Pocket Pasties

For centuries the good people of Cornwall (England) have been filling their famous pasties with almost any ingredients that you would care to think of. The traditional filling is, of course, beef and potato, usually with slices of onion and swede mixed in as well, but the humble pasty can also be found in a number of other guises.  The pasty originally evolved to meet the needs of tin mining.  A hearty meal wrapped in a pastry casing made for a very practical lunch down in the dark and damp tunnels of the mine.

In our home, the pasty maintains a very practical presence as another great dish for disguising leftovers in an appealing manner.  These pocket-sized versions are an invention of my own and are convenient to serve as appetizers, accompaniments to soups and stews, or as a lunchtime substitute for boring, old sandwiches.

Ingredients:
shortcrust pastry
2-3 root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, swede, turnip, etc.), peeled and diced
1 small onion
1 cup pre-cooked chicken, turkey or sausage meat (Vegetarian: sub chickpeas, cannelini beans or black beans)
1 tsp. chicken bouillon (sub veg bouillon for meatless option)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mixed herbs
dash pepper
1-2 Tbsp plain flour

There are two different "styles" for making pasties.  First, I will show you the traditional method:

Cut a large square shape from the pastry.  I use an upturned tupperware to get a consistent shape.  Spoon filling onto one corner of the pastry square, then fold over, press and seal.  I use a circular cutter to gain a consistent form.  This tool also has a button on top for sealing the pastry, but you can use your fingers if you don't have a similar tool.

Don't forget to cut slits in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to escape during baking.

The other "style":

Cut out pastry in desired shape.  Spoon filling onto one cut-out, then use another to layer on top.  Crimp pastry edges together to seal.  Don't forget to slit the top. 

Regardless of how you choose to assemble your pasties, be sure to gently brush the tops with egg white to ensure a lovely golden pastry case when baked.

Bake in a 400 F (200 C) oven for 20-25 minutes or till pastry is crisp and golden.

Left over shortcrust pastry?  Try a batch of pie crust cookies.

Corn Bake

This tasty side dish makes a great accompaniment to any traditional meal.  It's one of our favourites to eat at Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

10 oz. frozen sweetcorn kernels
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
dash pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

For topping: 1/3 cup cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. melted butter

 
 
 

Cook and stir onion and green pepper in the 2 Tbsp butter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stir in flour and seasonings.  Cook over low heat, stirring until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gradually stir in milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

 

 

 

Stir in corn and egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transfer to ungreased 1-quart casserole dish.

Combine cracker crumbs and 1 Tbsp. melted butter.

Sprinkle crumbs over corn mixture and bake uncovered at 350 F (180 C) for 30-35 minutes.

Chinese Fried Rice

My friend, Min (from Singapore), taught me how to cook good fried rice.  This is her recipe and she was kind enough to serve up some good advice along with it.  Remember:

The key to cooking good Chinese food is to have all your ingredients prepped ahead of time.

  This is also a great dish for using up bits and bobs of leftover roast meat and vegetables.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked Jasmine (or fragrant Thai) rice

1/2 cup each: frozen peas, sweet corn kernels, carrots

3 oz. pre-cooked ham, chicken, or turkey (diced) or

Vegetarian Option: diced extra-firm tofu or black beans

1 medium onion, chopped

2 spring onions, chopped

3 eggs, scrambled

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I like to sub safflower or canola oil - it's a bit healthier)

pinch of salt and pepper

First, prep all your ingredients and have them ready to go.

In wok, heat oil until slightly smoking.  Stir fry onion, meat (in this case I used leftover turkey), soy sauce and rice wine until onions are translucent (about 2-3 minutes).

Add rice and scrambled egg, then stir fry for 2 minutes.

Next, add salt, pepper, and vegetables.  Stir fry 2 minutes more.

Finally, add spring onions.  Stir fry another minute then transfer to serving dish.

Occasionally, I like to add some toasted cashews (if I've got them lying around) for a little variety.  Add the cashews (if you desire) in the last step of the cooking along with the spring onions.

You can easily transform this dish into a vegetarian meal by substituting diced extra-firm tofu or black beans in lieu of the meat.

Oriental Cabbage Slaw

This recipe is one of many that I inherited from my mother. It's a classy salad with great flavour and is extremely versatile. Serve it as an entree by adding 2 cups diced cooked chicken, or skip the chicken and throw it alongside your favorite soup, casserole, or main dish. Makes a great offering for potluck suppers too.Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups diced cooked chicken (optional)

1 package chicken-flavored Ramen noodles

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 flavoring packet from Ramen noodles

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Place chicken (if using) and cabbage in mixing bowl.

Break up noodles and place in colander. Pour boiling water over to soften slightly.

Add noodles, green onions and sesame seeds to cabbage.


Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, salt and contents of flavoring packet.

Pour oil/vinegar mixture over cabbage. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Just before serving, stir in slivered almonds. Serves 6-8.

Three Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

I've made this dish for many years now using a variation of my favorite lasagna recipe. Serve it up with a tossed green salad and a thick loaf of crusty Italian bread for a full meal.

Ingredients:

1 package manicotti pasta tubes (or large pasta shells)

1 egg

1 large carton cottage cheese

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs or oregano

The key to cooking good pasta is to use plenty of boiling water and salt. Be generous with the salt. A good rule of thumb is to use enough salt to cover the palm of your hand.

Be careful not to over-cook the pasta. It should be soft, but not soggy. Remove cooked manicotti and let rest in packaging until cool.

For filling: In medium-sized mixing bowl, beat egg, then add cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, parsley and herbs. Mix well.

I had some fresh mushrooms that needed to be used up, so I sauteed them in a little olive oil and added them into the filling mixture. This is a great dish to improvise with. Try adding chopped bell peppers, courgettes (zucchini squash), aubergines (eggplant), or even some diced chicken.

Prepare your baking dish by spreading half a jar of spaghetti sauce along the bottom.

Using a long-handled dessert spooon, stuff filling into each manicotti tube. Then, place in baking dish on top of sauce.

Pour remaining spaghetti sauce on top of manicotti and sprinkle with the remaning mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 400 F (200 C) and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden-brown and bubbly.