Meatless Monday: Tofu Pot Pie
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: December 22, 2014

Pot pie is always a crowd pleasing meal and this meatless version is guaranteed to satisfy even the headstrong carnivores.  A medley of vegetables is mixed with extra firm tofu in a creamy sauce.  Instead of bothering with a pastry crust, these individual pot pies are topped with circles of buttery puff pastry.
Tofu Pot Pie
Courtesy of House Foods
Ingredients:
	1 package House Foods Premium or Organic Tofu Extra Firm, drained, pressed and diced into small cubes
	3 Tbsp butter
	1/4 cup all purpose flour
	Olive oil
	1 Tbsp butter, ese individual pot pies are unsalted
	1 red bell pepper, diced small
	1 large yellow onion, diced
	1 to 2 small carrots, diced
	2 celery ribs, diced
	1 shallot, minced
	1 large Yukon gold potato with skin, diced
	5 cloves garlic, minced
	A few sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
	A few sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
	1 1/2 cup vegetable stock
	Handful crimini mushrooms, sliced
	1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
	Salt and pepper to taste
	2 sheets readymade puff pastry, chilled (but not frozen)
	Flour for dusting
	Egg wash (2 egg yolks beaten with 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp milk)
	Directions:
Step 1: Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a small pan. Add in flour and cook until slightly browned and flour is cooked through, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Set aside (should look like thick paste). This is called a roux.
Step 2: Heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add tofu and brown on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once browned, remove and set aside.
Step 3: Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of butter over medium low heat. Once hot, add pepper, onions, carrots, shallot and celery and begin to sweat them. Season with salt and pepper and cover with lid for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
	Step 4: Once vegetables have sweat down, increase the heat to medium high and add potatoes, cooking an additional minute or so. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tofu, thyme and rosemary.
	Step 5: Move vegetables to one side and add in the roux. Incorporate the vegetables and add the vegetable stock, stirring to combine. Add in mushrooms and peas and cook an additional minute. Set aside to cool and prepare molds in the meantime.
	To prepare molds:
	Step 6: Roll out puff pastry on floured work surface, about 1/4 in. thick. Cut circles that are about 1 1/2 to 2 in. large and fill ramekin. Fill ramekin to the top with vegetables and tofu mixture.
	Step 7: Using a pastry brush, brush some of the egg wash on the rim of the ramekin and place the circle of puff pastry on top of the ramekin, crimping the edges to seal. Brush top with egg wash and season with salt and pepper
	Step 8: Make a small slit in the middle of the pastry and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 (or until golden brown). Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.