Chestnut Cranberry Pies
“A great recipe for a Christmas canape, starter or main. These pies are lovely either piping hot with lashings of gravy or at room temperature with a dollop of cranberry sauce on top.”
This recipe was created by our chef student, Elisa Mendes and featured on the Veganuary website.
Prep time - 60 minutes
Cook time - 50 minutes
Difficulty - Medium
Serves / makes - 8 small pies
Ingredients
1tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
125g mushrooms, roughly chopped
400g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
125g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
125g dried puy or green lentils
1 litre water
125g baby spinach
25g dried cranberries
3 sage leaves, finely chopped
1tbsp tomato puree
50ml vermouth (optional)
1/2tsp salt
1/4tsp ground black pepper
½ a mushroom or veg stock cube
1tsp yeast spread or dark miso
2 gluten free ready made puff pastry
1tbsp plant milk
Equipment
Large frying pan
Rolling pin
Bowl to cut around
Knife
Mixing spoon
Star cookie cutter
Pastry brush
Method
In a large frying pan heat the oil on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, cook for 10-15 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.
Add the squash, chestnuts, lentils, water, spinach, cranberries, sage, tomato puree, vermouth, salt, pepper, stock cube and yeast spread to the pan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
Heat your oven to 180c/360f/GM4. Roll the pastry out until it is thin. Cut 8 circles and place in small tart tins making sure the dough goes up the sides. Prick the bases with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the pastry has cooked and is starting to turn golden brown.
Divide the lentil mixture between the tart bases. Cut star shapes from the remaining dough and place on top of each tart. Brush a little milk on the pastry as a glaze. Bake for a further 10 minutes until the filling is cooked through and the star pastry is golden.
Chestnut Cranberry Pies
Ingredients
- 1tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 125g mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 400g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 125g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 125g dried puy or green lentils
- 1 litre water
- 125g baby spinach
- 25g dried cranberries
- 3 sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1tbsp tomato puree
- 50ml vermouth (optional)
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/4tsp ground black pepper
- ½ a mushroom or veg stock cube
- 1tsp yeast spread or dark miso
- 2 gluten free ready made puff pastry
- 1tbsp plant milk
Method
- In a large frying pan heat the oil on a medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, cook for 10-15 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms, cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.
- Add the squash, chestnuts, lentils, water, spinach, cranberries, sage, tomato puree, vermouth, salt, pepper, stock cube and yeast spread to the pan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- Heat your oven to 180c/360f/GM4. Roll the pastry out until it is thin. Cut 8 circles and place in small tart tins making sure the dough goes up the sides. Prick the bases with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the pastry has cooked and is starting to turn golden brown.
- Divide the lentil mixture between the tart bases. Cut star shapes from the remaining dough and place on top of each tart. Brush a little milk on the pastry as a glaze. Bake for a further 10 minutes until the filling is cooked through and the star pastry is golden.
Notes:
Equipment
Large frying pan
Rolling pin
Bowl to cut around
Knife
Mixing spoon
Star cookie cutter
Pastry brush