Beef and Creamy Artichoke Puff Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp beef stock base paste

1 tsp worcesteechire sauce

1/4 tsp Herbes du Provence,or Italian herbs

dash (ideally freshly ground) nutmeg, about 1/4 tsp

1 medium onion, diced

1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 lb cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup good real mayonnaise

Generous dash Tabasco sauce

4 cups fesh baby spinach leaves

Two 12"x12" square puff pastry

Eggwash of 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375F. Brown the beef in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil. Mix in the stock paste, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and nutmeg, and cook another 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil. Beat the cream cheese together with the mayonnaise (I used a food processor and pulsed gently), and fold together with the onions, artichokes and Tabasco.

Lay out the puff pastry squares each on an individual, oiled jelly roll baking pan. Place half the spinach leaves on the center 6-8 inch square of each pastry, leaving a generous 2-inch border around the spinach. Top each spinach base with half the beef and cover the beef with half the artichoke topping. Fold the pastry borders up and over the toppings, stretching carefully. Pinch the corners together carefully, to form an open-faced case for the filling. Paint the pastry edges with the egg wash.

Bake 30-45 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the filling is cooked through, and is browned and bubbly. Serves 4-6.