Seitan Pot Pie

I have been lusting after pot pies ever since I saw the one that Isa posted at the PPK the other day. Hers is way prettier than mine, though. I have never made a pot pie before, so this was a bit of an experiment. I think it came out really yummy.

When I went to the market they had asparagus on sale for $1 a bunch. In hindsight, I should have bought a ton of it and just froze it, but I wasn't thinking ahead, I guess. Honestly, I would never have thought to add asparagus to a pot pie if it hadn't been on sale like that. Damn, was that a good idea, though. Seriously, try it. You won't be sorry. Unless you don't add it and then you will be sorry and you'll be sitting there dreaming of little green spears that are so elusive to your tummy. Really, it's going to be this big thing, so just save yourself the heartache and do it.

The other veggies, you can add whatever you like as long as you end up with 1 1/2 - 2 cups of veggies. I just bought a bag of organic frozen mixed veggies that had corn, carrots, peas and green beans. I really wanted peas in the pot pie and there wasn't anymore fresh corn either. That actually just made it a bit faster and easier.

I also made my own seitan for this. I added fresh oregano and sage to it which made for a very tasty seitan. I actually think this is the best batch that I've ever made. I ended up letting it sit in the broth for about 4 hours after it was done cooking since I was making all sorts of things. I think it was something about letting it sit there for so long that really infused it with flavor. I kept eating pieces of it as I was chopping it up. mmmmmmm!

My whole apartment smelled like sage while this was cooking. It was amazing. Roman immediately commented on the awesome smell when he walked into my apartment for dinner. He loved the pot pie and even had seconds! This is especially notable because there are mushrooms in this. hehe. Roman hates mushrooms, but sometimes I don't tell him when I put them in things to see if he notices. He sure didn't with this pot pie. I feel like a little vegan ninja sneaking in the fungi.



Seitan Pot Pie

crust:
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup water

filling:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used baby portabello)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 cup soy milk
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans)
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1 cup seitan
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Preheat oven to 375.

Sift together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the canola oil and mix with a fork. You're going to want to add the water a little bit at a time, mixing between additions. I had to add almost 3/4 cup of water, but maybe you will be able to get away with less. I was using whole wheat pastry flour and I suspect that flour is thirstier than plain old white flour. Once you get a nice dough together, divide in half. Roll out the first half of the dough and place it into a pie dish. I used a 9" pie plate. Poke some holes in the bottom with a fork and bake it for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, chop up your seitan into little pieces that are about the size of dimes if they were cubes.

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5-7 minutes, or until transluscent. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for another 3 minutes or so.

Add the flour and stir it with a wooden spoon constantly for about 2 minutes. Using a metal or plastic spoon sometimes adds a weird taste, so wooden is your best bet. Add the soy milk and stir until everything is combined and not lumpy. Now add the vegetable broth and stir some more! Yay stirring!

Add the veggies, seitan and herbs to a large bowl. Now add the gravy and stir some more. Pour the veggie mixture into the pie crust that you just baked. Now roll out the top part of the crust and put it on top. Seal it up however you want. Make sure to cut some little slices in the top so that the steam can escape while it's cooking. Otherwise you'll have a big mess on your hands.

Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings.