Epic Vegetable Pie

Sometimes you make a recipe that's good and think, 'I'll make this again sometime'. And other times, you make a recipe and think 'I must make this again. I don't care what the reason is. I'll invite friends over. I'll host a dinner party. Or I'll tell everyone I've got plans and will hoard this to myself. I just need an excuse to make this again.' This is one of those recipes.

This vegetable pie stands out in my cookbook as one of the singularly best, go-to recipes that I have. It takes a little while to make, but it's well worth the effort.

Entrees

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hour 25 min
Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

T1D Carbs-per-gram ratio: 0.1644

Serving Size: 347g (about 57g carbs)

* Multiply serving weight in grams by the carbs-per-gram ratio to calculate the total estimated carbs.

Dough
418g / 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup + ¼ cup vegetable shortening
Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and shortening. Using two dull butter knives or a pastry blender, blend the flour, salt and shortening until the shortening is the size of peas.
10 to 12 tablespoons ice cold water
Fill a wide-mouthed glass with ice. Add water to the top. Measure or pour the ice cold water into the flour mixture. You may need to add more water to blend. If you add too much flour, add additional flour until the dough is well formed but not too sticky.
Work into a large ball of dough so that all the flour in the bowl sticks to it. Handle it as little as possible.
Separate into two dough balls. Wrap separately in waxed paper and put them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes (longer is fine).
Vegetable Filling
666g / 4-5 medium sized red bliss potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Thinly slice the potatoes. Put olive oil in a microwave-safe dish with a lid. Cook potatoes in the microwave on high for six minutes. When done remove to a large mixing bowl, reserving the liquid in the cooking dish.
454g / 16 ounces carrots, chopped
187g / 3 stalks celery, chopped
Chop carrots and celery. Using the same microwave-safe dish as was used for the potatoes (with the cooking liquid still in it), cook carrot and celery in the microwave on high for six minutes. Remove to same mixing bowl with potatoes.
315g / 2 medium heads of broccoli
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, or to taste
Cut the broccoli into florets. Put in the mixing bowl with potatoes, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix vegetables well.
Roll out one of the dough balls on a floured surface. Place in a glass pie plate and drape excess dough over the edges of the plate. Fill the pie plate with the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
Roux (White Sauce)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
In a 2-quart saucepan over a medium heat, melt the margarine.
31g / 3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well, stirring constantly until blended.
1 ¾ cups of milk
Gradually add the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and pour evenly over vegetables.
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Roll out the second dough ball on a floured surface. Place on top of the vegetables to cover. Using a knife, cut an 'X' in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the oven at 425°F for 20-25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

From MakeBetterFood.com. Nov 12, 2011. (makebetterfood.com/recipes/vegetable-pie/). Adapted from the kitchen of Cathryn Conroy.

MakeBetterFood.com

Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and shortening. Using two dull butter knives or a pastry blender, blend the flour, salt and shortening until the shortening is the size of peas.
Fill a wide-mouthed glass with ice. Add water to the top. Measure or pour the ice cold water into the flour mixture. You may need to add more water to blend. If you add too much flour, add additional flour until the dough is well formed but not too sticky.
Work into a large ball of dough so that all the flour in the bowl sticks to it. Handle it as little as possible.
Separate into two dough balls. Wrap separately in waxed paper and put them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes (longer is fine).
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Thinly slice the potatoes. Put olive oil in a microwave-safe dish with a lid. Cook potatoes in the microwave on high for six minutes. When done remove to a large mixing bowl, reserving the liquid in the cooking dish.
Chop carrots and celery. Using the same microwave-safe dish as was used for the potatoes (with the cooking liquid still in it), cook carrot and celery in the microwave on high for six minutes. Remove to same mixing bowl with potatoes.
Cut the broccoli into florets. Put in the mixing bowl with potatoes, carrots, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix vegetables well.
Roll out one of the dough balls on a floured surface. Place in a glass pie plate and drape excess dough over the edges of the plate. Fill the pie plate with the vegetables in the mixing bowl.
In a 2-quart saucepan over a medium heat, melt the margarine.
Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well, stirring constantly until blended.
Gradually add the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and pour evenly over vegetables.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Roll out the second dough ball on a floured surface. Place on top of the vegetables to cover. Using a knife, cut an 'X' in the center of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the oven at 425°F for 20-25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350°F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.