Avast Ye Patties

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Been a long time, I know. J-Goose & Merillon had a screening of Pirates of the Caribbean last night, and I whipped up some vegetarian Caribbean Meatless Patties for the occasion. It was just a first attempt, but I think I've got it down now.

I used to love meat patties as a kid. Here, I've modified a traditional meat patty recipe to render it vegetarian.

INGREDIENTS

(Pastry Crust)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 dash salt
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup water

(Filling)
2 tablespoons margarine
about 1/2 pound vegetarian meatballs*, ground up
1 small onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup vegetarian broth
1 cup dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

[* All I could find were vegetarian meatballs, but they do make other kinds of vegetarian "meat", including "vegetarian ground beef". Use what you find, being mindful of the flavors.]

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, and pinch of salt. Cut in 1/4 cup margarine and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Shape dough into a log, and cut into 10 equal sections. Roll each section into a six inch circle (approximately 1/8 inch thick). Set aside. [To make appetizer version, cut into 20 pieces and make 3-inch circles... duh.]

The filling should be thought of as "stuffing", because that's what it is. Whiz up some old bread to render the breadcrumbs, because buying breadcrumbs is sad. The measurements for the filling are approximate. Use more veggie broth, use more breadcrumbs, it all depends on what you've got on hand.

Melt margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Stir in the veggie ground meat. Season with 1 teaspoon curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. The veggie meat may be pre-cooked, but just stir until a bit more brown and everything's incorporated. Taste to make sure the seasoning works; if it's a little strong, don't worry because the bread crumbs and broth are going to cut it. Stir in the veggie broth and bread crumbs. Simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.

Spoon equal amounts of filling into each pastry circle. Fold over and press edges together, making a half circle. Use a fork to press edges, and brush the top of each patty with beaten egg.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

As with all recipes, especially the ones on this blog, results may vary. It's important to experiment. Make it your own. You can do a lot of different things with the filling. Tofu and cheese. Apples and razor blades. Let your mind go nuts!