Broccoli, Mushroom and Cheese Pie Recipe

For my mum's birthday last week, I spent the day spoiling her!  She enjoyed homemade chocolate and marshmallow teacakes, a Mocha birthday cake and a birthday meal of homemade pie, mashed potato, carrots and swede with gravy.  

The pie I made was another of my open topped, puff pastry pies, filled with a cheesy, broccoli, mushroom and spinach filling.  It's quick, easy and really tasty.  I love making these pies because you can use up anything you have in the fridge along with a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry and you're sorted!  It makes a really hearty, comforting meal, perfect for this time of year without being too heavy.

Recipe

1 sheet of Jus rol pastry

1 crown of Broccoli

4 cubes of frozen spinach

100 g button mushrooms sliced

4 large Portobello mushrooms sliced 

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

half a tub of cream cheese

75g grated cheese (I used smoked cheddar but Stilton would be perfect)

Ground pepper

Method

Cut the broccoli into florets and boil for about 5 minutes.

Fry the mushrooms and garlic in a pan until softened.

Add the defrosted spinach cubes.

Add the cooked, strained broccoli florets.

When all cooked through and combined reduce heat and stir through the cream cheese.

Add grated cheese and seasonings and stir.

Remove from heat when combined.

Put pastry on a baking sheet.

Put filling in the centre.

Fold up edges.

Glaze with milk.

Put in pre-heated oven at GM6 for about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with mash and vegetables for a wonderful comforting autumnal meal!


And here is a photo of the Mocha birthday cake; marbled chocolate and coffee flavoured sponge with chocolate fudge icing, coffee glace icing, grated chocolate and mini malted chocolate balls to finish.  It was lush!

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Nut Roast Pie #vegan

I'm starting to think about Christmas food! This year is going to be quite challenging...not only am I catering for 11 people, I'm also planning a vegan Christmas dinner. So I'm trying out a few ideas with a plan to make something yummy enough to appeal to the carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike, without compromising on taste.  I was very inspired by our visit to the Toby Carvery which offered two vegan dishes that could be eaten with all the carvery veg, yorkies and gravy. 

This is my recipe for an open pie that will work really well with all the roast dinner trimmings.  It is easy to make and really quick to put together if using ready rolled puff pastry.

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Nut Roast Pie

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen sweet potato (Morrison's NuMe Sweet Potato Chunks)

4 carrots grated

1 parsnip grated

1 vegetable stock pot (Kent's Kitchen)

boiling water

1 can chickpeas

handful of walnuts and cashew nuts

ground pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic puree

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

mixed seeds

1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry

Method

Put sweet potato, grated carrot and grated parsnip into a pan.

Cover with boiling water and add stock pot and garlic.

Simmer for 20 minutes until soft.

Drain off any excess liquid.

Mash the vegetables and add seasonings.

Stir through chickpeas and nuts.

Place the pastry onto a baking sheet.

Score the edge about an inch from the edge.

Place filling onto the middle of the pastry.

Fold up edges and pinch corners together.

Sprinkle seeds on top.

Pop into hot oven GM 6 for about 25 minutes.

This was really delicious with a nice gravy and roast trimmings.  For Christmas I am going to add chopped chestnuts to the mix for a festive twist.  It's an experimental recipe, a work in process if you will, but this first attempt was really good!  It was good cold too.

I am now feeling very positive about making a yummy vegan Christmas dinner for the family!

Mushroom En Croute Recipe

We love a good pie!  It makes a perfect alternative to meat in a roast dinner when served with all the accompaniments.  It also goes perfectly with mash and peas and gravy, or even with chips and mushy peas!  I have a few pies in my repetoire, but this is one of the quickest and easiest ones that I make (especially if you have some previously cooked rice to use up).  It has evolved from a Rose Elliot Christmas recipe that I once made.

Mushroom En Croute

Ingredients

1 pack of puff pastry

1 lb mushrooms

2 small chopped onions

1 crushed garlic clove

 4 oz cooked rice

4 oz cream cheese (full fat works best)

1 teaspn chopped parsley

2 tspns lemon juice

black pepper

Method

Fry the onion until soft (using butter or oil).

Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes

Add the sliced mushrooms and gently cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from heat.

Add parsley, rice, lemon juice, pepper and cream cheese and stir through.

Roll out pastry and place filling in centre.

Bring up edges and seal using a little water.

Fold up ends.

Glaze with egg or milk.

Cook for about 25 minutes at GM6

My Vegetarian Celebration Pie Recipe

Leek, Artichoke, Mushroom and Chestnut Pie

Ingredients

1 can artichoke hearts chopped

4 leeks sliced

8 oz chestnut mushroom sliced

8oz cooked and peeled chestnuts chopped

oil/butter to fry

4oz cream cheese

1 slice wholemeal bread crumbed

teaspoon of thyme

ground pepper

tablespoon of milk blended with 1 teaspoon of marmite

ready rolled puff pastry sheet

Method

Heat oil and butter and fry leeks and mushrooms until soft and liquid is boiled away .

Add artichoke and chestnuts.  Cook through.

When softened, stir through cream cheese.

Add breadcrumbs and seasoning.

Put filling into centre of pastry sheet.

Fold over and seal edges.

Glaze with the milk/marmite mixture.

Bake at GM6 for approx. 30 minutes until golden brown.