Back in Black (Eyed Peas)!

Whew! I’m back. Happy New Year!

That was a long break from blogging but I intend to get back into regular posting starting now. I was so busy with getting ready for Christmas and then after I just wanted to relax for a while. But, all good things must come to an end, including vacations. On the other hand, there is always something nice about getting back to my regular schedule. And it’s nice to be posting again. I have a lot of post material from my time off. But I was so happy with what I made tonight that I will be starting with that.

This is the Cajun Pot Pie from American Vegan Kitchen and it is fantastic. It better be because this is not my usual low-fat fare. This is rich and decadent and would make a great dish for a special occasion. The crust on this is especially wonderful. It is flaky and buttery just like a good pie crust should be; and the pepper adds a nice bite.

I used Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage sausages here. I had not tried them before and they were great. I also loved that they were wheat gluten-based instead of soy protein-based.

The seasonings really make this dish – in particular the smoked paprika. If you don’t have smoked paprika, I would encourage you to use regular paprika and add a bit of liquid smoke to get that yummy smoky flavor.

Cajun Pot Pie

Adapted from American Vegan Kitchen

Crust:

½ cup white flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper (next time I will add more)
¼ cup vegan margarine, cold
¼ cup non-hydrogenated shortening, cold
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp white or rice vinegar

Filling:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
12 oz vegan sausage, sliced
12 oz Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups kale, chopped
15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder

Sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white flour
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp white or rice vinegar

Directions:

Crust: Combine dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse briefly. Add margarine and shortening in chunks. Pulse until mixture resembles course bread crumbs. Drizzle in water and vinegar. Run food processor until dough clumps into a ball. Remove, shape into a disc, cover with shrink wrap, and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. (You could also put in freezer for 15 minutes).

Filling: Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and sausage. Saute for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, peas, and kale and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add a little water if things start to stick.

Sauce: Heat oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add flour and whisk often for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and, stirring often, cook for another 5 minutes, or until thickened. Pour sauce into pan with filling and mix well.

Assembly: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2 ½ quart casserole dish. Roll out the chilled crust in the shape of your dish, making sure it is at least 1 inch larger all the way around. Pour filling/sauce mixture in dish. Place the crust on top. Crimp all the way around the edges. Cut 2-3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

Tippie getting ready for Christmas