Tempeh Pot Pie with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato Crust

A yummy stew with golden potatoes baked on top, a vegetarian, if fact vegan, rendition of all-American comfort food—what more could you ask for during this cool fall weather?

Get the garlic roasting in the oven, and cook the potatoes.  Save some of the potato cooking water and any coconut milk for the gravy sauce. Plump the tempeh in boiling tamari-spiked water.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (October 12, 2012 post)

8 ounces tempeh

1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, cut in ½-inch dice

2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

1 cup liquid (vegetable stock, leftover coconut milk and/or tempeh tamari water)

1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or ½ teaspoon each sage, thyme and marjoram

1 cup frozen peas

1 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti squash or butternut squash

Real Salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

Make the Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and set aside.

Put the tempeh in a saucepan and just cover with water by about ½ inch. Add the tamari and cook the tempeh for about 10 minutes to “plump”. Remove from water and allow to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Cook a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon so the flour coats the onions and carrots. Add the liquid, stirring continuously. The gravy will thicken into a sauce: if it becomes too thick, add more stock or potato water. Stir in the poultry seasoning or dried herbs. Add the peas and squash and reserved cubes of tempeh. Season to taste with salt and cayenne.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch casserole pan. Spread the vegetables and gravy in the pan. Top with the mashed potatoes. Bake 20 minutes.

Switch the oven to broil. Broil until the potatoes are golden brown on top.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Quick and Easy Potatoes in Coconut Red Curry Sauce

This spicy Thai curry sauce goes with most any vegetable, or combination thereof. Add cubes of drained and pressed firm tofu for protein. Try to include something green for color, like asparagus, or the zucchini in this week’s Ranui Gardens CSA box, unless you are using it in Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. If you don’t have a green vegetable, be especially sure to garnish with chopped basil, cilantro or parsley leaves.

Virgin coconut oil is ideal for cooking the onions; introduce this healthful ingredient to your pantry if you have not already. Use the lite or regular coconut milk, your choice. Serve over steamed quinoa or brown rice, which love to absorb the extra sauce.

1 pound fine quality small potatoes, such as the Warbas in this weeks CSA box

Other vegetables and/or tofu, optional

2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste

1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

Real Salt

Chopped basil, cilantro or parsley leaves

Scrub the potatoes and slice them 1/3-inch thick. Boil them in salted water just until tender, then drain. Prepare any other vegetables so they are ready.

In a small bowl, using a spoon, mash the curry paste with some of the coconut milk to smoothen the paste. Stir in the remaining coconut milk.

Heat a skillet, add the coconut oil and swirl it around. Stir in the onions and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the red curry/coconut milk mixture. Add the potatoes, and optional veggies or tofu, if using, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with more salt, if needed. Serve garnished with chopped green leaves.

Makes about 4 servings.

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roasted slowly,  garlic becomes buttery and sweet and turns mashed potatoes into extraordinary.  For vegans, or all of us for that matter, use coconut milk to mash the potatoes.  Pure coconut milk is the kind you buy in a can for Thai curry dishes. There is a lite option, which is fine to use in this recipe. Don’t use the Coco Lopez coconut milk with sugar that bartenders use in pina coladas.

2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed

Real Salt

1 bulb (6 to 8 cloves) roasted garlic (see recipe below)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)

About 1 cup pure coconut milk, warmed

Put the scrubbed but unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water and boil until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on size. Remove the potatoes from the water. You can save the water for another use—it makes a good base for soup stock.

Hold the hot potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and rub off any extra skin. (Or leave the skin on for that matter.) Break the potatoes into chunks and mash them with a potato masher. Mash in the soft garlic. Gradually beat in the warm coconut milk until the potatoes are smooth and light and moist. Season to taste with more salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Separate the bulbs of 1 head of garlic and rub off the outer papery skins. Put them in a small oiled baking dish or on a sheet of foil large enough to fold over itself and the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Add a couple of tablespoons of water. Cover tightly or fold the foil over and crimp the edges. Bake for about 1 hour or more, until the garlic is completely soft inside. Add to mashed potatoes  or serve as an appetizer with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

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Ginger Coconut Rice

Serve this delicious rice with grilled, baked, or sautéed tempeh. I adapted the recipe from one given on the USA Rice Federation website.

1 (13.5-ounce) can lite coconut milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup long grain brown rice

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 cup chopped pineapple (fresh or canned, 1/4-inch chunks)

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

1 cup sliced scallions

2/3 cup finely chopped parsley

1/3 cup chopped red pepper (1/4-inch dice)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

Pinch cayenne pepper, optional

Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and the salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and the raisins. Return to a boil; then reduce heat to very low and cook, covered, 45 to 55 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. (Resist the urge to stir the rice: to check if the liquid has been absorbed without stirring, tilt the pan to the side.) Let the rice stand for about 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

Toss in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with more salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper, if you wish. Serve warm.

Makes 4-6 servings.

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