In a land where the meat pie reigns supreme, Ginny Grant has vege-packed numbers to make you reconsider.

Pies, breads and all those winter warmer-style dishes are just so snackable, and it goes without saying that they are sustaining and comforting. While all of these are made from scratch, there is a joy in mixing up a few leftovers, maybe adding some fresh greens and herbs, something with a hint of umami and then enclosing them in a dough for another meal. Thrifty, yes, but often more than the sum of its parts, especially with your favourite relish, hot sauce, ketchup or chutney.

Of course they aren’t necessarily fast. Both pastry and filling need to be prepared, allowed to rest and cooled; I tend to think of these as something to be made in stages between other projects. Pastry can be made fast in the morning and chilled while you are working, fillings can be made a day ahead or cooled quickly on a large tray (and sometimes even thrown into the freezer to speed things up a bit). And, of course, rolling, assembling and baking can take some time.

If the thought of making pastry puts you off use a bought pastry instead. There are some terrific products out there, including an increasing number of vegan options.