Cooking with what I had in the fridge

I was not sure what we were going to have for tea tonight, I had lots of bits including some shortcrust pastry and more importantly some Beef Skirt to try and use up.

OH had fancied a stew; I was not in the mood for stew and so took things into my own hands and decided to make homemade pasties, after all I had the pastry.  Therefore, without a recipe book to hand I set too and prepared all the veggies which included:

1/4 of a large leek

1 carrot

One potato

One onion

1/4 cup of peas

All were finely diced as I did not want any large lumps of veggies in the pasties then I mixed everything together to get an equal distribution of the veggies rather than clumps.  A sprinkling of white pepper was also added.

I then sliced 1lb of Beef Skirt into small chunks.  The chunks were then dipped in a little flour. Very nice quality meat, it sliced like butter.

Pastry was rolled out and two medium sized circles were cut using a saucepan lid as a template.  I know, but it works and is what my Mum used to do.

It was then I decided that I had better check a recipe book for temperature and I dragged out my BeRo cookbook and checked the temperature which was as detailed below.  Thought I had better check I was doing things right, and I was spot on except I had used a right mixture of veggies whereas the BeRo recipe used just the Beef Skirt, potato and onion.

I then proceeded to fill in the middle of the circle the mixed vegetables leaving a gap each side so that the pastry can be drawn to and pinched together. 

I then added the Beef pieces all over the top and then drew the pastry together from the two long sides and crimped one way and then turned it round and crimped the other way, making sure that both sides were sealed.   

I then put a little steam hole in either side of the pasty and placed them on a baking tray and then popped them in the fridge for about 15 minutes whilst I was working on the rest of the pastry that was left.  I then gave a milk wash, to both of the pasties, and then popped into a preheated oven Gas mark 7, for 10 minutes. The temperature was then turned down to Gas mark 4, and then cooked for 40 minutes.  As I was using my small oven, the pasties did start to go a little darker than I wanted and so I popped some foil over the top to try and minimise this. It worked.

You can serve this with cooked veggies like mashed potato and shredded steamed cabbage with some gravy.  However today I chose to serve with homemade chips.  It went down very nicely and OH liked it.  He is not a fan of pastry items normally.  It made a nice change, and I enjoyed making them.  I just love cooking.

I did well with the two packs of pastry and the ingredients listed above, as I also made three medium sized pasties for mains and two sweet pasties filled with fresh plums and homemade Cinnamon sugar. 

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar is also very good on hot buttered toast!  Comfort food of the highest order!  I make this myself.

We are to have the plum sweet pastries tomorrow with homemade custard. 

I still have another pack of Beef Skirt left to use.  It could be that we will be having stew somewhere down the line in any event.

Tea has gone down an absolute treat.  I do not know how much the Beef Skirt cost as OH bought this from the Butcher, but the sheets of pastry had been marked down to 44p per box. I came away with four boxes and have two left.  So not too bad price wise and I have got so much for the expenditure seven pasties in all (two massive ones), three medium and two sweet medium pasties.  Not bad going.

Might make some Coconut Cheesecakes tomorrow with some of the remaining pastry. Am really getting the cooking and baking bug at the moment.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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