IDEA ALLEY

Vegetarian pot pie is worth the effort

Kim Christ shares this vegetarian pot pie recipe in response to Dorothy Hare.

“This is some work, but quite delicious,” Christ writes.

Wynelle’s Pot Pie

Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt, optional

½ cup chilled butter

3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium carrots, diced

1 medium potato, diced

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)

½ cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

Salt and ground black pepper

Roux:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Topping:

1 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup bread crumbs (garlic bread crumbs are nice)

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

¼ teaspoon dried basil

Dash sweet paprika

To make the crust, sift flour, and salt if using, into a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour, a little at a time, as you turn the dough with a wooden spoon, until a ball forms. Add a little more ice water if the dough fails to come together. Chill until firm, 30 to 60 minutes, or roll out immediately on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a 10-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Set aside.

To make the filling, in a large saucepan saute the onions in the oil until soft. Add the carrots, potato, paprika, basil and marjoram. Cook, covered, on medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper, mushrooms, peas and corn. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and continue to cook until the carrots begin to become tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. Set aside.

For the roux, in a separate saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir constantly on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Whisk in the milk, mustard and nutmeg. Continue to stir on low heat until mixture is hot and lightly thickened, but do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese, whisking until blended. Set aside.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

For the topping, in a small skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the bread crumbs and herbs, stir to coat them with butter and saute 3 minutes or until the crumbs are very lightly crisped.

Check the sauteed vegetables. If there is any liquid in the bottom of the pan, drain the vegetables.

To assemble the pie, spoon the drained vegetables into the waiting pie crust. Pour the roux over the vegetable filling and poke a spoon down into the vegetables in several places to encourage the roux to seep in.

Sprinkle on the bread crumbs, and if you like, a few pinches of grated cheddar. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant by the Moosewood Collective.

Barbara Sue Turner can always be counted on for an interesting and tasty recipe. This week she shares a recipe for Anzac Biscuits.

“I came across this recipe in one of my cookbooks. I thought it would be fun to share something from another country,” she writes.

According to The New Food Lover’s Companion, this sweet Australian treat gets its name from the nickname given to World War I soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Anzac Biscuits

1 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut

½ cup butter

2 tablespoons honey OR corn syrup

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon boiling-hot water

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl; set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir butter and honey together until butter melts.

In a small cup, mix together baking soda and hot water; add to butter mixture. Add butter soda mixture to oat mixture and mix well. Roll into ½ -inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake 20 minutes.

Cookies will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

[email protected] Please include a daytime phone number.

Food, Pages 35 on 01/01/2014

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