Eulalia!!!

Okay, random I know. But if you (like Andrew and I) are a fan of Brian Jaques' Redwall series, you'll get the whole significance of the title. If you aren't... well, I can't help you there! I'm still in the midst of reading Triss after Andrew began reading it to me during our nights apart at the beginning of my university career (and yes, I know it's kind of childish being read to, and a book about talking animals at that, but hey, I still sleep with music playing!), and it's a great book even though it's taken me several years to get through it! Between cooking, chauffeuring, blogging, cookbook reviewing and my latest project - a knitted blanket for my best friend Heather - there aren't enough hours in the day! In the Fall, when we add school to the list... well, we'll see how far down the list reading falls!

I bring up the Redwall series because what I have today (my version of the British pasty) is favourite of the mice and hares of Redwall Abbey in the books. While Andrew was eating the one I made for him today at lunch (with gusto, I might add) I told him the name of the pies, and he said "just like in Redwall!". As he finished his pasty (and provided some excellent hints that I incorporated into this recipe) I decided that that was exactly the perfect name for this dish - the Redwall Pasty. It is certainly a wholesome and filling meal, and a vegan one at that! TVP crumbles get paired with lots of delicious veggies before being all wrapped up in a savoury olive oil crust (which is surprisingly simple to make).
Redwall Pasties
Serves 4
1 cups flour
1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 - 1/3 cup water
3/4 cup dry TVP granules
1/2 cup hot vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
12 oz cremini or portabello mushrooms, chopped
1 rib celery, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold vegetable juice or water

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix flours and salt together.
3. Pour oil and water all at once to flour.
4. Stir to mix into a dough.
5. Shape into 2 flat balls.
6. Wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
7. Combine TVP and hot broth and let stand 10 minutes.
8. Heat a saucepan over medium fire, spray with canola or olive oil spray.
9. Add the onion and cook (stirring) until golden, about 7-8 minutes.
10. Add red pepper, mushrooms and celery.
11. Cook (stirring) until mushrooms are beginning to colour, about 5 minutes.
12. Add the parsley, pepper and garlic and stir to combine.
13. Stir in the re-hydrated TVP.
14. Combine cornstarch and vegetable juice, stir into cooked mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
15. Remove from heat and set aside.
16. Roll 1 round of dough out on lightly floured surface and cut in half.
17. Place 1/4 of the TVP mixture in the centre of each half of dough and bring up sides of pastry to enclose the filling.
18. Pinch the seams to seal completely, place pockets on a baking sheet, and dock with a fork for the steam to escape.
19. Repeat with remaining dough.
20. Freeze pockets at this point for later if required.
21. If baking immediately, place trays into oven and bake 25 minutes, rotating sheets at 15 minutes.
22. Serve and enjoy!

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 341.5
Total Fat: 11.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 133.8 mg
Total Carbs: 45.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.1 g
Protein: 16.6 g

These would be delicious warm or cold, and leftovers can be warmed (tented with foil) for 15-20 minutes in a 400F oven, though I don't recommend microwaving them. You can also freeze these (unbaked) for later, if you like, just bake them about 1 hour in the 375F oven and enjoy good, wholesome British fare.

These parcels, and all their yummy goodness, are making their way over to Cate's ARF / 5-A-Day roundup for next week! I missed this week's go-around, but check out her wonderful summary of the healthy dishes made this week here! Even with a head cold, she doesn't let her Sweetnick's readers down!