Leek & Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place potatoes in small pot and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil and let cook for about 10 minutes. Drain immediately as to not overcook. While boiling you can prep rest of veggies and start preparing biscuits.

Prepare (last six ingredients): Add vinegar to soy milk in measuring cup and set aside to curdle. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium mixing bowl—set aside.

Mix cornstarch into vegetable stock until dissolved. Preheat oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Sauté leeks, onions and carrots in oil until very soft and just starting to brown. Keep heat moderate as to not burn.

Add garlic, thyme, black pepper and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes and frozen peas, then pour in vegetable stock mixture. Raise heat just a bit; once liquid simmers, lower heat again. Let simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, but no longer.

Back to biscuits, add shortening to flour in small slivers and work into dough until large crumbs form. Drizzle in soy milk and mix until everything is moist. Lightly flour hands after washing and drying, and gently knead dough about 10 times in bowl. Set aside and check on stew.

Stew should be simmering and slightly thick. Mix in beans. Now to add biscuits, pull off chunks of dough slightly larger than golf balls. Roll and flatten a bit. Add to top of stew, an inch or so apart.

Transfer whole pot to preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use large serving spoon to place some of stew and biscuit in each individual bowl. Sprinkle with little chopped fresh thyme.