By Fiona Grahame

This is a great recipe for using a variety of vegetables and looks great serving on the table before cutting into it.

Preparation is key.

Ingredients

• 12 sheets filo pastry
• Any variety of vegetables, nuts, dates, mushrooms that you would like to use.
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 spring loaded cake tin ( I used a 23cm diameter)

Prepare and part cook the vegetables first.

I was shopping in Lidl on 27th of December and got lots of bargains to add to what I already had in the kitchen so I have costed out this recipe based on those. I also used some Christmas leftovers.

• Filo Pastry £1.90 (Tesco)
• 3 carrots 5p
• 2 parsnips 7p
• brussel sprouts 7p
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper 82p
• shallots 8p
• 1 apple 25p
• 1 pear 25p
• bread & oatmeal stuffing leftovers

Total cost: £3.56

Cut and slice the vegetables as you like them and put them in boiling water to soften. I did the root vegetables in one pan and the sprouts in another.

Slice up the shallots and gently fry in a little oil. Grate in the apple and pear – no need to remove the skins.

Slice up the peppers – I didn’t pre cook these but you could par roast in oven if desired.

Allow all of the ingredients to cool. They must be cold before you add them to the pie.

carrots and parsnips

shallots, apple and pear

sprouts

Pre- heat oven to 150C

Assembling the Pie

Grease well the spring loaded cake tin. You have to work quickly so that the filo pastry does not dry out.

1st layer of 3 filo sheets so that they cover the base but also drape over the sides.

Put on layer of vegetables – I put the carrots and parsnips on this base layer.

Season each layer according to your taste.

2nd layer – 2 filo sheets covering the veg but draping over the sides

Next layer of veg – I put the sprouts next.

3rd layer – 2 filo sheets covering the veg but draping over the sides

Next layer of veg – I put the peppers on next

4th layer – 2 filo sheets covering the veg but draping over the sides

Next layer – this is where I crumbled up my leftover stuffing and combined it with the shallots, pear and apple.

Final and top layer – 3 filo sheets, make sure the top is covered and there is an even draping over the edge.

Carefully gather up the edges of the filo pastry draped over the tin and bring to the centre. Scrunch them together so it looks like a big present. Press down gently. Gently – not too hard.

Brush with beaten egg.

Put in oven till it is golden – can take 40 minutes or so.

Carefully remove from oven and undo the spring fastening to remove the outer cake ring.

Return to the oven for about 10 minutes to get some colour to the sides.

It’s really good served with the usual Christmas dinner type accompaniments. I have made this in the past with chestnuts in it and in a smaller but deeper tin.

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