although i only get a hankerin' for vegetable pot pie every once in a while, i know i could eat it almost every day. just about anything wrapping in dough is good: spanokopita, dumplings, samosas, turnovers, egg rolls, almond croissants. i mean, can you think of anything surrounded by dough that doesn't taste special? and if that dough is separated into many layers by more layers of butter, then all the better.
i never find making a pie crust to be a chore thanks to my food processor, and usually keep a few pie crust doughs frozen and at the ready. but making a top and bottom crust always seems more labor intensive than i'd like. especially if the bottom crust just comes out soggy everywhere but the edges. thank you, Cook's Illustrated, for coming up with an easier and just as tasty solution. in a fall 2008 issue of their magazine, there is a recipe for Skillet Apple Pie. this recipe is wonderful enough to help you justify buying a beautiful paella style pan or casserole, if you need help justifying that is. you saute your apple slices with cinnamon, sugar, and a bit of apple cider in an oven safe pan . then you roll out a single pie crust, lay it on top, and bake. voila! crisp, flaky, crust over tender filling with half the work! serve with some homemade cinnamon ice cream and smile.
the other night, i decided to apply this concept to a vegetable pot pie. what took me so long?! i'm sure this will become a regular addition to my supper repertoire.
Vegetable Pot Pie - the lazy way
whip up a batch of your favorite pie crust recipe. all butter is better in my book. i substituted a bit of whole wheat flour (maybe 1/4 cup at most) in my last batch and was happy with the results. i feel healthier already! while it's chillaxing in the fridge, make the filling.
the filling is flexible, but here's what i did: saute chopped onion in butter. add chopped celery, carrots, mushrooms, and jerusalem artichokes (i boiled these for about ten minutes first - they turn the water an intense emerald green!) - saute till tender. add some frozen peas and cook till they've warmed up. salt and pepper and add some herbs - i still have some frozen parsley cubes from last year's garden so i tossed one in. sprinkle with flour, stir, add heavy cream. stir and add cream until you get a consistency you're happy with. roll out your dough, lay it on top of your filling, cut a few slits in the top, and brush with egg white or milk if you feel like working more (though i never do - i never want to have to wash that brush...). bake at 400˚ for about 25-30 minutes or until the crust starts to go golden.
enjoy!
