By David Saunders | UPDATED: 05:28, 11 February 2020
This Joe Wicks-inspired pie is topped with filo pastry. It’s hearty and filling, but is lower in fat, processed carbs and calories (and cooks quicker!). Make sure your vegan meat is low in salt and saturated fat.
SERVES 4
1 onion 1 carrot 2 celery sticks 400g mixed mushrooms 10 sprigs fresh thyme1 sprig fresh rosemary 20g fresh parsley400g vegan meat1½ tbsp olive oil1 bay leaf1 tbsp tomato puree 50ml red wine 250ml vegetable stock 4 sheets filo pastry low-fat cooking oil spray
TO SERVE 200g Tenderstem broccoli 200g frozen peas 200g fresh spinach leaves 1 lemon salt and black pepper
PREHEAT OVEN TO 190°C | LARGE FRYING PAN | 18 X 28CM BAKING DISH | SAUCEPAN | KETTLE BOILED
First, prep the ingredients | Peel and dice the onion | Peel and dice the carrot | Trim and thinly slice the celery | Roughly chop the mushrooms | Pick and roughly chop the thyme and rosemary leaves | Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves | Cut the vegan meat into bite-sized chunks
Now, brown the vegan meat | Warm half a tablespoon of the olive oil in the large frying pan over a medium heat | Add half the vegan meat and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until the chunks are browning | Transfer the browned chunks to a plate | Repeat this process with another half tablespoon of the olive oil and the remaining vegan meat
Make the pie filling | Heat the remaining half tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan over a medium heat | Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes | Add the carrot and celery and stir for 2 minutes | Add the mushrooms and stir for 3–4 minutes | Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf and stir for 1 minute until aromatic | Add the tomato purée and stir for a further minute | Add the browned vegan meat and stir for 1 minute | Add the wine and stir for 1 minute | Add the stock, increase the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated | Add the parsley leaves | Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper | Tip into the baking dish, smooth it out with the back of a spoon and leave to cool for 5 minutes
Make the topping | Crumple the filo pastry sheets into loose balls and cover the dish | Spray with 4 sprays of cooking spray | Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the pastry is crispy and beginning to darken
Five minutes before the pie is set to come out of the oven, trim the broccoli | Put the broccoli and peas in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and allow to warm through for 3–4 minutes | Put the spinach in a colander, pour the broccoli and peas and all the hot water from the pan into the colander (this will wilt the spinach) | Halve the lemon | Squeeze a little lemon juice over the greens, and season with salt and pepper
Portion the pie onto plates and serve immediately with the greens
521 KCAL | 31G PROTEIN | 18G FAT | LOW FAT | LOW SUGAR | HIGH FIBRE