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2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

⅓ cup water

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

½ cup fresh corn (from 1 ear of corn)

1 cup cooked kidney beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

¾ cup cooked lima beans, or 1 (8-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

2 ripe yellow plantains that have just begun to blacken, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into ½- inch pieces

1 tablespoon Jamaican curry powder

FIRST, PREPARE your yuca: Place the yuca in a medium-size stockpot and cover with water until it’s submerged. Cover and bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of the salt, and lower the heat to medium. Let the yuca boil for about 20 minutes, until tender enough to mash.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling:

Preheat a medium-size stockpot over medium-high heat. Place the 2 tablespoons of the oil, onions, green bell pepper, garlic, and ginger in the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, Scotch bonnets, thyme, salt, and water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced.

Set your oven to broil.

Add the remaining ingredients to the filling mixture in the stockpot and lower the heat. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until everything is heated through. Remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and Scotch bonnets and discard.

By this point, the yuca is probably done. Drain the yuca and then immediately place it back in the pot you boiled it in. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the yuca and mash with a potato masher. It usually takes about 15 mashes to get it to the right consistency, creamy but chunky.

Pour the curried filling into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to scoop the yuca over it in several mounds. Press the yuca mounds down to spread over the curry. It’s okay if some of the filling is peeking through in places.

Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, then transfer to the broiler for about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye; the top should be gently browned.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve in rimmed plates or shallow bowls because it will be very saucy.

ALMOST ALL-AMERICAN SEITAN POTPIE

SERVES 6 TO 8

TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

As American as chickpea flour and seitan, this potpie is just a little reminiscent of a certain frozen potpie that equaled big excitement at dinnertime when we were kids. Certainly more tasty and minus the freezer burn, so everybody’s happy. Silky gravy envelops chewy chunks of seitan and down-home root veggies and peas. Top it all with a flaky whole wheat crust (or use all-purpose flour to keep it traditional) and you’ve got a complete, family-pleasing meal. If you need something green to round out it out, steamed broccoli or spinach salad will do the job.

The steps involved in this recipe may look epic but, once the crust is rolled out and chilling, the rest is just chopping and stirring. The filling, or even the entire pie, can be assembled a day or two ahead and popped in the oven a little less than an hour before dinner.

➣This potpie is best made in a deep-dish casserole, or even better, make individual potpies in deep, ovenproof bowls or extra-large ramekins. Instructions for individual pies follow the main instructions.

➣If you’re feeling particularly industrious, double the crust recipe and prepare a bottom crust. It doesn’t need to be chilled before fitting into the casserole dish; just roll out, fit, and trim, then cover the entire pie with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator while preparing the top crust and filling.

Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour, or 1 cup each whole wheat and all-purpose

¼ cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup cold nonhydrogenated vegan shortening

½-¾ cup cold water

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Seitan filling: 5 tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil

1 recipe Simple Seitan (page 131), chopped into

½-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

¼ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour

1 large onion, cut into fine dice (about 2 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled