The soy biscuits that add nutrition to this flavorful beef pie can stand alone. Prepare just the biscuits as directed and bake on a cookie sheet to serve with jam, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Or split them and serve with leftover meat and gravy for a quick lunch.
2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1¼ pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons soy flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or butter (or a mixture)
⅓ cup milk
4 small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch-thick pieces
1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preheat oven to 375°F. Sauté bacon in a 4-quart Dutch oven just until it begins to brown. Remove to a medium bowl; reserve drippings in Dutch oven.
Meanwhile, in a pie plate or on a piece of wax paper, combine ¼ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Add beef cubes and turn to coat completely; reserve any leftover flour mixture. Add beef to bacon drippings in Dutch oven and sauté until well browned—about 5 minutes on each side. Remove beef to bowl with bacon.
Add onion to Dutch oven and sauté until browned—about 3 minutes. If any flour was left from coating beef cubes, stir it in here. Return beef and bacon to Dutch oven along with water and thyme; bring to a boil, cover, and bake 1 hour.
About 10 minutes before beef has finished cooking, combine remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour, the soy flour, baking powder, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Add milk and stir together. Pat out to ½-inch thickness on a floured board. Cut into rounds with a 3-inch cutter.
When beef has cooked 1 hour, stir in vegetables; place biscuits on top of stew and return to oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender and biscuits are baked through.
6 Servings