Shepherd's Pie (and some basic mash)

I first made shepherd's pie, perhaps not surprisingly, when we were living in Ireland. We liked to watch a show called "The Restaurant," where each week a guest chef would have the chance to design & prepare a menu for a restaurant full of people and several critics. These guest chefs were tv personalities, sports stars, politicians, journalists, radio announcers, etc. Good fun, both for the food as well as for the insights into Irish food and culture.

One time the guest chef made Shepherd's Pie, and I said, "I could make that! I should make that. Let's have that next week!" And so we did.

Now, whenever I want to make shepherd's pie, I always pull out my print-out of her recipe... and never, ever, ever follow it. :) I don't even have any notes written on it. But it does remind me of how generally to make it, that I need to remember the thyme & rosemary, and how it should taste at the end. Which is yummy.

Shepherd's Pie

1. Make mashed potatoes from scratch. For me, that means wash & cut-up some red potatoes & boil until soft. No need to peel them first, just cut out any iffy bits. Drain & mash with butter. Lots of butter. And some salt. If you've got sour cream or plain yogurt or cream cheese, go ahead and add some of that - it'll just make it yummier. Set aside. You're better off making too much mash than not enough, 'cuz it makes fine leftovers, but not enough to cover the pie looks scanty. If you're really fancy, you could peel your potatoes and whip them and later use a pastry bag to pipe them all pretty on top & then sprinkle with parsley to garnish, you overachiever, you.
2. Peel & dice or slice some nice carrots. I like carrots, so I do 3 or 4 of them. Saute in olive oil or a mix of butter and olive oil until they're just starting to get a few brownish bits. Set aside.
3. Peel and dice some onion fairly finely. Red is milder and what I prefer, but whatever you have on hand is fine. Saute to your preferred level of softness/translucence & set aside.
4. Cook up some ground lamb (aka lamb mince) and/or ground beef, about a pound & a half total (A pound is 454 g. Ah, the memories. *grin*) until it's browned, but not crispy. This last time I did half of each.
5. Add a good splash of red wine, maybe a dash of Worchestershire, and some beef broth. (Have I mentioned my love of Better than Bouillon lately? 'Cuz it tastes so much better than the granules and is just as convenient!) The amount will depend on the leanness of your ground meat, but you want it to have enough gravy that it doesn't get dry when/if the potatoes soak up some of the sauce. Too soupy is not great though, so find a happy medium.
6. Sprinkle in some salt & pepper to taste and about a teaspoon each of thyme & rosemary (a bit more if you're using fresh). Let it simmer for a while - 15 minutes? - enough to let the flavors meld.
7. Stir back in the onions & carrots. I add some thawed frozen peas in at this point, too. Taste & adjust the seasoning, gravy amount, etc. if it's not awesome.
8. Put it in a pretty casserole and level it out. Carefully spread the mashed potatoes over the top evenly, then pop it in the oven & broil it until the top has some nice color to it. If your broiler is on the fritz, don't worry your pretty little head about that step - it'll still taste just as good, as long as you make sure it's heated though. You could do this up into biggish ramekins if you'd like individual servings, or if you want to make a bunch & freeze them. Not that I've done that, but you could. ;)
   

Enjoy, especially with a nice stout (Murphy's or Beamish if you can find them) or a glass of red wine!

Corned Beef and Carrots with Marmalade-Whiskey Glaze

Thanks to my wonderful Wednesday Dinner friends, I had corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day last night! The Sexy Blonde made this corned beef dish from Epicurious.com. Wow. The glaze is amazing, and it all seemed to come together very quickly.

Corned Beef and Carrots with Marmalade-Whiskey Glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus more for serving

1 2- to 2 1/4-pound piece lean fully cooked corned beef
12 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise
Fresh parsley sprigs


Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Boil marmalade, whiskey and nutmeg in saucepan until reduced to generous 3/4 cup, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon mustard.

Generously brush corned beef all over with glaze; place in center of prepared sheet. Toss carrots and 1/4 cup glaze in large bowl to coat; place around beef. Sprinkle carrots with salt and pepper. Roast until carrots are tender and beef is golden, brushing occasionally with more glaze, about 35 minutes. Transfer to platter, garnish with parsley, and serve with Dijon mustard.

Beef and Guinness Stew

I made this recipe from the current (March 2010) Cooking Light magazine last night. It was good, but I got a little much oil in when I was going to cook the onions, so it was a tish oily. The raisins add a touch of sweetness, I think, but it is a bit of a surprise when you come across one in your stew. I didn't cook it as long as they recommend (and didn't boil the meat at all - doesn't that make it tough/dry?) and it was still great. I like my vegetables not completely mush, so didn't boil the last 10 minutes either. Still, allow for the afternoon to make this, then just turn it down to low and let it simmer 'til you want it.

Also, I'd bet you could saute the beef, then throw it all in the slowcooker & leave it cooking low & slow for a long time. If you try that, let us know how it turns out.

Also, who'd'a thunk my girls would go nuts for raw parsnips! I gave 'em a taste so they could see what it was like & they begged for a bowlful. *shrug* Go, nonstandard veggies! :)

Beef and Guinness Stew

2 Tbl. canola oil, divided
1 Tbl. butter, divided
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 lbs. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp. salt, divided
5 c. chopped onion (about 3 onions) [I did 2 small-med ones & it was less than 5 c., but fine.]
1 Tbl. tomato paste [Thought I had some in freezer, but couldn't find. Squeezed in a little ketchup instead.]
4 c. fat-free, less-sodium beef broth [For me - 4 c. hot water & ~4 tsp. beef Better-Than Bouillon - it's great stuff!]
1 (11.2 oz) bottle Guinness Draft
1 Tbl. raisins
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 c. (1/2" thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 oz.) [about 4 good-sized carrots]
1 1/2 c. (1/2" thick) diagonal slices parsnips (about 8 oz.) [1-2 parsnips, discovered my girls love raw parsnip, so I had less for stew!]
1 c. (1/2") cubed, peeled turnip (about 8 oz.) [1 medium]
2 Tbl. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley [Oh, guess I forgot this one.]

1. Heat 1 Tbl. oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp. butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef w. 1/2 tsp. salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 Tbl. oil, 1 1/2 tsp. butter, and beef.

2. Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, sraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. STir in remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil.

3. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. [I skipped this boiling step for time & because I thought it would make the meat tough.] Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minute or until vegetables are tender. [Again, I didn't boil mine as I don't like veg that are completely mushy.] Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 8 servings (about 1 c.)


Calories: 365; Fat: 19.4 g (sat 6.8g, mono 8.6g, poly 1.7g); Protein: 25.3g; Carb 18.8 g; fiber 3.6 g.; Chol 62 mg; Iron 2.6 mg; Sodium 454 mg; Calc 52 mg

Memphis-Style Beef Ribs

First of all, Mr. Kluges made this with pork ribs and it was still delicious. Also, we so didn't do that many ribs for just our little family! Once again, from "How to Grill" by Steven Raichlen. He also points out in his introduction that "Wet refers to sweet, sticky, sauce-slathered ribs in the style of Kansas City, while dry refers to the spice-crusted ribs of Memphis, Tennessee."

2 racks of beef ribs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each) [or pork ribs]
3 Tbl. sweet paprika
2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp. mustard seeds
3 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup distilled white vinegar
North Carolina Vinegar Sauce (optional) [from elsewhere in his cookbook]

1. Rinse the ribs under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Combine the paprika, hot pepper flakes, mustard seeds, 2 tsp. coarse salt, pepper, brown sugar, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and cumin in a small bowl or spice shaker. Set aside 2 Tbl. for the mop sauce.
2. Sprinkle about 1 Tbl. of the rub on the meat side and 1/2 Tbl. on the bone side of each rack of ribs, rubbing the spices on with your fingers. Set the remaining rub aside for serving. Let the ribs sit for 20 minutes while you make the vinegar mop sauce and preheat the grill.
3. Combine the vinegar and remaining 1 tsp. salt with the 2 Tbl. reserved rub in a small bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved.
4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using charcoal, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or a smoker pounch and preheat the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. [We didn't use wood chips with our gas grill.]
5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss half the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Place the ribs in the center of the hot grate away from and cover the grill. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the ribs are cooked, they will be mahogany brown and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers; the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using charcoal, add 12 fresh coals per side and toss on the remaining wood chips after 1 hour.
6. Transfer the ribs to a clean cutting board. Mop on both sides with mop sauce and sprinkle with remaining rub. Cut the rack into individual ribs and serve at once with any remaining mop sauce or the North Carolina Vinegar Sauce, if desired.

Matambre aka Stuffed, Rolled, Grilled Flank Steak

According to the intro to this recipe in "How to Grill" by Steven Raichlen, "matambre" means "hunger killer." I think it should mean, "Oh pretty! Look at all the stuff wrapped up into that steak like a spiral! How did they DO that?" Don't decide to do this too late in the day though - it cooks for 1 1/2 - 2 hours! It can be assembled ahead of time though...

For the beef:
1 flank steak (1 1/2 - 1 1/4 lbs.)
6 thin slices bacon
coarse salt & black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbl. red wine vinegar

[You'll also need aluminum foil (heavy-duty might be best) and butcher's string/kitchen twine.]

For the filling:
1 piece (6-8 oz.) kielbasa, or other cooked smoked sausage, cut lengthwise into thin strips [We used precooked smoked Polish sausage.]
4 ribs celery, cut lengthwise in thin strips
2 large carrots, cut lengthwise in thin strips
6 oz. smoked cooked ham (sliced 1/4 inch thick), cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
6 oz. Romano cheese (sliced 1/4 inch thick), cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
[Mr. Kluges said he had a lot of everything left over that wouldn't fit into his flank steak roll.]


1. Butterfly the flank steak - Position the flank steak lengthwise at the edge of the cutting board. Place one hand on top to hold it flat. Using a sharp, slender knife, cut through the side of the steak to butterfly it (open it up). As you cut, fold open the top to help you see what you're doing. Open the meat up like a book.

2. Place a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, 24 inches long, on your work surface, shiny side down. (Double up two smaller pieces if needed.) Arrange the strips of bacon on a sheet of aluminum foil, running parallel to an edge and leaving 1 inch spaces between slices. Lay the butterflied flank steak on top of the bacon, with the grain running parallel to the bacon and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and vinegar.

3. Place a row of kielbasa strips at the ege of the meat closest to you, followed by rows of celery, carrots, ham, cheese and bell pepper strips. Repeat this sequence until all the filling ingredients are used up [or you run out of room]. Leave the last 2 inches of meat uncovered.

4. Starting at the edge of the meat closest to you, and using the aluminum foil to help you, roll up the meat with the filling to make a tight roll, like a jelly roll. Wrap the foil around the meat. Twist the ends of the foil to seal the roll. Make shallow holes in the foil all over, and to ensure a perfectly cylindrical shape, tie the roll in a few places with butcher's string. The matambre can be prepared up to this stage several hours ahead. Store, covered in the refrigerator.

5. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium. When ready to cook, place the roll on the hot grate and grill until cooked through and the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 - 2 hours, turning with tongs every 15 or 20 minutes. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 24 to 30 fresh coals after 1 hour. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer: The internal temperature should be about 180F. Transfer the matambre to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string and foil and cut the roll crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nana's Meal in One (modified by the bad daughter-in-law)

Ajd asked for this recipe from his mom, and then asked me to make changes.  I also demanded a few of my own to make it a little heathier.  My changes are in green. 

Brown 1 pound ground beef with 1 chopped up onion.  Salt (I omit) & pepper to taste.

Combine in a large (9x13) baking dish with:

1 can french cut green beans drained (1/2 a package of frozen french cut green beans, thawed if I remember)

1 can crinkle cut carrots drained (1 generous cup frozen carrots, steamed until very tender)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (1 can 25% less sodium cream of mushroom soup)

1 can classic vegetable beef soup (I left this one alone since using frozen veggies and less sodium C0M already reduces the salt significantly)

Top with 6-8 servings worth of instant mashed potatoes and cheese 6-8 ounces. 

(We have reasonably perfected using home made mashed potatoes for this.  I steam the potatoes for mashing [2-3 pounds or so].  Mash with sour cream, salt, lots of pepper and a little cheese to hold them together)

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until cheese is melted and it is bubbly.  Let cool slightly to setup before 

The next attempt is to make the sauce for the base entirely from scratch.  While I appreciate that it has been requested, I do love cream of mushroom soup. 

Crockpot - Taco Soup

Taco Soup
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cans whole kernel corn, undrained
2 cans ranch-style or chili beans, undrained
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
Crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas, warmed
In a Dutch over or large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, corn, beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Place tortilla chips in soup bowls; ladle soup over chips. Spinkle with cheese. Serve with warmed tortillas.
(I often put the browned beef and all other ingredients in my crockpot and let simmer in there.)

Broiled Flank Steak with Warm Tomato Topping

This one is from Cooking Light. We made it for a Wednesday night dinner. It was quick and tasty.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1696624

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat broiler.
Combine 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over steak. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning once. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño to pan; cook 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Serve tomato topping with steak. Serves 4.

Doc Holiday's Passion

I love the name of this recipe almost as much as I find it delicious. I got it from my mom, but don't know where she got it or the origin of the name. It's a bit time-consuming, but if you double it, you can freeze half and you'll thank yourself later when you pull it out of the freezer! Serve with egg noodles.

2 lbs. boneless beef round steak, 1" thick
salt & pepper
1/4 c. flour
approx. 4 Tbl. butter
12 oz - 1 lb. mushrooms
10 oz. beef broth (canned or made from bouillon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 shallot, minced
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. brandy

chopped fresh parsley
egg noodles


Cut round steak into 1/4" strips 2-3" long. Roll in flour and salt and pepper. Working in 2 or 3 batches, melt some butter in a large pan over fairly high heat, then brown the beef in it quickly. Set the beef aside and keep warm.

To the pan, add mushrooms and saute in pan juices, plus butter and/or olive oil as desired. (I always have to add butter and/or oil.)

Add beef broth, garlic, shallot, cream and brandy. When that mixture is heated through, return the meat to the pan and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Shipwreck

This is one I grew up on and it seems to be well liked by others even today. It's "Minnesota Winter Food", but without the cream of something soup. It does take a while to bake - yet another reason to do it in winter.

2 lbs hamburger
2 medium onions -white or yellow - sliced
Potatoes - enough to cover a 9x13 pan with 2 loose layers
1/3 c. uncooked rice (not minute rice)
2 c. tomato juice
1 can tomato soup
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder

9x13 pan

1. Lightly brown hamburger. It doesn't have to be fully cooked.
2. Slice potatoes and place in loose layers on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
3. Place the 2 sliced onions on top of the potatoes.
4. Place rice on top of potatoes/onions
5. Place hamburger on top of above
6. Mix all liquids in a bowl along with the chili powder. Pour over the top.
You can also place cheese on top of all of this, but not everyone likes that for some odd reason.
7. Bake, covered (aluminum foil works fine), at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Check at one hour by poking with fork. If potatoes are soft, it's done.

Mexi-Cali Casserole

This is one I got from the mom of an ex, but the recipe stayed. =) Of course, my sister-in-law already published it in a cookbook - without my permission and under her name... I digress.

I have never tried to freeze this, but it keeps well in the fridge for a few days after cooking and reheats in the microwave easily.

1 lb. hamburger
1 can enchilada sauce
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 chopped medium onion
1 (14 oz?)can chili with beans (Regular sized can. I like to use the Hormel vegetarian chili - very few calories and yummy)
2 c. shredded cheese - (I prefer cheddar)
1 c. sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
@ 12 oz bag of Freetos (NOT tortilla chips. Freetos Scoops has less fat)

1 1/2-2 qt casserole dish

1. Brown hamburger with onion.
2. Mix cooked hamburger, onion, tomato and enchilada sauce and chili in the casserole dish.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and about 8-10 oz of the corn chips to the above and mix.
4. Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 min.
5. Remove from oven, put sour cream, a handful or two of the remaining corn chips and the 1/2 cup cheese on top.
6. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti

This is a recipe that has made the rounds on a message board I am a member of. It's gotten rave reviews over the years, but tonight was the first time that I'd ever tried it. I am happy to report that the rumors are true, it's super yummy. Three kinds of cheese, plus sour cream, what's not to love?! Definitely comfort food, but it's perfect for making ahead and freezing. My notes in brackets.

Ingredients:
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped [I added 2 cloves of garlic]
1 pound lean ground beef
2 26 ounce jars spaghetti sauce [I only used one jar of sauce since I didn't read carefully, it came out fine]
6 ounce provolone cheese sliced
1 ½ cup sour cream [reduced fat works just as well]
6 ounce mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Procedure:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. 2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: Half of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Serves 6-8 regular people, 4-6 hungry people.