Herb veggie plait

This recipe is easy to scale up if you have more than one vegetarian guest for lunch.

SERVES 1 PREP 25min, plus cooling COOK 30min

• 1tsp oil

• 1 shallot, finely sliced

• ½ red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced

• A few pitted olives, finely chopped cream, add a

• 1 small garlic clove, crushed squeeze of lemon

• Small handful parsley, juice to double finely chopped

• 150g (5oz) puff pastry

• 1 egg, beaten

• Sesame or poppy seeds, to garnish

1 Heat oil in a frying pan set over a high heat. Fry shallot and red pepper until softened. Take off heat and stir in olives, garlic, parsley; season. Cool. 2 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Roll out pastry into a 16cm (6½in) square and place on a baking sheet. Arrange pepper mixture in a line towards you down the middle third of pastry. With a sharp knife, cut 1cm (½in) wide slits, running from 2cm (¾in) away from the pepper mixture to edges of the pastry, slanting the slits towards you. Brush pastry with some

beaten egg. Fold pastry ends over filling, then, starting at end furthest from you, fold pastry strips over pepper mixture to give a plait effect.

3 Brush top of pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Cook in oven for 25min.

GET AHEAD Prepare plait to end of step 2 and freeze in a freezerproof container for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight at room temperature and complete recipe to serve.

PER SERVING: CALS 652; FAT 46G; SAT FAT 22G; CARBS 49G