Nature’s Meal Party Pies

Pastry Ingredients

  • 160g Pastry Flour
  • (PLUS 1-2 Tbsp. extra flour)
  • 70g butter (cut into small chunks and kept in freezer)
  • 80mls iced water
  • 10mls white vinegar
  • 1 egg whisked, for brushing (if desired)

Filling Ingredients

  • 50g Nature's Meal
  • 50ml boiling water
  • Combined well to form a mince consistency
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or minced
  • 1 small carrot, finely diced
  • 1 celery stick, finely diced
  • 1 green apple, peeled and quartered
  • 1/4 cup tomato passata
  • 1/4 cup red or white wine or veggie stock
  • Salt and pepper or Veggie salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp Mighty Might Gluten Free
  • 1 cup water to add gradually
  • A little olive oil for sautéing
  • A little melted butter for brushing pies

Methods for Pastry

  1. Measure flour and add to a good bowl. Add butter chunks one by one from freezer and rub into flour with fingertips until all butter is rubbed in. If you want a lighter and flakier pastry, leave some butter in smaller chunks.
  2. Add the iced water and vinegar to the mixture and mix in. If mixture is still wet, add 1 tbsp. of flour at a time until mixture comes together.
  3. Wrap pastry in Clingfilm (Gladwrap) and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Methods for Filling

  1. Sauté chopped vegetables in a little olive oil until cooked down
  2. Add Mighty Might
  3. Add Nature's Meal mix and keep sautéing all together
  4. Add passata, wine and half the water
  5. Season with salt and pepper
  6. Keep adding water as it cooks down. Add a little extra water if required
  7. Add quartered apple, so that this stews down in the water
  8. Cook down until apple is stewed, then mash all together with a potato masher

For assembling party pies

  1. Roll out pastry very thinly on some lightly floured bake sheet
  2. Cut out 4-5cm rounds and press into party pie tray
  3. Blind bake for 8mins using uncooked chickpeas or rice
  4. Remove from oven, remove chickpeas/rice carefully and top each shell with Nature's Meal mixture
  5. Cut smaller thin rounds, place on top of pies, pressing edges down with a fork and pressing a fork once into the top
  6. Brush with butter and bake for a further 10 minutes or until slightly golden on top
  7. No need to use corn flour, as Nature's Meal naturally thickens. The stewed apple makes a wonderful thickener and binder
  8. This is well worth the effort for these delicious party pies