Vegetarian Pot Pie

Although I am not currently eating vegetarian, when I cook, I prefer to cook vegan.  It's simpler for me, and I don't worry as much about food going bad.  So, if I could cook at home all the time, I would definitely be vegan;  It is just getting to the point of cooking at home all the time.  But that is a post for another time.

Anyhow, it has been some time since I made a pot pie.  The recipes I used were Veggie Pot Pie and Classic Crisco Pie Crust

When the children were little, I used to make pot pie all the time, because I found it was a good way to get them to eat a variety of vegetables, without having to inspect them too closely!  Homemade pot pie is so much better than the store-bought stuff (and I always liked those!) - I can do a double crust the way I prefer.

First, the "innards" of the pie:  The filling turned out quite well.  I used the carrots, potatoes and frozen peas I had on hand, as well as onion. (If it doesn't have onion in it, I don't like it as well!)  Also when served, Brian added some Mrs. Dash to the servings - this was delicious, and did not add any extra sodium.  When I cooked the filling on top of the stove, I did have a little extra liquid, so I added an extra TBSP of cornstarch.  It still looked a bit too "liquid-y" but it turned out perfect! Oh, I did mince up the garlic, but I forgot to add it, and didn't realize this until it was in the oven. It tasted good without it.

Pie crust has always been problematic for me.  I can never quite get the consistency right.  It is either too wet and mushy or too dry.  Tonight, I erred on the dry side, and the raw crust simply did not want to hold together.  I think I need a pastry mixing tool, to do it up right (I seem to have lost mine, so I used a fork).  I will use this recipe again, and see if I can do a better job of the crust next time.

The good news is that Brian and Nicole liked the pot pie, and I have some left over for lunch tomorrow!  It's a win-win!

Isa Pizza, Pizza Sauce and Cashew Cheesy Cream

I got a bit adventurous tonight.  Amy wanted pizza, and I didn't want to order out, so, I got out Vegan With A Vengeance and made the pizza crust and the pizza sauce for Isa Pizza.  The recipes make enough for two pizzas, so I decided to try something.  One pizza I did up with veggies (onion, spinach, and tempeh cubes on both) and Daiya (both cheddar and mozzarella styles.  The other pizza I made the same way, EXCEPT that instead of Daiya, I used the Cheesy Cashew Cream from the Nirvana Enchilada Casserole recipe in Isa Does It.  Both pizzas were good, but I thought the second one was AMAZING.  That cashew cream is just fantastic. AND I have four slices leftover for a lunch some time this week!  It was Amy's idea to put spinach on the pizzas - we sautéed all the veggies in olive oil before putting them on the pizzas to bake.  Needless to say, these pizzas were better than ANYTHING we could have ordered elsewhere. 

Did I mention I am beginning to love cooking at home?