What is better than tasty pie to warm you up on a chilly day? It’s the perfect dish for using up your odds and ends of veg and a couple of store cupboard ingredients.
Ingredients
Approximately 600g of root vegetables. Choose a mixture of ones you have available e.g. carrots, parsnips, beetroot, turnip,
swede or celeriac
Example combination
3 carrots
¼ celeriac
1 beetroot
2 leeks
1 sweet potato
2 red or white onions
400g can chickpeas, rinsed & drained (substitute with any canned beans e.g. red kidney, black eyed or cannellini beans)
5/6 sheets (half a 250g pack) filo pastry
Vegetable oil for brushing the pastry
For the sauce
60ml vegetable oil
60g plain flour
650-700ml cold milk or soya drink alternative
50g grated cheese
2 x 5ml spoon dried mixed herbs or 2 x 15ml spoon chopped fresh herbs of choice e.g. parsley or chives
Ground black pepper
Equipment
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Peeler
Colander
Large saucepan
Kettle
Whisk or wooden spoon
Silicone brush
Small bowl
Oven dish 34cm x 26 cm approx
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C fan, 200°C or gas mark 6
- Peel and chop the root vegetables into 3cm equal sized pieces.
- Top and tail the leeks, wash thoroughly and slice into 2cm rings. Peel the onions and cut into quarters.
- Place the vegetables, except the onions, in a large saucepan. Cover with water and a lid. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer. After 5 mins add the onions. Continue to simmer for a further 7-10 mins until the vegetables are tender when tested with the point of a knife or fork.
- Drain the vegetables in a colander and return the empty saucepan to the hob.
- With the hob on a low heat, add the vegetable oil, flour and milk simultaneously and stir with a whisk. Continue whisking gently until the white sauce heats and thickens. Keep stirring constantly as the mixture will be very thin until it suddenly transitions into a smooth white sauce. Check it’s ready by dipping a spoon into the pan; the sauce should coat the back of the spoon.
- When the white sauce is a good consistency add the herbs and grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and season with black pepper.
- Add the drained vegetables and chickpeas. Combine gently then transfer to an oven dish.
- Remove the filo pastry from its packaging. Place one sheet on a chopping board and brush lightly with oil. Scrunch the pastry into a loose twist and place across the pie dish. Repeat the process with the remaining sheets of pastry until the vegetables are covered. While you work keep the unused pastry under a clean damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out.
- Brush the top of the finished pie lightly with oil. Put it in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
Top Tips
- Make sure you use milk from the fridge. Using warm or hot milk may cause the sauce to go lumpy.
- Boil the beetroot separately in its skin to retain its colour. Peel and chop into chunks when cooked and add to the oven dish just before covering with pastry. The beetroot adds pretty pools of colour to the dish.
- For a vegan friendly dish swap the milk for a soya or oat alternative drink and swap the cheese for 2x 15 ml Dijon mustard.
Something to try next time
- Top the pie with 2 layers of thinly sliced potatoes instead of the filo pastry. Brush lightly with oil and extend the cooking time for an additional 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked.
Prepare now, eat later
- Replace the fresh veg with left over vegetables or cooked tinned vegetables if that is what you have to hand. Start the recipe at step 6. At step 8 allow a few extra minutes for the vegetable to warm through before transferring to the oven dish.
- Use the remaining half pack of filo pastry to make some delicious Apple Triangles. See the website for recipe details.
