(Serves 4-5 people)
We all love a good homemade pie and to me it screams comfort food but we all know that pastry isn’t the best for you. I find that shortcrust pastry fills me up way too much and the stodgy texture can be off putting.
Clients often ask me for a healthier alternative so I have adapted a family recipe and turned it into a much healthier alternative.
Ingredients
1 pack of ready-made filo pastry (approx. 7 sheets)
3 chicken breasts
3 medium leeks
250-300g mushrooms
250g spinach
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp cornflour
150ml double cream (I use a plant-based version)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mixed herbs
Salt/pepper to taste
Method
1. Turn the oven on to 180 degrees C
2. Cut up the leeks into 1cm rounds and slice the mushrooms
3. Using a separate knife and board cut up the chicken breasts into bite size chunks
4. Put the butter and oil in a pan on a medium heat and fry the leek/mushrooms until soft
5. Turn the heat up and add the chicken and fry for approx. 4 minutes
6. Put the stock cube in 250ml of boiling water to dissolve and add to the chicken mixture and bring back up to a simmer – add the herbs and a sprinkling of salt/pepper (I use ½ tsp of each)
7. Put the cornflour in 2 tbsp of cold water until dissolved and then add to the mixture along with the cream and cook for a further 2 minutes.
8. Add the spinach and stir until wilted then put the mixture into a large baking dish
9. From here we add the filo pastry – grab a sheet of the pastry and scrunch it up, then you place on top of the mixture. You really can’t go wrong with this but see my picture to the left for reference. Sprinkle the pastry with some olive oil and place the dish into the over and bake for approx. 20-30 minutes
10. Serve with mashed potato and vegetables of your choice
Enjoy!