Prenatal Meal Prep: Vegetable Hand Pies
As someone with little to no baking skills,
I am here to tell you that making your own pie dough is entirely doable. Have I perfected the skill? Not really. But I’m not in the business of making pies; I’m in the business of creating convenient systems and supportive outlets for postpartum. The recipe I used can be found HERE (bless you, Youtube tutorials). It took me about 8 minutes, gave me no issues, and does not contain preservatives or additives, which was the aim for making my own dough in the first place. This dough feels convenient and supportive!
(Note: As I am a novice pastry maker, I used unbleached white flour as opposed to experimenting with gluten free options. Although unbleached, it is still white flour, which has a lower nutritional value than other options on the market. It is best consumed in small moderation.)
Hand pies are wonderfully helpful in postpartum as they freeze well and do not require utensils. I would also like to take this moment and remind you that no one is forcing you to eat breakfast foods during breakfast time or dessert foods during dessert time. These hand pies can be eaten any time, day or night. If it’s 2:30 in the morning and you’re popping a mushroom and lentil hand pie in the oven, give yourself a pat on the back.
Lentil Hand Pies with Caramelized Onion, Mushroom, and Squash
Time: 1.5 hours Serving: Makes about 2-3 hand pies
Short crust pastry dough
1 cup dried green, brown, or French lentils
2 cups chicken broth
Approx. 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 small butternut squash, cut into small chunks
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 egg, beaten (add 1 tsp water to thin it)
1 tbl thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tbl olive oil
salt + pepper to taste
1. Bring pastry dough to room temp. Preheat oven to 375of.
2. Coat butternut squash pieces in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay at on a baking sheet and place in the oven for approx. 30 min, tossing the pieces over about half way through cook time.
3. Heat 1 tbl olive oil in a large pan on medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add ginger, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until onions are golden brown. Be sure not to allow ginger to stick to the pan. Use small amounts of water as needed to deglaze the pan. Transfer to separate bowl.
4. Spread out mushrooms on the same pan. Raise the heat slightly. Allow mushrooms to release moisture, leaving them alone for about 6-8 minutes. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Add in squash and ginger-onion mixture. Stir to incorporate and then take off the heat.
5. Put a small amount of our on the counter top. Roll out dough until it is about 1 cm thick. Cut four 6x3in pieces. (You may have to roll out dough again until you have desired number of pieces.)
6. Add filling onto one piece, leaving a border around the edge. Brush the edges with the egg wash and do the same the border of an empty piece. Place the empty piece on top of the mixture, egg wash side down. Use a fork to crimp together the pieces and add two slits at the top. Repeat with other pieces.
7. Place hand pies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Option here to add thyme and shredded cheese on top. Put them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375o or until golden brown around the edges.
8. Allow to cool until pie can be handled without utensils. Enjoy!
Allow to cool completely before freezing. Hand pies can stay in the freezer up to three months. To reheat: Preheat oven to 350ºf. Place hand pies on a sheet tray and put them in the oven for about 15 min or until they are warmed through.