Let’s Do Dinner is an invitation into Antoni’s easy kitchen. Dinner with Antoni means satisfying meals full of clean protein and loads of vegetables, with splurges of carbs and decadence. Simple, yes, but always special. Antoni keeps shopping lists short and steps and pans to a minimum.

Pulled chicken nachos, pasta carbonara with scallions and peas, or pan-seared steak with harissa butter and crispy potatoes—it’s all good for post-work evenings or casual entertaining.

Antoni shows how to crank the flavour, make exciting suppers from pantry staples, create new takes on classics by swapping in one surprising ingredient, and build a rousingly flavored vegan grain bowl. Plus, he lets you in on the secret weapons in every kitchen that get great food on the table fast.

Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca.

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Golden Root Vegetable Potpie

SERVES 4

For a Meatless Monday when you want to stick to the script, or for any day you prefer vegetables to meat, this creamy potpie is the perfect meal. The flexible mix of vegetables means you can try something new from the farmers’ market or use up any veg-drawer stragglers. Baking the puff pastry separately keeps it from getting soggy. For an added creative twist, sprinkle the top of the pastry with everything bagel seasoning mix, which can be found in the spice section at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores.

PUFF PASTRY
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half a 17-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon
water for egg wash
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper

VEG FILLING
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
6 cups cubed (1/3-inch) mixed root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, peeled butternut or kabocha squash, sweet potato, and/or celery root
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or
¾ teaspoon dried
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or black pepper)
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Heat the oven to 400°F, with a rack in the lower third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unfold the pastry onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut into eight 2 ¼-by-4 ½-inch rectangles and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the pastry is baking, melt 2 ½ tablespoons of the butter in a large wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the firmer root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, rutabaga), onions, garlic, rosemary, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the turmeric and cayenne, then add the remaining root vegetables, the coconut milk, and 1 cup water. Partially cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to remove the floury taste. Remove from the heat.

When the vegetables are just tender, scrape the flour mixture into the pot (get every bit) and stir well, then stir in the sour cream. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lime or lemon juice and adjust the seasonings to taste. Remove from the heat.

To assemble: Place one piece of puff pastry, golden side down, in each of four shallow bowls. Top with the filling and the remaining pieces of puff pastry, golden side up. Serve immediately.

Excerpted from ANTONI: LET’S DO DINNER © 2021 by Antoni Porowski with Mindy Fox. Photography © 2021 by Paul Brissman. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.