Comfort food: chunky potatoes, soft sweet onions and tangy tomatoes with melty vegan cheese and garlic. All piled into a pastry case and baked. You might recognise this dish by its other name of Homity Pie.

Ingredients

1 batch shortcrust pastry using 200g flour (recipe below)
¾ lb (350 g) potatoes, large dice
2 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
¾ lb (350 g) onions, chopped
4 oz (100 g) vegan cheese, grated – we use Bute Island Smoked Melty Sheese
2 tomatoes, chopped roughly
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt & pepper

Method

Roll out the pastry and fit into a 9 inch quiche dish or foil dish. Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork to prevent blistering and rising. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 200C/400F oven for 8 minutes.

Boil or steam potatoes until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a medium-size saucepan. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is tender and really soft. Add to the bowl containing your potatoes, together with the cheese, tomatoes and garlic. Stir together and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, then use to fill the pastry case. Smooth down and immediately bake, uncovered, in a preheated 220C/425F oven for 22-30 minutes, until golden.

Easy Pastry

This pastry is easy to make because it uses liquid vegetable oil so there is no rubbing in of the fat into the flour.

100g plain white flour
60g plain wholemeal flour
40g gram flour
½ tsp salt
60 ml rapeseed, sunflower or canola oil
100 ml water

Sieve flours and salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Mix in oil and water with a butter knife. Put your hands in and bring the mixture together to make a soft dough.

Use the pastry straight away, there is no need to refrigerate.

Note. Often this pastry is a bit soft to start with – put it on a floured surface and knead a couple of times – this should make it easier to handle. BUT if you knead it, leave to stand for ten minutes before rolling out. Alternatively try using a bit less water.