Almost All American Seitan... Hot Pockets

I love the Almost All American Seitan Pot Pie recipe from Veganomicon. It is a really yummy, warm, comfort food type dinner. Sometimes though, I decide a casserole isn't enough work, and want little pocket meals to pack in a lunch or pick up and eat like those hot pockets on TV that they claim are healthy because they don't have trans-fats, ignoring the fact that it's pepperoni and cheese in a white flour crust... but I digress. I transformed the Seitan Pot Pie recipe into pockets by cutting everything into smaller bits, and dividing the dough into about a dozen balls and rolling them out, filling them, folding them over, and turning them into little dough pocket guys. Of course I made some changes in the filling; most notably (and predictably) I took out the onion and replaced it by broccoli (just about the same thing, right?). I also cut down on the vegetable broth so that there wouldn't be as much gravy since they were being put into dough pockets. The end result? A perfectly portable seitan snack! (Or dinner... or lunch...)


Crust:
2 cups white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cold earth balance shortening
1/2-3/4 cup ice cold water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar.

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Cut the shortening into small pieces and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, or a food processor. Mixture should be crumbly.

3. Add cold water, a little at a time, until flour mixture comes together to form a dough. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling:
5 tbsp canola oil
1 lbs seitan, cut into small cubes
1 tsp tamari
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
1/2 lbs white potatoes, washed and diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp dry sage
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot and add the seitan. Sprinkle with the tamari. Brown the seitan, then remove from the pot and set aside for later use.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in the pot and add the chickpea flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it gets golden brown and smells toasty.

3. Add the broccoli, potato, and celery and cook for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften.

4. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, the herbs, and stir. Once it's thickened, add the rest of the vegetable broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the gravy has thickened again. If it's too thick, add more broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLY!

1. Divide the dough into 12 even balls. Roll out each ball into a circle, and add a few heaping spoonfuls of filling, careful to make sure there's enough room to fold the dough over and seal the edges.

2. Brush the edges on one side lightly with water. Fold over the dough and press the edges to seal. Roll up the edges into an attractive decorative border if desired.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before you bite in or you'll burn the roof of your mouth like i did :D