699.Beans and Veggie Pot Pies

Last Sunday I met up with my best friend to catch up on events, thoughts, basically everything. She had gone on a cruise to Norway and I had loads to tell her about my dad’s stay in Montreal and our visit to Niagara Falls.

She runs a kindergarten and though I retired from teaching nearly 10 years ago, we still have a passionate common topic and that it young kids. New academic year so there are bound to be kids who will cry their lungs out before they settle in. Usually every new term with new kids and she says that it doesn’t take a toll on her when kids cry as eventually they all settle in pretty soon. However, this time she was feeling sad and helpless. I asked her why now after so many years of experience and she lamented that these little toddlers who are barely 2 years old just don’t want to listen. They are so used to having their way.

So obviously we went into the whole present scenario where both parents are working, grandparents or the family members are not around to help and thus kids are left to the ayahs and house helps. When parents come all tired, they feel guilty for leaving their kids at home with ayahs and house helps and therefore give in to all their whims and fancies and tantrums.This surely cannot be the right way to bring up kids by bending to their demands and rules. Isn’t it time that young parents learn to accept that life means they go to work to provide a comfortable life for their kids so they shouldn’t be feeling guilty at all? After all its no longer a choice you make, with inflation and cost of living getting out of hand world over, that one parent can afford to stay home to be with the kids.

Indiscipline, disrespect for older people and people in general, irritation are fast catching onto these young kids. Parents need to stop and think for a while “is this what we are teaching our kids?” Is it right?” Parenting does not mean being nice to your kids all the time. It means bringing up your kid to be a good citizen of the world.

This topic is an endless debatable one. Lets get down to today’s recipe. I had come across so many mini pot pies in Instagram and Pinterest that I wanted to make them at home. Most were meat based so I decided to make my own veggie version. So bearing in mind the protein part of the dish, I added ingredients for the filling accordingly. Here I’ve included soya flour in the shortcrust pastry as I’m not sure whether I’ll be doing a soya dish. Remember I said I’ll try and make a dish with all the plant based proteins. I’m not a fan soya granules or chunks so for now the flour will have to do. If I change my mind then that will be a bonus recipe 😉 Yes I have a spot for 2 where the recipes are still not ready. So never know what may appear on the blog for this protein rich theme. In the meantime enjoy these pot pies.

Protein sources in this recipe are chickpeas, red kidney beans, corn, peas, French beans, mushrooms, cheese, soya flour, milk

BEANS AND VEGGIE POT PIES
Makes 6

For the filling:
1 cup diced mushrooms
¾ cup boiled chickpeas
¾ cup boiled red kidney beans
¼ cup steamed or boiled peas
¼ cup boiled sweet corn
¼ cup boiled or steamed diced carrot
¼ cup boiled or steamed chopped French beans
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tbsp wheat or plain flour
1 cup milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
½ tsp coarse pepper powder
½ tsp chilli flakes

For the crust:
1 cup plain flour
2 tbsp soya flour
3 tbsp cold butter cut into tiny cubes
2-3 tbsp cold water
a generous pinch of salt
1 tbsp milk or egg wash

Preparation of the dough:

1. Mix plain flour, soya flour and salt together in a bowl.
2. Add the cold butter cubes and gently begin to rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips only.
3. The mixture should resemble like bread crumbs.
4. Add cold water and bring the flour together to form a rough dough.
5. Wrap it in a cling film and put it in the fridge till required.