Hummus Shepherd's Pie with No-Roll GF Crust

Last week my husband officially accepted a new job opportunity in Oregon, so we will be enjoying sunny California for one more week before we are off on our new adventure.  I am in the process of trying to use up as much of the food in the freezer and fridge as possible, which makes for some creative cooking. What to do when you have a huge bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer and only a week to eat them? My husband suggested pot pie, but the bag of potatoes on the counter told me shepherd's pie, and the hummus in the fridge that I whipped up at the behest of a 10pm craving just had to be included as well. I actually think this would have been even better with broccoli in the filling, but if you, like me, have to use up those frozen mixed vegetables, here is a nice, simple dish that will do the trick. 

I have to put in a good word for the crust as well.  I first used this crust a number of weeks ago when I was experimenting with the gluten-free flours in my freezer and have used it a bunch of times already for various savory pies and tarts I have made.  This is a flaky, tender crust, which has my husband asking, "Are you sure this is good for me?"  I just love an easy, no-roll crust. Add a bit more coconut sugar, decrease the salt a bit, and sub coconut oil for the olive oil, and this crust is great for use in dessert recipes as well.



For the no-roll, flaky gluten-free crust:
3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. xantham gum (optional. I have made it without the xantham gum, and it is just a bit crumblier.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coconut sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

For the filling:
1 cup prepared hummus (There is no exact recipe for hummus around here. When I make hummus, I just add lemon juice, tahini, and x-virgin olive oil a tablespoon at a time to 1.5 cups of chickpeas  until it suits my taste and then add about 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper and enough water to thin it out.)
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted, or steamed broccoli florets (or a combination of both!)

For the cauliflower mashed potato crust:
4 small-medium golden potatoes, diced
1/2 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 cup of white beans
1 Tbsp x-virgin olive oil
1-3 Tbsp. plain non-dairy milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. goddess dressing (If you have a severe soy allergy, then just sub a Tbsp. more olive oil.)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Oil a 9 inch pie plate and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and steam your potatoes and cauliflower until very tender (20-30 mins., in my experience). 
2. Meanwhile, make the crust.  In a large bowl, mix together the flours, starch, salt, xantham gum, baking powder, and coconut sugar.  Using a fork, gradually mix in the olive oil to form petite pea-sized crumbles. In a small cup, combine 2 Tbsp. of cold water with the vinegar, and mix it slowly into the crumbles. If the dough is still dry in spots and does not hold together when you try to form it into a ball, add more cold water 1/2 Tbsp. at a time until the dough is evenly moistened and sticks together without being too wet and sticky.
3. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of your pie plate. If you added a bit too much water, and the dough is pretty sticky, just keep wetting your hands to prevent too much sticking and persevere--a bit of dough on your hands won't hurt anything.
4. Clean out your mixing bowl and use it to combine the vegetables with the hummus. Scrape the mixture evenly into the crust.
5. Once your potatoes and cauliflower are fully cooked, either mash them with a potato masher or whip them with your mixer along with the beans, olive oil, dressing, and non-dairy milk. Start with one tablespoon milk and add more as necessary to get a smooth consistency. I don't peel my potatoes, but you may if you prefer a completely smooth texture. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then scoop the potatoes onto the pie and spread them out evenly over the filling.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for  30-35 minutes, until golden on top. Whip up a side salad and enjoy!

This recipe is linked to My Meatless Mondays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesday,  Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Tastetastic Thursday, Fit and Fabulous Friday, and Wellness Weekend.   
 
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