Easy As Pie

This time of year autumn evening's conjure up memories of oven-roasting vegetables, herbs wafting through the air and hot buttered drinks being carried to the fire. It's waking up to the idea of the perfect cup of coffee up the cold and sideways stairs- to the kitchen that gets me out of bed in the morning. Come dinnertime, there's nothing like a good old fashioned pice of vegetable pot pie to warm your soul.

Flaky Pie Crust  *Make First

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all vegetable shortening

4 tablespoons chilled butter

4-6 tablespoons ice water

Set oven temp to 425 degrees F. For the pie curst, half all ingredients to make the first crust. Then combine the other half to make the second. To start, mix 1 cup flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut in butter and shortening. If you haven't got a pastry cutter, use a knife to cut in the butter and shortening. Once the fats are completely cut into the flour, slowly add 1 tablespoon at a time of ice cold water to the dough while slowly and softly stirring with a fork just until the dough combines to form the beginning of a ball (you may have to coax the dough into a ball with your hands). wrap in saran wrap and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients to make the second pie crust. refrigerate for 20-30 minutes as well. When both crusts are done refrigerating, unwrap on a lightly floured surface. Flour hands and rolling pin. If you have a beveled rolling pin it makes life a little easier. Line the inside of a pie dish with the crust and put back in the refrigerator.

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 yam

1 celery stalk

1 cup peas

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup water

Egg Wash

1 egg white

3-6 Tablespoons water

Fry onion in large frying pan with minced garlic for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add yam, celery stalk, peas and vegetable broth, salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes. In small bowl, combine corn starch, soy sauce and 1/4 cup water. Mix until corn starch is completely dissolved and pour over frying pan mixture. Cook for another 7 minutes. Pour into pie crust lined pan and cover with other pie crust. Baste with a generous egg wash all over the top crust. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden on top of crust. Serve hot from the oven!

enjoy!

       Shannon