Enjoy a Pasty for Supper Tonight!

      A Pasty has become one of my favorite quick suppers! You can make use of your leftovers and transform them into a pastry shell and create your own unique shapes! ;)   Next you pop them in the oven for 35-40 minutes, while your tossing a Salad or making a quick soup and then sit down and enjoy, while imaging yourself across the big Pond in  jolly old England!

 The Pasty above was stuffed with leftover steak and veggies from a barbecue and the others chicken and veggies. You can make them with virtually any filling all vegetable or even lentils or beans. Don't make them to saucy as the sauce will drizzle out the sides while cooking and take away from the appearance.
​ I know this as I've been there done that more than once! 

I know I can hear from where I'm sitting the gasps of breath for putting a picture of Lard as an ingredient. First off my defense is less is more and your not going to eat all 6-8 pastys yourself, that called for 1/4 cup lard .....no Butter. Now you could use all butter or half and half lard to butter or my last choice Crisco. I did my research and unless your vegetarian there is a good argument out there that animal Fat=Lard is actually a better choice than Veg lard due to the processing.  If you find lard offensive use a little Crisco or all butter or bacon fat or as I like to create for Britalia Way recipes is a pastry using pancetta that you have cut small and chopped in a mini processor to make it smooth. The flavor is fantastic and of course for Britalia Way it combines an Italian ingredient with an English recipe! ;) ...Not to mention people" Do Not" equate Pancetta to lard rather a delicious product you pick up at an Italian Salumeria!  Seriously pasty's are something you don't have every night and the fat content is probably less than store bought processed pie and bread products eaten far more often. 
               I've made all different types of stuffing and I really like leftover Escarole and beans or Escarole and Sausage. Vegetarians could use cabbage, carrot, peas and parsnips and add cream of celery soup to bind together. Tuna fish , red peppers , onions and capers and bind with a little mayonnaise and chili sauce. I've tasted many from Myers of Keswick in Manhattan and they have beef and onions with delicious mushrooms etc.  There are endless ideas just use leftovers and try them some evening and possibly pour a pint to serve as your beverage!

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Please look at the Pasty on the Green dish above ... the shape a Gondola! ;) Always thinking of Italy when I'm cooking! LOL!