Cashew Cheesy Noodle Canoodle Shepherd's Pie
Not being too familiar with Irish food, I took this holiday as an opportunity to explore. Also, not really fancying traditional Shepherd’s Pie but liking the concept allowed me to come up with something completely my own—but still call it Shepherd’s Pie (that’s the beauty of invention; you can call your invention whatever you like!). This Shepherd’s Pie is the marriage between savory veggies and mac & cheese. Better yet, CASHEW CHEESE. Yum. Top of the morning to you (Yes, I've eaten the leftovers for breakfast. It's that good).
Makes: 1 mini pie
Approximate prep time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup macaroni of your choice, cooked
Crust
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold vegan butter (i.e., Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks)
3-4 tbsp ice-cold water
Vegetables
¼ cup diced carrot
¼ cup diced celery
1 small potato, diced (about 1 cup)
¼ cup diced onion
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup frozen peas
Cashew Cheese
1 cup soaked raw cashews (See Note)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk + ¼ cup
1 tbsp cornstarch
1½ tsp garlic granules
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp thyme
¼ black pepper
½ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp salt + more (salt to taste)
½ tsp brown sugar
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup nutritional yeast
Note: Take 1 cup of dry raw cashews (not toasted, salted, or with oil) and soak them in water over night previous to making this dish.
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In a large bowl, combine whole-wheat pastry flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, combine the butter and dry ingredients until small pellets form. Add the ice-cold water in small amounts and toss with a fork until dough is moist and pellets begins to disappear.
Roll dough into a ball and place in refrigerator to chill.
3. Dice the vegetables and add them to a skillet with olive oil over medium heat stirring often to avoid burning. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes or until tender. While vegetables are cooking, put water in a small pot for making the pasta and begin to heat over high heat. Lightly salt the water and add pasta when the water boils. Cook until tender.
4. Drain water from the soaking cashews and transfer them to a blender. Pulse to break apart. In a small pot over medium low heat, add the almond milk and warm for about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch to the milk and whisk vigorously to combine. Allow to thicken (about 10 minutes).
5. Once thick, add the garlic granules, celery salt, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, poultry seasoning, salt and brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
6. Add the nutritional yeast, vinegar, and thick seasoned almond milk sauce to the cashews in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ¼ cup of almond milk. Blend until smooth.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about quarter of an inch thick. Place a large ramekin (about 2 ½ in. height; holds about 1½ cups) upside-down on the rolled out dough. With a knife, cut 1 inch outside of the rim. This will give you enough dough to flute and make a pretty edge to your crust.
8. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables (now add the frozen peas too!), cooked pasta, and ¾ of the cashew cheese. Salt to taste if needed and stir to combine. Put cheesy vegetable pasta in the ramekin and pour the remaining cheese over top.
9. Place the cut dough on top and flute the edges. Cut 2 slits in the top and brush with almond milk.
10. Place the ramekin on a sheet of tin foil. Wrap upward so it covers up and around the edges. This will help to avoid burning the crust’s edges. Bake at 425F for 25-30 min or until crust is golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips:
The colder you can keep the dough during the process of preparing the pie, the flakier the crust will be.
Back to Dinner
© 2012 Alicia Armeli
Makes: 1 mini pie
Approximate prep time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup macaroni of your choice, cooked
Crust
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold vegan butter (i.e., Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks)
3-4 tbsp ice-cold water
Vegetables
¼ cup diced carrot
¼ cup diced celery
1 small potato, diced (about 1 cup)
¼ cup diced onion
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup frozen peas
Cashew Cheese
1 cup soaked raw cashews (See Note)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk + ¼ cup
1 tbsp cornstarch
1½ tsp garlic granules
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp thyme
¼ black pepper
½ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp salt + more (salt to taste)
½ tsp brown sugar
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup nutritional yeast
Note: Take 1 cup of dry raw cashews (not toasted, salted, or with oil) and soak them in water over night previous to making this dish.
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In a large bowl, combine whole-wheat pastry flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, combine the butter and dry ingredients until small pellets form. Add the ice-cold water in small amounts and toss with a fork until dough is moist and pellets begins to disappear.
Roll dough into a ball and place in refrigerator to chill.
3. Dice the vegetables and add them to a skillet with olive oil over medium heat stirring often to avoid burning. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes or until tender. While vegetables are cooking, put water in a small pot for making the pasta and begin to heat over high heat. Lightly salt the water and add pasta when the water boils. Cook until tender.
4. Drain water from the soaking cashews and transfer them to a blender. Pulse to break apart. In a small pot over medium low heat, add the almond milk and warm for about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch to the milk and whisk vigorously to combine. Allow to thicken (about 10 minutes).
5. Once thick, add the garlic granules, celery salt, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, poultry seasoning, salt and brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
6. Add the nutritional yeast, vinegar, and thick seasoned almond milk sauce to the cashews in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ¼ cup of almond milk. Blend until smooth.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about quarter of an inch thick. Place a large ramekin (about 2 ½ in. height; holds about 1½ cups) upside-down on the rolled out dough. With a knife, cut 1 inch outside of the rim. This will give you enough dough to flute and make a pretty edge to your crust.
8. In a large bowl, combine the vegetables (now add the frozen peas too!), cooked pasta, and ¾ of the cashew cheese. Salt to taste if needed and stir to combine. Put cheesy vegetable pasta in the ramekin and pour the remaining cheese over top.
9. Place the cut dough on top and flute the edges. Cut 2 slits in the top and brush with almond milk.
10. Place the ramekin on a sheet of tin foil. Wrap upward so it covers up and around the edges. This will help to avoid burning the crust’s edges. Bake at 425F for 25-30 min or until crust is golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips:
The colder you can keep the dough during the process of preparing the pie, the flakier the crust will be.
Back to Dinner
© 2012 Alicia Armeli
