As easy as pie

I've always had a weakness for pastry, so I invented a pie that I can whip up as a quick meal for one or can use as a simple mid-week dinner party recipe.  What's particularly good in respect of the latter is that as it involves making individual pies, you can cater for individual tastes.  So when I made them for Narelle the other night I left the mushrooms out of hers : )  I've also found some low-fat pastry sheets that are a little healthier than the full fat ones (http://www.pampas.com.au/products/products.php?cat_id=1), and they only take 10 minutes to defrost so you can keep them in the freezer.

Hasty Tasty Pastry: Individual Cheese and Vegetable Pies

Serves as many as you want!

Packet of frozen individual puff pastry sheets
1 beaten egg for glazing
Filling: Any combination of vegetables and cheese that you like.  I often use spinach leaves, sliced portobello mushrooms, semi-dried tomatoes and goats cheese.  I've also used blanched pumpkin (cut it into thin slices and drop into boiling water for 1-2 minutes), pesto and kalamata olives. 

1. Set the oven to 220 degrees and take the pastry sheets from the freezer to defrost.

2. Wash the spinach, thinly slice the mushrooms and blanch the pumpkin (if you are using).

3. Once the pastry is defrosted, make cuts in the top half of the pastry sheet(s) using a 1.5cm spacing and leaving a 1.5cm border.  I've included a sketch of this below as I'm writing this from work - next time I make them I'll take a photo!

4. Layer the filling on the bottom half of the pastry, leaving a 1.5cm border. I would usually put the spinach down first, then the mushrooms, the tomatoes, and the cheese.

5. Brush the border of the bottom half of the pastry with some beaten egg.  Fold the top half over it and crimp the edges with a fork (just the three cut edges, not the folded edge).

6. Brush the top of the pastry with some more of the beaten egg and bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes).