Recipe: Vegetarian Beans and Franks Pot Pie with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping

VEGETARIAN BEANS AND FRANKS POT PIE

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
6 cups vegetarian baked beans (2 cans, 28 oz each)
6 tofu hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons mustard
salt and pepper (to taste)
FOR THE CORNMEAL BISCUIT TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Stir in beans, tofu dogs, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare topping.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In medium bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make well in dry ingredients. Add butter milk all at once. Stir just until mixture is blended and dough pulls together. Let dough sit 2 minutes.

Dust dough with flour and transfer to floured work surface. Knead 4 to 5 times, then pat into circle as large as the top of Dutch oven. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place dough squares over hot beans.

Bake until topping is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 10
Source: Vegetarian Times, January 2001