Pastry to the rescue!!!

it has been my experience that a few pieces of pastry can save just about anything! even the most bland, boring, or not nice leftovers can be delicious baked into some flaky golden pastry!

this is not a recipe for pastry - i can't make pastry to save myself! i have tried (and i haven't given up yet) but so far i am just not good at pastry lol

leftovers i have used in pastry for a yummy pie include:
beef in red wine
nachos or taco mix
leftover curry of any kind
any leftover casserole or even a stir fry
bolognese sauce

sometimes you might need to add more liquid or thicken up the sauce, but often it will be fine to plonk straight into the pastry and cook. if you dont' have enough leftovers for a meal now you dont' need to stuff yourself with it or chuck it, just make it into a pie! put in the freezer utnil you're ready to make a batch of pies, or make a batch and freeze reading for lunches etc (if you've already frozen the filling once dont' refreeze though.)

i was inspired by this recipe in my mum's New Idea magazine...

Indian Chicken Pies

olive oil
1 onion, thinkly sliced
1/4 cup balti curry paste (mild)
500g chicken thigh fillets, chopped
2 desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/2 250g packet frozen spinach, thawed
cooking oil spray
4 frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed, halved
cooked peas and plain yoghurt to serve
coriander sprigs, to garnish

1. heat oil in large saucepan, add onion. cook until soft. add curry paste, cook one minute. add chicken and potatoes. cook for 2 mins until chicken changes colour. add coconut cream and bring to bil. simmer 5 mins or until chicken cooked. squeeze excess moisture from spinach, add to chicken mix. mix well, cover, refridgerate until cool.
2. spray 4 pie tins with cooking spray
3. cut out oval shape from each sheet of shortcrust patry, big enough to line tin. place in tins, brush edges with egg. divide filling among tins. place puff pastry over filling. press along rim of tins, trim edges, use fork to seal. brush tops with egg. make two slits in top of each pie
4. cook in a hot oven (200c) for about 30 mins or until pastry is golden & puffed
5. serve with peas, top with yoghurt & coriander.

there's also a great weekday chicken, leek and corn pie
1 large bbq chicken - remove meat & chop
melt butter, cook onion & leeks
add flour & cook 1 min
stir in stock, then add chicken, creamed corn and some cream
simmer for 5 minutes, stir in chives
cool, place in pastry and bake :)

this would be an easy peasy one for the thermomix to make ;)

what else have you put in your pies?