Vegetarian Sweet & Savoury Mince Clanger

Another week of Bake Off is over, and last week there was only one bake that I wanted to make, and it definitely wasn't the Cumberland Rum Nicky or the Victorian Savoy Cake, as I knew that the kids wouldn't touch the Rum Nicky, and I had neither the time or the inclination to make the Savoy cake.

I knew that if I got the fillings in a Clanger right the kids would love them, as they love my pies and pasties, and I wouldn't be left having to eat them all. As I had some vegetarian mince in the freezer, and a couple of jars of home made mincemeat from two years ago in the cupboard, I knew that this could be the winning combination I needed, as everyone in the family loves both savoury mince and mince pies.

Instead of making the Clangers with suet pastry, as they're traditionally made, I decided to opt for my usual favourite pastry, which always turns out well, and works perfectly in pasties.

Well, what can I say. They turned out better than expected, and barely lasted any time at all once the husband and kids walked through the door on Friday. I used the pastry scraps to make a few mince pies, and they were also inhaled.

The pastry was light and crispy, yet substantial enough to hold the filling, and the size was just right, and with just the right amount of filling. I love making pies and pasties, and am now thinking of other sweet and savoury combinations that would work, and be perfect in a lunchbox or to take on a picnic or day out.

Double Cheese and Bacon Pie

This is a delicious pie/quiche/flan, call it what you will, which can be baked in advance and reheated, or eaten cold. If you're not confident in pastry making then store bought shortcrust pastry could be used, or even a savoury pastry case, which would save time.

My kids love this, and it was made as a midweek dinner from items that I have in my fridge and cupboards every week.

It looks a little rough around the edges, but go to any farm shop and they have similar pies, which they call rustic, so I'm going with that!

Double Cheese and Bacon Pie

pastry

100g cold salted butter

200g plain flour

splash of milk

filling

12 rashers streaky bacon

1 onion, chopped

handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

5 medium eggs

150ml single cream

black pepper

100g Greek cheese, such as Feta

75g mature cheddar cheese, grated

2 tomatoes, sliced

• rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs (you can do this in a food mixer or food processor)
• add a splash of milk, a little at a time, until the dough comes together
• roll pastry into a ball and wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge whilst the filling is prepared
• add the bacon rashers to a large frying pan and fry until crispy (you may need to do this in 2 batches)
• remove the rashers from the pan and lay on kitchen paper to soak up any excess fat
• pour the fat from the pan and add the chopped onion
• fry the onion for a few minutes until softened, and then add the parsley
• beat the eggs and cream together with a twist of black pepper
• set the filling aside whilst the pastry case is prepared
• roll the dough out on a floured surface until large enough to line your flan tin
• prick the base of the pastry and cover with baking paper and fill with baking beans
• bake in a preheated 180C oven for 15 minutes before removing the baking beans and paper
• bake for an additional 5 minutes before removing from the oven
• chop the bacon rashers up and scatter over the base of the pastry case
• top with the onions and parsley, and crumble over the Greek cheese
• top with the cheddar cheese, reserving a little for the top
• pour the egg and cream mixture into the pastry case
• lay the tomato slices on top and cover with the remaining cheese 
• turn the oven heat down to 170C and bake for around 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the centre

Serve warm or cold

Apple, Pork & Leek Pie

A couple of weeks ago we acquired an allotment, which had plenty of weeds to clear, but also quite a few leeks. They were a bit past their best but once the tough centre had been removed the rest was fine, and once they had all been cleaned up and sliced I ended up with 3 large freezer bags full. Next came the job of deciding what to do with all those leeks, and first I made a chunky leek & potato soup, which the kids lapped up for lunch within hours of the leeks being picked.

Chunky leek & potato soup with leeks that were still in the ground a few hours ago #allotment #recipe #veg #growyourown

Posted by The Crazy Kitchen on Sunday, 10 May 2015

With some pork left over from a roast the natural thing to make next was a pork and leek pie, which I added some grated apple to and a handful of sage. There are no accurate measurements for this pie as I never weighed the leftover pork or leeks, so just use whatever you have.

Apple, Pork & Leek Pie

approx 1kg leeks, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
knob of butter 
black pepper
vegetable stock cube
approx 200ml double cream
fistful of sage
leftover roast pork
2 eating apples (Braeburn), grated
sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

• heat the oil and butter in a large pan
• add the sliced leeks and stir over a medium heat
• add some ground black pepper and crumble a vegetable stock cube in
• sautee the leeks until softened & then stir in the cream, sage, pork and grated apple
• continue cooking over a medium heat until heated all the way through
• pour the filling into a large shallow dish
• lay the sheet of ready rolled pastry over the dish, and tuck in any overhanging edges
• brush with the beaten egg
• bake in a preheated 200C oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown

Follow our allotment journey here.

Vintage Family Recipes - Jam Puffs

When I was growing up I used to cook with my Nan. I have fond memories of sitting in front of the gas fire softening the butter for a cake, as well as picking rhubarb and apples from their garden for a pie. I would also help to make jam rolls or parcels using the scraps of pastry left over from pie making. Sadly my Nan passed away when I was about 10, but I'm sure if she was around now she would have a big input in my blog!

This is our crazy family, at what was possibly my Nan's last Christmas. That's me on the left with the bowl cut, the widest flares you ever did see, furry slippers, turtle neck and checked shirt - a trend-setter I was not! That's my Nan in the white jumper holding my baby cousin. 

I'm sharing a recipe for similar jam parcels which includes a recipe for my own favourite pastry rather than my Nans, as sadly she never passed any recipes down apart from her Christmas cake, which I make now (with a few of my own touches). You could make these with any pastry scraps, whether they are puff or shortcrust, and you could fill with marmalade or chocolate spread instead.

Jam Puffs

Leftover pastry

Milk

Jam

Caster sugar

• Roll the pastry out as thin as you can
• Cut discs with a pastry cutter
• Brush around the edges of the discs with milk
• Spoon a little jam into the centre of the discs
• Fold one side of the pastry over the other and press sides together to seal
• Crimp edges with a fork
• Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with a little sugar
• Bake in a preheated 200C oven for around 15 minutes, until golden brown

If you want to make my pastry that's easy to make, yet tastes as good as puff pastry, without the effort, here's the recipe :

Cream Cheese Pastry

250g plain flour

150g butter

150g full fat cream cheese

• In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, butter and cream cheese
• Mix on a low speed until it becomes like breadcrumbs and then starts to come together
• Squeeze together into a ball and wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for around 30 minutes

this post has been commissioned by BEKO, who have a range of  induction hobs, and ovens perfect for cooking your own comforting jam puffs, whether it be for Mother's Day on Sunday 15th March, or every day.

Banoffee Apple Pie

This week is British Pie Week, and what better way to celebrate than with a big fat homemade apple pie. This one has a bit of a twist though as it's also loaded with bananas and caramel sauce. It's double crusted (no soggy bottoms here), with a light crisp and flaky pastry that's easier to make than puff pastry, and tastier than shortcrust.

    

Find the full recipe here

this recipe has been commissioned by Great British Chefs

Chicken Korma Pie

If you ever fancied yourself as a bit of a piemaker then get your thinking cap on as Higgidy are on the search for their next pie, in their Higgidy Recipe Hunt.

I was sent a few goodies to help me create my own recipe to enter into the hunt, including my very own personalised rolling pin!

Since attending an Indian cookery course last week I've been a little addicted to making chicken korma, so I decided to make a chicken korma pie.

You can find the chicken korma recipe here (I used chicken breast) and my recipe for cream cheese pastry here, which I added a little turmeric to, to give it a great yellow colour. Instead of a pastry base I added approx 200g of cooked basmati rice to help soak up some of the excess sauce. Despite the shrunken pastry the pie was so good, and all the family loved it, and it tasted so much better than it looks. The pastry was lovely and light and crispy, and the offcuts were baked with a sprinkling of cumin seeds and salt and eaten with cheese & chutney!

It was a complete meal in a pie, however we enjoyed it accompanied by Naan breads, poppadoms and chutney.

Three Tier Roast Pork Dinner Pie

When I saw the categories for this week's Great British Bake Off (before I watched the show) I felt a little uninspired. I had made a custard tart last year, and didn't really fancy trying pear pies, so all that was left was a three tier pie. Three tiers of dessert pie seemed a bit much (although my lot wouldn't have minded at all), so I decided upon savoury pies. A trio of pies that could be eaten as a complete meal, without the need for any accompaniments.

My roast dinner pies have everything you need in a roast dinner - pork, vegetables, stuffing and apple sauce. I decided to leave out potatoes as I thought that the pastry would provide more than enough carbs for one meal. The bottom layer was filled with roast pork and vegetables, the middle layer with stuffing, and the top with apples.

I underestimated the quantity of pastry I would use and needed to make a second batch. I'm not a great pastry maker, hence the rustic look, with all the cracks and patches, but it did taste good nonetheless. 

Three Tier Roast Pork Dinner Pie

stuffing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
25g butter
salt & pepper
1 egg

1200g Shortcrust pastry (800g plain flour, 200g butter, 200g Trex vegetable fat)  
cooked roast pork
selection of cooked vegetables - broccoli, carrot & yellow courgette
2 eating apples
knob of butter, softened
1 egg, beaten

• Make the stuffing by heating the oil in a frying pan and adding the onion
• Fry gently for a couple of minutes, until softened but not browned
• Add the breadcrumbs, sage, butter, salt & pepper
• Mix well and fry for a couple more minutes
• Set aside
• Line the 3 different sized tins with pastry
• Fill the large pastry case with layers of pork and vegetables
• Beat an egg into the stuffing  and fill the medium pastry case
• Core the apples and thinly slice
• Fill the small pastry case with layers of sliced apple and a knob of butter
• Make lids for the pies and place them on top, sealing the edges
• Brush the pies with beaten egg
• Bake the pies in a preheated 180C oven - I baked my large pie for around 50 minutes, and the smaller two for 40 minutes

It looked a little bare so I popped a happy couple on top

Take a Bag of Veg - Ham & Vegetable Pie

Following all the Christmas festivities I found that we had some of the delicious 'ham in coke' left over. Instead of eating more sandwiches filled with leftover meats and stuffing I decided to make it into a quick pie for the family.

It was a nice easy pie made using ready made puff pastry. I've made my own puff pastry previously but always try and keep a block or two of shop bought in the fridge or freezer ready for quick meals like this. Frozen veg is also something that I always try and keep in the freezer as the fresh fruit & veg in this house gets eaten in a flash, so having the frozen variety always means we have some kind of vegetable available for dinner.

This pie is the first of a few recipes that I have coming up that use frozen vegetables, and the low cost (£1 for a 1kg bag) makes the meals incredibly frugal as well as convenient - and unlike frozen ready meals you have control over exactly what ingredients go into your meals.

Ham & Vegetable Pie - serves 4/5

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

150ml milk

2 tsp cornflour

300g frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted (mine included sweetcorn, peas, cut green beans & mini carrots)

300g cooked ham, diced

100g cheese (I used a mixture of soft goats cheese and grated Red Leicester leftover from the Christmas cheese board)

500g ready made puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion to soften
• Mix the cornflour with a little of the milk and add to the pan with the remainder of the milk
• Stir in the vegetables and ham
• Bring gently to the boil for the sauce to thicken
• Meanwhile roll the pastry out to form a base and a lid for your pie (I used just over half for the base and the rest for the lid)
• Line your pie dish with pastry, prick all over with a fork & bake for approx 6-7 minutes in a preheated 200C oven
• Stir the cheese into the ham & vegetables
• Fill your part baked pastry base with the filling
• Brush around the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg & lay the pastry lid on top (doesn't matter about being neat!)
• Press the edges together with a fork to seal
• Brush with more beaten egg
• Bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden

I need to get into the habit of doing my cooking earlier in the day until the Spring comes as I hate those night time food photos!

Toffee Apple Pie

The nights are drawing in and a good stodgy pudding is what we all need, good old comfort food. This pie is perfect for those moments when you don't really feel like making much, or if you have little time, but still want a home-made pudding. The recipe is so simple, in fact I feel a bit of a fraud even calling it a recipe at all as there are only four ingredients! If you serve this up to your family they will think that you've been slaving away for hours.

Toffee Apple Pie

8 medium eating apples (I used gala)
1 200g bag of wrapped toffees
250g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

• Core & slice the apples into 8 (I don't bother to peel them)
• Place the apples in a large microwavable bowl and cover with clingfilm
• Microwave for 8 minutes
• Drain the apples & place them in the pie dish
• Place the toffees amongst the apples, spreading them around
• Roll the pastry out until it's slightly larger than the pie dish
• Brush around the edge of the dish with beaten egg
• Place the pastry on and press down at the edge
• Brush with beaten egg and bake in a 200C oven for approx 15-20 minutes, until golden brown

Serve hot

perfect with a scoop of Kelly's Clotted Cream & Honeycomb ice cream.

I was sent a voucher to enable me to buy a tub of Kelly's Ice Cream

Chilli Beef Pie (with Marmite chocolate!)

Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. 80% of this household loves it, and the husband can't stand it. I have occasionally slipped the odd cheeky spoonful into stews without him realising though.

When I was challenged by Marmite to to cook up a dish using their 'Very Peculiar' chocolate I was determined to make a dish that I knew the husband would love, before I broke the news of the secret ingredients.

 

I had already decided that I would make a beef chilli before the hamper arrived containing many of the ingredients I needed, including the Marmite chocolate.

 

I was a little dubious about trying it but I was surprised how good it was, a deliciously smooth milk chocolate with a hint of saltiness, a perfect combination.

Once that bar of chocolate had been devoured it was time to get onto the serious business of cooking dinner. As it's 'puff pastry' week in Great British Bake Off I decided that I would make the beef chilli into a pie with a homemade puff pastry lid. You can find the recipe for the Rosemary Puff Pastry here.

 

Chilli Beef Pie

400g Lean beef, diced

20g plain flour

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

A few slices of fresh chilli, finely chopped 

100g Chestnut mushrooms, sliced

390g can chopped tomatoes

Beef stock cube

100ml water

1 tsp Marmite

50g Marmite chocolate, grated

• Toss the beef in the flour and paprika
• Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof saucepan
• Add the onions, garlic and chilli and fry gently for 2-3 minutes
• Add the beef and fry for a few minutes until browned
• Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes, stock cube, water and marmite.
• Cover with foil or place a lid on and cook in a preheated 140 C oven for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender
• Stir in the grated chocolate
• (At this point you could serve the chilli with rice if preferred)
• Tip the chilli into a pie dish, brush around the edges with beaten egg and lay the pastry over
• Brush with more beaten egg
• Turn the oven up to 200 C and bake the pie for approx 30 minutes, or until golden brown

 

The pie was lovely & rich and best of all the husband ate it....and LOVED it! 

I was sent the hamper of ingredients for the purpose of this challenge