Beef mince is the base but there are plenty of other flavours going on—sweetness from celery and capsicum, savoury from tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, and acidity from lemon pepper. Wrap this in pastry and you have a grown up version of a sausage roll.

I recalled this dish as something that Mum used to make for my sisters and I when we were little. While I hadn’t made it myself for years, I decided to give it a whirl as potentially something to add to my kid-friendly repertoire.

Success! And the best bit—it’s full of vegetables but, because the pieces are so small, all fussy eaters see is an oversized sausage roll.

Ingredients:

500g lean beef mince
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 small green capsicum, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 tsp beef stock (powder only)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs tomato paste
½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 sheet puff pastry
1 beaten egg for glazing

Combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, vegetables, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, lemon pepper and parsley; mix well.

Mould the mixture into a log shape and arrange on the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the top and sides, ensuring you seal the edges. Place in a greased baking dish and glaze with the beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven (approximately 200°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed green beans.

I made quiche over the weekend and the pastry shell turned out perfectly—light, flaky and golden, giving a bit of crunch to the delicate filling.

Pastry can make or break an otherwise fabulous dish. A delicious filling will pale if it’s served in soggy pastry. Particularly with things like quiche or pie where the filling is soft, it’s important to get a crisp shell to add texture.

Here’s how to go about it…

500g organic plain flour
250g butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs, beaten
Pinch of sea salt
A splash of milk

Put the flour, butter and sea salt into the food processor and pulse for 30 seconds until the mixture becomes fine crumbs.

Add the eggs and milk and pulse until the mixture comes together. Gently tip the dough out onto a floured bench and draw it together into a ball. Wrap in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes (or freeze to use on another occasion).

Pull the pastry out of the fridge and roll to the desired thickness. Be sure to blind bake it until the pastry is golden, dry and firm. Allow to cool and then add the filling.