Vegan Shepard-less Pie

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
2 T oil
2 T garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 parsnips, sliced
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 large stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 c vegetable broth
1/4 c red wine (I used a merlot)
2 t dried thyme
1 t Italian seasoning
3 T flour
salt and pepper
(also get ingredients for Cauliflower Mash)

1. Use appropriate ingredients to make the cauliflower mash that is the top of the shepard-less pie. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 425.

3. To prepare the filling of the pie, add the oil and add garlic and onions to a large skillet. Cook 5-7 minutes. Add parsnips, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook on medium-low for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, wine, thyme, Italian seasoning, flour, salt and pepper. Add liquid mixture to the vegetables in the skillet and mix well. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until thickened and season to taste.

5. Grease a casserole dish and scoop the vegetable mixture into that. Cover vegetables with the cauliflower mash and garnish with pepper and thyme. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow 10 minutes to cool before serving.

If desired, prepare this delicious vegan gravy while the shepard-less pie is baking.

Cauliflower Mash

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower, cut into large chunks
1 qt (32 oz) vegetable broth
1 T garlic
water
salt and pepper

1. Wash and cut cauliflower. Place in a saucepan with the broth. Add the garlic and water enough to cover the tops of the cauliflower.

2. Boil until cauliflower is soft then transfer the cooked cauliflower to a food processor. Add 1/3 c of the broth mixture to the food processor and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until the cauliflower appears to be the consistency of mashed potatoes. If needed, add more broth mixture.

Asparagus Soup

This soup is so creamy- a total comfort food. It has nice rich flavors and pairs with anything. I just love asparagus so this is an easy choice for me.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c onions, diced
3 T butter
1/4 t white pepper
2 lbs. asparagus, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced to 1/2 inch pices*
1/2 c slided Yukon gold potato
2 1/2 - 3 c chicken stock
3/4 c half and half
sea salt to taste
1 T sliced chives
3 T grated cheese

In a thick bottom soup pot, melt the butter and cook the onions and white pepper about 2 minutes. Do not brown.

Add the stock, asparagus and potato and cook until very soft. Transfer to a food processor and puree the mixture until it becomes a smooth paste. Return to pot.

Add the half and half, bring to a simmer and then add salt to taste. Serve immediately in warm bowls garnished with the chives and cheese.

*Peeling asparagus makes them very sweet

Butternut Squash Soup

We made this soup for a Sunday night dinner with friends. It was a nice blend of creamy, savory, sweet, and just the tiniest hint of tart. The addition of apple to the soup breaks the heavy cream and pairs with the cinnamon and nutmeg. 

We served this with with a toasted baguette, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and an apple crisp for dessert. 

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
1/2 T unsalted butter 

1/2 white onion (roughly chopped)

2 1/2 c butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces)

2 c sweet potatoes (peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces)

21/2 c chicken stock (additional water if needed)

1/2 t salt

1/2 tart (yet-sweet apple like Honeycrisp/Pink Lady, cored, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces)

1 T honey

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/3 c heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent. 

2. Add butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to the pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Add diced apple to the pot and puree soup with a handheld immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to puree soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour blended soup into a clean pot.)

3. Add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and heavy cream and stir. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If you like a sweeter soup, add more honey. For a thinner soup, stir in a bit of water; to thicken, simmer and stir over low heat. 

Smooth Applesauce Using a Chinois

My family has always made enormous amounts of applesauce each fall. We freeze most of it to save for a time when we aren't lucky enough to have lots of tart Michigan apples readily available.

We like smooth applesauce so we've always used a chinois to achieve this. Never used one before? This is what it looks like.

They cost between $30 and $50 and last forever. The conical strainer is especially useful for applesauce because you don't have to peel the apples- everything that isn't perfect, smooth applesauce stays in the strainer. 

Smooth Applesauce

MAKES ABOUT 3 PINTS

INGREDIENTS

Approximately 30 mixed apples (I like Fuji, McIntosh, Jonamac, and Ida Red)

3/4 c water

Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar to taste

Wash, core, and remove stems from apples. In a large soup pot, boil water, add all of the apples, and boil with the lid on until apples are soft and mushy, approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

When the apples are cooked, add two cups at a time to the chinois and use the pestel to strain out the sauce from the apple skins. Remove the skins periodically as they begin to build up on the pestel. 

Strained applesauce will be pink and tart. Add all spices and sugar desired. I usually use a 2 T cinnamon, 1 t cloves, 1 t nutmeg, and 1/2 c sugar.