do drink soy and almond milk, so I can't be opposed to all subs.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I've never cooked with earth balance or the like. I have it in my fridge, but I've never used it. I have eaten things that used a butter sub to make it vegan, and enjoy them. Normally though, they are desserts, and a once in a while treat. (I do eat dessert, just not much 'baked goods.')
I do like to make pies, but i use a date/nut crust.
Okay, I'm rambling, but final words... I made a cornbread type dish this weekend that used cheese. I substituted Dayia for the mozzarella. It was the first time eating/cooking with it. It totally ruined the dish for me. It cooked well,and my husband LOVED dinner, but it just grossed me out. I guess it has been so long since I've had cheese, I just couldn't get into it.
That's my story. ha.
Thank you for sharing! I'm generally not a big fan of "substitute" anything! But I thought maybe the earth balance butter might be decent when I scanned the ingredients. Oh well!
ReplyDeleteYou are helping to inspire me to get back on the vegan horse again...put my all into it again. It's been a two steps forward one step back situation. I have made progress overall, but there has been some backsliding since my vegan experiment in March (I blame my sugar/baked goods addiction for this).
You've also inspired me to work on the lifelong goal I've had of running. It may sound ridiculous, but I've never managed to do it successfully. I can power walk and do other intense cardio work all day long, but there's something about running. Any advise? A friend told me the other day that yoga helped her regulate her breathing when running.
Your Vegetarian Lentil Pot Pie sounds great!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I have just signed my vegan pledge for my first month.
I live in a family that loves meat and fish, but am determined to change my food habits.
There are 3 good reasons for a vegan diet.
The environment.
Good Health.
Animal Cruelty.
We all have our reasons, but what helped me change my eating habits was factory farming causing cruelty to animals.
I'll have to try this soon. We use whole wheat pastry flour for all of our pie crusts for a delicious, slightly nutty flavor -- so much more interesting than white flour.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid my baked-goods loving husband has swung my diet back into the solidly vegetarian but not vegan camp. I am also not a big fan of substitutes, but sometimes the amount of butter we go through makes me cringe, especially because while it is "organic" butter, it's not coming from a small local farm. We could buy local butter from pastured cows (and we do buy milk that way), but the butter is SOOOO expensive.
Coralie - thank you for your comment! Good luck on your vegan journey. I try to be as vegan as possible for the same reasons.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - well, at least I'm not the only backslider around here! Baked goods are what get me, too!
By the way, you guys are doing so great with your garden! I intend to have that kind of success one day. It's a learning process for me though. Any advice? Have you always had a green thumb, or have you had to learn.
Anyway, my point was - don't beat yourself up about the butter. You're doing so many other great things!
Rebecca, my husband is the major force behind our garden. He grew up with a big garden, so he has an advantage there, but he's constantly learning and coming up with new ideas. Just a few months ago, he checked out just about every organic/sustainable gardening and farming book that our library offers -- I'm talking 20-30 books taking up substantial space in our little apartment. He's planning to write some guest posts about tips, tricks, and what he's learned at HerGreenLife over the winter (down time for the gardener).
ReplyDeleteAs a starting point, your local Extension Office may have some useful resources, with growing information specific to your part of the country. Or see what your library has to offer!
Very cool! Will have to try this pot pie some time.
ReplyDelete