Chicken, Mushroom and Veg Pies
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35-45 minutes
2 serves per portion
Recipe courtesy of Suzie van Laarhoven, Country Kitchens team
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 6 sprigs dried thyme, leaves picked off stems
- ¼ butternut or Kent pumpkin, seeds and skin removed, cut into small cubes
- 500g chicken thighs, chopped into chunks
- ½ cup wholemeal flour
- 1 vegetable stock cube and ½ cup water OR ½ cup liquid vegetable stock
- 8 button or brown mushrooms, diced
- 2 portobello mushrooms, diced
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
Method:
- PREHEAT oven to 180°C.
- HEAT oil in a heavy based casserole dish over medium heat. Add garlic and onion once pan is hot and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- ADD thyme and pumpkin to the pot, stir, then cover and cook until pumpkin starts to disintegrate (around 5 minutes).
- COAT the chopped chicken in wholemeal flour then add to the pot, frying until browned.
- ADD stock, cover and lower heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- ADD mushrooms to pot, stir, then cover with lid and turn off heat. Let the mushrooms cook in the residual heat for 2 minutes.
- TRANSFER mixture to either a medium oven-proof baking dish OR ladle into individual pie ramekins.
- CUT pastry to fit pie dish or ramekins then brush with egg.
- COOK in oven for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cooking time may depend on the size of baking dish used.
- SERVE with a side of steamed green vegetables and your choice of carbohydrate (e.g. crusty wholemeal bread, brown rice, pasta etc).
What's Great About It:
This dish can be served as a large pie to share with family and friends or as individual pies. The mixture can also be served as a casserole if you don’t have pastry or wish to omit it. It can also be cooked as a batch and frozen into individual portions for up to two months. This tasty, healthy pie is great served with steamed vegetables on the side and your choice of grain.
