Appetite for Reduction: Veggie Potpie Stew with Sundried Tomato and Spring Onion Cornbread Muffins

It got ridiculously cold and rainy today and by evening time I was definitely in the mood for something warming, comforting and that would feel a little decadent.

Recipes

Veggie Potpie Stew

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction, page 251

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut into dice
• 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, placed into 1 1/2 cups hot water (they will expand to weigh about 50g)
• 150g button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon Herbamare seasoning salt
• several grinds of white pepper
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 3 cups vegan "beef" style stock
• 300g Dutch Cream potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 200g carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

When the shiitake mushrooms have rehydrated, remove them from the soaking liquid (retain this liquid for use later) and slice thinly (they will expand further as they cook).

In a large saucepan, saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent, a couple of minutes, and then add the mushrooms, garlic, sage, salt and white pepper, and saute for another couple of minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture.

Add the red lentils and the vegan stock, cover the saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 5 minutes, then add the potatoes and carrots.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, still covered, for about 25 more minutes, or until the lentils are completely disintegrated and the potatoes and carrots are tender and beginning to break down.  Stir whilst the stew is covered, to ensure that it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Mix a cup's worth of the retained mushroom soaking liquid and the flour to a slurry, and add to the stew with the thyme, frozen peas and vegan Worcestershire sauce, and cook, uncovered and stirring constantly, as the stew thickens.  Taste for salt and seasoning (I added more salt and pepper at this point).  Serve with the corn bread muffins.

Sundried Tomato and Spring Onion Cornbread Muffins

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction, Fresh Corn and Scallion Cornbread, page 244

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (this was a boo boo, I meant to use red wine vinegar)
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Herbamare seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup spring onions, chopped finely

Add the vinegar to the soy milk and whisk together.  Set to one side to curdle.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt and dried oregano.  Whisk the oil and water into the soy milk and then mix that liquid into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Fold in the sundried tomatoes and spring onions.

Spoon the batter into a 12 piece muffin tin and bake for about 12 to 16 minutes, until a skewer into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Review

The stew was a-mazing.  I found that before I added the Worcestershire sauce (that's my main addition) that it was a little bland, but not in a bad way - just in a way where I wanted a little more layered flavour.  I think that using shiitakes (if I do say so myself - another of my additions) added to the "meaty" work of the mushrooms, as the shiitakes were well cooked but resisted the teeth more than the other mushrooms.  I think that a mix of mushrooms is best - too much chewing would take away the potpie style fun!  I used red lentils instead of yellow split peas, and they definitely did the job of breaking down and creating a creamy gravy.

I meandered so far off the cornbread recipe that I'm not sure that I can really "review" the AFR recipe as such.  I did replace the maple syrup/agave nectar with water (don't like sweet cornbread and trying to avoid sugar after the excesses of yesterday's picnic) and adding buckwheat made them a little dryer.  However, they did add that crunch, "pastry-y" mouthfeel and experience to the stew, and they soaked up the stew's gravy gorgeously.

I decided to have a lunch bowl at work tomorrow, so made the Caesar Chavez Dressing (page 43) to go over it.  May I just say: OMGMAKETHISNOWIWANTTODRINKITHOLYCRAPSOGOOD!  This is the first of the dressings from AFR that has really knocked my socks off and I can't recommend it enough.  There will not likely be a photo of the lunch bowl as I am having it at work, though.