Sunday, December 11, 2016

Vegetarian Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pie


Sue and I are very excited to be sharing this post with you today. 
This post was created in partnership with CorningWare (Click HERE for link). We received complimentary products and compensation but, as always, our opinions are our own. 
The Meal Mugs make cooking memorable meals as easy as 1, 2, 3! It's the only tool you will need to make everything from coffee and cocoa to soup, chili, oatmeal, and more. The mug's vented lid allows steam to escape, keeping your microwave clean and you safe from steam burns. They are made of a durable and beautiful stoneware material which comes in different colors. 
The mug is dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, microwave & pre-heated oven safe (meaning, do NOT put it in when the oven is cold, only once the oven is preheated for even cooking and prevents damage if it heats up unevenly). The non-porous surface does not absorb food odors, flavors, or stains. The patented vented lids are BPA free, microwave and top-rack dishwasher safe. Just do NOT put the lids in the oven!


So cute, am I right?
Anyway.... we decided to go with a vegetarian mushroom and lentil pot pie because it an be made 2 ways, with 2 toppings and 2 ways to cook! It's a perfect meal to make ahead, keep in the fridge, and then just take out what you need to cook up for dinner or lunch. It freezes very well or can be covered in the fridge for several days. 
First up we will show you how to make it in the oven with a puff pastry topping!


Vegetarian Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pie

Ingredients
2 Tbsp oil
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large potato, finely diced
10 large button mushrooms, finely chopped (or pulsed briefly in a food processor)
1 large onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalks celery, finely diced
1 leek, finely diced
2 cans lentils (about 3 cups), drained
1 cup peas
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried chives
4 cups vegetable broth
3 Tbsp flour
generous dash of Sriracha 
salt & pepper

Topping 
Puff pastry

Directions
In a large pot or skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook carrots, potato, mushrooms, onion, garlic, celery, and leek until veggies are softened, about 5 - 8 minutes. Add in lentils, peas, garlic & onion powder, soy sauce, and chives. 
In a bowl, whisk together the flour and about 1/2 cup of the veggie broth. Whisk in the remainder of the broth. Add the veggie broth to the vegetables and lentils in the pot. 
Add in the Sriracha and salt and pepper. 
Cook and stir until the mixture thickens.


Scoop the mixture evenly into your CorningWare Meal Mugs.


At this stage you can either proceed to cooking OR you can let them cool, cover with their lids, and refrigerate for later. 
To cook - Preheat oven to 425. 
Roll out puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out rounds just slightly larger than the top of the Meal Mugs. 


Press firmly to the rim of the Meal Mug. Poke a small hole for steam to escape in the center of the puff pastry. Repeat until all of your Meal Mugs are covered. (Can also place rolled out puff pastry sheet on top of a large casserole dish!) You can place the mugs on a cookie sheet if you are cooking more than one to make things easier. 


Cook in preheated 425 oven until tops are golden brown and puffed up, about 20 - 30 minutes. 


FYI - you can brush the puff pastry with a beaten egg, if desired, but it is not necessary. 
Let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes before eating as the filling is super-de-duper hot when it comes out of the oven. 
If you are using the oven method using filling that has been in the fridge you will want to warm up the filling first before putting the puff pastry on top. You can either do this for a minute in the microwave OR by briefly heating it in a pot on the stove top. (I found that it took the chilled filling quite a bit longer than 30 minutes to heat all the way through in the oven)


It looks pretty darned impressive, does it not?


And tastes even better!


You can easily change up the recipe to suit what you have on hand or your favorite veggies.
The mushrooms add a lovely flavor and add a beef-like texture to the dish. 


It is soooooo filling. One Meal Mug will definitely fill up your heartiest eater!
Now.... what about if you want to cook it in the microwave?


Vegetarian Mushroom and Lentil Pot Pie (Microwave Version)

Ingredients
Filling from above recipe.

Topping
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
generous pinch salt
1/2 Tbsp butter, chilled
2 tsp herbs 
3 Tbsp milk
sprinkle of paprika

Directions
Fill your CorningWare Meal Mug with a generous helping of the pot pie filling. 


If your filling has just been prepared you are good to go to the next step. If your filling has been chilled in the fridge, simply microwave it for a minute to warm it through, give it a stir, and then you are ready to proceed to the next step. 
Prepare topping - In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, mix in the cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in herbs. 


Stir in milk until thick batter forms, Spread evenly on top of the pot pie filling.


Microwave for roughly 2 minutes - up to 3 or so minutes. Keep checking it. It is done when the biscuit batter is firm on top and appears dry. 


Sprinkle it with a little paprika to add some color. 
Let sit for a minute so you don't burn yourself and then dive in!


The biscuit topping is super tasty! 
So there you go, you can make it with puff pastry OR biscuit topping, you can bake it or microwave it all in a handy Meal Mug that will also store your leftovers. 
Sue and I were really impressed with the Meal Mugs. Our only complaint - if you could call it a complaint - is that each mug is quite large. Almost a 2 serving size instead of one BUT, that being said, with the handy lid you can just pop any leftovers in the fridge for later. 
Want to get one for yourself? Here is a list of Canadian retailers that carry the Meal Mug - 
Want a chance to win some FABULOUS prizes? RSVP here - http://www.foodbloggersofcanada.com/2016/12/mealmug-twitter-party-with-corningware/ - and join the fun at a Twitter party on December 15th. All you need is a Twitter account to participate! Click the link for all the info!

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