Double Crust Brandy Pot Pie

Top and bottom crust with a rich filling of red potatoes, carrots, onion and peas all spiked with a healthy dose of brandy.  This comfort food will leave you feeling full and warm like you've just been hugged.  

Double Crust Brandy Pot Pie

Crust

2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 Stick Earth Balance

4-6 Tablespoons Cold Water

1 Tablespoon Brandy

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Filling

4 Red Potatoes

1 Small Yellow Onion

1 Carrot

1/8 Cup Parsley

1/3 Cup Frozen Green Peas

6 Cups Vegetable Broth

1/2 Cup Non Dairy Milk

3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons Brandy

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Dash of any oil and pat of vegan butter

Dash of White Pepper

Dash of Nutmeg

Begin by making pie crust.  You can use your food processor or make it the old fashioned way.  Combine flour, salt and cold vegan butter(cut into cubes).  Slowly add brandy and water and combine (pulse) just until it comes together.  Do not overmix or your crust will come out tough.  Wrap dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Now on to the filling.  Get all of your root vegetables and herbs ready for action.  Peel potatoes and chop into cubes, set aside.  Finely dice onion and chop carrots into bite sized chunks, set aside.  Measure out peas and finely chop parsley, set aside.  

In a large pan heat a little vegan butter and oil over medium heat (about 3 Tablespoons combined).  Add chopped potatoes, onions and carrots and stir to coat.  Sprinkle with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and flour.  Stir to coat and then add broth slowly.  Bring to a gentle boil and then add non dairy milk and brandy.  

Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, allow to reduce (simmer down) slightly.  Taste test for seasoning level.  Gravy should coat back of spoon and be quite flavorful.  Turn off heat, add peas and parsley.  Stir, taste and set aside to cool slightly while you tackle your crust.

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit. Take crust out of refrigerator, split and roll out as desired.  You can split it and make a top and bottom crust, as shown, or you can make one large top crust and put the pie together in a large casserole dish.  Perfection is not required here!

Assemble pie as desired and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.  Cooking times may vary slightly based on thickness of crust and size of pan.  Serve immediately with additional finely chopped parsley.

Double Citrus Black Beans

I love making beans from scratch.  The result is far superior to anything that comes out of a tin can.  You can also tailor the spice level to suit your individual preference.  These Double Citrus Black Beans are an Ode to my late Mother who, like me, adored all things Mexican!  Enjoy!!

Double Citrus Black Beans

1 Pound Dried Black Beans

10 Cups Water

1 Yellow Onion

6 Cloves Garlic

2 Small Oranges (Satsumas work well)

2 Limes

2 Bay Leaves

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt (add when beans finish cooking)

Begin by soaking beans in a large pot of cold water for 6 hours or overnight.  Strain and rinse and add beans to large pot along with 10 Cups of cold water.  Chop onion in half, remove peel and add to pot along with whole peeled garlic, bay leaves and oregano.  Zest 1 lime and add lime zest to pot.  Slice zested lime and 1 orange in half and add all of their juice to pot.  You can even just throw them in there if you like (I did).  

Bring mixture to a gentle boil and stir.  Reduce to lowest simmer, keep lid cocked to the side and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until all beans are tender.  Now turn off heat and add salt.  Allow to sit covered for 10 minutes and then strain out most of the excess liquid leaving a little to keep beans moist.  This is all in personal preference to how "soupy" you like your beans.  You might even want to retain the liquid for making soup later on.

Using tongs or a slotted spoon remove onions, garlic, lime, orange and bay leaves as best you can and discard.  They have already done their job.  Now lastly add juice of remaining lime and orange and stir to combine.  Serve immediately or allow to cool to room temperature and store in tightly sealed glass vessel for up to one week in refrigerator.

Fill Up Your Produce Drawers

The number one tip I can offer anyone who is trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into their lives is as simple as this:  Fill up your produce drawer!

I know this sounds really easy, but if you are like a lot of folks out there, your produce often goes bad before you use it all.  One way to help eliminate this dillemna is to shop smart, wash and sort produce as soon as you get home, so it is ready at a moments notice.

Here are some great staples to load up on and help you eat more vegetables and fruits.  Find a market you trust where they sell mostly produce.  Buy the following (or pick and choose what you like using this as a suggested guide):

Green or Red Leaf Lettuce

Kale

Spinach

Celery

Leeks

Parsley

Cilantro

Basil

Broccoli

Mushrooms

Carrots

Cucumbers

Jalapenoes

Avocados

Tomatoes

Red and Yellow Onions

Garlic

Ginger

Apples

Oranges

Limes

Lemons

Believe it or not, I got all of this (and then some) for 40 dollars.  You can too and your family and pocketbook will be happier for it.  You might surprise yourself how many more veggies and fruits you will eat.

Okay so you got all this great stuff, now what?!  Thoroughly wash and dry the following and store individually in ziploc bags in your produce drawer:

(For greens and herbs, try putting a folded paper towel in the ziploc for absorbing excess moisture).

Green or Red Leaf Lettuce (Ziploc with paper towel)

Kale (Ziploc with paper towel)

Spinach (Ziploc with paper towel)

Celery (Bag)

Leeks (Bag)

Parsley (Ziploc with paper towel)

Cilantro (Ziploc with paper towel)

Basil (Ziploc with paper towel)

Broccoli (Ziploc)

Carrots (Bag)

Cucumbers (Bag)

Jalapenoes (Bag)

For the following, here is how I like to store these:

Mushrooms (Produce drawer as is)

Avocados (fruit bowl on counter)

Tomatoes (fruit bowl on counter)

Red and Yellow Onions (hanging basket by stove)

Garlic (hanging basket by stove)

Ginger (Produce drawer as is)

Apples (fruit bowl on counter)

Oranges (fruit bowl on counter)

Limes (fruit bowl on counter)

Lemons (fruit bowl on counter)

The number of things you can make with this bounty is limitless.  Just having things like fresh herbs, lettuce, spinach and kale might make your ordinary salad a lot more enticing.  You also have everything you need to make a lovely fresh salsa, rocking guacamole, a cucumber salad, fresh pesto, soup galore and a kick-ass stirfry!  Now that it is all sorted and washed, you really have no excuse.

And sure, you can buy bags of that prewashed stuff, but do you ever notice how fast those go bad!?  Or how expensive they are?!  Invest a little time picking and washing your own, you won't regret it.  Happy eating!!

Leek Lentil Soup

Sometimes simple is best.  This rings true for this few ingredient Leek Lentil Soup.  So warm up your belly and soul on a chilly Winter evening with this soothing and savory simple soup.  You won't miss the chicken!  I swear!

Leek Lentil Soup

3 Leeks

2 Ribs Celery

1 Carrot

1 Cup Red Lentils

6 Cups Water

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

1 Bay Leaf

Begin by chopping and thoroughly washing leeks.  I suggest soaking them in a couple changes of cold water in a large bowl.  Heat up oil in large pot over medium heat and add chopped leeks.  Now add salt, stir and prepare other veggies.  Chop celery and carrot into bite size peices.  Once leeks have cooked for about 5-7 minutes, add celery, carrot and bay leaf.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Rinse lentils and add to pot.  Stir veggies and add water, two cups at a time.  Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to lowest simmer.  Cover pot with lid and cook for 12-15 minutes or until lentils are tender.  Taste test for seasoning level.  Serve immediately and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper, if desired.

Easy Bread Machine Pizza Crust

Pizza!  One of those all time favorite comfort foods.  This is a simple recipe that can be enhanced with any of your favorite toppings.  I suggest par-baking the crust so you ensure you can obtain a crispy exterior texture with a chewy interior.  This recipe will make two medium pizzas or one extra large pizza.

Easy Bread Machine Pizza Crust

3 1/2 Cups Bread Flour

1 Cup Luke Warm Water

2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (or 1 packet)

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar (optional)

2 Tablespoons Olive or Canola Oil

Add water, yeast and sugar to bread machine.  Allow to sit about 5 minutes.  Next add Flour, Salt and Oil.  Set machine to "Pizza Dough" or "Dough" setting.  Run machine and voila!  You have beautiful dough!  Use immediately or wrap in saran wrap securely and use within 2 days.

Cooking suggestion:  Preheat oven to 425 Degrees F.  Press, pull and stretch pizza dough onto a large peice of parchment paper on a large sheet tray.  Poke lots of holes in dough using a fork.  Kids love to help with this step!  Par Bake on center rack for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven, add thin layer of desired toppings and return to oven (top rack).  Bake for another 5-7 minutes.  For extra crispy crust, cook crust directly on oven rack during this last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Serving suggestion:  Drizzle with good olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic and sea salt.  Makes a great flatbread or pizza base.

Get my Best Pizza Sauce recipe here too:

http://chumbutt.blogspot.com/2013/05/best-pizza-sauce.html

Whole Roasted Cauliflower

I stumbled across this recipe and, although the original recipe is not vegan, converting it is not difficult.  I have never been a huge Cauliflower fan so I have been on a quest to fall in love with it by experimenting with new cooking techniques.  This one hit the mark!  Check it out at:  http://food52.com/recipes/24387-alon-shaya-s-whole-roasted-cauliflower-and-whipped-goat-cheese

5 Grain Granola

I love granola but I tend to find storebought versions cloyingly sweet and quite expensive so I rarely buy them.  This easy to follow recipe allows you to control the sweetness and can be tailored with ingredients of your liking.

5 Grain Granola

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Cereal Blend

1 Cup Bob's Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

2 Tablespoons Flax Seeds

3/4 Cup Raw Chopped Pecans

3/4 Cup Raw Cashews Halves

1/8 Cup Coconut Oil (Melted)

1/8 Cup Vegan Butter (Melted)

1/3 Cup Maple Agave Blend Syrup

1 teaspoon Course Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.  Preheat oven to 250 Degrees F.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a large sheet tray.  Spread mixture evenly into a large "cookie" pressing it down slightly (see photo) on parchment and bake for about 1 hour or until it appears golden throughout.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on sheet tray before breaking into large nuggets and store in a tightly sealed glass vessel.

By allowing granola to cool in large "cookie" shape you will end up with plenty of large "clusters/gold nuggets" in your finished product.  To acheive this, do not mix granola around during cooking.  Don't worry if the edges are a little brown, they will be nutty and delicious when cooled.  Enjoy!