Kabocha Squash Pie

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I got a new kitchen tool. It's a food mill from VB's grandma for Christmas (thanks, Gi!). It's time to put it to good use. So. I have a brand new food mill, half a kabocha squash and a block of tofu. The only logical thing to do (in my odd twisted train of thought) is to roast the kabocha squash and pass it through the food mill, along with some tofu and make a pie out of it. Turned out pretty good! The food mill allowed the squash to be mashed but not pulverized, giving the pie a nice fluffy texture. My previous attempt in making a similar product, I didn't have the food mill and the pie was definitely more grainy. Next time, I'm going to make spaetzle with the food mill. I can't wait!

For this kabocha squash pie, you'll need:

• 1/2 kabocha squash 
• 1 16-ounce block of firm tofu
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 3 tablespoons nutrional yeast
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 recipe of vegan pie crust, below

For the vegan pie crust, you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter substitute (I use Earth Balance), cold and cubed
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cubed
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop out and discard seeds from squash. Rub kabocha squash with olive oil. Stuff garlic cloves inside the cavity and place the squash cut side down into a baking dish. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour. The squash is done when the skin is browned and softened and you can easily insert a fork into the flesh. Remove and allow the squash to cool.

In the meantime, mix flour with a pinch of salt. Add cold butter substitute and vegetable shortening into the flour. With a whisk or by hand, break the fat into small pieces until the mixture has a wet sand consistency. If you want, you can use a food processor and pulse until similar consistency is achieved. Stir in ice water until the dough barely comes together. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and line the pie pan. Dock the dough with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove and set aside.

Peel the roasted garlic. Scoop out roasted squash flesh. Pass the squash and garlic through the food mill. Pass tofu through the food mill. For a finer texture, you may want to do it twice. Mix squash and tofu mixtures together, along with salt, nutritional yeast, ground ginger, granulated garlic, and orange zest. Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Fill the pie crust with the mixture and spread mixture out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Remove and let pie cool for 15 minutes before serving.

We also had some roasted radishes as a side dish. They're pink and festive!