Blast from the past– This post was from a year ago but since I am not making anything “Pi” related this year (boo to time constraints) I decided to recycle a recipe!
–
(3/14/11) Yesterday when I was shopping I found a large package of portabella mushrooms for only $1.01 at Fresh & Easy, so I wanted to plan a meal around them. I also wanted to do something that would go well with “Pi day.”
To make the pie crust you’ll need:
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 2 cups flour
- pinch of salt
Although many recipes suggest the shortening and flour be mixed together first, this recipe mixes the shortening and boiling water until smooth before adding the flour.
After all the ingredients are mixed together, form the dough into a ball.
Next, squeeze off a small portion and roll out between two pieces of waxed-paper.
After you roll out the dough, set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Portabella Pot Pie filling:
First, peel and chop the potatoes and carrots and place them in a medium-sized saucepan to boil.
In a large skillet, add a small amount of coconut oil and when heated, add chopped onions and garlic. When onions are nearly cooked, add the chopped portabella and white mushrooms and after cooking for a while, add 1/2 a cup of red wine and 1/2 a cup of vegetable broth.
When the mushrooms are cooked, drain the sauce into a bowl, set aside the mushroom/onion mixutre and return the sauce to the pan. Drain the potatoes/carrots and place in the bowl with the mushroom mixture, leaving a small amount of starchy water from the potatoes to add to the sauce. Add an additional 1/2 cup vegetable broth, more jarred garlic, and a splash more red wine. Bring to a rolling boil and slowly add some cornstarch dissolved in water to the sauce until it begins to thicken.
When sauce is desired consistency, pour sauce over the vegetables and mix well. Spoon mixture into pans lined with crust. I chose to make three small bread-pan shape pot pies, but the crust is enough for a full 9″ round pan with top and bottom crusts. After mixture has been added, top the pies with the remaining crust and “seal” them to the best of your ability.
Poke the crusts with a fork to vent the pies and place them on a large baking sheet before putting them in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (until crust is golden brown) time will vary based on the size of pan you use.
Tip pie out of pan and onto a plate to serve. I served mine with a small mixed green salad to balance out the heavy flavor of the pot pie.
The pot pie was not as gravy-y as I hoped it would be, but I think I may have added a tad too much cornstarch when thickening.
Yields 3 small bread-pan sized loaves. (Each loaf can easily feed 2 people.) I shared my meal with two guests, packed 1/2 a pot pie for lunch tomorrow, and popped one in the freezer.
