Pastry, pies and potty training

Have had a fun few days (apart from my grumpiness yesterday!).  Isobel is really getting on with the whole potty training thing.  It's funny, friends who had older children all kept saying 'you'll know when she is ready' and we went through the 'mummy I don't want a nappy, I want Peppa Pig pants' phase and the accidents which followed and then almost a month a go, she decided 'no nappy' and that was it.  She's loving it - especially when she gets to sit and wait for us to make up yet another story about Peppa Pig (yesterday she went to the moon with Lucy locket to rescue the man and the rabbit in the moon and bring them back to play with a giant pink dinosaur!).  Anyway, yesterday I went into the local wilkinsons and purchased a couple of their own brand toilet training seats - bargain as they were only just over £1 and fit on the toilet really well.  Would love to put a link here but can't find one online.  So, Isobel is now even more excited.

Then, I had another go at making pastry. I've not made pastry for ages as the stuff from the shop seems so good.  But, with all the random vegetables we've been storing up I found a recipe for a pie which used some celeriac (anyone with good celeriac recipes - please do let me know!).  It's a Delia dish and it was very nice.  The pastry had parmesan in it and the whole thing seemed to have loads of nutmeg in it which is always great.  I must say I was really pleased with the result.

This was after it had been in the fridge overnight

So, if you have lots of random vegetables at this time of year, give it a go - loads left as well for weaning Arthur as I didn't add any salt.

Basically this is what you do:

• This pie needs cooking at 220 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling.  Put a baking tray under the pie to catch the drips!
• For the pastry - rub 25g of cold butter and 25g lard (or vegetable fat) into 110g sifted plain flour and a little salt.  Then mix in 25g parmesan.  Slowly add cold water, by the teaspoon, and mix together until you have a smooth dough which leaves the bowl sides clean.  Wrap in clingfilm and put in fridge for at least 30 mins
• For the vegetables - I used 225g of steamed butternut sqash, celeriac and leek as well as 110g steamed carrot.  I steamed them for about 10 min with some nutmeg.  You could also use parsnips and swede and things if you have them.  Then add 225g sweet potato and steam for another 10 minutes.  Leave to cool.
• For the sauce - Melt 40g butter and then add one medium onion (finely chopped) and cook over a gentle heat for 15 - 20 minutes until the onion is soft.  Add 40g plain flour and then slowly mix in 1 pint of milk.  Keep stirring and heating until it thickens.  Then add some rosemary and thyme (I used pinch of dried stuff for both), some mustard (Delia says 1 tablespoon but perhaps up to you - we forgot to add it so just had some on the side), 25g parmesan and 50g grated cheese (I used Emmental) with some nutmeg and pepper.
• To put it together - mix the vegetables with the sauce and then put half of it into a pie dish.  Then scatter over about 60g of grated cheese.  Put the remaining veg mix in and put more cheese (60g or so) on the top.  Roll out your pastry.  Make a little rim by taking spare pastry and rolling into a sausage shape and then pressing along the side of the pie dish.  Put a bit of water on that to dampen it and put you pastry lid on top - bringing the lid together with the rim in small pinches.  Put some holes in the lid, brush with beaten egg and cook.

 It was really yummy and Arthur liked it too.

Close up of the pastry which I was really excited by (I need to get out more!)