Spicy Vege Pie

This spicy vegetable pie is so utterly delicious and really very like samosas, only there's no deep frying. The pastry is simple and delicious, the filling can be made with leftovers, or designed with great care.
It's good to think ahead before making.
Firstly, pop 113 gms of butter (a stick in US terms & this amount was perfect, so 113 grams it is!) in to the freezer while you peel and cook 3 potatoes- Agria would be great.
So the filling:
Peel, dice and cook 3 Agria (or other mashing potatoes) until tender, pour off the water.
Mash.
In a smaller pot lightly cook some cauliflower- 1/12 cups is what we are after.
In a frypan or skillet fry a chopped red onion, a diced carrot and 1/2 a red pepper in a little olive oil.
Towards the end of cooking add 1 tsp cumin seeds and some crumbled curry leaves, a good grating of fresh ginger and fresh turmeric (dry will do too) if you have them.
Add a tsp of good salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Then add 1/2 cup of frozen peas and continue cooking until they are defrosted.
Combine the mashed potato and the pan full of flavours together, add a tbsp of olive oil and either a big squeeze of lemon juice or some Mango powder (found in Indian shops).
Lastly, snip in some fresh coriander.
That's the filling. Taste and see if you need to adjust the seasonings.

Now the pastry: in to a bowl measure out 1 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour.
Grate the frozen butter into the flour and mix it in as you go so that it doesn't get clumpy.
Mix a little with your hands until it all looks like rolled oats but don't over handle and don't fuss too much.
Add 1 tsp of salt, and 2 tsps of toasted cumin- just use the pan that you cooked all the onion etc in.
Cook for a round 2 minutes stirring as you go so that it doesn't over toast.
Add a pinch of sugar.
Make a well in the centre and add 1/4 c of milk and a 1/4 c of yoghurt.
Mix all together with a spoon until it comes together. Kneed a little but not too much.
Place in a small bowl & cover with bees wrap and put into the fridge for an hour, or overnight.
Once you're ready to put it all together.
Turn on the oven to 200 degrees C
Cut the pastry dough in half and roll out on to the bench or a board that is very lightly floured.
Make a rectangle (or any shape that takes your fancy including "handpies").
Spread the filling through the middle- making a hill as you go and leave a little space at the edges.
Roll out the other half and place on top.
Use a good heavy fork to seal around the edges.
Make some slits across the pastry with a knife.
This is so much fun to make "together" with someone you love.
Brush the top with a little melted butter (or beaten egg).
Bake for 10-15 minutes and use fan grill until it's all looking golden and smelling amazing- around another 15 minutes.
This is so delicious just as it is and brilliant served with Samosa chutney from an Indian shop.

The original recipe and inspiration came from this wonderful post here.

Katie X 

Handy Little Bacon & Egg Pies

These simple little pies are just delicious- why ever didn't I know about them before! The recipe I followed suggested to oil your tins very well...so I did! Don't want them getting stuck in there.
Muffin tins are ideal too.

I tried cooking the bacon rashers draped around the inside

of the tins, but they just slumped down. So I cooked 

the next lot in the oven for 10 minutes in another dish.

After that it's quite easy to arrange the bacon

around the inside. Before doing that, I cut several pieces
of flat bread (the super thin stuff) and lay them on the base,
then in goes the bacon. Over the flat bread add a couple
of pieces of camembert (or other cheese) if you like,
and then crack two eggs on the top.

And that's it!

Bake for 15- 20 minutes in a moderate oven.

Or until they're just how you want them to be.

This was my first attempt that I made for my dinner- the yolks were still soft as I was eating it hot.

They were just as delicious cold on our picnic at the Church Knoll out at Pouerere Beach.

We'll certainly be coming back to make these little gems again.

Brilliant for Rob to take to work on an afternoon shift.

Katie X

Yoghurt Cheesecake

This recipe for a yoghurt cheesecake was originally sourced from my time in Le Leche League back in Taranaki when the kids were little. This is just a basic outline- the photos are not overly inspiring but sometimes you just want to get on & make the thing. There'll be another time to do a better job of recording the process.

The base: is made by crunching up most of a packet of Krispie biscuits in the food processor with 1/2 cup of coconut. Add 100 grams of melted butter- or enough to bring the mixture together.

Press in to an oiled spring form tin with lightly wet hands.If it's still crumbly it needed more butter.

The middle layer is simply a kilo of Greek yogurt set with gelatine. You could use any commercial flavoured yoghurt if you prefer.

To set: in a small jug or pot soak 1 rounded dsp of powdered gelatine in a 1/3 c of cold water.

heat in the microwave for 30 secs, or gently heat in the pot on the stove.

Stir to dissolve.

Add a tbsp of honey (or to taste) and a dsp of vanilla essence- skip this if you've used a flavour like strawberry.

Cool. then add 1/2 cup of the yoghurt in to the gelatine mixture & stir well. Then pour that mixture in to the yoghurt & stir quickly to get the gelatine mixed right through with out going lumpy, as it sets quite quickly once it meets the cold yoghurt.

Pour over the base & pop in to the fridge to set.

You could leave it just like that, decorate with fruit or flowers to serve or serve with cream.

If you want to add a jelly layer then:

The jelly topping could be anything you like really, but this one made with half a  litre of water, a flat dsp of gelatine (soak the gelatine in a little water, heat to dissolve add in to the larger amount) sweetened with honey. add the juice of a lemon or orange & some elderflower syrup. You could also use just apple juice & sweeten it a bit, or berries or make it lemony- just use what you have & your imagination. Yum passionfruit would be brilliant!

Cool & then when the yoghurt layer has just set- very carefully pour the jelly over the top & return to the fridge. It'll take a couple of hours to set well. Best left all day or overnight before serving.

Katie X

Lightly Spiced Apple Mousse

This particular apple mousse was inspired by a foodie conversation with a friend last week. The old fashioned recipe called Apple Snow came to mind at the time of our chat and then I also recalled the Ballarat apples I had sitting at home waiting for a purpose. Apple Snow is a dessert made with cooked apples and beaten egg whites and it's a tad bland so I used the concept and then just made it more delicious. Ballarat's are brilliant cooking apples- they turn to mushed apple in no time at all- perfect for this mousse.

Any suitable cooking apple will do.

I began by peeling, coring & chopping two large apples, adding just a sprinkle of water, popping on the lid & simmering the apples for 10 minutes or so (watching to see that they don't catch on the bottom as they cook) until they have broken down & have become apple sauce.

Add a tbsp of honey.

Leave to cool.

In a small pot or glass jug soak a large tsp of powdered gelatine in a 1/4 of water for a few minutes.

Heat gently on the stove or for 20 seconds in the microwave. Stir to dissolve.

Add to the apple and stir.

Beat 2 large egg whites until very stiff and smooth and meringue-like.

Beat 125 mis of cream with a tbsp of honey and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon until soft peaks have formed.
Fold the apple, egg whites and cream together gently.

 Pour in to small cups, or bowls, or one large one.
Chill. The flavours improve over time. One of those recipes that's even better the next day.

 Caramelised walnuts go well with the apple and cinnamon flavours too.
Stir a little brown sugar, butter and some walnuts in a nonstick pan for around 5 minutes until fragrantly golden. Tip out on to baking paper and spread out to cool.

Katie X