Ingredients
For the Pot Pie Filling
2 teaspoons oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 ounces mushrooms, or more, if you love mushrooms. Quarter them, if they’re small, or slice if they are larger.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup cooked chickpeas, or white beans or chopped tofu
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped vegetables, a mix of carrots, greens beans, peas, potato etc , , I use frozen vegetables.
2 bay leaves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or thyme or use both(1/2 tsp each)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomato
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cashew Cream
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon white miso
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Puff Pastry
2 puff pastry sheets
Oil for brushing
Fresh herbs, such as parsley or green onions, for garnish, optional
Preparation
Equipment Needed:
Muffin tin or ramekins; oil brush; deep skillet; blender
Make the Filling (can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days)
Step 1
Heat a deep skillet or a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and when hot, add the garlic and cook for 15 to 20 seconds. Add in the onion and celery and a good pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes, or until the onions are just starting to turn translucent. Mix in the mushrooms and balsamic vinegar and let the mushrooms cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 2
Make the cashew cream mixture by adding the drained cashews, water, miso, and flour into a blender and blending until completely smooth. I usually blend it for a minute, then let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes and then blend again for 30 seconds, and repeat 1-2 times until the mixture is smooth. Set this aside for now.
Step 3
Once the mushrooms are starting to turn slightly golden on some edges, stir in the chickpeas, vegetables, herbs, spices, sun-dried tomato, and salt. Cook or 2 minutes or so, then mix in the cashew cream mixture and bring it to a boil. Stir occasionally, so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 5 minutes or longer, until the vegetables are cooked to al dente, then switch off the heat.
Step 4
Remove the puff pastry from the freezer because it needs to thaw for 15 to 20 minutes.
NOTE: The filling will have thickened a bit, let it cool on the counter for 10 minutes, then put it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, so it thickens more. This will make it easier to spoon into the muffin tins or ramikins ,and prevent the heat from making the puff pastry soggy.
Prepare the Puff Pastry and Cook
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Step 2
Once the puff pastry is pliable, use a little bit of flour to roll the puff pastry sheet out on your counter to about 2” larger than the original size of the sheet. Then, slice it up into 6 equal pieces. Use a pizza cutter to slice off some of the edges of each of the cut portions, so that they're a square. Don't throw out the edges that you cut off, because they'll be used to top the pot pies. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
Step 3
Prep muffin tin or ramekins by greasing them or line with parchment. (Grease all of the insides as well as the edges, so the pot pie can easily be removed later). Then, place puff pastry squares in the muffin tin or the ramekin.
Step 4
Remove the cooled filling from the fridge, and put good portions of the filling inside each of the puff pastry squares in the muffin tin. Then, on the tops, use the remaining strips of puff pastry to make any kind of designs you like. I like to make a lattice design or circles with the strips, but you can get creative and make other designs, like flowers or hearts on top.
Step 5
Brush the puff pastry edges and tops with a little bit of oil, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check them at the 25-minute mark to see if they're golden on most of the edges. If not, rotate the tray and continue to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Remove the pot pies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes or so, and then pop out of the muffin tin or ramekins, garnish with some chopped herbs and serve immediately. The filling will be nice and bubbly and creamy, and the pot pies will be golden, crispy, and flaky.