Delicious and Nutritious Mushroom Recipes 

Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pies 

Makes 4 large individual pies

Ingredients: 

• 1 small whole free-range chicken, ± 1kg  
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 Tbsp butter  
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 large leek, washed and sliced 
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tsp dried herbs 
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves  
• 50g flour 
• 500ml chicken stock 
• 250ml full cream milk 
• 80g fresh or frozen peas (about ½ a cup)  
• 500g mixed cultivated mushrooms, sliced  
• 1 x 400g roll store-bought puff pastry 
• 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash  
•  Olive oil 
• Salt and pepper, to taste  

 Method:  

• Preheat oven to 200˚C.  
• Rub chicken all over with salt, pepper and olive oil.  
• Place in a roasting dish and roast for ± 60 minutes until cooked through.  
• Leave to rest for 20 minutes.  
• Shred chicken and discard the skin.  
• Use carcass for creating wonderful homemade chicken stock.  
• Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan.  
• Add the onion, leek and celery – cook until tender.  
• Add the garlic, dried herbs and fresh thyme. 
• Cook until the garlic is fragrant.   
• Add the flour and cook for a minute, coating the vegetables well.  
• Pour in the chicken stock, stirring quickly as you go to incorporate the flour into the liquid.  
• Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.  
• Stir in the peas and the shredded chicken.  
• Taste to adjust seasoning.  
• Remove from the heat and set aside.  
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.  
• Sauté mushrooms, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and they have released all of their liquid. Season lightly.  
• Fold golden brown mushrooms into the rest of the filling.  
• Preheat oven to 180˚C. 
• Select four large ramekins, baking dishes or little cast iron mini pots or mini pans.  
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry slightly and cut out pie lids using the ramekins to measure. 
• Fill the dishes with the chicken and mushrooms filling.  
• Top with the puff pastry, press the edges down to seal against the ramekins.  
• Cut four little slits into each pie crust.  
• Brush all over with egg wash.  
• Bake for ± 35 minutes until deeply golden and the puff pastry is cooked through and perfectly crispy.  

 Serve pies with a light side salad and enjoy!

Curried Mushroom Hand Pies  

 Makes 12 hand pies Ingredients:

Crust: 

• 350g flour 
• 8g salt 
• 150g butter 
• 2 large free-range eggs 
• 20-30ml ice cold water 

 Filling: 

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped  
•  30g raw cashew nuts 
• 1 large ripe tomato, stem removed & a cross cut into the base  
• 1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered  
• ± 250ml boiling water  
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 2 Tbsp curry powder, pick your strength  
• 250g button mushrooms, quartered  
• 80g fresh or frozen peas (about ½ a cup)  
• 1 large handful coriander, roughly chopped 
• 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash  
• Cumin seeds, for sprinkling the pies 
• Chutney, for serving  

Method:

For the crust: 

• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  
• Mix the butter into the flour using your finger tips to make a wet sand.  
• Add the eggs and mix with a fork until the dough is just coming together.  
• Gradually add water, a spoonful at a time, just until the mixture holds together. 
• Don’t overwork the dough.  
• Shape into a large disc and cover in plastic wrap. 
• Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or make in advance the night before.  

 For the filling: 

• Place potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil.  
• Simmer until potatoes are tender. Drain and roughly mash. Set aside.  
• Place cashew nuts, tomato and onion in a jug.  
• Pour over boiling water to cover. Leave for 30 minutes.  
• Drain off the water, peel the tomato and place everything in a blender.  
• Blend until completely smooth.  
• If your tomato was not juicy enough you can add a little water to the blender to help things along.  
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.  
• Add the cumin seeds and curry powder and cook for a minute until fragrant.  
• Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown.  
• Pour in the cashew nut puree and simmer.  
• Add the peas, coriander and mashed potato. Mix until everything is well combined. 
• Taste to adjust seasoning.  
• Remove filling from the heat and scrape into a bowl. Cool completely.  

To assemble the pies: 

• On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough to about ± 3mm – 4mm thick.  
• Using a ± 13cm bowl placed upside down, cut out circles of pastry.  
• Add a few spoonfuls of cold filling into the circle of pastry and wet one side of the edge with water. Seal up into a half-moon shape, squeezing out any air pockets as you go.  
• Place half-moon pies onto a tray lined with baking paper.  
• Press down on the edges with the prongs of a fork to join the two layers of pastry properly and create a pretty-looking edge.  
• Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.  
• Preheat oven to 200˚C.  
• Remove pies from the fridge and slice two little cuts into each pie for steam to escape.  
• Egg wash all over and sprinkle with cumin seeds. 
• Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and the pastry is cooked through.  

Serve with a dollop of your favourite chutney and enjoy!  

Mushroom & Mixed Veg Spiral Pie 

Serves 8

Ingredients: 

Crust: 

• 350g flour 
• 8g salt 
• 150g butter 
• 2 large free-range eggs 
• 20-30ml ice cold water 

Filling: 

• 250g smooth ricotta cheese 
• 2 large free-range eggs 
• 40g Parmesan cheese, grated  
• 1 tsp dried herbs 

Vegetables:

• 8 baby marrows 
• 3 carrots 
• 2 eggplants 
• 4 large portabello steaks (or the largest brown mushrooms you can find)  
• Olive oil 
• Salt and pepper, to taste  
• 28cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin  

Method:  

For the crust: 

• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  
• Mix the butter into the flour using your finger tips to make a wet sand.  
• Add the eggs and mix with a fork until the dough is just coming together.  
• Gradually add water, a spoonful at a time, just until the mixture holds together. 
• Don’t overwork the dough.  
• Shape into a large disc and cover in plastic wrap. 
• Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or make in advance the night before.  
• On a well-floured work surface, roll the dough out into a ± 4mm thick circle.  
• Roll up the dough onto your rolling pin.  
• Unroll the dough over the 28cm tart tin.  
• Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart tin. Trim off most of the excess leaving a few mm above the rim of the tart tin.  
• Prick the base of the dough all over with a fork. Place in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.  
• Preheat the oven to 200˚C.  
• Fill the dough lined tart tin with scrunched up baking paper and baking beans or rice.  
• Blind bake for 20 minutes.  
• Remove the beans and baking paper and return to the oven for another 7 minutes.  
• Set the crust aside.  

For the filling:  

• Whisk all the ingredients together and season well. Set aside.  

For the vegetables:  

• Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, slice the courgettes into thin ribbons.  
• Toss in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and place in a sieve to degorge.  
• Slice the carrots and eggplants into thin ribbons.  
• Using a very sharp knife, remove the core and slice the portabello mushrooms into thin strips.  
• Trim all the vegetables so that the ribbons and slices are all as close as possible in size so they layer well together.  

To assemble:  

• Spread the filling evenly over the blind-baked crust.  
• Starting from the outside next to the crust, line the walls of the tart with the veg ribbons, alternating each veg, until the entire tin is filled.
• Brush the vegetables with a little olive oil and sprinkle over some salt and pepper. 
• Bake at 200˚C for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are just tender and cooked through and the tart base is crisp. 
• Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.  

Slice into wedges and serve with a fresh green salad.  

Mushroom & Seafood Pie  

Serves 8

Ingredients: 

 Topping:  

• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cubed  
• 125g butter 
• 125ml warm milk  

 Filling:  

• 600ml full cream milk 
• 5 bay leaves  
• 500g smoked haddock 
•  500g prawns, deveined & shell removed  
•  500g white button mushrooms, sliced  
•  50g butter  
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced  
• 1 large leek, washed and sliced 
• 40g flour 
• 150ml white wine  
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard 
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper 
• Zest of 1 lemon 
• 2 Tbsp chives, sliced 
• 2 Tbsp dill fronds 
•  2 Tbsp breadcrumbs 
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste  

 Method:  

 For the topping: 

• Place potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water.  
• Bring to a simmer and cook until tender.  
• Drain. Tip the potatoes back into the pot to steam dry. 
• Mash and add the milk and butter as you go until smooth. 
• Taste to adjust seasoning. Set aside.  

 For the filling: 

• Place the milk and bay leaves in a medium sized saucepan and heat. 
• Add the haddock and gently poach until cooked through.  
• Remove from the milk. 
• Set aside.  
•  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.  
• Sauté the prawns until just pink and golden on both sides.  
• Set aside.  
•  In the same pan heat a fresh drizzle of olive.  
• Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown and they have released all their liquid.  
• Set aside.  
•  Preheat oven to 220˚C.  
•  In a large Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil with the butter.  
• Sauté the onion, carrot and leek until tender.  
• Sprinkle over the flour and cook for one minute.  
• Pour in the wine slowly. Mixing and scraping any flour off the bottom of the pot.  
• Pour in the milk / poaching liquid and stir to combine.  
• Add the Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, lemon zest and bring to a simmer.  
• Simmer until thickened.  
• Taste to adjust seasoning.  
•  Add herbs at the end and fold through along with the haddock, prawns and mushrooms.  
•  Spoon filling into a ± 28cm x 22cm baking dish.  
•  Gently top with the mashed potato, spreading it all over and scoring with a fork if desired.  
• Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.  
•  Bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  

 Serve with a fresh green salad and enjoy!