happy unturkeyday!

having been vegetarian for about 12 years now, every thanksgiving i try to make myself a main course that is just as satisfying to me as the big ol' turkey is to the rest of my family. i've had some good years...and some bad years. i had a good few year run with the quorn brand turkey roast, which while it doesn't look too fantastic, tasted great all seasoned up and roasted. it made for great leftover sandwiches too. a few years back i tried the tofurkey brand turkey and i wasn't pleased at all! i found it super salty and mushy and not for me. i've sort of steered away from those ever since and instead make something like stuffed roasted acorn squash. but this year takes the cake!

liz and i decided to make very homemade vegetable pot pie. i add the very because we did every possible step, all of which were completely painless. pot pie is one of those ultimate fall foods. it's warming, packed vegetables and just so damn good...





we started off by making our tuscan inspired vegetable stock.

while that was going we chopped our veggies. for our pie you'll need the following,

3 cups of vegetable stock
one white onion, diced
3 cloves or garlic chopped fine
1 bag of fingerling potatoes(or any you have on hand), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 large carrots, peeled and slice into rounds
2 heads of broccoli
1 cup or so each of frozen peas and corn, defrosted
half stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
salt and pepper
herbs, fresh and dried

heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. add onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent. add garlic and heat for a few minutes. toss in
potatoes and carrots,salt and pepper, cook stirring occasionally until veggies start to get tender. while these are cooking melt half a stick of butter in a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup of flour to the melted butter. stir constantly until a thick paste forms, this is your rue, thickening agent for the filling.

add half of the rue to the pan of carrots and potato, stir well to combine. if the mix isn't thick at this point, add rue tablespoons at a time until it looks like a really thick pie filling (you'll be adding stock to this, dont worry if it's too thick).



add the broccoli, peas, and corn, more salt and pepper. now start adding the vegetable stock one cup at a time. stir everything until all veggies at coated and creamy and delicious!





liz put her pie filling in a glass baking dish and topped it with puff pastry, and i made mine into a two crust pie. easy, and yummy.

enjoy

try out this recipe!

A fantastic and healthy alternative to a meat based pie! courtesy of food network!

Vegetable Potpie

Serves 4

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 tablespoon Pernod
Pinch of saffron threads
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

FOR THE PASTRY

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

2. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

3. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2 inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

yummy and delicious cheddar biscuits (an updated classic!)

I love biscuits in the morning. Fresh cup of coffee from the bean and a delicious and warm treat to compliment my morning joe and newspaper.

Barefoot Contessa has such a fantastic recipe for Cheddar biscuits (she once made them with dill, another time with chilies). Being the die hard Italian girl that I am, I decided to update them slightly, adding a couple of my favorites in the kitchen, making them a little less breakfast and a little more savory.

So here is my version of my absolute favorite breakfast biscuit.


Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper (just enough to see the black in the biscuits, its a really nice touch)
1 tsp. thyme, rosemary, dill or any combo of those fresh herbs, for both color and flavor!
12 tbsp. COLD unsalted butter, diced (1 1/2 sticks)
1/4 c. half and half
1/4/ c. milk
1 cold eggs
1 c. cheddar
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano Regiano

Directions:

In a kitchen aid mixer combine flour, salt, pepper, herbs and baking powder and with the paddle mix on low. Add the diced, cold butter and combine until the size of peas.

In a separate bowl mix the milk and egg together. Quickly add the milk and egg and let slightly combine. Dust the Cheddar and Parmigiano with flour (to prevent sticking) and combine into the biscuit mixture.

Roll out five or six times and make into a rough rectangle, about 8-12 inches (or so).

With a flour dusted knife, cut into 8 roughly shaped rectangle biscuits.

Bake on 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (Keep in mind every bake time is different in every oven!)

Please pass this recipe on. It is both easy, delicious and able to be made WAY in advance (you can even freeze them!) What a great way to impress guests, freshly made pastries? WOW!

Most importantly, enjoy them. Life is too short not to stop and smell the flowers (or in this case, sit around and eat some delicious biscuits.)


Ciao, for now.