Low Histamine Vegetable Pasties

When it's freezing cold outside to the point that you lose all ability to grip your house key and it takes you 3 attempts to get inside the house, there are only certain foods that are acceptable for lunch. You need something piping hot and comforting, like a giant food cuddle. Enter, the great British pasty. That crumbling pastry, those delicious fillings...and instant cheering up device. Don't think that just because you're on a low histamine diet or perhaps looking for a healthier option that you have to miss out - just make these low histamine vegetable pasties instead.

Low Histamine Vegetable Pasties

Ingredients: (Makes 4 pasties)

For the pastry- this is the BBC Good Food Basic Shortcrust Pastry recipe

• 225g plain flour
• 100g butter (diced)
• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1 red pepper
• 3 small carrots
• 1 courgette
• 1 leek
• 70g frozen sweetcorn 
• Packet of ricotta cheese 

Method:

For the pastry:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

For the filling:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Chop up the pepper, carrots, courgette and leek into small chunks then place on a baking tray with a little olive oil spray, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. 
• Take out the oven and place vegetables into a mixing bowl and add the sweetcorn. Flavour with salt and pepper and stir. 
• Separate the pastry into 4 even pieces then roll out each piece of pastry one at a time onto a lightly floured surface. Add 2-3 heaped tablespoons of the vegetables in the middle of each circle. Add 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese on top, or 2 if you want it extra cheesy. Fold the pastry over the top in half and cut any edges off to make a semi circle, leaving an extra 2cm so there's enough pastry left to make the fold. Roll up the remaining 2cm and pinch together to seal the pasty and prevent any of the filling from leaking out during cooking. 
• Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius. Place in the oven on a grill rack (they will stick to a baking tray) and cook for another 20 minutes.
• Once out of the oven wait for the pasties to cool down before eating.