Sweet Potato, Parsnip and Kasha Pie

I love trying new ingredients; I've only had parsnips once before and this was my first time trying kasha (buckwheat groats). The flavor of this pie was really interesting, and I ended up eating the leftovers for several days. The pie is delicious but it is a bit rich, so small portions served with veggies is probably your best bet.

Sweet Potato, Parsnip and Kasha Pie
recipe courtesy of Cheap Healthy Good

Ingredients:

Filling:
1/2 cup kasha
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 cups grated parsnips (about 8 ounces)
2 cups grated sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces)
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup provolone, grated (optional)

Traditional Pie Crust:
2 whole wheat pie crusts, thawed

Directions:
Wash, peel, and grate sweet potatoes and parsnips. Chop garlic, shallot, and fresh thyme.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Stir in kasha, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes (until water is absorbed). Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet; add grated veggies, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a little water if mixture starts to stick.

Combine kasha, cooked veggies, thyme and cheese.

Add filling to defrosted pie crust. Place second crust on top of filling, trim away excess, pinch edges and score top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, cool before cutting.