NORTH WILTSHIRE, P.E.I. — Turnovers and mini pies – spanakopita, mini quiche, empanadas and the like – are wonderful for picnics, brown bag lunches and quick meals.
You can pick your time to make them and keep them in the freezer to make an easy meal when the time is right. They are perfect to serve for dinner for one or a crowd, or to take to a friend who’s tied up with a project that leaves little time for cooking.
Julie Anne Hession’s “175 Best Mini Pie Recipes” (Robert Rose, Toronto, 2013) is a good resource for ideas, instructions and recipes.
Last year’s potatoes and fresh mint go into these Indian inspired samosas. Adjust the heat by using more or less chili pepper or omitting it altogether if you prefer. The samosas can be fully assembled and frozen for up to a week, then baked from frozen.
Baked Masala Vegetable Samosas
From Hession, Julie Anne: “175 Best Mini Pie Recipes”. Robert Rose, Toronto, 2013.
Filling
500 g (1 lb) russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces
45 mL (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green chili pepper, seeded and minced
7 mL (1½ tsp) ground cumin
7 mL (1½ tsp) ground coriander
5 mL (1 tsp) garam masala
15 mL (1 tbsp) finely chopped mint leaves
5 mL (1 tsp) salt
2 mL (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
125 mL (½ cup) frozen peas, thawed
1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (recipe follows)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 15 mL (1 tbsp) water
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Filling: In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
- In a medium skillet, melt 30 mL (2 tbsp) butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and chili pepper; sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander and garam masala; sauté for 1 minute.
- Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl and add potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash until potatoes for small to medium-sized lumps. Stir in mint, salt, pepper, peas, and remaining 15 mL (1 tbsp) butter. Set aside to cool.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to slightly thicker than 2 mm (1/16 inch). Using a 12.5 cm (5 inch) round cutter, cut into rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart. Reroll scraps as necessary. (I used the rim of a bowl with a 5-inch diameter as a guide for cutting rounds.)
- Brush edges of rounds with egg wash. Place about 30 mL (2 tsp) filling in centre of each round. Fold in half, enclosing filling. Pinch edges together to seal; crimp with the tines of a fork. Brush tops with egg wash.
- Place pies, on baking sheets, in freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven, and preheat oven to 190 C (375 F).
- Using tip of a sharp knife, cut 2 or 3 slits in top of each pie. Bake in preheated oven for 25 5o 30 minutes, switching positions of baking sheets halfway through, until pies are puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.
- Makes 16 pies.
Flaky Pie Dough
from Hession, Julie Anne: “175 Best Mini Pie Recipes”. Robert Rose, Toronto, 2013.
750 mL (3 cups) all-purpose flour
15 mL (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
5 mL (1 tsp) salt
135 mL (9 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed
135 mL (9 tbsp) cold shortening, cubed
150 mL (⅔ cup) cold buttermilk (approx.), divided
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry blender.
- Scatter butter and shortening pieces over flour mixture and pulse several times, until pieces are the size of peas. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add 75 mL (⅓ cup) buttermilk, stirring with a fork to combine. Add more buttermilk 15 mL (1 tbsp) at a time, stirring after each addition, just until dough begins to hold together in moist clumps. You might not need all the buttermilk.
- Shape dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Margaret Prouse, a home economist, can be reached by writing her at RR#2, North Wiltshire, P.E.I., C0A 1Y0, or by email at [email protected].
