Vegetable Pesto Tofu Pie with Rosemary Pastry
Serves 6 - 8
This is nearly a meal in itself!
Just make a fresh salad or steam some greens and you have a wonderful feast!
Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower in med. flowerettes (4cm)
- 1/4 pumpkin (sweet winter squash) cut in 3cm pieces
- 2 carrots in med. roll-cut (chunky pieces 3cm thick)
- 2 med. potatoes ( in 2-3cm chunks)
- 2 onions in med. 2cm dice
- 1 leek cut lengthwise, cleaned and cut in 2cm diagonals
- 1 red bell pepper in med. 2cm dice
- 1 pkg. firm tofu, about 500 grams or 1 lb.
- organic pesto 3 Tbls.
- olive oil
- sea salt
- shoyu
- 1/2 -1 TBLS kuzu root starch
- herbs (optional)
Pastry Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups 85% spelt flour
- 1 1/2 cups spelt flour 100%
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 drop rosemary essential oil (optional)
- 1/2 Tbls. baking powder
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup cold water or soy milk
Prepare the Dough:
- Mix the dry ingredients together with wisk.
- Add the olive oil (combine the essential oil with the olive oil ) and gently combine with fork until you have a pebbly texture.
- Combine the vinegar with the water and stir it into the flour mixture handeling as little as possible.
- The aim is to form a dough without touching or stirring the ingredients too much.
- Add just enough liquid so a dough is formed.
- Cover w/cold damp cloth and refrigerate for
20 min. or more.
Instructions:
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan that has a lid add the 1TBLS Olive oil and saute'the onions with a pinch of sea salt, about 5 min. or until glassy and sweet smelling.
- If you would like, add some dried basil or other desired herb.
- Add the potatoes and another pinch of sea salt.
- After another 5 min. add the carrots.
- Ater 2 more min. add the red bell pepper - add a little water if the vegetables are sticking to the bottom.
- Now add a little shoyu and 1/3 cup water, cover, turn down the heat and let simmer till the carrots are tender but not soft.
- If the vegetables are juicey dilute some kuzu in a little cold water to thicken the juices - that way your crust wont get soggy when you make your pie!
- Separately steam the cauliflower and the pumpkin until just tender - very briefly for the cauliflower esspecially.
- Crumble the Tofu with your hands and add the leek and enough pesto to give a good taste. Taste the mixture if it is too mild add a little shoyu.
- Cut the dough in half and roll it out on a clean floured surface.
Roll it out evenly - thin is nice but evenly is best! A thinner dough is lighter and crisper!
Roll it out a little bigger than the baking pan you want to use so that it comes up the sides. - Now starting on one side roll the dough onto the rolling pin and then roll it off into your baking pan.
- Use about a 25cm or 10 inch pie pan.
- Layer first the cauliflower and pumpkin, then the sautéed veggies, and finally the Tofu mixture.
- Roll out the other half of the dough to cover the pie.
- Cut off the excess dough and then roll the top and bottom dough together and pinch them lightly together.
- Fork a few holes in the top and bake in preheated oven 170-180c or 350f until golden brown, about 35 min.
Serve hot or cold with a salad or something light!

