beef, onion, rosemary and pine nut parcels

finding tasty options for packed lunches is always in the back of my mind when i’m flicking through recipes and these meaty puff pastry parcels looked like they had potential when i spotted them in a recent copy of delicious magazine. they were an absolute success, both as an easy supper, served with a big pile of salad, or eaten cold the next day as a packed lunch.

the recipe below makes 8 large parcels. i made 12 smaller ones and found that this was a good size – two for supper with salad or one for a lighter lunch option. the onion marmalade which i used was a gift from my lovely friend kirsty, and was from the bay tree food company. this worked incredibly well as it had a spicy depth of flavour which really complemented the other ingredients, but if you want to make your own, skye gyngell’s method for slow roasted red onions* would be a great alternative.

beef, onion, rosemary and pine nut parcels* (makes 8)

150g beef mince

150g pork mince

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

2 x 375g packs of puff pastry

8 teaspoons onion marmalade

125g mozzarella, diced

25g parmesan

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

leaves from 1 large fresh rosemary sprig

preheat the oven to 200c.

mix together the beef and pork mince, onion, fennel, garlic, oregano and seasoning in a bowl and mix together well using your hands.

cut each pastry sheet into 4 equal squares. put on 2 baking sheets and spread each with 1 teaspoon of onion marmalade. top with the mince and fold in the corners to overlap the mixture. bake for 15 minutes then top with the cheeses, pine nuts and rosemary and bake for an extra 10 minutes.

* sliced your red onions then toss them with a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and black pepper. slow roasted until soft and sweetened.

** recipe from delicious magazine