talkhealth Blog

Christmas eve is a time to start the celebrations but it is often very busy wrapping presents, last minute gift purchasing and perishable food shopping. I would usually do my food shopping perhaps a day before Christmas Eve as the supermarkets can be just too busy for me. However, every year I plan to have it all finished by Christmas eve and I have never achieved my goals. So, if you are entertaining guests you perhaps might need a stunning dish that’s easy to prepare? The pastry can be made earlier and frozen and then all the preparation is in rolling out the pastry and decorating the top. Which means chopping vegetables and grating cheese – what could be easier?

Ingredients

• 200g Plain flour
• 150g Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 50mls water
• Salt
• Flour to roll out the pastry
• 100g cheese
• 2 Heritage carrots purple and orange (or standard ones will do just fine!)
• 1 small parsnip
• 30g pine nuts
• Spray oil

Method

• Sieve flour, Baking powder, xanthan gum and salt into a bowl, mix.
• Weigh out the butter and divide into three.
• Rub 1/3 of the butter into the flour and then add the water.
• Bring the ingredients together and roll into a rectangle, mark out into three sections – to the bottom 2/3 and add blobs of butter to the dough.
• Bring the bottom 1/3 of the pastry over the middle third and then fold over the top third. Rotate a quarter turn, roll and repeat the above at least three times.
• Rest for 30 minutes before use. Or freeze at this stage if planning to use the pastry later.
• Roll out the pastry into an oblong and score around the edges with a sharp knife taking care not to score through.
• Where you are planning to place the vegetables prick the pastry with a fork.
• Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the pastry.
• Wash and slice the carrot and parsnips thinly.
• Arrange the carrots on the pastry and spray with oil.
• Cook in an oven at 220 degrees C or gas mark seven for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Five minutes before the end of the cooking time sprinkle the pastry with pine nuts.
• Serve.

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Julie

I am a state registered dietitian and advisor to The IBS Network, the UK charity for people with irritable bowel syndrome. My specialty is dietary treatment of gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease, lactose & fructose malabsorption and complex food intolerances. I also have experience in dietetic treatment of people who have bariatric surgery and weight management.