SPICY RED DRAGON PIE

There are several versions of a Red Dragon Pie circulating on the net. The original is probably this one: http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/recipes.php?i=4 And this is my take on it.

My usual way to make this is to soak a couple of ounces of wheatberries overnight and cook them with the adzuki beans. This time I have used a couple of ounces of pot barley instead. The barley gave it a nice texture with bite.

SPICY RED DRAGON PIE

The Pie Filling:
4 ounces (by weight) adzuki beans, soaked overnight
2 ounces ( ditto) pot barley, ditto
1 brown onion, chopped
1/2 lb. carrots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-inch piece peeled ginger, very finely chopped
1 tsp or more crushed chile peppers
1 Tsp Tamari or Braggs
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1tsp or so of mixed herbs such as parsley, thyme, oregano
1 cup or more bean stock (or what you need to keep the mixture moist)
salt & pepper & cayenne to taste

The Potatoes:
3/4 lb red potatoes
a little low-fat soymilk for mashing the potatoes
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast for the potatoes
salt and pepper to taste for the potatoes
2 or 3 green/spring onions, finely chopped, for the potatoes

Garnish:
spirnkle of faux parmezan cheez or homemade similar, dash paprika, parsley


Drain the beans and barley and simmer for 3/4 hour or until cooked in a quart or more
of water. Drain, but save the stock for later.

NOTE: This part of the recipe can be done ahead of time - you can even cook and save the beans and barley and freeze the mix until needed. OR you can proceed with the recipe until the point of putting on the potatoes and stop there a day ahead or freeze until needed. OR you can make and freeze the whole recipe. It is very very forgiving.

To continue . . .
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onion and carrot and a little bean stock to cook until soft along with the garlic, chiles and ginger. Add add the cooked beans and barley and mix well.

Add the tamari, tomato puree and herbs to some of that cup of bean stock. mix, and add to the pan. Stir, and then add as much of the bean stock as you need to keep it from going dry - about a cup - bring to the boil, lower to simmer. (Use water or veg stock if you run out of bean stock.)

Simmer for about 20 minutes to blend the flavours nicely.

Meanwhile boil the potatoes and mash hem with the soymilk, add the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and chopped green onions.

Taste the bean mix for seasoning and correct, adding salt, pepper and more cayenne if necessary. Put it in a lightly sprayed casserole dish and spread the mashed potato mix over the top. Sprinkle the top with the vegan faux cheez or nutritional yeast and crumb mix (if used) and sprinkle a little paprika.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, in which time the potatoes should have browned and crisped.

Add a sprig of parsley or something green if you like and serve with green vegetables or a salad.

Reheats nicely in oven (cover with foil) or microwave.

Serves 4.