In honour of the full moon I made a full moon pie (as you do).
Although admittedly the pie is adorned with half moons - full moons would have been just round circles, and whilst there's nothing wrong with that and in fact Kittee would have positively loved it, I had half moon cookie cutters that I really really wanted to use.
Ingredients
serves 8
For the Pastry:
8oz flour
pinch of salt
4oz margarine
5 Tblsps water
For the filling:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
handful of green beans, trimmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 leek, sliced and washed
4 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large mushrooms, thinly diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of good red wine
1 clove of garlic
4 Tablespoons Bisto gravy granules (Bisto is a powdered gravy granule that thickens when you add water so you get a nice thick gravy. Not sure of versions available across the pond)
1 Tablespoon Marmite
half teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
half a cup of frozen peas
cup of cauliflower (I had some frozen in the freezer that needed to be used up)
Method
For the filling
Put the carrots, green beans and potatoes into a pan of slightly salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. After 10 mins add the sliced leeks and cook for another 5 minutes.
While that's doing heat the olive oil in a pan and add the mushrooms and onion. cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat stirring every now and then. Add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 mins. Add the red wine and cook for 10 mins until the wine has reduced.
By now you will have taken the potatoes, carrots, beans and leeks off the heat so take a litre of the cooking water from them and add this to your mushroom and wine pan. Boil rapidly for 10 mins. With a stick blender blend everything up for 30 seconds - lumps are GOOD so don't go blitzing barmy.
Add to this the Bisto gravy granules and whisk. Add the Marmite, sage, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.
Then add the potatoes, carrots, leeks, beans, peas, cauliflower and any other veg you want/have really.
Simmer for about 10 mins.
If you need to add more Bisto to thicken it more then go ahead - nowt wrong with a thick gravy in't pie.
Leave to cool slightly.
For the Pastry
Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a big bowl, add the margarine and rub into the flour with your hands until it resembles bread crumbs. Add the water and gather it all up with your hands. Knead for a few seconds until it is smooth and elasticy.
Grease an 8 inch pie dish.
Flour a work surface and roll the pastry out evenly. Use the rolling pin to carry the pastry over to the pie dish. With your fingers; gently push the pastry into the pie dish. Take the pie dish in one hand and with the other hand use a knife to chop off the excess pastry, set this to one side 'cos you need this for the pie top.
Place the slightly cooled pie filling into the pastry case.
Wet the top edges of the pastry with some water.
Roll out the remaining pastry and cover the pie pressing down firmly with your thumb along the top edge. Chop of the excess pastry and use it to cut out shapes to decorate the pie with, you will have to brush water onto the bottom of the shapes to stick them to the pie.
With a knife, make two slits in the centre of the pie top - this is to allow steam to escape, and brush the whole pie with some unflavoured soya milk.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for about 20-30 mins.
Because all ovens vary in their cooking performance - check on the pie quite regularly to make sure it's OK.
YUMMERS!
GO VEGAN!
GO MoFo!!
