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Remember this summer?

Remember when I went on that cruise to Canada for five days and four nights?  (Cruise.  To.  Canada.  Oxymoron.)

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Remember when I forced cajoled pleaded coerced politely asked my brother to set up the prorated international internet on my phone.  So that I could “email my parents”.  “Daily”.  To let them know I was still alive.

But really because I was sure that the only thing that would get me through each thoroughly hungover morning would be to check up on all of you lovely individuals and see how your days were going.

It’s true.  You made each hungover morning way better.  I swear.

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Remember how my phone spent the whole trip trying to convince me that we were actually in the middle of the Indian ocean?  No, I guess you wouldn’t remember that.  But I do.

When we arrived at St. John in New Brunswick it tried to tell me that we were actually in New Delhi.

I wish.  Is what I told it before I powered it off in the hopes of teaching it not to toy with my emotions like that.  Even though I secretly hoped that it was right and that the captain had somehow gone entirely off course.  And that I would disembark to find a large plate of palak paneer waiting for me.

Instead I found a Farmer’s Market rife with maple syrup, maple sugar, maple fudge, and maple lollipops.  Yup.  We were definitely in Canada.

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Remember when I came back and told you all about how terrible the food was?  Remember how surprised you were?

Yeah.  That was too bad.  But there’s always a silver lining.

You see, the way dinner worked on the cruise was that every night between the hours of 6 and 7 we would trek over to our designated dining room.  Sit at one of our designated tables.  And be handed a menu.  The menu would have a slew of items that would be available every night for the duration of the cruise, but it also had a set of specials that would change every day.

On the first night, the vegetarian special was a cinnamon pumpkin, squash, yam and cheddar pot pie.  Which, if you know me at all, you know that I instantly closed the menu, didn’t even look at any of the rest of the day’s options and ordered.

(And for the record, no I have no idea why they were serving a pot pie in the middle of August.  That really should have triggered some kind of skepticism in my brain.  But I was too distracted by the word “pumpkin”.  Preceded by the word “cinnamon”.  In short. I was brainwashed.)

To make a long story short, it was good.  Not great.  But good.  But I knew it could be better.  So I made a mental note to try to recreate it once I got home.

This is not that pot pie.  (Although if you do want that pot pie, the good folks over at The Novice Chef Blog have done a bang up job of recreating it.)

No, no.  This is, instead, what happens when I end up trying to brainstorm what I should make for this week’s edition of the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash.  Decide to make the infamous Carnival pot pie.  And then walk to Sarabeth’s to meet Dana of Dana Treat who was in town from Seattle for the weekend for coffee and cocktails.  (She was awesome in every meaning of the word.  We talked for over two hours without a single moment of awkward silence.  And I realized on my walk home that I want to be her when I grow up. True story.)

Anyways, it was on that fateful walk through Central Park when I really should have been thinking about the vestibular/auditory system that the idea for a Thai curry-infused pot pie popped into my head.

I like to think it was a moment of divine inspiration.  Mostly because it ended up being absolutely delicious in every way.  But also because Sarabeth’s is actually really close to Whole Foods and so I went grocery shopping immediately after our coffee/cocktail date (what, you mean you don’t combine your stimulants with your depressants?  Weird.) while the idea was still fresh in my head.  Before I had any chance to doubt myself.

Isn’t it great when serendipity exerts itself in the form of really good food?  I think.  Yes.

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Thai Sweet Potato and Winter Squash Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust
Serves 4-5, an Eats Well With Others Original

1 2-3 pound winter squash, I used an orange kabocha, cut into chunks
1 large white sweet potato, cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 package tempeh, chopped
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup water
4 tsp red curry paste
2.5 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp brown sugar, depending on taste
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tbsp flour

For the biscuits  (adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Toss squash and sweet potato chunks with 1 tbsp oil and some salt.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until fork tender.

2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large-ish pot.  Add in the onion.  Saute for 3 minutes or until translucent.  Add in one clove garlic.  Saute 30 seconds.  Add in red curry paste.  Saute 30 seconds.  Add in tempeh.  Saute 1-2 minutes.

3. Pour the roasted squash and sweet potato into the pot.  Stir.  Mix in the coconut milk, water, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Stir until well combined.  Bring to a simmer.  Pour in the peas.  Cook until heated through.  Add salt, sugar, and curry paste to taste.  Add in 2 tbsp flour and stir until mixed in.  Remove from heat while you prepare the biscuits.

4. Lower oven to 400.  In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin, almond milk and lemon juice.  Feel free to use regular milk, soy milk, etc. if not vegan.  Next time I might add coconut milk to keep with the thai theme.

5. Pour the pot pie filling into a large dutch oven or oven-safe casserole dish.  Drop handfuls of the biscuit dough onto the top of the pot pie.  Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits start to brown.

I am submitting this to the Hearth N Soul Blog Hop as well as to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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90 Responses to Thai Sweet Potato and Winter Squash Pot Pie (Vegan)

  1. What a hearty comfort food! I bet it would go great with some corn bread too. Not that I don’t like pumpkin biscuit, but I have some corn bread in the freezer cry out loud to be used.
    Angie

  2. Pam says:

    Great recipe! Love the pumpkin biscuits topping it and bet it is delicious! Divine inspiration worked well for you!

  3. Simply Life says:

    wow, this is so creative and is what they should be serving!

  4. Tasha says:

    Holy Moly, Joanne, this sounds freakin’ amazing! A pumpkin biscuit topping combined with a Thai-flavored squash, potato, tempe mixture…really it’s brillant and I want some!

  5. elra says:

    So glad that you add tempe to this pot pie. Sounds definitely delicious Joanne.

  6. girlichef says:

    Wow Jo…this is FABULOUS! And so you 😉 I want to fill my belly with it right this instant. (and yeah, strange that was on an August menu!?) Plus, it just looks awesome.

  7. Haha, I love it when the good ole’ phone GPS steers you wrong! Stew looks great– I would be skeptical about a vegan dish involving biscuits, but I’ll take your word that it’s good b/c you have good taste!!

  8. This pot pie sounds fantastic! Wonderful with the pumpkin biscuit topping!

  9. Shannon says:

    I hear ya about the cruise to Canada. My parents insisted we take the Scotia Prince for a getaway weekend. Well all I got was severely motion sick. At least dad coughed up his sea sick bands for me… which just made me feel like I was 80 years old.

    But anyway,
    this looks absolutely fabulous. You are well aware of my love for winter squash AND pumpkin. Well done.

  10. Ok… I have a favor. First, I am not a huge fan of squash, but I have been assigned (Jackie).

    Do you have a favorite squash meal/side dish for me to make for her???

    Links and easy to follow directions please (a happy marriage hangs in the balance)

    Dave

  11. Sarah S. says:

    You had me at Thai, and then sweet potato, then winter squash, well and then theres the pot pie part. AND VEGAN. You are straight up killing me, girl. I pray that I have a can of curry paste in my pantry because I know I have everything else, need to eat this TODAY.

    PS. Way jealous that you got to hang out with Dana! Awesome 🙂

  12. Amy says:

    A Farmer’s Market with maple syrup, maple sugar, maple fudge, and maple lollipops? What kind of farmers are those? And why the hell do I live in CA?

    I’ve never been a fan of pot pie. But I share your love of the pumpkin…and you are pretty convincing – you could sell ice to Eskimos.

  13. Ben says:

    Yup, I agree that it was a moment of divine inspiration. That’s one good thing that came out of that cruise, right?

  14. Satya says:

    wow its a lovely dish …love the ingredients u used in it …

    Satya
    http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

  15. Giovanna says:

    Yummo!!! What a great Fall dish : )

  16. gotnomilk says:

    Ooh, me likey. Saving this one for future reference!

  17. Oooo what a write up to go along with that beautiful goodness in a pot.Loved the sweet potato & winter squash and pumpkin biscuits idea.One yummy pot

  18. Swathi says:

    Pot pie looks delicious I love the punpkin biscuits topping. Nice one. I will try that biscuits

  19. That Girl says:

    My farmers market is selling the most beautiful yams that would be perfect for this.

  20. I can understand why you immediately jumped on the pumpkin choice. It is a delight to eat and to experiment with.

    It seems to me that kabocha is the sensation of the season, unlike the little black dress, which always existed in our minds. Where do I get one of these pumpkins?

    Thanks for linking to My Meatless Mondays.

  21. Well you had me at the “Thai.” In fact, I made Thai Saturday night, Sunday night, am having it at a restaurant tonight where I’m meeting some girlfriends, and am having it tomorrow when I toss together a curry.
    I can’t seem to get enough. =)

  22. Alisa says:

    Wow, well I guess we can all thank the cruise for putting something pumpkin and cinnamon on the menu!

  23. This is one creative, delicious and healthy dish, Joanne! You don’t have to twist my arm to eat squash 🙂 Love the pumpkin biscuits. Amazing how Canada, New Dehli and Central Park all helped to create this amazing dish!

  24. Ameena says:

    Don’t let this sub-par cruise fool you…the food in Canada is amazing! I’ve had some amazing meals both on the east and west coasts…must have just been a fluke?

    Love this recipe! You have such great flavor combinations that I’m sure this will be a keeper for me!

  25. I’m shocked… just shocked. Vegan!?!?! This is so unlike you! But it brings a big smile to my face because it looks so incredibly yummy!

  26. Katerina says:

    That is so cool. All this mixing of flavors in one pot. I love the ingredients you used in this one. It seems that you were in a creative mood.

  27. Kristin says:

    You did a great job in brainstorming. This looks like one very delicious cold fall day dinner.

  28. Pierce says:

    Fantastic dish for the Fall temps!

  29. I am so glad to see that you recreated this recipe. There is no doubt in my mind that your version is way better than the original. Wonderful combo of ingredients & that biscuit is a fun topper!

  30. Pam says:

    I really wish you were my neighbor and you would bring me all of your delicious and creative meals right to my door. Couldn’t you move to Portland? Please?

  31. tigerfish says:

    The pumpkin biscuit as the topping is genius! Makes a one-dish meal for me as it fills me up, happy!

  32. Always go with the hearty option =) This looks great! Very comforting.

  33. Lisa says:

    This recipe has all of my favorite ingredients in it. Thus said, I’m absolutely certain I’d dig in with gusto and enjoy it to the very last bite.

  34. Rachel says:

    Yum! I would have gone for the cruise pot pie too. It’s a good thing you went on a cruise to Canada so you could have that dish and be inspired to make this one! It looks fantastic! Thai and pot pie are not normally uttered in the same sentence but maybe they will be from now on.

  35. I would have been brain washed by the wors pumpkin and cheddar , too. Even if it was the summer. And now, I am brainwashed by this recipe. Sounds delicious!

  36. Shannon says:

    wow, this sounds delicious… totally on my to-try list 🙂 i’m so glad you still find time to cook amidst your crazy schedule!! and running!

  37. Chris says:

    I can’t comment right now, I have to go google “tempeh”.

    🙂

  38. Juliana says:

    Joanne, kabocha…I love it! And pumpkin biscuit sounds great with the squash dish…very creative!

  39. Victoria K. says:

    As a proud meatetarian… I would totally eat this 🙂 Yum!

  40. Kat says:

    Pumpkin biscuits? I’m there.

  41. Beth says:

    Your pot pie sounds wonderful. And I promise, we Canadians don’t eat maple all the time!

  42. Donna-FFW says:

    Vestibular auditory systems… pumpkin biscuits??

    No brainer.

  43. Raina says:

    Incredibly creative dish. Sounds so flavorful and comforting.

    Cruise to Canada does sound funny:)

  44. Jess says:

    I’m kind of fascinated by the American (or maybe actually Northern Hemispheric) sense of appropriateness of eating according to the seasons, because serving a pot pie in a warm month doesn’t strike me as the least bit strange (I’m guessing that’s what you’re talking about when you say you have no idea why they did that). I guess if we only ate hot food here when the weather was cold, we’d pretty much never eat hot food. Which is why we have baked ham and roasted lamb and barbecued chicken for Christmas fare, despite the temperatures around Christmas being in the vicinity of 32°C/90°F.

    Sigh, I miss Whole Foods. I walked miles and miles daily to get to the one in Toronto from my hotel, then was overwhelmed with excitement when I found out there was more than one in NYC, so in the scheme of things I was never that far away from some sort of delicious chocolate-chip scone or some fantastic granola bar or whatever.

    And your pot pie looks amazing. I love a good stew, but adding a crust like that to the top of it takes it to another galaxy of awesomeness.

  45. Natalie says:

    NOM. those look like dumplings on top and i just made chicken & dumplings and now i’m kind of obsessed…

  46. Monet says:

    I don’t think I’ve been more excited to try a recipe…this looks exactly like what Ryan and I enjoy to eat-healthy, flavorful and comforting. I can only imagine how great this would be after a long day at work. I’m glad that you were able to take a good meal and make it great. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for your kindness!

  47. Debinhawaii says:

    OK, this looks like a little bit of comfort food heaven. 😉 I think the Thai flavors is a brilliant idea and love that it is vegan. Great job!

  48. polwig says:

    The pot pie is amazing… I love the pumpkin topping… yummy

  49. Ohohoh, I love these funny-shaped biscuits on the top! Tempeh is one thing I have to re-try it one of these days… I had a traumatic experience with it, many years ago when my Mum was following a strict macrobiotic diet…;-)

  50. Kim says:

    Great job putting this meal together! I love all the flavor combinations, the use of coconut milk, and the beautifully orange-hued pumpkin biscuits. I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for pumpkin biscuits lately and I love the idea. This is definitely a great way to get your squash in!

  51. How cool is this recipe! I would have shut that menu too! I’m glad you improved the dish – this is beautiful (like all your dishes) and those ingredients are all my fav’s!

    Those pumpkin biscuits-YUM!

  52. Lea Ann says:

    What a great recipe. It looks and sounds delicious. Love that pumpkin biscuit topping.

  53. I laughed and laughed… my first real job(between college and grad school) was working for a cruise line. I know some people love it.. but if I had to actually stay on a boat for weeks on end (I was on shore in the personnel dept). I would have been like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, no fooling!
    Your version is superb… I have never made a veg version of pot pie… really want to though!!!

  54. You are the queen of squash! Yum. 🙂
    They always have lots of maple stuff at the tourist depots. But it is always a good thing to get some real Canadian maple syrup – and it goes so nicely with squash!

  55. Koek! says:

    I LOVE the idea of that pumpkin biscuit crust… What a fabulous dish – I’ve never seen anything like it. Thank you for sharing!
    Robyn x

    PS: I am hungover too.

  56. Stella says:

    I love this, Joanne! Ooh, and I need a pot like that to make such things-its so pretty.
    p.s. I feel like I’m hungover today, but the strange thing is I didn’t drink (smile). Your’e too nice though…

  57. This is very cool – so creative!! It looks like comfort food – but healthy. Love it!

  58. That’s great! I have a packet of tempeh in my fridge, now I know what to use it for! Thanks for the recipe!

  59. Hmm, now I’m pretty well known for throwing curry pastes into just about every dish I make, but never a pot pie. Lovin’ that idea. Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul hop (cause I love stealing your recipes, making them for my family, and passing them off as my own genius ;)).

  60. pot pie looks so amazing…and love to try it out soon ..as chilled days are on their way to UK..

  61. nikki says:

    oh wow i made this in the slow cooker and added some butter beans, green onions, and boca crumbles (kinda of like a shepards pie) topped it with sour cream and it was amazing!

    thanks 🙂

  62. OohLookBel says:

    I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise to Alaska, but I’ve never considered the possibility of dire food. Thanks for the warning!
    Your pot pie looks incredible, especially with the biscuits on top.

  63. Beautiful! I like the handfuls of biscuit dough (when I first typed that I wrote “doe” – I amaze even myself) and how rustic this dish looks. I also love the Thai flavors. I suppose you were on the Upper West for coffee/cocktails? I stayed next door to that Whole Foods back in my hellish month of September when I never saw your face. Remember that? You may have blocked it out of your memory.

  64. Reeni says:

    This looks so seriously comforting Joanne! And seriously packed with all kinds of yummy things. Never had tempeh – but this looks like the way to go – steeped in flavor. The pot pie you spoke of sounds amazing! I just might have to give it a go.

  65. Dana says:

    Awww. I’m so flattered! Here is the real deal though. You are about 1,000 times a better cook than I was at your age. So just imagine where you will be at 40! This is an incredibly creative recipe and one I can’t wait to try. I loved our date and look forward to the next one, honey.

  66. Lori says:

    You’ve just taken pot pie to a whole new level for me. Wow, this sounds so good!

  67. A super-delish and super-healthy pot pie! The presentation looks great too! 😉

  68. This looks hearty, healthy and delicious! (And I just happen to have most of the ingredients handy.) I’ve never tried tempeh- I’m anxious to try it.

  69. Toni says:

    1. I like Larabars a lot actually but they cost money and I, well, don’t want to spend it. I’m fairly confident in my ability to make my own though… can’t be that hard. I mean, they have the ingredients right on the package. Note to self: buy dates.

    2. How the hell (pardon the language) did you come up with this? You so should have gone to culinary school. So. Be a doctor long enough to pay off the loans and save up for culinary school. And then go there. And tell me when you go so we can be lab partners or something.

  70. Mo says:

    Ahhh I don’t dig squash or sweet potato (but what is WHITE sweet potato… is there a tastier alternative to the orange ones?!) but your pumpkin biscuit topping looks sublime and the next time I make pot pie I’m totally using the recipe! 😀

  71. Esi says:

    Perfect cold weather comfort food!

  72. Dawn says:

    I think I have everything for this. If I don’t get out of work at an ungodly hour maybe I can eek it out!

  73. Cara says:

    You are right. Definitely up my alley! You know what else I could envision with those biscuits though? Making them with a blend of chickpea and peanut flours!

  74. grace says:

    most unique pot pie ever.
    sigh–i fully intend to enter canadia one day. i got my passport and everything. mostly, i just want some quality poutine. 🙂

  75. Wow what a wonderful vegan creation. Wish you were closer so we could have a baking extravaganza. I’ll trade you a dozen cupcakes for this ;p.

  76. Deborah says:

    I admire people that can make up recipes based on something they had somewhere. This looks like a way better version of that pot pie you had!

  77. Elizabeth says:

    This is about as perfect a dish I can imagine. Vegan-gelistas rejoice!! Love this a lot!

  78. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    Wow what an international nod to traditional American pot pie 🙂 It looks great!

  79. sweetlife says:

    great makeover, i love it…oh goodness the flavor combo is divine. great post, girl

    sweetlife

  80. SnoWhite says:

    Girl. You never cease to amaze me with your creativity. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.

  81. What an amazing creation! I loooove that you used pumpkin in the biscuits mmm.

  82. I just made this and loved, loved, loved it! I used 2 cans of chickpeas instead of the tempeh. The filling was fantastic, a bit spicy but super flavorful. The biscuits were just okay but considering they weren’t packed with butter, that’s okay. They were good for cooling my tongue off! Thanks for a fantastic recipe! I just made something else of yours too last week, you’re going to think I’m stalking you or something.

  83. I have loved every second of eating this. I also replaced the tempeh with beans…I went with white northern. And I used butternut squash. Absolutely lovely. I’d make it every week if I didn’t like trying new things so much. Seriously. It’s on my top 5 favorite dishes of all time.

  84. […] Thai Sweet Potato and Winter Squash Stew Adapted from Joanne Eats Well With Others […]

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  86. […] Space who serves up this divine Thai Sweet Potato and Kabocha Squash Stew that was inspired by Joanne Eats Well With Others. Roasted squash and sweet potato comes together with onion, garlic, red curry paste, coconut milk, […]

  87. […] Space who serves up this divine Thai Sweet Potato and Kabocha Squash Stew that was inspired by Joanne Eats Well With Others. Roasted squash and sweet potato comes together with onion, garlic, red curry paste, coconut milk, […]

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