Spring Vegetable, Goats Cheese and White Bean Pie: Meat Free Monday

I wanted to make a special dinner for me and Scott which we could both enjoy and would feel like a treat. We’ve been really healthy recently getting ready for the summer so we definitely deserved it! I’ve been wanting to use filo pastry again for a while because there are so many different things to do with it and out of all the pastry options it is the lesser guilty option. I decided to buy a flan dish to make a big pie rather than make mini ones again (I got mine from Sainsburys for only 2.66!)

I have been really inspired recently by beans and grains and have been using them alot more in my cooking which has been really interesting and also seems to be more healthy. I’ve felt less sluggish from refined carbs and have dropped a few pounds even though I’m eating the same amount! For this pie I have made it more substantial by adding a bean and garden pea puree underneath all of the vegetables. As you can see from the photos below I first put a layer of bean and pea puree, then cooked spring vegetables and lastly some goats cheese.

I used goats cheese because it has a lower lactose level than cheese from cows milk. If you are vegan I am sure this pie would taste just as nice without any need for the cheese.I was very impressed that Scott liked it as much as he did because I really wasn’t sure it would go down well as a vegetarian date night dinner however I received lots of compliments and enthusiasm so there we have it, A husband approved vegetarian pie (Also the pie was substantial enough to serve on it’s own so there was only one dish, a chopping board, cutlery and 2 plates to wash up) Perfect!

So here is the recipe (serves 4 – we had left overs the next day and it tasted just as nice!)

For the bean and pea puree:
1 can Cannellini beans (235g drained)
90-100g Frozen peas (defrosted, cooked and cooled)
1 Lemon – Juice only
10 Mint Leaves
3 Spring Onions
1 Large Garlic Clove

Blend all of the ingredients together to make a smooth puree and season to taste. Put to one side.

For the Pie:
130g (1 cup) Shelled Broad Beans
10-12 Asparagus Spears
1 Leek
1 Onion
Bunch Mint
1 tspn Dried or Fresh Dill
100g Goats Cheese
4-5 Filo Pastry sheets

Pre heat the oven to 190c. In a sauce pan saute the leeks, onion, dill and mint in a little olive oil untill softened.

Boil or steam the asparagus and broad beans for around 5-6 minutes untill softened. Drain well.

Lightly grease your flan dish and then layer the filo pastry sheets over each other, lightly brush or spray each layer with a little oil to help stick together. I had to cut the edges off some of my sheets as they were too long, I used the edges I had sliced off by laying them in the dish to create a thick bottom layer.

Scoop the bean and pea puree into the filo pastry pie and smooth it down into a nice even layer. Add the sauteed leeks and onions in next, then layer your asparagus and broad beans on the top.

Crumble the goats cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the pie so it is evenly covered. Scrunch up the edges of the pastry to make a rustic but attractive edge (see photos).

Place the pie in the oven for 25 minutes untill hot through and the pastry has browned.

Serve hot!

Fried Risotto Balls (Gino D’ Acampo, Fantastico Cookbook): Friday Challenge!

I wanted to make something completely different along side the more traditional risotto recipes so I chose to cook these deep fried risotto balls from Gino D’Acampos Fantastico Cookbook. I have made a lot of recipes out of this book and they’ve all been fantastic but I have to be honest I struggled to motivate myself to cook this one! I’ve had a super busy week (dinner parties and a big exam – which I passed yay!) and when it came around to cooking this recipe I was so tired that I tried to cheat and use a risotto I had cooked for a different recipe and just shape it into a ball! Well I can tell you now that that was a disaster and should not be attempted!! I’m also not a big fan of anything deep fried and this recipe wasn’t appealing to the healthy side of me, but I carried on trying to find time to make this recipe as that’s the whole point of this challenge – make things I’m not used too and trying new techniques!

When I did finally cook this recipe from scratch I could see why it works so well, it contains eggs and cheese and tomato paste and is a very sticky risotto which is perfect for shaping! (you can see the full recipe here and if you like the sound of it then please go buy the book here! It is a good one!)

I have to say that these risotto balls were so moreish and naughty I had to resist scoffing the lot in one go….before lunchtime!! Yes I squeezed this recipe in one morning! The risotto itself didn’t take too long to cook and once it was cooled I was surprised at how easy it was to work with when shaping. I used whole grain bread to make my breadcrumbs so the outside is covered in little poppy seeds but I quite liked this. I also couldn’t bring myself to deep fry them (Sorry Gino!) so I just fried them in about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and they still came out with a nice crispy outside and a soft gooey inside!

I think the main things to remember with this recipe is to not over cook the rice – they’re really nice with a bit of bite and hold together nicely; to make sure you give them a sufficient amount of time in the fridge once rolled into balls as this helps them keep their shape when frying and also you don’t need to deep fry them!

This is certainly something very different and it’s a recipe I will 100% make again, especially if I’m having a party and want some interesting finger food! These would go down so well, better than some bland shop bought party snacks!

I have to admit that I didn’t make the tomato sauce, I just bought a salsa to go with them as I just didn’t have the time or the energy to sit and make yet another tomato sauce!

What I have learnt about Risotto:
Well I’ve learnt that it can be moulded into a ball and fried…also the addition of other flavours such as tomato really enhances the rice, especially in this recipe, and just brings another level to the dish! I love the idea of risotto being a party finger food, it’s so indulgent in every way and is a super impressive way of changing a classic risotto!

I feel like I’m ready to create my own risotto recipe now – want to do something slightly more traditional than this recipe but just enhance the flavours I know and hopefully come up with some thing lovely and fresh for spring