I love potpies. They’re warm, inviting and a great way to incorporate vegetables into a meal. This is a one-pot vegetarian dinner that takes 25 minutes to make. You can use any vegetables you like, using this recipe as a guide to the amounts needed.
For the sake of speed, I use biscuit dough instead of a pie crust. It comes prepared and can be found in the refrigerator case of the supermarket. It takes 15 minutes to cook through, unlike pie dough, which can take 30 minutes. Or just sprinkle the top of the pie with seasoned breadcrumbs for a quick crust.
HELPFUL HINTS
› You can use any type of sliced mushrooms.
› You can use any type of ready-to-cook biscuit dough.
› If your dried tarragon is over 6 months old or looks gray, it’s time for a new bottle.
SHOPPING LIST
› To buy: 1/4 pound sliced portobello mushrooms, 1 green bell pepper, 1 container vegetable broth, 1 bottle dried tarragon, 1 can reduced-sodium chickpeas, 1 small can sliced pimentos, 1 jar minced garlic, 1 package ready-to-cook biscuit dough (6 ounces needed).
› Staples: canola oil, onion, flour, salt, black peppercorns.
Vegetable Potpie
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/4 pound sliced portobello mushrooms
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
3 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 cup canned reduced-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned, sliced, sweet pimentos
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small package, ready-to-cook biscuit dough (6 ounces)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Saute 5 minutes. Add the flour, mixing with the onion, pepper and mushrooms, then add the vegetable broth. Simmer to thicken about 1 minute.
Mix the tarragon, chickpeas and pimentos into the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the vegetable mixture into a deep, oven-proof pie dish or a souffle dish about 6 inches in diameter. Open the cylinder of biscuit dough and slice the premade biscuits in half horizontally so they will be half as thick. Reshape them if they lose their shape when cut. Place them as close together as possible over the top of the pie. Bake for 15 minutes. The biscuits will rise and turn a golden brown. Serve immediately. Be sure to give each person a few biscuits along with the pie filling.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 580 calories (28% from fat), 17.8 grams fat (3.2 grams saturated, 9.2 grams monounsaturated), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 19.7 grams protein, 90.8 grams carbohydrates, 12.3 grams fiber, 1,101 milligrams sodium.
— By Linda Gassenheimer
Linda Gassenheimer is the author of more than 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.”