vegan Shepherds Pie with Wild Garlic Mash

April showers continue... 

I made this Shepherds Pie last week with the wild garlic that came in the vegetable box I was trialling last month.  I haven't had the opportunity to go out foraging yet, but I know I will soon when the weather is a little more kinder.  I am just not prepared to go out and get a wet at the moment, even for free food - I find myself pretty drenched with rain when waiting at bus stops with no shelter. 

Anyway, this is one of my go to vegan Shepherds Pie recipe made with textured vegetable protein.  However, I did make some minor changes, such as the choice of vegetables.  This time there are chunks of swede and carrots, and of course the mashed potato topping which was enhanced with wild garlic.  Its one of the things I like about this recipe as you can vary it with different vegetables. 

The recipe serves 6 to 8 people generously.  It was lovely.  My only regret is not showing it to you when it was baked with the lovely golden topping and moreso, it came out compact out of the baking dish, no mush!  

Cheesy Kale, Butternut Squash and Potato Pot Pie

Every weekend the past couple of months have been rain heavy that we have stayed indoors.  This weekend was not different, it poured and with me, still not feeling 100% in good health, I was happy to stay within the warmth of my four walls called home.  Only thing, we were very low on fresh vegetables and the every day question 'what's for dinner?!' lingered on my mind for a moment, but it was for only moment as we were saved the hassle of going out to shop for some vegetables.

I had a butternut squash in my vegetable basket for a couple of months, we always have the odd potato or two lying around, but that was not going to be enough to magic up a hearty meal.  I wondered if the winter greens in the garden were still edible and then actually went out to investigate.  The Tuscan black kale has gone to seed, but the curly kale still seemed to be thriving, so I plucked a good handful of leaves and ran back indoors to make dinner. This is what I made: Curly Kale, Butternut Squash and Potato Pot Pie.

The Cheesy Curly Kale, Butternut Squash and Potato Pot Pie was delightful to eat and very comforting. Sweetness from the butternut squash, a slight bitterness from the kale and neutrality from the plain potatoes.  I don't usually put cheese in my pot pies, they are very often vegan, but I wanted to ring the changes. This was super rich and very flavourful.

Part of me wished I had shared this recipe yesterday, when people worldwide were celebrating St Patrick's Day, I mean look at the colours in that pot just scream Irish flag.

Instead I am sharing this with Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Happy Acres Blog, as this overwintered curly kale came from my garden allotment plot.  I also have some rainbow chard, so hopefully I will be able to join in again next week.

I am also sharing it with Eat Your Greens food challenge that I co-host with The Veg Hog.  Please do join in if you can, there still plenty of time. 

Vegetarian Greek Cypriot Shepherds Pie with Feta Cheese Mint Mash

A photograph taken in poor lighting on a dark evening.

This is a generous serving of homemade vegetarian Greek Cypriot Shepherds Pie with Feta Cheese. 

I have mentioned my Greek flat mates at University and my holidays in Cyprus, this is me just harping back to those days and yearning for the warm climate, especially on a day like today when it has been raining all day.  In fact it has been raining non stop for the past 5 days.  

I am not the best potato masher and D was not around to help, so I my did my best with my weakling muscles.  There were still lumps in the potato topping, but thankfully I don't mind lumps and nor does D. The mint in the mashed potato topping was just right, the black olives offered piquancy . This Greek Cypriot Shepherds Pie made for a change from the traditional Vegetarian Shepherds Pie that I so often make at home. 

I am sharing this with CookBlogShare hosted by Hijacked by Twins. ; and Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching For Spice. 

I've also made a Prasopita, a Greek Leek Pie, adapted from the Greek Gourmand, but I am holding that back for St David's Day. Instead, here is a link to some other Greek and/or Cypriot inspired recipes on A2K  - A Seasonal Veg Table
Spanakopita
Tomato and Feta Cheese Baklava
Vegan Spanakopita Pies
Vegetarian Pastitcio

Vegetarian Sarson Ka Saag, Potato, Paneer and Pea Pie

I made this Sarson Ka Saag, Potato, Paneer and Pea Pie filling during British Pie Week (7th - 13th March 2016)  and then lost Internet connection for five days so could not share the recipe with you then.  

I don't want to be pedantic, but many people make a mistake of thinking Spinach is Saag.  It is not and sadly many people of South Asian heritage continue to perpetuate this.  Why I am not sure, perhaps because they don't know their greens!  So let me tell you, Saag is mustard greens and Palak is Spinach.  See THIS blog link if you wish to learn more. 

Saag is a dish I used to resent eating when I was a child, all green and mushy.  Now there are days when I hanker for the siliky green thick sauce.  My way of cooking Sarsan Ka Saag is in no way authentic, as the authentic way is time consuming, so I rely on tinned Sarsan Ka Saag.  This recipe is my lazy version made with tinned Sarsan Ka Saag but the memories of eating it are rooted in my childhood days and evoke happy and carefree times.

Although you could eat this filling as a curry with rice or an Indian style bread.  The filling is actually extremely versatile as its not sloppy. 

So here are some suggestions: Make a Indo-Greek Spanakopita with filo pastry; Indian Samosas or individual small hand pies (see below).  Or wrap it in a Pakistani roti. Punjabi chappati or Mexican tortilla or slather it over an Indian naan bread and call it a pizza!   Or you could simply make one large pie and top it with puff pastry or make individual Pot Pies!  

I have to admit that I was partly inspired by the rather pretty Rejina Sabur-Cross aka The Gastro Geek  for this recipe.   A couple of years back she made Aloo Saag Pies.  We have similar ingredients, but our approach to making the filling is different.  She uses tamarind.  I don't but if you want you could dollop a tablespoon or two of sweet mango chutney, but its not essential. 

I used tinned Sarson Ka Saag.  there is no way I will ever attempt making saag from scratch at home.  See here why?! I either wait for my mother or sister-in-laws to make some and offer me some, or buy it in tins and then I adapt it to my taste.  I  won't begrudge you if you used tinned spinach - just call it Palak.... please.  I am sharing this with Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice; and Inheritance Recipes challenge co hosted by Solange at Pebble Soup and Coffee and Vanilla.  

Vegan Welsh Cottage Pie with Laverbread Mash

You will find many variations of vegetarian and vegan Shepherds Pie here, but I've never featured a Cottage Pie on my blog, not sure why as I have made them many times - perhaps its because it doesn't really look that pretty to photograph.

So what is the difference between a Shepherds Pie and a Cottage Pie.  Traditionally a Shepherd Pie made with minced lamb and Cottage Pie with chunks of beef, but for vegetarians and vegans this is often substituted with minced mushrooms or a mock meat substitute. 

Here is my version of a vegetarian Cottage Pie made with the addition of Welsh leeks which give it a little sweetness and topped with seaweed - Welsh Laverbread mash.  I was prompted to make a Welsh version of Cottage pie when I saw a Scottish twist on a Cottage Pie. 

I am sure you will find a Irish version and with respect, we all know there is no shortage of English variations of the humble Cottage Pie.

A Vegan - Vegetarian Christmas Centrepiece Hand Raised Pie

I've been a long time fan of Cranks - The cookbooks an I am a member of the Vegetarian Society, so you can imagine my delight when I learned that Cranks have officially been Approved by the Vegetarian Society, a UK brand as longstanding and veggie obsessed as Cranks are and to celebrate this new partnership, as well as raise awareness of vegetarianism and veganism this season, I thought I would create an old fashioned Vegetarian Hand Raised (moulded by hand) Pie made with hot water crust pastry.

There have been some negativity around vegetarian classics like nut roasts, and traditional vegetarian fare in favour of fancy named grains, pretentious jazzed up salads dressed up with exotic sauces and festive green shake smoothies topped with cranberries.  I note this snobbish attitude often comes from those that are neither vegetarian or vegan, but lifestyle foodies who jump on the bandwagon of the next foodie gimmick or fashionable grain.  Please don't get me wrong I do love the versatility of vegetables and admire the creativity of cooks and chefs alike, but I don't like pretense or pretentious food.  I want proper hearty food full of flavour and textures on my festive plate not just a scattering of this, that and the other.  

You don't have to be a vegetarian or vegan, maybe you just want to reduce your meat intake. Take a gander at the Cranks Kitchen for some inspiration. But here is my festive offering for the season...not a mushroom nut roast though...  sorry to disappoint.  A homemade Vegetarian Christmas Raised Pie is also a Vegan Christmas Pie filled with vegetable goodness.  

Bring on the Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, roast potatoes and good veggie gravy.  If you still want to serve it with a slice of mock turkey, that's fine - but no need for the side of vegetables as this pie is filled to the brim with carrots, parsnips, sprouts and chestnuts. Jewelled coloured fruit - a mixture of fresh and dried cranberries and apricots.   If you don't like dried fruit, then feel free to omit them.  This centrepiece pie is best made a day in advance which makes it easy to remove from the tin.  It can be eaten at room temperature, or feel free to reheat it in the oven to maintain its crisp pastry. 

Romanesco Cauliflower, Feta in a Black Sesame Seed Galette

I do love the vibrant green spiral coiled vegetable known as Romanesco Cauliflower.  I look forward to having it at least once a year, but when I do the question that often arises is 'What to do with it?' - without damaging its beautiful pointy cone shaped heads always baffles me in the culinary sense.

First I decided to simply blanch the the florets, ready to be tossed into a salad of some sort, but once I had drained the florets and set them aside to cool and dry off,  I found myself changing my mind.  Instead I went ahead and made another galette, throwing in some black sesame seeds, not just into the galette pastry, but also the topping to contrast with the white studs of feta cheese cubes.

Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean Pie

Early in the week we had every weather hit us thanks to Hurricane Bertha.  The sun shine, the rain fall, the thunder storms, the lightning, hailstones and then the blustery winds.  We woke up in the morning, only to look out of the bedroom window and  find the one vegetable doing brilliantly in the garden getting a good bashing from the weather.  One of our climbing bean frames was on its side.  We managed to get it back upright, but its not the same as the structure is now weakened.   Never mind. We harvested a load of runner beans,  I will probably freeze a load of them, but I want to make the most of them while fresh, so any recipe suggestions would be most welcome.  

I remembered making a Ceylonese Spiced Runner Beans recipe a few years back and thought why not incorporate some runner beans into a large pie.   I also had some Chilli Coconut Sambal that I decided to stir into the filling. The result this rather large Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean pie.  It is based on my Green Pasta Loaf. It has texture and bite from the runner beans and flavour from the Chilli Coconut Sambal.  There was heat from the chilli and sweetness from the coconut.  Its certainly different for a pie filling. 

This recipe is best made a day in advance, as it will cool down and making slicing a bit more effortless. Its fabulous for a picnic or as an accompaniment for a vegetarian friendly BBQ, with this in mind I have decided to share this Sri Lankan Chilli Coconut Runner Bean Pie with Vanesther at Bangers and Mash for this months The Spice Trail.  The Theme is Beach BBQ and the spice here is chill!. Also as Phaseolos coccineus are a scientific name for runner beans and I am going to use this as a good reason to share this pie with Caroline Makes and The More Than Occasional Baker for this months edition of AlphaBakes where the chosen letter is P.  Runner beans in some parts of the world are also known as Pole Beans too.  Finally, I am also sharing them with Karen at Lavender and Lovage for Tea Time Treats Picnic challenge also hosted with Janie at The Hedgecombers.

Bloody Massacre Beetroot Man Pies

Promise this will be my last beetroot recipe for the month.  Ha ha, of course it will - it is the end of the month.  

Anyway, please please just humour me with the name of this recipe.  After all, 'tis the Halloween season of spooks, chills and thrills.  Our evening TV is heavily being overtaken by horror and slasher movies and gore.  So I thought, I would incorporate a little of it into my vegetarian home cooking.  

Sunny Caribbean Vegetable Patty Pies

Along with the vegan Garlic Mushroom and Parsley Pies these Sunny Caribbean Vegetable Patty Pies were second to sold out when I held my first food and crafts fayre a few months ago.  I have not seen these on market stalls in Wales yet, but I know it won't be long to appear.  So watch this space.

 

I really like the sunshine yellow glow of the pastry, its calling out for summer and the filling is not that bad either.

These particular Sunny Caribbean Vegetable Patty Pies are made with vegetables, but I have also made them with soy mince otherwise known as textured vegetable protein so that it mimics minced meat. 

I am sharing one of these vegan Sunny Caribbean Vegetable Patty Pies with My Legume Love Affair 60 as it contains kidney beans.  MLLA as it is known to its fans, is a popular, legume-centred event was created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, and is now run by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen. This June it is being hosted by One Hot Stove. It is the 60th edition  - the diamond anniversary!

 

Vegan Caribbean Vegetable Patty Pies
Makes 6 - 8
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1medium onion, peeled and finely sliced
200g carrots, peeled and diced
250g sweet potatoes or butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
3 peppers, red, green and yellow, deseeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
200g can sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
400g cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder for pastry dough
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Heat oil and then add in sliced onions and saute until translucent.  Then add in the diced carrots and sweet potatoes or butternut squash if using.  Cook on moderate heat, stirring constantly until beginning to appear translucent, stir in the peppers and thyme leave and continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the sweetcorn and kidney beans and salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.  Cover and cook for a few minutes for the flavours to blend. Turn off heat and allow to cool. 
Now make the pastry
You have three choices for the pastry.
For ease, you can use shop bought puff pastry or shortcrust pastry – in which case pour the filling into a casserole and top with the pastry and cook according to packet instructions.
Or you can make your own shortcrust pastry.
For all these recipes please add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder to the pastry just before kneading.
You can make you own hot water crust pastry. Follow here for the recipe. For individual pies, see here.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.
Fill the pastry and top with lid.
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of your shortcrust or hot water crust pastry pie(s). Allow to cool, before serving.

Vegan Garlic Mushroom Parsley Pies

I've created lots of individual hand-made pies over the past year with unusual pie fillings such as these  Paprika Mushroom and Potato Pies , Soy Mince 'Keema' Pies,  so much so that some people jokingly call me 'Veggie Pie' or 'Vegan Pie Girl' in my little corner of Wales.   There are also a couple of vegetarian ones such as my Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pies aka the Welsh Pie; and Butternut Squash, Chickpea and Feta Pie.

I've mentioned the Garlic and Mushroom Pies in a past blog post, but noted recently that I had not yet shared a recipe or blogged about it in much detail.  My Garlic Mushroom Pies were the first pies to sell out at the cafeteria.  It was also the first pies to sell out at the couple of food and crafts Fayre's I've attended.  I've learned recently because of my absence at a vegan food fayre this month, one of the other vegan stalls has decided to recreate a version of my vegan Garlic Mushroom Pies - I guess I should see it only as a compliment; not just that a fairly newish vegetarian cafe in South Wales has also started making tarts with garlic mushroom filling - I guess I'm a trend setter.

I think its quite funny how I came to create these Garlic Mushroom Pies and its something I'd like to share with those of you still reading my blog (Thank you). I would have people coming into the cafeteria, sitting down and without even looking at the daily chalked boards: ordering Jacket potato topped with buttery garlic mushrooms. My staff would look at them and think when was it the last time you were here?! Certainly not a loyal customer as the previous owners sold the cafeteria to my landlords three - four years ago. It hasn't been on the menu for yonkie years.

I don't mean to sound snobbish, but I am a serious vegetarian cook and jacket potato for me is homely food that anyone can make.  Its also a easy peasy back up for those mainstream eateries that don't have many suitable options for vegetarians and vegans.  Well you won't find jacket potatoes topped with salads on the menu here. I also don't understand some people, they don't come by an independent family run eatery for months, then come back a few years later expecting the same grub on the menu.  This is not a high street food chain.  

Anyway, enough of the rant.  It got me thinking, instead of turning away these potential customers (albiet they may not be back again in another three - four years) what could I do to encourage them to stay and try something new and different.  Well I thought I'd merge garlic mushroom and potatoes in a pastry casing.  The response from my regular loyal customers of all diets has been fantastic.  It also shows how much people have becomes adventurous, I remember a time when people used to turn their noses up at garlic, accuse people of having garlic breath and blurt out their stereotypes of the French. The opportunity to travel abroad has definitely opened up some peoples eyes and palettes to different worldwide cuisines and versatility of ingredients such as the garlic that is the star of this pie.

Whenever these pies are featured, they do really sell out and unlike the original Jacket Potato with garlic Mushroom which were drenched in butter, l these are suitable for vegans and those who avoid dairy. They are so popular and are on the menu every two weeks. Usually at the start of the week when I have loads of mushrooms left over from Saturday Vegetarian Breakfast.  

If too much garlic worries you. You can tame it a little by adding in a couple of cooked and diced potatoes to the mix, this would also sup up some of the juices and stop the pie from getting a soggy bottom. The trick really is to make the pastry bottom a little thicker than the lid.

For those of you interested, this week I also made Wild Garlic Mushroom Pies.  I will share that recipe later this month.  They were just as popular as these.   I am sharing these Garlic Mushroom pies with Javelin Warrior's for his Made with Love Mondays as they fit in nicely with this weeks optional theme of fresh mushrooms.
Garlic Mushroom Parsley Pies
Makes 6 - 8pies
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bulb of garlic, peeled and crushed
400g - 600g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned, halved or quartered if large
1 teaspoon dried parsley or I tablespoon freshly minced parsley
Optional: 200g peeled, cubed and cooked potatoes 
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the mushrooms. Keep the heat high and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened.
Stir in the parsley optional potatoes and seasoning to taste.  Stir to combine well, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Now make the pastryYou have three choices for the pastry.
For ease, you can use shop bought puff pastry or shortcrust pastry – in which case pour the filling into a casserole and top with the pastry and cook according to packet instructions.
Or you can make your own shortcrust pastry. For recipe follow here.
Or You can make you own hot water crust pastry. Follow here for the recipe. For individual pies, see here.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.
Fill the pastry and top with lid.
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of your shortcrust or hot water crust pastry pie(s). Allow to cool, before serving.

Vegan Winter Vegetable Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Snow, chill, ice and rain please go away and let the sunshine radiate its warmth and heat, and that is coming from a person who is not so keen on hot weather.  I just want to stop wearing layers of clothing and worrying about the electricity bill warming up a place that is never going to warm up. 

One thing that will warm us all up is this Winter Vegetable Pot Pie.  All the vegetables are available right now, even the peas direct from your freezer.  The thick gravy sauce in this Winter vegetable pot is what makes the dish rich and rib sticking.  If you want more vegetables on your plate, serve this with sauteed green and mash potatoes for comfort. 

A number of people who have tried these have asserted their pleasing with a smile and one simple comment: Delicious!   And the meat eaters utter in surprise - I can't believe its vegan, its so flavourful.  I've also made this Vegetable pot Pie with butternut squash, red pepper and slender green beans. 

A word about the puff pastry topping - I have to admit, not out of laziness, although that is how it may be perceived by some, but the truth is I hate waste even with scraps of left over pastry.  I made square - almost rectangular puff pastry tops, which puffed up like pillow case.  I guess I could use the scraps of pastry to make shaped on top of the puff pastry, but sometimes I do not have the patience.  Anyway, aesthetically round ones are much better. 

Vegan Vegetable Pot Pie topped with Puff Pastry
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
I large onion, minced
chestnut mushrooms, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and black pepper
Plain flour
vegetable stock
Handful of frozen peas
Packet of ready rolled puff pastry, cut out into  6 circles to fit your pie dish.
Method
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until transluscent, then stir in the celery,  carrots, thyme,  salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften about 10 - 15 minutes. Then stir in the mushroom and saute.  Add the flour and cook, stirring to prevent it from sticking for 30 seconds or so. Pour in the vegetable stock and peas, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minuted.  Turn off heat and transfer the vegetable mixture into ovenproof dishes or an 8-10 inch square baking dish. Lay the pastry circles on top. Bake until the puff pastry is puffed and golden - about 25 to 30 minutes.Bookmarked and adapted Mushroom Pot Pie recipe from Real Simple: Life Made Easier website.  

Butternut Squash and Feta Tartlets

Thank you so much to every one who took the time to leave a comment on my previous post and for your warm thoughts and congratulations on my New Covent Garden Soup recipe being sold U.k wide.  Every comment was truly appreciated. 

I recently read on my lovely blogger friends blog - Poppycock and other creative nonsense that October is orange - so true, the pumpkins and toffee apples are beginning to appear and peoples outfits are changing from the light stuff to the cosy hats, gloves and scarves.  Yes everyone wants to be warm on the outside and inside.

I like autumn.  Its my favourite season, when I lived in Glasgow I would often enjoy strolling through the Botanical Garden kicking the dry golden leaves up high with my boots and feeding the gutsy squirrels with peanuts. 

It is for this reason I decided to garnish some of my Butternut Squash and Feta tartlets with little squirrel pastry shapes.  

These individual tartlets are both sweet and savoury. Sweetness from the butternut squash and savoury from the feta cheese.  To some of the tartlets I also added some cooked black turtle beans for texture.  I liked it, but it is optional.  These tartlets are a variation of my Butternut Squash and Feta Pastry. See here.

Well after a bit of a sleep in, I am off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday which means doing some laundry and housework.  Hope to do some catch up on blog reading later tonight and respond to questions on my previous post.  Enjoy your Sunday.  I am also sending this tart to Ren's Simple and in Season event, that is being hosted by Kate of Feeding Boys and a Firefighter. 

Paprika Mushroom and Potato Pies

Well, it was rather quite at the cafeteria today, hence the reason I have found a little time to play catch up and blog. 

On the daily specials menu today, we had a Thai Green Curry and these individual Paprika Mushroom and Potato Pies that were served with sauteed cabbage and garden peas.  Individual home-made pies sell very well at my little cafeteria, the two runaway successes are my Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pies and Garlic, Mushroom and Parsley Pies.  I've also started making Macaroni Cheese Pies too, a vegan variation too. 

Back to these pies though.  I know I should have sliced into this pie to show you what it looked like on the inside, but this one was not destined for my belly, but for D's working day lunch.  I suppose you can describe this pie a little like a mushroom goulash.  These are very rich, creamy and quite filling would you believe.  And good to eat, warm or cold.

Paprika Mushroom and Potato Pie filling
Makes 6 - 8pies
Ingredients
400g potatoes, peeled and cubed
400g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 celery stalks, finely sliced
40g plain flour
2 teaspoons sweet paprika or standard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cayenne
400ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain and set aside
Heat the oil in a wide pan, add the onion and celery and fry gently until the onion is soft and lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms mixture, stir until well incorporated, then add the paprika, thyme and cayenne. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the stock. Return to the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat.  Stir in the potatoes.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Casnewydds Best Dish

A few good months ago, I entered a local cooking competition in South Wales - Newport's Best Dish based on the cookery show Britain's Best Dish.   Newport (known in welsh as Casnewydd)  Best Dish is in its second year.  I am not one for competitions and especially not those where I am placed in the limelight.  So my reasoning for entering was two-fold. One to experience what it was like to cook under pressure, and to a strict deadline; and two, to use the competition as means to promote the cafeteria when it officially opened early this month.   But the fact is there has hardly been any promotion of the competition and its outcome by the organisers or the local council on its web pages of the winner or the runners up.  To add to this very little if any  interest has been shown by the local media of the competition. Never mind.

Anyway, the dish I decided to enter was deliberately chosen to highlight my Welsh heritage and my return to home - Wales - my Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie.    My dish came runner up, third in fact - not bad for a vegetarian dish I think. 

I also entered this pie into lovethegarden in March where the theme was to cook with leeks.  The competition was judged by Kerstin Rodgers also known as Ms Marmite from The Secret Garden Club. I was fortunate to come runner up and win my very own copy of her cookbook: Supper Club - see here.  

Since opening the cafe these individual pies have been made every week.  They have been popular with customers - to eat in warm or take out.  The recipe can be found here.  I do sometimes glaze these Caerphilly Cheese, Leek and Potato Pie with egg wash.  

Cauliflower Steak and Stilton Pie

I know purists will be throwing their arms in the air in disbelief, but hey if celebrity chefs can mess with traditional recipes, so can home cooks, even those who love their veggies. 

'Steak and Stilton Pie' is a meat pie.  It can be found at many Blighty pubs who often offer it on their menu for evening suppers.  It is often enjoyed with a pint of beer or a dark ale.  Vegetarians have gone a step further, replacing the beef steak with mushrooms.  Why not - mushrooms are the natural meat of the vegetarian world.  Its makes a fine vegetarian supper indeed.  This afternoon though, I decided to take the vegetarian 'Mushroom Steak and Stilton Pie' another step forward, and make it with cauliflower steaks.  A cauliflower steaks is simply a large cauliflower cut into thick slices, and cooked either in the oven; or a wide frying pan with little olive oil until cooked through and golden on both sides.  You can also do this with Romenesco, yellow and purple cauliflower if your blessed to find them.

I was introduced to Cauliflower Steaks about 3-4 years ago.  It was then seen as a hearty vegan alternative to pan-fried meat.  As you can see, its quite simple to make if you want to try.  I''d encourage even those of you who like your meat to try it, you can still enjoy this it as a side veg. 

Anyway, the idea for this 'Cauliflower Steak and Stilton Pie' came to me yesterday after catching up with some of my blog reads.  I was going to make a Cauliflower Soup with the second cauliflower that D picked up - actually it was going to be a twist on 'Broccoli and Stilton Soup', but then I changed my mind and decided to encase it in a shortcrust pastry.  The result – good, very good - an excellent verdict from a person whose not that keen on cauliflower.

Raw Shortcrust Pastry

You will have to forgive me for not showing you the Cauliflower Steak and Stilton filling.  Lighting is so bad in the evenings, that even the shortcrust pastry pictures here are not that great.  A shame really, as its made by my cold hands.  I even played with my letter cookie cutter set with the remaining pastry trimmings.  I think the last time I got to use the cookie cutter set was when I made a Cabbage Pie.   I do hope you get the idea of what the filling is like: cauliflower dyed tomato red and funked up with stinky blue cheese.  If you wish you can make this in advance and assemble it when you want to eat it. Then it can be served right from the oven to the table, hot with a golden crust - just like they do in the pubs! 

I've made one large pie here, but if you have individual pie dishes, then you can definitely make four of these. This will be our evening meal tomorrow too.

Shortcrust Pastry Cooked

Cauliflower Steaks and Stilton Pie
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the pastry
225g plain flour
100g butter
1 egg
About 2 – 3 tablespoons milk to bind
1 egg, beaten for coating
Method
In a large bowl combine the flour and butter until resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the egg and enough milk to bind.  Knead to form a dough.  Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

For the Cauliflower Steaks and Stilton Filling
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large cauliflower.  To mimic steaks: slice the cauliflower from top to bottom into about 4 thick slices, then slice again once through the core, so that they are quartered.
OR simply chop the cauliflower into bite-size florets, (please use the core too – it is very good).
1 tablespoon tomato puree
300ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
200g Stilton cheese, crumbled
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft, then sir int the florets, tomato pure and stock.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce has thickened.  Season to taste.
Pour the filling mixture into a pie dish, then scatter over the cheese evenly. 
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.  Roll out the pastry to cover the pie dish..  Trim the edges and cut a hole in the middle.  Brush all over with the beaten egg.  Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden.  Serve with mashed potatoes and green peas.

Welsh Laver Bread Pies

I was watching a repeat episode of Rick Steins 'Food Heroes' on T.V and he was somewhere in Wales, U.K.  I think it was in Carmathenshire.  I’m not 100% certain.  Anyway, he was in a pub and tucking into a  'Meaty Steak and Laverbread Pie'.   

As a Welsh girl with a voracious appetite for vegetable based cuisine, it occurred to me why not create a vegetarian variation of this seaweed pie.  Well why not? and without intending to sound to boastful I have been quite successful in creating a Welsh Laver Bread Veggie Burger ; Laverbread Oat Biscuits at home, as well as Welsh Glamorgan Pakora Bites based on Glamorgan sausages; and Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Pakoras.   So the kitchen culinary experiments began at the weekend. This was also a good opportunity for me use up one of the laver bread tins my nephew brought me up, still in date (2014).   For those of you unfamiliar with Welsh Laver Bread, please follow this link - but in a nutshell its cooked seaweed - a vegetable of the sea!

I have to say I was real chuffed with the result.  Not only did I decide to include seaweed in the pie filling, I also decided to incorporate some in the hot water pastry.

When you slice into it with your knife, the smell of the laver bread hits you first as it is quite strong, but the flavour not so strong.  In fact, you will fidn yourself saying, 'where is the 'fishy' laver bread?!  Believe me it in there, its flavour enhancing both the meaty texture of the mushrooms and pebble dash Puy lentils.

I appreciate that not everyone will be able to find/access Welsh Laver bread after all it is a specialist ingredient, so you will be pleased to note that this recipe can also be made without it if you so wish.  I am sharing some of these Seaweed Pies with Just Another Meatless Monday#79 hostd by Hey What's for Dinner Mom?; and Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays #51 hosted by Midnight Maniac.

Welsh Laverbread, Mushroom and Puy Lenti Pie
Makes 1 large pie or 8 – 10 individual pies
Ingredients for the filling
300g Portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon plain flour
175ml vegetable stock
100g Puy lentils, cooked
120 - 150g laver bread
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Wipe clean the mushrooms. Slice or quarter each mushroom. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until soft and translucent, but not brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute before adding in the mushrooms. Keep the heat high and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened.
Gradually add the flour and stir until evenly combined.
Add the vegetable stock and stir, over high heat until the sauce thickens, before stirring in the puy lentils and laverbread. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature

Hot Water Pastry
Makes 8 - 10 individual pies or  one large 7 - 8 inch round cake tin
Ingredients
Optional: 1 teaspoon of rehydrated hijiki  seaweed
325g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
100g vegetable fat - I use Trex
175ml water
Olive oil for glazing
Method
For the hot water pastry, mix together the dry ingredients.
Melt the fat in the water and heat until about to boil.
Add the liquid to the flour, along with the rehydrated hijiki and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed.
Now you have to work very quickly with your hands, as the dough will get cold and be tough to work with.
With your fingers mould a ball of pastry into the shape of the individual muffin holes leaving a bit of the pasty overlapping over, but not too much.
Then fill with the cooled filling, press in well.
Roll out the remaining dough, and using a cookie cutter about the size of the muffin hole, cut out required number of lids.
Place over the pastry filling tops, push over the overlapped pastry and gently fork so seal the casing. Brush with  oil and make a small steam hole in each pie.
Bake in preheated oven Gas mark 6 for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.