The British do love their pasties, so we thought we’d see what all the fuss is about by making some healthy homemade Quorn Pasties. They’re a tad tricky but definitely worth it.
If you’re heading away with the missus for the day and you’ve been left in charge of the munchies, then why not make these tasty Quorn Pasties that can be eaten hot or cold. They do take a bit of time and patience to make, but once they’re made you’ll be glad you went to the effort.
Quorn Pasties
The Basics:
7 ProPoints values per serving (28 ProPoints per recipe)
Takes 55 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook
Serves 4
What you’ll need:
For the short-crust pastry:
150g self-raising flour
+ 2 teaspoons plain flour, for rolling out
75g low fat spread
A pinch of salt
For the filling:
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and diced
200ml vegetable stock
150g Quorn mince (frozen or chilled)
A pinch of dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
40g frozen peas
2 teaspoons skimmed milk, for the glaze
What to do:
There are two separate steps needed to make these delicious Quorn Pasties, but don’t let that put you off. First you’ll have to make the pastry, so lets start there:
1) To begin, sift your flour into a mixing bowl and then add the low fat spread. Use an ordinary table knife to cut the spread up into smaller pieces, and mix these into the flour as you go.
2) Next, using your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until the mixture looks breadcrumb-like. Lift your fingers up and down in the bowl as you rub them. This will incorporate as much air as possible into your pastries.
3) Stir in a small pinch of salt then gradually add enough cold water to bring the pastry together, without making it too sticky – you’ll probably need about 2 tablespoons of water in total, but stop adding it as soon as the pastry starts to hold together in lumps (adding too much water makes the pastry tough and chewy). The mixture will still look quite dry at this stage, but gently bring it together by hand and you will find that the pastry should stick together in a ball, leaving the bowl spotless.
4) Wrap the pastry in cling film or pop it in a plastic food bag and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out flat.
Once you’ve left the pastry for 30 minutes in the fridge, you can roll it out flat, cut it into sections and begin on filling those sections in:
1) Place the onion and carrot in a lidded saucepan with 4 tablespoons of stock and cook for 6 minutes while covered. Once you hit the 6-minute mark lift the lid and cook for 2 more minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated.
2) Next, add the Quorn mince, dried herbs, the ketchup and the rest of the stock to the pan. Cover and bring to the boil, then simmer and uncover for 5 minutes.
3) Stir in the frozen peas and once they’re cooked, tip the mixture out on to a plate and leave to cool at room temperature (Don’t make the pasties while the filling is still hot as it will melt through the pastry). In the meantime, preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C/ fan oven 180C.
4) Divide the pastry into four balls. Dust the work surface lightly with the plain flour and roll each ball out to an 18cm disc. Place on a flour dusted baking tray and brush the edges of each circle with a little milk.
5) Spoon a quarter of the cooled mince mixture on to each pastry disc, placing the mince to one side. Fold the pastry over to give a half moon shape. Press the edges together with a fork to seal.
6) Brush the top of each pastry with milk and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve warm or cool. If you’re cooling before eating, place the pasties on a wire rack so that the pastry stays crisp underneath.
Once they’ve cooled down you can bring them with you wherever you go.
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