Don't Judge A Savory Pie By What's Inside

Mmmm. Doesn't that look scrumptious? It's a warm, buttery pie filled with hearty beans, savory vegetables and cheese. Who wouldn't like a slice of that? OK, here you go...

Wait! Come back! I know it looks odd, but it's delicious, I swear! You'll love it! Just try one bite. It's a recipe I got from Sarah and it's so good, even her kids will eat it. Do you want to be food-trumped by a 5 and 7-year-old? C'mon, don't be a food pussy. Plus it's a balanced blend of "bad" and "good" for you ingredients, with hearty helpings of both animal fat and vegetables. A little foodie ying/yang, if you will.

Yeah, I know the green mixture looks weird, maybe even unappealing. But it's spinach, cheese and cream. Is there a problem with that? Answer: NO. There is never a problem when you combine cheese with cream.

It begs to be eaten when the temps are low and the winds are fierce. Think about it. Warm, butter-rich crust encases bright, creamy greens, blending with a flavorful base of hearty, meaty mushrooms and kicky veggie sausage. Oh yes.

The original recipe called for black-eyed peas and veggie burgers. But my across-the-street grocery store was out of these things. And even though there's a Whole Foods a mere 4 blocks away from my apartment, every time I take a step out in this freezing cold, a little part of me dies inside. So I subbed pinto beans and chicken sausage. I think a smaller bean would've been better, and I missed the smokiness that the charbroiled veggie burgers give the dish. Still, it's not like you can actually ruin anything encased in the world's most perfect crust.

Did I mention the crust? I was low on flour and generous with the butter. I was afraid it would turn out sticky, but the dough rolled out fine and it baked up beautifully. So melty-light and flakey, yet substantial enough to hold all the ingredients.

Keep all of this in mind and look at the slice again...


Alright, you've got a point. But just try it. If you don't like it, I'll make you some spaghetti tomorrow night, 'kay?

Black-Eyed Pea Pie

Note: This is the original recipe Sarah gave me and I think it's the best combo, but you can play around with the filling a lot, subbing real sausage for the veggie burger, using another kind of bean or cheese, even throwing in arugula or chard for the spinach. But don't try to lighten it up though. It will lose it's yummy factor.

Also, it's pretty time-consuming, so it's definitely not a quick weeknight dish. I've saved time in the past by making it with a ready-made pie crust and kept it an "open pie" with no top crust and it was still very good.

Make dough:
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of water with an ice cube in it

Put flour, salt, and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is pebbly, for about 12 seconds.

Start motor running and drizzle in water via the feed tube. Let run until dough forms, but be careful not to let it mix for more than 30 seconds. If it's too crumbly, add more water, but it probably won't be. It will be a little sticky. Separate the dough into 2 discs and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Clean the Cuisinart 'cause you'll need it for the filling.


The filling
12 white mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. of charbroiled veggie burger, crumbled
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 cups of raw spinach
2 15 oz. cans of black-eyed peas (or 3 cups)
6 oz. of Monterrey jack cheese
2 TBL fresh, chopped cilantro
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Saute mushrooms and onion over medium-high heat. When onion is soft and the water has evaporated from the mushrooms, add the veggie burger and jalapeno. Lower the heat and let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, break out the Cuisinart again and combine the spinach, 1 can of beans (or 1/2 of the 3 cups), cheese, cilantro, 1 egg, cream and cayenne pepper. Run the motor until the mixture becomes a strange but delectable green paste, about 30 seconds.

Roll out 1 disc of pie dough on a floured surface and fit in your pie pan. Add all of the mushroom/onion/veggie burger mixture. Then cover that with the spinach mixture. Add the rest of the beans on top. Then roll out the other disc and cover the pie, making sure to cut vents in the top crust. Beat the other egg with about a tablespoon of water, then brush the egg wash over the pie. Bake for an hour, then let cool for 1/2 hour.