Rustic Iron Skillet Pot Pie

Homestyle Iron Skillet Pot Pie

My daughter is usually somewhat appalled at the disorganization in my refrigerator, along with the occasional discovery of leftovers-turned-science experiments lurking in its dark recesses.

On her last visit to Denver, her husband Jared was hungry and I told him, “Just look in the fridge and see what looks good to you. You never know what you might find.”  To which Rachel immediately deadpanned, “Or what might jump out at you.”

So before I accidentally create new life forms from my leftovers,  I really do try to use them up in more timely fashion these days. There are certain recipes I  go-to when I need to use up the food I have on hand at the end of the week. This easy version of pot pie is one of the most successful and  requested ones.

It is a little slice of flaky, creamy, hot home-style goodness. I don’t know why pot pie tastes so much better in an iron skillet than in a pie pan, but it does. And you’ll be amazed how easy it is, how fast it cooks up and comes together. (However, if you don’t have an iron skillet,  it is still pretty darn amazing in a deep dish pie pan.)

Becky’s
Rustic Iron Skillet Pot Pie

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

1 pie crust, your favorite recipe, or refrigerated version or vegan version. (Click link for a great flaky vegan recipe!)

1/4 c. flour

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter or Earth Balance (vegan)

1 1/2 c. chicken, veggie, or  beef broth

2 potatoes, peeled and  diced

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1/4 c. teriyaki sauce

1/2 t. grated garlic

1/2 c. frozen corn

1/2 c. frozen peas

Any other bits of leftover cooked veggies you have on hand. (I had about a 1/2 c cooked mushrooms to toss into the mix tonight, along with some leftover sauteed onions & peppers.)

Leftover diced cooked meat: chicken or beef, or any combination to make 1 1/2 to 2 cups, depending on how much you like and how much room is left in the skillet! (I diced a large cooked chicken breast and a cup of diced leftover roast. I often use leftover Rotisserie chicken meat for this dish.)

For Vegans: Use 1 can drained kidney beans and 1 can drained butter beans in place of meat. The kidney beans add a nice firmness and color and the butter beans are big and creamy and well, buttery. The combination makes a very tasty veggie pot pie.  If you have a favorite vegan meat substitute, this could also be used.

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat to 400 degrees.

Cook diced potatoes and carrots in about two cups water with dash of salt, turning  burner to high to get a boil going, then down to medium heat to let them simmer.

While potatoes and carrots are cooking, mix 1/4 c. flour with 2 T. oil and 2 T. butter (Earth Balance for Vegans) in bottom of  10 inch iron skillet. Cook and stir constantly on medium heat until  a paste forms (happens quickly), and while stirring with one hand (use a whisk),  pour 2 1/2. cups veggie, beef or chicken broth slowly into skillet to make thickened gravy. (If you are new to gravy-making it helps to have a partner do the slow pouring of broth while you whisk.)

 

To the simmering gravy add:

2 T. teriyaki sauce

1/2 t. grated garlic

1/2 c. frozen corn

1/2 c. frozen peas

Any other leftover veggies you have on hand. (I had about a 1/2 c cooked mushrooms to toss in to the mix tonight, along with some leftover sauteed onions & peppers.)

To this add the drained, cooked carrots and potatoes. Gravy should be pretty thick and creamy (about consistency of heavy cream);  adjust to desired thickness by simmering more to thicken, or adding a little more broth to thin. (You can add a splash of half-in-half or cream if you want a more creamy gravy.)

At this point, add salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Remove from burner.

Place uncooked pie crust over the top of the hot gravy-veggie mixture and carefully (that skillet is hot!) tuck the edges of the pie crust just inside the cast iron pan as pictured.  Cut decorative slits in pie crust with a sharp knife  to allow steam to escape.

Transfer skillet (using potholders) to 400 degree oven  for 20 minutes or until crust is flaky and golden.

Serve pot pie at the table in the skillet, with big spoon to let each person dip out what they want. (Be sure to wrap a tea towel around handle of iron skillet so nobody burns themselves touching it.)   Best served and eaten in bowls to catch every drop of goodness.  Serve with a simple side of sliced fresh fruit and you’ve got dinner!

Variations: Some people prefer more “crust” with their pot pie. I love pie crust, too, but too often the bottom of pot pies can be soggy. So I will simply cook an extra round of pie dough, flat, on a cookie sheet,  break it up in about 2 inch pieces, and serve in a bowl at the table, allowing “pie crust” lovers to add more crispy crusts to their bowl if desired. No soggy bottoms!


Refreshing Mandarin Orange & Pineapple Cake (Vegan Friendly)

 

One warm day when my daughter Rachel was about fourteen, she bounced in the kitchen and said, “Mom, you have GOT to get the recipe for this cake called ‘Refreshing Cake’ that Cricket’s mom made today. It was cold and full of fruit and not too sweet, and creamy… and I want it for my birthday cake.”

Cricket was one of Rachel’s best friends, and luckily her mom was the sweet-natured recipe-sharing sort,  so her recipe for “Refreshing Cake” (made with cake mix, eggs, pudding mix, a cup of oil, canned fruit and Cool Whip) showed up not only at birthdays, but was our go-to Spring and Summer dessert for family gatherings.

Then Rachel grew up, married, and became a vegan, bravely waving good-bye to many of her favorite desserts made with lots of dairy and eggs.

I, too, became more health conscious in my own way. I grew up in the 70’s when our collective moms (prompted by TV and the health advice de jour) stocked the kitchen with the latest new-fangled foods: Fresca,  Tang (Why drink OJ from an actual orange when you can drink orange flavored sugar water?), margarine, IMO (A sour cream substitute. What those initials stood for is still a government secret.), saccharine, Mellorine (an artificial ice cream that melted into tile grout) and Cool Whip,  that luscious tub full of hydrogenated oil and air!

We were a generation of kids raised on NASA and  chemicals, basically eating astronaut food.

(I must hasten to add that my mother turned into something of a health nut in the decade of the 80’s, and has remained healthily and happily so ever since.)

But somewhere along the way to adulthood, I tasted real butter and ice cream (Blue Bell), promptly fell in love with the real McCoys, and began cooking with all things “natural.”

Now recipes with “artificial food” ingredients leave a slight chemical aftertaste in my mouth,  not to mention an ache in my tummy.

But with the coming of Spring, visions of that moist pineapple and Mandarin orange cake, with its pineapple-whippy-pudding frosting started dancing in my head again. Along with the thought, “I wonder if I could create a ‘real food’  vegan-friendly version of this cake that doesn’t taste like fruit flavored mashed tofu and lentils?”

I’m pleased to say that with a quick trip for a couple of specialty items at Whole Foods, I produced a Refreshing Cake that is not only chemical free, organic and vegan… it tastes better than the original to me. No weird aftertaste, no achy tummy.  Just a pure “real food” moist, yummy cake.

It would also make a great make-ahead cake for Easter lunch or dinner. A little preview tip: two cans of whole full fat coconut milk will need to go in your fridge overnight before making the recipe. This allows the “cream” to solidify and rise to the top so you can skim it off and whip it!

Becky’s Refreshing Mandarin Orange and Pineapple Cake

Serves 9 to 12, depending on size of pieces

Ingredients:

Some of the ingredients for “Better for You” Refreshing Cake

For Cake:

Dr. Oetker’s Organic Vanilla  Cake Mix,  (This mix has no dairy or eggs in the mix, so if you don’t add any, it can be vegan.)

4 eggs (Vegans use egg-replacer equal to 4 eggs.  You can click on link for recipe or buy “egg-replacer” in a box at most health food stores.)

1/2 c. coconut oil

1/2 c. applesauce (you may also use another 1/2 c. of canola or coconut oil instead, but applesauce makes it lighter in calories)

1  11 ounce can Mandarin Oranges with juice

For Frosting:

2 16 oz. cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in fridge. (You will only use the coconut cream that rises to the top.)  If you prefer dairy,  you can use 1 c. whipping cream instead.  Or 1 can of coconut cream and 1/2 c. whipping cream combined which is what I use most often as it seems to render the best of both!

1/2 c. vegan vanilla pudding mix (I used about half a package of Mori Nu vanilla pudding mix. If you aren’t vegan you can use any 3 1/2 oz. package of instant vanilla pudding mix.)

1 28 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 c. raw organic sugar or agave nectar

2 t. good vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cake,  mix the organic cake mix with eggs or egg-replacer of your choice, coconut oil and applesauce. When thoroughly blended, fold in mandarin oranges with juice,  breaking gently as you stir. Pour batter into an 11 by 13 inch pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cake springs back to touch in the middle. Cool and refrigerate until cool to the touch before frosting.

Refreshing Cake before frosting

Using an electric mixer, whip the coconut cream as you would cream until it has the consistency of whipped cream.  (Or if you prefer to use dairy, whip 1 c of heavy cream. I often use half coconut cream and have whipping cream.)  Add 1/2 c. of vegan pudding mix (save rest for another cake, another day:)  and continue to beat.  Add vanilla and 1/4 c organic sugar or agave.   Fold in the can of well-drained can of pineapple.  ( Really squeeze the juice out, pushing pineapple against the colander holes.)   Keep in fridge until you are ready to frost.  If frosting feels too thick, add a little pineapple juice until it has the consistency of easy-to-spread, slightly stiff,  whipped cream. If too thin, let it set in fridge for up to an hour and it should thicken.

Whipped Coconut Cream with Pineapple folded in

When the cake is chilled,  frost with coconut-cream-pineapple frosting. You may want to garnish with a little flaked coconut. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in fridge until you are ready to serve. I think this cake tastes even better the next day or two as flavors have a chance to chill and mingle.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Refreshing Mandarin Orange and Pineapple Cake (Vegan Version)
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/04/04/refreshing-mandarin-orange-pineapple-cake

Mexican Comfort Casserole & Cashew Queso

Saturday was a big game for my husband’s high school baseball team. I told him as I kissed him goodbye “We”ll be there, look for us in the stands.” Of course, Jackson’s afternoon nap fell at exactly the start of the game. I’ve been trying to keep him on a good sleep schedule during the day as it seems to translate to better sleep at night, so I waited until he woke up. Finally, after sleeping an hour and a half, I quickly loaded him in the car to try and make it to the game before it ended. I tuned into the local radio station airing the game and crossed my fingers that the innings would slow down (the ONLY time I’ve ever wished for baseball to slow down!) We rushed into the stadium as the seventh inning began, our team down three runs.

I sat in the stands next to another coaches’ wife. We both cheered loud when our husbands’ team tied up the game, sending us into extra innings. It was a nail biter of a game!

Sadly, the other team scored the winning run knocking our boys out of their first place spot in district.

“I don’t think I’m going to wait around for them to finish talking to the boys.” I told the other coach’s wife. “I think I’ll head to the store for a few things instead. There’s nothing like Mexican food to cheer Jared up.”

“Yep, I have a pint of Blue Bell in the freezer for occasions just like this,” she nodded.

So I whipped up a mexican casserole, cashew cheese dip, rice, salsa, and gaucamole. Then popped open a couple of Coronas with a twist of lime. Boy was my kitchen a mess, but my husband was feeling like a winner again!

My mom got that little avocado green dip dish for me. It’s an antique from 1960. I think it’s so cute!

Due to that whole baby sleep schedule mentioned above, it was dark by the time we actually sat down to eat, so pics of the Mexican Fiesta were quite meh. Yeah, meh is a word. So I made a plate of leftovers on Sunday for lunch to get better pictures. Leftovers = equally delicious.

Rachel’s
Mexican Comfort Casserole with Cashew Queso

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped peppers (any color or kind — I used green bell and poblano)
3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 c. (or 2 16 oz cans) of refried or mashed pinto beans
~12 corn tortillas
Cashew Queso (see below)
Optional garnish: lettuce, tomato, avocado

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute onions on medium to med-high heat with a little oil and salt for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and continue sauteing for 10 more minutes. In the last couple of minutes add the garlic.

In a separate pan, saute zucchini and squash on med-high heat with a little oil and salt & pepper until they just start to brown but are still firm.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender combine the fire roasted tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Pour mixture into a bowl large enough to dip a corn tortilla in.

Now begin layering in a casserole dish (I used two round ones, but you could use one 8 x10 or whatever you have on hand). This recipe is super flexible. If you end up with extra ingredients, just add another layer.

Layer 1: 1/2 of the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture
Layer 2: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce (tear tortillas in half to border edges if needed)
Layer 3: 2 cups of beans
Layer 4: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce
Layer 5: zucchini and squash
Layer 6: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce
Layer 7: 2 cups of beans
Layer 8: 1/2 of the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with cashew queso, lettuce tomato, and avocado.

Cashew Queso

Note: this is not my recipe. I got it from a friend and I’m unsure of the source.

Ingredients

1 c. raw cashews
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 orange roasted bell pepper* (red or yellow will work too, but orange gives the most cheese-like color)
2 c. water
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

In a food processor, blend cashews, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, salt,and onion powder into a fine dust. Add about 1/2 a cup of the water and the roasted bell pepper and blend again. Add the rest of the water and lemon juice. Transfer mixture to a pot and heat on medium heat, stirring pretty often until it has thickened to the consistency you like. If it gets too thick, just add a little more water.

*Making your own roasted peppers is easy. Just placing them directly on on a gas burner flame rotating it a few times (like this) or on a pan under the broiler until charred. Then put it in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap for a about five minutes. Rub off most of the skin with a damp paper towel. Voila, roasted peppers!

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Mexican Comfort Casserole & Cashew Queso
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/04/03/mexican-comfort-casserole-cashew-queso

Refreshing Clementine Martini & Mojito

Clementine Mojito

Oh my Darlin’ Clementines, how we’ve come to love you. Call them clementines, baby tangerines or Cuties, these sweet small oranges have won our hearts.

My firstborn grandson Nate, at age 3, once ate almost a whole bowl full of Clementines on a family beach vacation to San Clemente. We sat in awe, watching as he peeled and ate one after another, “all by himself,” and ate them with glee as we sat on the porch and watched the sea waves roll in.

I tuck Clementines into my purse on all my airplane trips now because they not only have Vitamin C, but a nice serving of fiber.

So, I figured, nutritious as they are, if one should add clementine juice to a martini, it would practically be a health drink…right?

In fact, the juice of  3 or 4 clementines and a shot or two of vodka, shaken with ice, yields a simple, lovely martini that needs no other sweetener. It is perfectly balanced as is.

But recently I tried a cocktail with St. Germains liqueur added, which is made from delicate elderberry flowers, but smells and tastes faintly of grapefruit. It was divine. Add this liqueur to the clementine and vodka, and you’ve got yourself an exotic, refreshing martini of citrus heaven.

The martini worked out so well, I took a glance at the mint already burgeoning in my herb garden this day in early April, and thought, “Hmm…. clementine mojitos! How could those not be good?”

Then my husband got our tax bill from the accountant and suddenly volunteered to taste any and all martinis and mojitos I made tonight, sacrificing for the good of this blog. Bless his heart.

Needless to say,  we are now both happy campers. The martinis? Excellent. The mojitos? Amazing.

Just in time for tax season, I bequeath you both recipes.

Becky's Clementine Martini with Elderberry

Becky’s Clementine Martini

Serves One

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/3 c. clementine juice (3 to 4 small clementines)

3 T. vodka

1 -2  T. St. Germain’s Elderberry Liqueur (depending on how strong you want it)

2 T. organic raw sugar mixed with 1/2 t. clementine zest (for rimming glass)

Put martini glass into freezer to chill. Put clementine juice, vodka and St. Germain’s into a shaker of ice. Shake-shake-shake. In a shallow bowl mix sugar and clementine zest. Take chilled glass out of freezer, run a slice of clementine around the rim to moisten the edge,  then dip in sugar & clementine zest mixture.

Zest and organic raw sugar mixture to rim the glass

Strain martini and pour into cold sugar-zest rimmed martini glass.

Becky’s Clementine Mojito

Serves One  

Ingredients

1 T. organic raw sugar

1/2 t. clementine zest

5 to 7 mint leaves

Juice of 3 clementines

1 T fresh lime juice

3 T. rum or vodka

club soda or sparkling water to top off glass

Directions:

Into a tall glass put mint leaves, sugar and clementine zest. Muddle with stick end of a wooden spoon to bruise the mint leaves and help the sugar to dissolve and melt.  To this mixture add clementine and lime juice, rum or vodka. Stir. Add ice and top off drink with club soda or sparkling water. Stir once more and garnish, if you like, with slices of lime, clementine and a small sprig of mint.

Non-alcoholic Variation: These mojitos are perfect for your non-alcoholic guests or children if you leave out the liquor and just add a wee bit more sugar (or agave) and club soda or sparkling water.   Nice alternative to lemonade for summertime sipping.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Refreshing Clementine Martini
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/04/02/refreshing-clementine-martini-mojito
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved

Baked Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

Yesterday was our Vegan Anniversary! We celebrated by making this baked macaroni with cashew cheese, a version of one of our favorite go-to vegan dishes.

Baked Macaroni & Cashew Cheese

Two years ago Jared and I were on a Spring Break vacation at our favorite little island in Florida. Want to see how we celebrated back then? Jared is going to kill me for posting this.

Oh yes, that’s how we rolled! I believe that is a plate of barbeque pork nachos bigger than Jared’s head, a grouper sandwich hanging from his mouth, some grilled shrimp, a side of onion rings, and I don’t think that green St. Patty’s Day beverage is a tall glass of wheatgrass. Though we don’t have a photo to prove it (thank goodness!), I too helped devour this heart attack waiting to happen. Little did we know, this was one of our last meaty meals. We certainly went out with a bang didn’t we!?

On our drive back from Florida to Texas, we listened to some books on CD that I had randomly grabbed from our local library’s limited selection. One of them shared some pretty compelling information from The China Study that had us thinking twice about the dairy and meat in those nachos we’d devoured the week before. As we finished up the book, Jared proposed a challenge.

“Let’s try it. Let’s go vegan for a month and see how we feel,” he said.

A challenge I’d wanted to make myself, but would never have dreamed of proposing to my meat, cheese, and potatoes eating manly man of a man.

“Let’s do it,” I agreed!

And 24 months later, here we are with no plans of turning back.

Jared has even become quite the little vegan chef. He found the original recipe for the macaroni and cashew cheese and made it for us the first time. It was so good I asked him to make it again for both of our family’s Christmas dinners. To our surprise, even his teenage brother, the guy who has to have Kraft shells & cheese at every family gathering, liked it. We made it for my mom and Greg when they visited a few weeks ago and Greg announced “This is better than real mac and cheese.”  I like the original a lot, but decided to make some tweaks to it to shake things up a bit.

Who knew you didn't need cheese to make a creamy and delicious macaroni casserole!?

Rachel’s
Baked Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

Inspired by Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6-8 people 

Ingredients

16oz small whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente (shells, rotini, elbow macaroni, or penne are all great)
1-1/4 C raw cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion, chopped
2 Tbs EVOO
4 C unsweetened nondairy milk (I used almond)
3 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 C canola oil
3 Tbs Earth Balance (vegan butter)
1/8 C barley miso (any miso would probably work fine, the original recipe called for light miso)
1 cup dairy free sour cream
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco (optional)
Panko break crumbs
Smoked Paprika (optional)
Italian Seasoning (optional)

Directions

Start by boiling your pasta water and preheating the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan saute garlic & onions in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt over medium heat for five minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large food processor bowl finely grind the cashews, but don’t let them turn to a paste (or you’ll end up with cashew butter–not a bad result, but not what you’re looking for here.) Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse a few more times until it looks like a fine powder.

Process until it is a fine powder, but before it turns into cashew butter

Add the onions and garlic to the food processor bowl and pulse a few times.

If the pasta water is boiling, go ahead and drop the pasta and set your timer for 2-3 minutes less than the package recommends. You want to pull out your pasta when it is al dente because it will continue cooking in the oven.

In the same large saucepan as you used for the onions and garlic combine one cup of milk and the cornstarch on high heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. Gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring as you go. Finally add canola oil and Earth Balance. Bring the mixture to a simmer then decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Turn off the burner, add miso and sour cream and stir until incorporated.

With the food processor running, gradually add the wet ingredients to the work bowl. Blend for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in the lemon juice and tabasco (optional).

In a large casserole dish, pour the cashew sauce over the pasta. You want to have a lot of liquid because it will reduce as it bakes.

To avoid dry casseroles, always make sure they have have plenty of liquid before they go in the oven to bake. For best results, add a smiling bouncing baby in the background as you cook. 🙂

Cover the top of the dish with a thin layer of panko bread crumbs. I like to add a sprinkle of smoked paprika and Italian seasoning, but it would be just fine without it if you don’t have it. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the bread crumbs are golden. Serve immediately.

Baked Macaroni and Cashew "Cheese"

Notes: If you have leftover cheese sauce, save it and use it on the leftovers since the sauce tends to thicken over time. Add a pat of Earth Balance and a drizzle of nondairy milk  to your leftovers before reheating to keep it nice and creamy. I’ve also added chickpeas and veggies to this dish before baking to up the nutritional profile and it was really tasty. It’s a very versatile casserole and hard to mess up. Though I’ve never used dairy milk, butter, and sour cream, I imagine it would work great in this too if that’s what you have on hand.

This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Baked Macaroni and Cashew Cheese
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/03/22/baked-macaroni-and-cashew-cheese
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved