This classic British pie is the perfect comfort food, just right for the whole family. Serve it with peas or your favourite Superfree veg for a filling, sumptuous supper.

Serves: 4
Cook time: 45 mins
Syns per serving: 4½

Low calorie cooking spray
300g beef frying steaks, all visible fat removed, cut into bitesize pieces.
100g ready prepared, lamb`s kidneys, white cores removed, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely cubed
1 celery stick, finely cubed
200g baby button mushrooms
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
300ml beef stock
1 level tsp gravy granules
112g ready-to-roll light puff pastry
2 eggs, lightly beaten
700g floury potatoes, such as maris piper, peeled and cut into chunks
salt and freshly ground pepper
200g fat-free natural fromage frais
300g frozen or fresh peas
a small handful each of fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. place a large pan sprayed with low calorie cooking spray over a high heat. Add the steak, kidneys, carrot, celery, mushrooms, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, thyme, beef stock and gravy granules. Bring to the boil, then cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes or until thickened.
2. Divide the mixture between 4 individual pie dishes. roll out the pastry on baking paper and cut out 4 lids. Brush the rim of eash dish with a little of the egg, add the pastry lids and seal the edges with a fork. Make a hole in the centre of each pie, then brush the lid with more egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry has risen.
3. Meanwhile boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, season, then mash with the fromage frais until smooth. Just before the pies are ready, boil the peas with the mint for 2-3 minutes, then drain and season. Serve the pies with the peas and the mash garnished with parsley.

Tip: You can make an adults-only ale pie by replacing 100ml of the beef stock with the same amount of brown ale, adding ½ syn per serving.

Slimming World waits for no festivities and today was weigh-in day, and big congratulations to Emma who reached her two stone milestone. Not so big congratulations for me. Christmas, it seems does not agree with me (or rather it agrees with me a little too much), and I have gained 3lbs which I find a bit disappointing. I’m still within my 10% of my bodyweight loss, but can no longer say that I have lost a whole 2 stone. 🙁

But I like quiche and wanted to persevere, and so tonight I had another go, with altogether much better results. The quantities still seem a bit weird. It says it serves 1 but this made 5 mini-quiches, which was a good serving (with salad and new potatoes for both emej and myself, with 1 left over for a lunch. The other thing is that it says you don’t have to do anything to the vegetables but I think a bit of dry frying to take out the moisture is essential. I’m attaching my amended recipe…

Ingredients
peppers, diced
onions, chopped
mushrooms, chopped
(maybe a little bit of ham if you have it)
3 eggs
150g fat free natural cottage cheese

Method

1. Prepare whatever Superfree veggies take your fancy… I’ve used peppers, onions, and a bit of ham, all cut up finely. Dry-fry them until soft.

2. Mix together the 3 eggs, 150g fat-free natural cottage cheese and season.

3. Add the vegetables (and ham) to the eggy mixture and mix well. Pour into shallow quiche tins.

4. Pop in the oven at 190ºC/375ºF/Gas 5 for around 30 minutes, or until the quiche is set and golden brown.

Tip: Serve the quiche in wedges with Free Slimming World chips on an Extra Easy or Green day, or piles of salad – ideal for lunchboxes!

As this recipe contains all Free Food, you can eat as much as you like!