Individual 'Chicken' Potpies

Not that I can't always MAKE time to cook, but sometimes it's nice to have a good meal in a short amount of time without a mess, so you can just relax and do other things besides cook. (Like...?) Chicken pot pie is comfort food to me because of the buttery crust and the memories of fall and family and all the goodness inside.

I used a soy product and chicken and mushroom stock for the filling, along with an assortment of vegetables, and butter in the crust, so this recipe is unfortunately not vegan. But this recipe is still easily vegan-ized by using vegan margerine and alternative spices so don't turn the channel yet...

Once I made a batch of about 8 of these in individual, reusable muffin tins, I ate it for dinner for a night or two and froze the rest for an occassion that I wanted a hot lunch but no mess, or if I wanted to just take a bath while these suckers were in the oven.


Crust
1/2 cup of butter or vegan margerine, diced, but cold
1 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup ice water
1 tsp salt

1.)Using a fork, or a food processor if you have one, mash the cold butter into the flour and salt until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
2.)Add the ice water slowly, mixing thoroughly, until the mixture stays together well. Depending on the flour (e.g. how old it is, whether it's been in a sealed container or slightly open) it may take more or less water to get the stick. You don't want a sticky dough, however, just one that will stay together if rolled into a ball.
3.) Roll thinly to about 1/8th and inch.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups mushroom stock (I make my own from leftover mushroom stems: RECIPE)
1 cube chicken bullion
1 1/2 cups white textured soy
vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 carrots, diced
handfull of button mushrooms, diced
green beans or broccoli, diced
2 tbs corn starch
2 tsp milk
oregano
thyme
basil
salt and pepper

1.) In a large saucepan, boil the mushroom stock and chicken bullion.
2.) Add the textured soy and boil until it has fully absorbed most of the liquid.
3.) In a separate saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic and spices and fry until fragrant.
4.) Add the vegetables to the saucepan, turn down the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the vegetables are al dente.
5.) Add the vegetable mixture to the soy broth mixture and stir well.
6.)Mix the cornstarch into the cold milk. Add to the vegetables and soy.
7.) Salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

Finally, using either one large pie pan, or several small pans, cut the rolled dough to fit the shape you are filling. Add filling to almost the top, add a thin layer of the crust to fit, trimming off any extra dough and reusing it. Be sure to seal the edges well, wetting your fingers and pressing if needed. Make an X or small slits in the top piece of the dough with a sharp knife to allow moisture and steam to get out.

Bake at 175, baking time will vary depending on the size of your pie(s), but mostly will take about 20-35 minutes.