Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Cheats lamb pasties

If you want to make quick, easy lamb pasties - this is the recipe for you!

What you will need:
  • 500g minced lamb (you can use beef, chicken, pork or even turkey if you like, but lamb just works with these)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2-3 small potatoes, peeled and diced quite small. Cook in the microwave for a few minutes until almost fully cooked, or boil them
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • mixed herbs
  • 810g tin crushed tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 puff pastry sheets (or shortcrust if you want)
  • Optional: other vegetables, such as corn, grated carrot or zucchini
Take pastry out of the freezer to thaw.
Heat oil in a large fry pan. Add mixed herbs, cook until they soften a little.
Add the onion, cook for a few minutes.
Add the mince lamb, no need to break it up too much, let it cook in largish chunks.
Add the tomatoes and potatoes (and any other vegetables), stir well, and cook for 10-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Take off the heat, and let it cool down a bit - if it is too hot, it can make the pastry melt. Or cook all the above steps a few hours before you need it.
You can either make 4 large pasties, or 16 small ones (chop each sheet of pastry in quarters for small ones. The small ones are easier for kids to manage)

Spoon the mixture into the middle of your pastry.


Fold up two corners of pastry to meet in the middle, as shown in the photo below.


Fold the other two corners up, and press all seams together. Prick with a fork a few times. Baste each one with milk or egg if you want the to pastry to really brown (I can never be bothered as I am usually in a hurry)


Cook in a moderate oven (180C) 40-ish minutes.


They are really hot straight out of the oven - I put the kids on their plates at least 10 minutes before dinner starts, with the pasties cut open to let out the heat.


Visit Emma for many more easy peasy dinner recipes.

If you like cooking with minced meats like me, Pip from Meet me at Mikes recently posted this amazing meatloaf recipe. I put all the ingredients in the food processor, and leave the coffee out of the sauce. This recipe has become a favourite around our house now, with both Chris and Abbey requesting it for dinner all the time - fine by me, as it is easy and yummy. Tastes great in sandwiches too, with a little home made tomato relish. Yum!

Happy cooking.

Cat.

2 comments:

  1. Yum! Looks like another winner! Thanks for joining in again Cat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do, I do! How cute are your little wraps, Cat. They look great. Bookmarking this recipe. x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments. I always try to reply back to you and/or check out your blog, but some days this is not possible. Nice to meet you. Cat