MrsFalafel's Ale, Mustard and Winter Vegetable Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 a parsnip, diced
• 1 leek cut into fine rings
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup dried soya chunks
• 1/2 tsp marmite or vegemite
• 200ml boiling water
• 2 heaped tsp flour
• 2 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard (try Gordon's Green Peppercorn
• Mustard)
• 200ml rich, dark ale (try Pitfield Brewery's 1850 London Porter)
• black pepper to taste

For the mash topping:

• 1 potato, chopped
• 1/2 a parsnip, chopped
• 1/2 a small swede/turnip/rutabaga, chopped
• 1 tsp margarine

First, reconstitute the soya chunks: in a bowl, mix soya chunks, the 200ml boiling water and marmite and let sit.

Then make the mash topping: place the potato, swede, and 1/2 a parsnip in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until potato is soft (about 20 minutes). When cooked, drain off the water, add the margarine and mash until creamy smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, put olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the leek, garlic and carrot and 1/2 a parsnip and saute until the carrot is soft. Then add the mushrooms and cook a minute or two more.

Then add the flour and stir like mad for a solid 30 seconds. Still stirring, add the soya chunks and their soaking broth to soak up the flour and thicken. Then add the mustard, ale and some black pepper. Stir to mix all very well. Simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Place pour into a casserole dish, top with the potato/swede/parsnip mash, smooth over, and bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 20-30 minutes or until top is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let rest a minute and then serve.

This is excellent hearty autumn / winter fare and very tasty.