I don’t have a boss who sends me home at 5 o’clock so that I can cook dinner.
In fact, I am self-employed. I’m my own boss, like lots of other women. When you are your own boss it means you have to be vigilant about getting to work, getting the work done and getting the work done on time. No one is there hammering you to do the job. No one is there threatening you that if you don’t, you’ll be fired.
And of course there are days when one is not home at 5 o’clock to cook dinner.
Like the days when I am not working at my food writing but am spending time with the grandkids. Those can be long days. I am sometimes exhausted when I get home (but wouldn’t trade those days for anything).
That’s when I need food that I can (or my husband Ed can) pop into the oven to heat through so even on those days we can have a lovely meal.
Like these Cornish Pasties. It can be a meal in one because it has protein plus vegetables. But I guess a salad would round it out nicely.
Pasties are also handy for football watching or election night watching.
Cornish Pasties
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons cold margarine or butter
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Water, about 3-4 tablespoons
12-14 ounces beef, such as skirt or hanger steak, finely chopped (or chopped, cooked halibut)
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 large carrot, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon margarine or butter cut into 8-10 equal pieces
1 large egg, beaten
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Measure the flour and salt into a food processor. Add the margarine or butter and vegetable shortening in chunks. Process ingredients on pulse about 18 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons water gradually with the machine on, adding more water only if necessary to form a soft ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When chilled, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place the chopped beef, potatoes, onion, peas and carrot in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture evenly just below the center of each rolled out piece of dough. Top each with one piece of margarine or butter. Brush a film of beaten egg around the perimeter of each circle. Gently fold the dough into half circles, covering the filling and crimping the edges together. Place the pasties on a cookie sheet. Brush the pasties with beaten egg. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Brush the pasties with egg for a second time. Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Makes 8 pasties