Mushroom Stout Pie with Potato Biscuits

We've had a few dreary, rainy days this week in Boise so I jumped at what is probably my last chance to make a warm and hearty stew before summer really sets in. I have truly embraced the potato while living out here, so potato biscuits were right up my alley. The filling was hearty and filling but very healthy. The recipe is written for either kidney beans or tofu, so I decided on kidney beans as I always have them in the pantry but rarely find much use for them outside of Minestrone and Veggie Burgers.

Mushroom Stout Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

adapted from  Post Punk Kitchen 

3 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced

10 oz. stout beer 

2 tbsp. tomato paste

Fresh black pepper

Salt

1/2 c. AP flour

3 c cooked kidney beans

for the biscuits

1 1/2 c. AP flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 c. mashed sweet potato (baked off the previous night, fork mashed)

3 tbsp. olive oil

3/4 c. nonfat buttermilk

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute' onions in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt and garlic, cook for one minute and stir to ensure garlic doesn't burn.

Add mushrooms, celery, thyme, rosemary and saute' for an additional 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms begin to brown and release liquid.

Add carrots, stout, tomato paste, pepper and salt, bring to a simmer and reduce liquid by half, add vegetable stock and cover. Simmer for five minutes.

Mix flour into one cup of cold water with a fork, be sure there are no lumps. Slowly add to pot, whisking with a fork. Add the kidney beans and stir well, turn heat off and keep covered. 

Preheat oven to 425*

Make biscuits - sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. 

In another bowl, use a fork to mix potatoes, olive oil and buttermilk. 

Make a well in the flour bowl and add potato mixture, mix gently with a fork until dough forms, knead a few times but be careful to not overmix. 

Drop heaping spoonfulls of dough onto stew around the pot.

Bake for 25 minutes, until biscuits are puffy and stew is bubbly.