Friday - Pie Day

Who doesn't love a pie? Pies for me... mean family, home cooking, warm kitchens and just plain love! I just adore the idea of a pie - delicious filling surrounded by warm crispy pastry... steaming hot... warm... pies for me say winter food love. 

Yes, yes, I know that pies often spell unhealthy, but sometimes... you just need one!

A new pie recipe I recently tried out, another one from Women&Home Feel Good Food, was delicious. I had to substitute some spices for ingredients we couldn't get in South Africa (ras el hanout anyone?), but the outcome was fabulous!

Spicy Lamb and Aubergine Phyllo Pie

• 1 Aubergine, diced into 1cm cubes
• 2T oil, plus a little extra for brushing pastry
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1t Nomu Moroccan Rub
• 1t Harissa Paste
• 1/2t pine nuts, toasted 
• Few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
• 450g cooked lamb mince
• 2 sheets phyllo pastry
• 1t sesame seeds

You will need 1.5 litre ovenproof dish or 4 x 300ml baking dish. 

Method: 

Heat the oven to 220C mix the Aubergine with the oil and place on the baking sheet.

Roast for 15min, turning occasionally, until golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C. 

Pop the lamb into a pan and simmer until cooked, with a little oil, salt and pepper.

And so the pie making begins...

Meanwhile, simmer the tomatoes with the Moroccan Rub and Harissa paste and ground cumin for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. 

Stir in the aubergines, pine nuts, parsley and lamb, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

 Everything coming together

Transfer the mixture to the dish. 

Brush the pastry with a little olive oil and lay sheets on top of the filling, scrunching the pastry lightly to fit the dish.

 Final touches

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and bake for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. 

Simple simple! I serve this up with a simple salad of Avo, Rocket and Toasted Sunflower seeds tossed with Olive Oil.

  Delicious!

Enjoy! 

xx C

P.S Images my own