Michelle Darmody: Back-to-school savoury bakes that would fit in a lunch box

Easy pastries to make for the freezer

Puff pastry vegetable parcels are a fantastic lunch box filler.

I always find savoury baked goods really handy for snacks and lunches. We do not always have a huge variety of savoury bakes in Irish shops. In other countries, they often have much more variety. Australia for example has pies on sale in most towns and villages: they come in all sorts of sizes and with an abundance of fillings. In Britain there is a history of pasties as well as pies; India has samosas; and Argentina has its empanadas. We have sausage rolls and more recently jambons. And savoury scones are perhaps another — I do love a crumbly cheese and herb scone. But the point is that there are many more possibilities out there and some of these recipes will hopefully show that.

The recipes included are also intended to make outdoor eating easier: snacks that you can pack into a lunch box or bag and bring with you to the park or beach. You can, of course, buy ready-made pastry or have some made in advance and take them from your freezer to speed things along. You can also experiment with fillings and adjust the spices and flavouring to your liking.

These recipes are inspired by the original incarnations but all have a slight twist. Chutneys or hot sauces are a nice accompaniment for any of the pastries.

Lamb pasties

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

These individual pies are perfect comfort food. Eat piping hot or at room temperature - whatever way you enjoy them they will be delicious

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 60 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 490g plain flour

• 1 tsp sea salt, sieved

• 2 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 150g cold butter, cubed

• For the filling:

• a knob of butter

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced

• 200g swede or turnip, peeled and finely diced

• 350g finely chopped lamb

• a spring of thyme, leaves removed from the stalk

• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

• To decorate:

• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder and rub in the butter until it forms rough bread crumbs. Bring the pastry together with cold water, adding it a ½ a tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. It should combine well but not be sticky. Wrap it in parchment and allow to cool in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. Heat the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion until it is turning translucent. Add the potato and swede and fry for about five minutes.

3. Add the lamb, thyme leaves and black pepper and fry until it is browned all over. Set aside.

4. Pre heat your oven to 170°C and line a flat baking tray with parchment.

5. Roll the pastry into four discs about 3 millimetres in thickness and about 9 inches in dimeter. Spoon the filling into the centre and fold the pastry over. Seal around the edges by pinching the pastry tightly crimping the edge.

6. Brush each parcel with the beaten egg and place onto the prepared tray.

7. Bake for about 45 minutes until golden. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Puff pastry vegetable parcels

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

These curry flavoured parcels are similar to a samosa but easier to make, thanks to the puff pastry

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Starter

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 400g puff pastry sheets

• For the filling:

• a dash of rapeseed oil

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• ½ a red chilli, finely chopped

• 1 small potato, finely diced

• 1 carrot, finely diced

• 3 tsp mild curry powder such as Madras

• 80mls vegetable stock

• 100g peas

• To decorate:

• 1 egg, beaten

• a sprinkling of black sesame seeds

Method

1. To make the filling: heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until it is turning translucent. Add in the garlic, chilli, potato and carrot and fry gently until the potato is softening, stirring as you fry. Add in the curry powder and vegetable stock. Allow to gently bubble away for about eight minutes without a lid. Stir in the peas, season and set aside.

2. Pre heat your oven to 200°C and line two flat baking trays with parchment.

3. Cut your puff pastry into 10 rectangles. Spoon the filling between them, discarding the juice if there is a lot of it. With a pastry brush, brush some egg along one long side and one short side of each rectangle. Fold over to create a triangle and seal around the edges. Place onto your prepared trays.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Beef empanadas

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Ideal as part of a picnic or tucked into lunchboxes, these Mexican hand pies are delicious

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 60 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 40 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• For the pastry:

• 490g plain flour

• ½ a tsp sea salt, sieved

• 2 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 150g cold butter cubed

• For the filling:

• a dash of rapeseed oil

• 1 small onion, finely diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped

• ½ a small red pepper, seeds removed, and flesh finely diced

• 400g minced beef

• 4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 tbs tomato purée

• 20g olives, de-stoned and chopped

• 100ml stock, preferably beef stock

• To decorate:

• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder and rub in the butter until it forms rough bread crumbs. Bring the pastry together with cold water, adding it a ½ a tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. It should combine well but not be sticky. Wrap it in parchment and allow to cool in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To make the filling: heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion until it is turning translucent. Add in the garlic, chilli and red pepper and fry gently until the pepper is softening, stirring as you fry. Add in the beef mince and break down any large lumps, fry until it has all changed colour. Add the spices, tomato purée and stock and allow to simmer away for about 10 minutes without a lid. Season to taste and set aside to cool.

3. Pre heat your oven to 190°C and line two flat baking trays with parchment.

4. Roll the pastry into 12 discs of about three millimetres in thickness. Spoon about two tablespoons of filling into the centre of each disc and fold the pastry over. Seal around the edges by pinching the pastry tightly crimping the edge.

5. Brush each parcel with the beaten egg and place onto the prepared trays.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.