Green Vegetable Pie

This is great picnic food, as it's good to eat hot or cold. An improvisation based on the fridge contents one day, this gets the green light (no pun intended) from my meat-eating hubby. You can substitute any veges you have on hand, and of course substitute homemade shortcrust pastry for the frozen - enough for one pie base and the lattice for the top. Cooking time includes pre-baking pastry base.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1  large onion, chopped
• 2  cups  green  vegetables, chopped (eg. mix of asparagus, beans, celery, spinach, broccoli, capsicum etc)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6  eggs
• 1  cup plain yogurt
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1  tablespoon tamari soy sauce
• 3⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
•  salt, to taste
• 2  sheets  frozen  shortcrust pastry, thawed (2nd sheet optional)
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (extra)
• 1⁄4 cup soymilk or 1⁄4 cup  cow milk (for brushing pastry lattice- optional)

Directions

1. Gently saute onions in olive oil till soft, add green vegetables and cook till veges are tender but still a little crisp (about 10 mins).
2. Meanwhile, trim one piece of pastry to fit pie plate and bake blind for approximately 15 mins at 200 degrees Celsius.
3. Cool slightly.
4. Beat eggs and yoghurt until creamy, add the 1/2 cup of parmesan, tamari and parsley.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place cooked veges in pastry base.
7. Pour egg mix over veges, sprinkle with extra parmesan.
8. Use second sheet of pastry to create pastry lattice (brush with milk) or leave plain, as desired.
9. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 mins, reduce oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 25 minutes or until golden.
10. Serve warm or cold.