Pie Experimentation #1- Pumpkin Pie

So I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately, which has led to a bit of a doughy belly appearance, haha. Due to this, I'm trying to cut back on the ol unhealthy foodstuffs.

However, I've had a severe craving for pumpkin pie. Thus, I tried to make a sugar free pumpkin pie.

As a warning, I'm not 100% happy with this pie. The texture was a bit wrong and I don't love the crust, but it does taste pretty good, so there we have it!

Tofu&Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

As a note, this crust is alright, but a bit crumbly, so if you have a go to pie crust, use that instead!

2/3 Cup Sorghum Flour

1 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/3 cup Cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Xanthan gum (It might have been less crumbly if i used more of this, who knows!)

2/4 cup vegan margarine or vegetable shortening (I prefer margarine myself, because it imparts a nice buttery taste!)

Filling

1 large can pureed Pumpkin

1/3 cup soy milk (or your non-dairy milk of choice!)

3 Tbsp Agar Powder (Agar is a vegetarian substance similar to gelatin, but not made from bones! It can be found in Asian stores, as well as online. If you can only find it in flakes, use twice a much of the flakes)

1/2 tbsp of each: Nutmeg, Allspice, Cinnamon, Ginger

2 tsp Vanilla

1/3-1/2 cup powdered Stevia (or your favorite sugar substitute!)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400

Combine the flours, cornstarch, salt, and xanthan gum, and mix well to combine. Add in the shortening or margarine, and cut with a pastry cutter or whisk until crumbly. 

Press into the bottom of a pie pan, and prick with a fork. 

Bake for 15 minutes while you mix up the filling. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the agar and milk until the agar is dissolved. Add in the spices and vanilla, and stir to combine. Set aside. 

Empty the can of pumpkin into a bowl, and mix in the sugar substitute. Stir well to combine. 

Add in the Milk mixture, and stir that to combine well. 

Remove crust from oven, and pour the filling, using a spatula to spread it evenly around. 

Return pie to oven for 45-60 minutes, until top is beginning to brown. 

Allow the pie to cool before eating! I have discovered that if you let it cool for about an hour before eating it, it firms up very nicely, and has a better texture. The crust will still be sort of crumbly though. 

Serve it with your favorite topping if desired (vegan ice cream, or whatnot) I enjoy it with the condensed cream off the top of a can of coconut milk. 

To get this cream, place a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Open it, and scoop the hardened part off of the top. Place on pie! (feel free to keep the coconut water, it's very nice in curries, or as the liquid in dessert recipes!) 

Voila!

Lentil Shephard's Pie!

The Humble Potato! It can make so many things!

And one of those things is delicious Lentil Shephard's Pie!

When I was growing up, I used to LOVE when my dad made shephard's pie, though his was very simple: Ground beef, frozen peas, potatoes. I loved scraping the potatoes off and eating them separate, never one for the mushy peas and ground beef (even as a child I wasn't a bit meat eater.)

He'd roast them under the broiler so the potatoes would get super crunchy on top, a method I still employ today! I used 3 different types of potatoes- red skinned, white skinned, and purple potatoes (which is why the center of the shephard's pie is a different color!)

Enjoy!

Lentil Shephard's Pie
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Gravy:
1/3 bouillon cube
1/2 cup water (You can just use 1/2 cup broth instead of the bouillon and water!)
1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed into 2 tbsp water
1 tsp Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 tsp Red Miso Paste
a generous sprinkling of dried basil

Potato Layer:
6 small potatoes, cooked and mashed up (no need to peel! The peelings are good for you!)
2 tbsp vegan margarine
3-5 tbsp almond milk (depending on how dry the potatoes are)

Other Layers:
1 cup cooked brown lentils, mashed slightly
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup carrots chopped
1 smallish onion, diced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350

In a sauce pan, heat up the water and bouillon cube until cube is dissolved. Bring to boil
Add in the miso paste and tamari, and whisk around to dissolve.
Slowly add in the cornstarch, turning the heat down to medium, whisking until sauce thickens.
Sprinkle with dried basil, stir to combine, and take off heat.
In a frying pan, fry up the onions and carrots until mostly cooked.
In a  bowl, mix the potatoes, margarine, and almond milk until mixed up and sort of creamy (but still lumpy!)
Spread the mashed lentils on the bottom of a smallish casserole dish. Top with the gravy, then the tomatoes, then the carrot/onion mixture, and finally spread the mashed potatoes over the top.
Spread a bit more vegan margarine on the top, and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350 on the medium rack.
Move to the top rack, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until the top is crunchy and browning.

And then Enjoy, because it's delicious. The bottom falls apart a bit, so aesthetics wise it's not the prettiest, but it sure is delicious!

Variations: You can use soy beef for the bottom layer (but it's not gluten free!) or re-hydrated TVP made with veggie beef flavored stock! Any vegetables can be used as well (some ideas: corn, peas, parsnips, and yams would all be nice!)