Friday, July 23, 2010

Gardener's Pie topped with Mushroom Miso Gravy



Yes, I am aware of the season and that the combination of sultry heat and overbearing humidity do not exactly make lengthy cooking endeavors involving a stove very desirable. However, who doesn't love a good gardener's pie? Seriously, who doesn't love a mashed potato topped casserole containing green, beans, and protein-s?

I was lazy in making this dish that I opted to spend the extra cash and use Gimme Leans soy crumbles instead of hydrating TVP or lentils. I usually don't make gravy for my gardener's pie, but I developed quite an obsession with miso gravies. It's been my go-to gravy for seitan cutlets, biscuits, you name it. I recently tried a variation with scallions. In this recipe, I threw in the remaining two tablespoons of dehydrated ramps I had gotten from Tyb's parents. Ramps, glorious ramps.

Gardener's Pie topped with Mushroom Miso gravy

5 medium red potatoes, washed and quartered
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 package Gimme Lean soy crumbles
1 stalk broccoli
1 1/2 cups kale
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Boil potatoes in salted water on a large stock pot until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain potatoes and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Prepare mashed potatoes according to your own personal recipe. (I like mine creamy for gardener's pie, so I add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Plus, that's where all the nutrients are, silly!)

Now begin the filling! Sauté garlic and onion in olive oil on medium heat until onion becomes translucent. Add carrots and celery and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients along with the remaining 1/2 cup potato cooking water and cover. Cook for about 20-25 minutes. Prepare a baking dish with olive oil and spoon filling on to baking dish, covering the bottom. Next, spoon on mashed potatoes and smooth out as to completely cover the filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until your potatoes turn golden and roasty.

Mushroom Miso Gravy

1 tbs olive oil
6-8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp onion powder
1-2 tbs red miso paste
1 tbs soy sauce
1 cup water

Sauté mushrooms in oil until they become soft. Add dried herbs and sauté for another minute. Add miso, soy sauce, and water and whisk until miso is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to simmer and stir continuously until gravy is thick.