Tofu Pot Pie

Do you recall the first time you had a pot pie? Wasn't it a revelation! Buttery crust, warm, gooey stuff inside (probably chicken - my childhood was pre-tofu in frozen food). Burning your mouth on the hot gravy, but plowing through the next bite because it was so exciting. This was definitely food that your mother did not make at home. It always came in its own foil tin and was disposable (recycling hadn't become a household mandate yet.) 

Fast forward several decades and kids, young and old, still love pot pie. So make them a homemade version and make everyone happy!

The youngest daughter thought this version was "one of best ones" she had ever had. High praise indeed! This one has a rich mushroom gravy with some pan fried tofu tossed in for protein and fun veggies like corn and peas. 

Yes, this is a time commitment recipe, but just think of how pleased everyone will be with the results! If you read the recipe carefully, you will see that you can make the filling while the crust chills. Give yourself some time and enjoy a well made homemade pot pie dinner!

Tofu Pot Pie

(serves 4-6)

Crust

2 cups spelt flour

10 tablespoons butter, cut in cubes and chilled in freezer for 15 minutes

2-3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

8 oz tofu, cut in 1 inch cubes

1 small carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup peas, frozen

1/2 cup corn, frozen

Gravy

3-4 dried porcini

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour plus 2 more tablespoons

1 cup porcini soaking liquid

1 cup cold tap water

2 tablespoons flour

1-2 teaspoons miso

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Pan fry the tofu in just enough oil to coat the bottom of a skillet, flipping to brown on two sides; set aside. Add a little more oil to skillet and cook the onion and garlic until softened; add the carrots and celery and cook another 3-4 minutes until it looks tender. Add the peas and corn and cook a few minutes until they defrost and warm; add all the veggies to the bowl with the tofu and set aside.

To make the crust, combine the flour and butter (or margarine) and using a fork cut the butter into the flour until the flour resembles coarse cornmeal and none of the butter is bigger than a pea. Add ice water until it comes together in a ball; it's ok if its a little on the dry side, the butter will absorb the flour when you roll it out. Chill for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Make the gravy by first placing the dried porcini in hot tap water to soak for at least 15 minutes. In the skillet you used to cook the vegetables, add butter and melt over medium heat; add the flour and whisk together until it is all absorbed and begins to turn golden. Once butter mixture is kind of bubbling, remove mushrooms from the liquid and mince. Whisk in porcini liquid until it thickens slightly, scraping up the bits of stuck on food on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in miso, soy sauce and minced porcini and season with salt and pepper. Combine 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 cup of cold water in a cup and whisk well to create a slurry. Make sure your gravy is bubbling over low heat and slowly pour in the slurry, which should immediately begin to thicken your gravy. Keep whisking to make sure there are no lumps from the flour in the slurry. Taste for salt and pepper as the flour will soak up the salt. 

Remove crust from refrigerator and roll 2/3 of it out using 2 pieces of parchment paper, into a circular crust that fits your pie plate. Fit into the pie plate with at least 1/2 inch overhang on the edges to be attached to the top. Pour veggies and tofu in the crust and cover with the gravy. Roll out the remaining dough and loosely drape on top, pinching the edges to seal it. Poke holes with a knife to let steam escape and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out hot. Allow to rest 2-3 minutes and serve.

Hugs!