Fr Alex's Recipes

Savoury

Filo Pie with a White Bean, Leek, Mushroom,

Thyme and White Wine Sauce Filling

This is a single crust filo pie that contains a creamy, thyme-flavoured white wine sauce filling. It is packed full of mushrooms, cheese and haricot beans. 

 INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 300g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 100ml dry white wine*
  • 100ml vegetable stock, made with 1 low-salt vegetable stock cube
  • 300ml skimmed milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 40g half-fat Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 75g light soft cheese
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 x 400g cans haricot beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 sheets filo pastry
  • Black pepper, to taste

Method   

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the onion over a gentle heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
  3. Add the leek and chestnut mushrooms. Cook for 4 minutes, until the leeks have softened and the mushrooms have browned.
    Add the garlic and thyme, then fry for a minute.
  4. Pour the dry white wine into the pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the wine reduces by half. Add the stock, skimmed milk and bay leaves then gently bring to the boil.
  5. In a small bowl, add the cornflour and stir in 2 tbsp cold water, until it forms a paste.
    Stir the cornflour paste into the sauce and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  6. Add both cheeses and the Dijon mustard to the sauce. Heat gently for a minute, until the cheese melts into it.
  7. Stir the haricot beans into the sauce and season with black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a round ovenproof dish (approximately 26 cm).
    Remove the bay leaves.
  8. Brush the remaining oil over the filo pastry sheets, half each sheet, scrunch up and place on top of the filling. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is piping hot and the pastry is golden and crisp.


TO SERVE

320g green beans, steamed or boiled

Sweet

FOR THE FILLING

  • 225g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 2 oranges, peeled and de-pithed
  • 225g raspberries
  • 25g caster sugar*

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 100g ground almonds
  • 50g muesli
  • 50g vegetable margarine
  • 25g demerara sugar*


Apple, Orange and Raspberry

Nutty Crumble


METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

  2. To make the nutty topping, mix the ground almonds and muesli together, rub in the margarine and stir in the sugar.

  3. Layer the apples in an ovenproof dish. Cut the oranges across the grain to make circles and place on top of the apples. Top with the raspberries and sprinkle over the sugar.

  4. Spoon the nutty topping evenly over the fruit and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40-50 mins.


You can use Fair Trade products for these ingredients.