Rustic Lamb and Sweet Potato Pie

I am a big believer that we partially eat with our eyes and I totally understand the need to make dishes look appealing and appetizing, but sometimes I think a rustic homestyle dish can look so much more impressive and appealing then a mega styled restaurant dish....

Take this pie for example....


It looks rustic....it looks home made...just by looking at it you know it was made with love by someone who wanted YOU to enjoy it...

This pie is actually very very easy and delicious to boot...not to mention once you've got the basics down, it's also very versatile! I think I just seriously over used the word 'very' but you see my point!

Lamb and Sweet Potato Pie
1.5 cups plain flour
125g Flora Ultra Light Margarine (I know it's traditional to use butter in pastry, but in an effort to conserve calories I tried this and it worked!)
2 tbspns cold water
1 small zucchini (grated or finely diced)
1 small sweet potato (grated or finely diced)
1 small onion finely diced
1 tspn paprika
1 tspn allspice
1/4 cup mixed herbs such as rosemary, thyme and garlic
350g lean lamb mince
1 tbspn extra margarine (melted)
Salt and Pepper
Natural Yoghurt to serve

Pre-heat oven to 200C fan forced.

Using an electric mixer with dough hooks or a food processor, process the flour and butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and process until the mixture just comes together....you may need to add slightly more flour or water or butter here to get the right consistency, just be brave and use your judgement. If you are using an electric mixer, mix the dough until it reaches a smooth consistency. Refigerate the dough for 15-20 mins while you complete the next step.

In a bowl combine the zucchini, sweet potato, herbs, onion, paprika, allspice and mince. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the dough from the fridge and press into the base and sides of a large greased baking dish. Spoon the lamb mixture over the dough but don't be too fussy about going all the way to the edges. Fold the sides down over the filling to form sort of an open top pie. Brush the pastry with melted butter and bake for 45 mins or until pastry is golden. Serve pie with a dollop of yoghurt.

The only change I would make is a) have the camera battery charged so you can get a photo of the whole pie fresh out of the oven when it looks it's most specky....and b) scatter say 50-80g of crumbled fetta over the top of the pie before baking...mmmm gooey melty fetta!!

And last night OH and I went to Mum and Dad's for tea. As soon as we got out of the car we were greeted with the smell of Mum's chow mein and once that scent hit our nostrils we were up the drive and inside quick smart! Mum had decided to walk on the wild side and try adding tofu to her chow mein rather then chicken or tuna....not only was this a major step in itself, but it was also the first time Mum and Dad had cooked with tofu. Mum had picked up some sesame tofu nuggets at the supermarket and I must say the sesame seeds and the tofu itself added a layer of flavour and texture to the chow mein that just took it to a whole new level....the tried and tested family favourite has just had a tofu make over!!


Doesn't it make your mouth water just looking at it?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Em x