Conscious Eating Recipe: Vegetable Pot Pie

YIELD: 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

2 Tbsp olive oil or water for sautéing

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 orange sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 fennel bulb, diced

1 Tbsp dried tarragon

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried sage

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ tsp salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ cup dry white wine

1½ cups vegetable stock

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, whisked into a few Tbsp of water

Oil a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Add the oil or water to a large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery and fennel. Sauté, stirring often, until all the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. If the water evaporates during cooking and the vegetables stick to the pan, just add a little more water or oil.

Prepare the cobbler crust while the vegetables are cooking.

Once the vegetables, especially the sweet potatoes, are fork-tender, add the tarragon, oregano, thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for another two minutes. Give the vegetables another stir.

Pour in the wine, stock and flour/water mixture, and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and reduced, about 8 minutes. If the initial broth begins to soak into the veggies, and they start to stick to the pan, add about ¼ cup veggie stock to deglaze the pan.

Stir, taste and add salt and pepper, as desired.

Transfer the filling into the prepared baking dish.

When ready to assemble and bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Spoon the cobbler dough on top of the vegetables. Plop them randomly on top of the vegetables. Bake until the cobbler crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot right out of the oven.

CHIVE AND BLACK PEPPER COBBLER CRUST:

1⅔ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp aluminum-free baking powder

¼ cup minced chives

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

½ tsp salt

⅔ cup nondairy milk, preferably unsweetened (soy, almond, rice, coconut, hemp)

⅓ cup olive, canola or coconut oil

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, chives, freshly ground pepper and salt until fully combined. It is important to never over-stir cobbler or biscuit dough because it could result in a dense final product, so always mix dry ingredients first, then add the wet items and stir just enough to combine.

Add the milk and olive oil and stir until the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet ingredients. The result is a sticky—not smooth—dough.

After applying on top of the pot pie to make the crust, any remaining dough can be used to make biscuits, baking them in a 425°F oven on a parchment-lined or greased cookie sheet for 8 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthfully and Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Photo courtesy of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.