Spicy Lamb Pie

Following on from the Waitangi Day ethos of having fun, we went round to Karen and Justin's for a family dinner last night. It was a heaps of fun and I think my tummy muscles are a bit sore from laughing so hard. I am sure the vino played a part in that. One of the highlights of the evening for me was when Nicholas sought out the toilet on his own without being prompted - another excellent step on his toilet training journey. Lovely boy. While our children played we dined on delicious lamb pie, red cabbage coleslaw and crispy potatos...mmm. Karen is a good cook who tries lots of recipes and has a pantry to die for. I often joke that all that food is going to kill her in the big 'quake which negates its value as an emergency store. Anyway, I thought I would put the recipe on this page to share its deliciousness. Thanks Karen

Spicy Lamb Pie

1 tablesp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lamb mince
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
2 teasp. ground cumin
1 teasp. curry powder
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup currants
500g spinach, shredded
2 tablesp. marmalade
1/4 cup beef stock
12 sheets filo pastry
80g melted butter/non stick spray

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a round pie dish with melted butter/non stick spray. Heat the oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and stir for 2 mins. Add the lamb mince and stir for 5 mins, breaking up any lumps with a fork.
2. Add the spices, wine, tomato paste, currants, spinach, marmalade and stock. Simmer uncovered for 20 mins, or until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
3. Remove 1 sheet of pastry, cover rest with damp towel. Brush/spray filo with butter/spray and cover with another 2 sheets, brushing each. Cut in half, crossways, and line the pie dish with the 2 halves of pastry, leaving any overhanging edges. Spoon the lamb mixture into the dish. Brush the remaining sheets and scrunch each into a ball and place on top of pie.

Bake for 45 mins or until golden on top.

Off to work on this sunny day

Ka kete ano