Company Time

Being vegan really limits who you can have over to your house. There was a woman in our church who recently lost her husband. We like her sweet graciousness and decided to share our hospitality with her. The weather was cold and ripe for a delightful pot pie. I love pot pies. They are a great way to use up odds and ends in the refrigerator. Plus, since she was female, I figured she wouldn't mind not eating meat. We never told her that we didn't eat meat. Just serve her dinner. With one bite, she exclaimed that it was delicious enough to have seconds. Seconds? Who can have seconds with the ravenous wolves I'm feeding?! We have such a lovely time and made a new friend. There is something about sharing meals; it's also about sharing ideas.

I made this meal in steps. The night before, I made the sauce, prepped the vegetables, and mixed together my dry ingredients for the topping. The next morning, I water sauteed my vegetables. All I had to do was put everything together and pop it into the oven. Warm, delicious, and oh so creamy. Taste like it is high in fat, but it isn't. What could be better?

Pumpkin (or Squash) Pot Pie

Sauce
2 1/2 c. peeled, seeded pumpkin or butternut squash
2 1/2 c. chopped cauliflower
1/2 c. water

1/4 c. millet
1 c. water

1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice (bottled can be used)
1 Tbsp. brown or white rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. white miso (I use AKA miso from the Japanese store)
1 tsp. mirin (buy at the supermarket or from the Japanese store)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. tahini

Filling:
2-3 large onions, diced
1/4 c. water
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. sliced celery
2 c. frozen green beans
1 c. frozen peas
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano

Topping:
2 1/4 c. whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/4c. rice milk

Before you gather your pots and ingredients, put the millet and 1 c. of water on to cook. Cook in a small covered saucepan (or in a rice cooker); cook millet until tender by bringing water to a boil and simmering for about 20 minutes.

In a large, covered skillet water saute pumpkin and cauliflower for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Blend the sauce ingredients a food processor or blender layering using half of the pumpkin mixture and cooked millet. Add all the lemon juice, vinegar, miso, mirin, salt, and tahini. Then add the rest of the pumpkin and cooked millet. You may need to add 1/2c. more water to make a smooth sauce. This will be fairly thick since it doesn't thicken while it cooks.

While the pumpkin and millet are cooking, water saute the onions with 1/4 c. water in another skillet, or if you don't have one, use a dutch oven, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Cook 5 minutes. Add frozen green beans, cook 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Pour into a large casserole dish such a a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Stir in peas, oregano, basil, and salt. Fold in the sauce mixture.
Preheat oven to 375'F. Make topping by mixing dry ingredient together in a large mixing bowl. If your coconut oil is not soft, set the jar in warm tap water until it is a liquid. Add oil and milk to the flour. Blend together until just smooth. Don't over mix. This should be on the runny side. Pour over the top of the pot pie leave a small gap along the edge of the dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or util the crust is golden.

Makes 6-8 servings

Where has Sweet Basil been? She post then forgets to give a key recipe. Well, this blogger is a totally computer inept. I am addicted to my young 'uns who can accomplish anything on the computer including building one. This is wonderful for dear old mom, but what happens when they have finals; or horror of all horrors, they decide to leave home! Yikes, the learning curve just shot up. Hopefully, I can stay on it.

Broth Mix is a wonderful, universal item to keep on hand. It is easy to make and stores well. It will enhance the flavor of many of your dishes. I usually make several batches since I go through it fast.

If you find that you like this recipe, make it in quantities next time. It will shave prep time off, making for a happier cook. Also, when you label your jar, put on the date. This will let you know how fast you are using the mix so you can adjust how much you make the next time.

Buy seasonings can be expensive. I buy mine at GFS, small ethnic stores such as indian or oriental. I also get some of my seasoning from Amish country. The prices are exceptional.

Mom's Broth Mix

3 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. basil
1 1/2 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. dried ginger
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 c. nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Place all the seasoning in a Vita Mix or Blend Tex. Add nutritional yeast. Blend on high until it is a fine powder. Add parsley flakes. Blend on low until just mixed. You want to see parsley flakes.
Use 1 heaping tsp. per cup of water for homemade broth.

Food processor or regular blender: Do the same as above, but leave out the celery seeds since they won't blend well. Either omit them or use a clean coffee grinder to blend them. I don't drink coffee, so I only use mine for herbs. You don't want to use a coffee grinder for both coffee and herbs unless you like the flavor it will produce.

Final tip: You can substitute Italian seasonings in place of the basil, oregano, and sage. Use 4 tsp.

Vegan Soup for a Cold March Sunday

When I was 16, I worked for an insurance company. We had quarterly pot lucks. At one of the pot lucks, the head of the company gave us a recipe for braised salt-cured ham that was delicious. I use those seasoning in this split pea soup with a few other additions to give one the reminiscence of ham-flavored soup.
Cloves is a spice that is commonly use when baking ham. It helps fool the brain into thinking that the soup has ham in it. It is important to remove it from the soup before eating or at least warn you guest that they need to remove it from the soup. It is edible. Some of my family just eat it if I forget to remove it or can't find it.
I sometimes make this in a rice cooker so the smaller water amount is correct for that appliance. If you are using a crockpot, you will want to add additional water or you will end up with porridge. This is a family favorite.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound dried split peas, picked through and washed
6-7 c. water
2 rib celery, sliced
2 carrot, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. Mom’s broth mix
1/4 soy sauce
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. thyme*
1 tsp. sage*
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional
4 whole cloves
Dash hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt, optional
Pepper

For 7- or 10-cup Rice Cooker:
Place everything in the rice cooker and press cook. Set timer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf and cloves before serving.

For crock pot:
Place all the ingredients in a crock pot or slow cooker except for salt and pepper. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until peas are soft. Taste. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Let set 5 minutes for the flavors to absorb. Remove bay leaf and cloves.

Serves 4-6

*Exceptional nice with 3 fresh sage leaves (chopped), and 2 sprig fresh thyme instead of dry. Remove thyme stems before serving.