with the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to start getting our menus in order! it is always best to have a vegetable based alternative for your guests who do not eat turkey. this is where this wild mushroom & cashew pot pie comes in. instead of just having a vegetable based side dish for those to eat, this vegan pot pie is hearty enough to be enjoyed as a main meal. the pot pie gets its heartiness from the wild mushrooms & prana organic's sea salted cashews. aside from the heartiness the cashews bring, it also adds a little crunch & creaminess to the dish. i seriously love cashews, i could eat them all day long. on that note, make sure you purchase double the required amount for snacking purposes. you don't want to run out before you have to add them to the dish!
the base of this pot pie is a mixture of mushroom stock & red wine. the red wine brings so much flavour to the dish, so as always be sure to use a quality dry red wine! i went with a cabernet sauvignon. if you have trouble locating mushroom stock, vegetable stock works too. the mushroom stock just brings a bit more of that earthy flavour to the dish. with snow in the forecast for this weekend (yay!!!!), add this cozy pot pie to your weekend plans! it will keep you warm & toasty by the fire.
ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- 6 cups sliced assorted wild mushrooms (i used cremini, shiitake & enoki)
- 1 cup prana organic's sea salted cashews, roughly chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon quality dijon mustard
- 1 cup quality dry red wine (i used cabernet sauvignon)
- 1/2 cup cashew milk or cream, plus more for brushing
- 1 cup mushroom stock
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed
directions
- in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. add the garlic, shallots, celery, thyme & rosemary. cook until the shallots begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
- add the wild mushrooms & season with salt + pepper. cook until the mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes.
- fold in the cashews, followed by the dijon & red wine. cook, constantly stirring, until the red wine reduces to half.
- in a separate bowl whisk together the milk, stock & flour.
- add mixture to the skillet & cook until sauce thickens. it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- remove from heat & divide filling evenly amongst 4-6 ramekins. set ramekins aside while you roll out the puff pastry.
- roll out puff pastry to a 1/4 inch thick. cut out appropriate shape to top each ramekin. brush with additional milk if desired & sprinkle with salt. transfer ramekins to baking sheet.
- bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly & the puff pastry is golden brown. serve immediately!
