Leek and Spring Onion Cheese Flan

I have a few items in the fridge I need to use up before they turn, so what better way than to create a lovely flan, that can be used as part of a main meal or as lunch.

Cost - Approx £1.50
Serves - 4



The cooked flan

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry as per previous blog http://thetescochallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/basic-short-crust-pastry.html
2 leeks - trimmed, washed and sliced
2 bunches of spring onions - trimmed, washed and sliced
1 TBLSP of butter
80g of Cheddar cheese - grated
2 eggs
150ML of milk
Salt and pepper

Method:

• First make the shortcrust pastry as per previous blog, for this recipe I used full fat - Trex, rather than butter
• Roll out the pastry on a sheet of baking paper and line the flan tin
• Put the flan tin in the fridge for 30 minutes, then remove and trim the excess pastry
• Heat the oven to 200 Degree C
• Line the bottom of the flan with baking paper and add some baking stones or I use chick peas on the bottom of the flan and bake the pastry for 15 minutes
• Remove from oven and remove the chick peas and the baking paper, and set aside
• Take a large pan and add the butter, and melt, then add the leeks and put the lid on the pan and over a low heat sweat the leeks until very soft, stirring occasionally
• Once the leeks are soft add the spring onions and sweat for a further 5 minutes with the lid of the pan removed
• Add salt and pepper to the leeks and spring onions to taste
• To the flan tin, add half the cheese on the bottom and add the leek and spring onion mix
• whisk together the eggs and milk and pour into the flan tin
• Add the remaining cheese to the top
• Bake in the oven at 220 Degree C for 40 minutes
• Allow to cool on a wire rack

Enjoy !

Leeks and Spring Onions

The chopped leeks

The chopped spring onions

The sweated leeks and spring onions

The flan tine lined and trimmed ready for blind baking

The flan tin ready for blind baking - to remove the chick peas just gather up the four corners of the paper and lift out

The flan vase filled and ready for baking

The cooked flan

Chicken Mushroom and Leek Pie

Whilst it is supposed to be summer in Britain, the weather is not very summery, and today it is like winter. Thinking about what to do for tea tonight on this very wet and wintry day, what nicer than a chicken mushroom and leek pie.

Cost - approx £1.60 per person
Serves 2

Ingredients for the pie filling:

2 Chicken breasts
200g Leeks - washed and finely sliced
160g of Mushrooms - cleaned and quartered
1 TBLSP of butter
1TBSPS of plain flour
1 Pint of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry :

200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter - diced
Cold water
3 TBLSP of milk to glaze

Method for the pie filling:

• Trim the chicken breasts and cut into bite size chunks
• Take the leeks, cut them down the middle and wash, then slice
• In a large pan, add the the butter and melt on a low heat, add the leeks and mushrooms stir well and cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes to sweat down the leeks and mushrooms, stirring once in a while to stop the from burning.
• Add the flour to the pan and stir in well
• In a frying pan, add a little oil and add the chicken, and on a low to medium heat cook for 5 minutes, you are not looking to brown the meat
• Add the chicken to the pan and mix well
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on a low heat with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Taste the gravy in the pan, and add salt and pepper if required
• Get a bowl and a strainer and put the contents of the pan in the strainer and let the gravy strain into the bowl
• Place the chicken, leek and mushroom mix into a pie dish
• Take some of the gravy and add to the pie dish, until it comes about 3 quarters up the mix and set aside
• Put the rest of the gravy in a pan and set aside

The cubed chicken breast

The washed and sliced leeks

The sweated leeks and mushrooms

The cooked chicken - note you are not looking to brown the meat

The filled pie dishes ready for the shortcrust pastry

Method for the shortcrust pastry:

• Place flour and salt in a bowl
• add the butter
• Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs

The flour and butter rubbed in

• Take a tablespoon and start adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing the water into the flour and butter. Repeat adding the water until the dough comes together

The resulting dough after adding the water

• Put the dough in a plastic food bag/cling film and put it in the fridge for at least half an hour

Method of assembling the pie:

• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out
• Cut a thin strip and brush milk round the edge of the pie dish
• Put the all-round the edge of the pie dish and then brush with the milk
• Place the rolled out lid onto the pie
• Then with a tines of a fork, press gently down to seal
• with the remaining milk brush the top of the pie to glaze
• With a knife, make a few holes in the top of the pie
• Cook for 50 minutes at 220 degrees C and serve

The pie dish prepared ready for sealing with the lid

The pies ready for glazing and baking

The cooked pie

Serve with mashed potato and vegetables, using the reserved gravy.