Vegetable pie

(serves 6-8) 

(makes 2 pies)
Adapted from Delia online

Pies! We haven't made pies for ages, but after a recent reminder from my friend who has gotten into the Kmart pie maker craze, I remember our own dusty pie maker in storage, and the idea of pies in general. Anything wrapped in crispy pastry is a winner, especially for our little one. I was looking for a healthy-ish vegetarian pie that didn't use cream or wine as a base, this was a delicious alternative :)

Prep time: 45 to 60 min

Cooking time: 30 to 40 min

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato (300-400g), about 250g cooked
1 brown onion
1 clove garlic
1 carrot
100 g silverbeet
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 sheets of shortcrust pastry
2 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten, to glaze (optional)

Sauce:
50 g butter
50 g plain flour
600 mL milk
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning
1 Tbsp seeded mustard
45 g grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
2. Peel the sweet potato and dice into 1cm cubes. Dress with olive oil and salt then roast for 30 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool.
3. Finely dice the onion, garlic and carrot. Thinly slice the silverbeet.
4. In a medium saucepan, add in half a tablespoon of olive oil and a touch of butter, then add in the onion and garlic and cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Add in the silverbeet, half a teaspoon of salt and sauté until soft. Set aside.
5. In a small pot, place the diced carrot with boiling water and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until soft. Drain, cool and set aside.

6. Take the pastry out of the freezer to allow to thaw for about 15 minutes.
7. Prepare the sauce by putting a saucepan on low heat. Add the butter, once it's melted then slowly add the flour, stirring to ensure no clumps. Slowly add the milk in bit by bit, stirring continuously to ensure no clumps. Heat on low for 5 minutes then add in the nutmeg, seasoning, mustard, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir through then take off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
8. Prepare the pastry by cutting and shaping to the pie dishes that you have. If preparing a large pie, then blind bake the pastry for about 20 minutes.
9. Mix all the vegetables (sweet potato, onion, silverbeet, carrot, peas, corn) into the sauce and stir through. Add in the Parmesan cheese and stir again.

10. Place the filling into the pie then top with puff pastry on top, trimming and tucking in the edges. Use a fork to crimp lightly and ensure a seal. Glaze on top with the egg and bake for about 30 minutes until crispy on top.
NB. You may need to roll out the pastry slightly to ensure it covers the edges.

11. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve alongside salad for a more balanced meal :)