These rustic, savoury pies are my vegetarian Christmas Dinner offering this year, and also my last post of the year for the Suma Blogger's Network. Unlike quiches, these individual pies don't involve a custard to hold the roasted vegetables together, and there's no need for pastry cutters or flan dishes to make them look pretty.
They can, of course, be made in advance*, leaving you plenty of time on Christmas Day to prepare all of the other traditional Yuletide trimmings. I cheated slightly by using time-saving ready-prepared squash, sweet potato and pastry, which bumps the cost up, but you could prepare your own if you are on a budget. Although this recipe serves four, it can easily be adapted to serve one or two, by reducing the ingredients accordingly.
Serves 4
- 500g/1 lb, 2oz (prepared weight) butternut squash and sweet potato, diced into approx.1-2 cm cubes
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 mild, red chilli, de-seeded and sliced finely (optional)
- 1 sprig fresh sage, chopped, plus 4 leaves to top the pies
- 100g/4oz chopped Suma walnuts
- 50g/2oz dried Suma cranberries
- 100g/4oz English goat's cheese, sliced into 4 slices
- 300g/12oz ready made shortcrust pastry**
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze (optional)
Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan/Gas 3/325F
Drizzle the oil over the chopped squash and sweet potato and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, turn and add the diced onion, chopped sage and chilli.
Cook for a further 15 minutes.
Check if the vegetables are tender and starting to brown. If not, return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, mix in the chopped walnuts and cranberries and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6/400F
Once the roasted vegetables are cool, divide the pastry into 4 and roll out thinly on a floured board to roughly 18cm/7" circles.
Place ¼ of the vegetable mixture into the centre of each circle.
Top with a slice of cheese and a sage leaf.
Fold the edges of the pastry in, to form an open pie.
Brush with beaten egg to glaze (optional), or wrap in grease proof paper and chill until needed.
Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with all the usual Christmas trimmings.
*Can be made in advance and chilled or frozen until needed.
**Swap the shortcrust pastry for puff pastry if you prefer it.
Vegan option: Check that your pastry is vegan...most UK brands are. Omit the cheese, or swap for extra chopped nuts, pine nuts, or your preferred cheese substitute.
Integrity Statement
As a member of the Suma Blogger's Network, I will receive a selection of complimentary products from Suma every two months, to use in recipe development, and will blog an original recipe for the Network.
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In case you've never heard of it, panforte is a traditional, festive Italian spiced fruit and nut cake, served with coffee and liqueurs after a meal. After watching Antonio Carluccio make a panforte on TV last Christmas, I knew it was something I'd have to try making myself.
The traditional recipe is easy to veganise as the only animal-derived ingredient is honey. I've also adapted the recipe to make it gluten free, contain less sugar and use easy-to-find UK ingredients. The resulting cake is still deliciously sweet and tastes something like a cross between a fruit and nut energy bar and Christmas cake! Having made it once, I reckon it would actually be pretty easy to make a raw version.
Serves 16-20
- 200g/8oz (combined weight) dried figs and/or pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 50g/2oz each of raisins, sultanas and currants
- 1 level tsp mixed (pumpkin pie) spice
- juice and zest of 2 large oranges and 1 lemon
- 150g/6oz candied fruit, such as glacé cherries, apple, melon, citrus peel etc.
- 100g/4oz almonds, lightly toasted
- 100g/4oz walnuts, lightly toasted
- 4 tbsp agave, date or golden syrup
- 4 tbsp gluten-free flour
- 5 tbsp Vin Santo, dessert wine, amaretto or sweet sherry (I used amaretto)
- Icing sugar to dust
Heat the oven to 150 C/140 C Fan/Gas 2./300 F; grease and line a loose-bottomed 25cm/10" round cake tin, with grease proof paper.
Toast the nuts, cool and then roughly chop or grind coarsely, depending on the texture you prefer.
Chop the figs or dates roughly and put them in a pan with the other dried and candied fruits.
Add the syrup, wine/liqueur, citrus juice, zest and mixed spice.
Stir together and cook gently for about 10 minutes.
Then add the chopped nuts and flour and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
When cold, sprinkle generously with sifted icing sugar.
Cut into thin slices to serve.
Stores for up to a month in an airtight container.
Find my other vegetarian Christmas recipes here.
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