Cottage Pie!

Hi Friends:

When I was growing up, we had a lot of one-skillet suppers: macaroni and cheese, chicken cacciatore, American chop suey - all decidedly comfort food, flavorful and satisfying. Cottage pie is another such meal. It dates back to the late 1700's when it was a way of using leftover roasted meat and prepared with an affordable mashed potato crust. Now synonymous with shepherd's pie, (although my English husband says cottage pie is made with beef and shepherd's pie with lamb as shepherds are concerned with sheep) the dish remains much the same and is prized for its golden mashed potato crust. Here's a classic version that I think you will enjoy. Prepare it in a large casserole dish or make individual servings in ramekins - serves six.

Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 3/4 lbs ground beef
4 teaspoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
melted butter 
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Peel and boil potatoes for mashing. In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium low heat, saute garlic, onion and carrots in oil until slightly softened.

Turn up the heat and add the ground beef. Continue cooking until brown. Stir in the tomato paste, beef stock and peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish if not using a dutch oven. Mash potatoes (with milk and butter to taste) and spread over the top of the dish. Brush with melted butter and bake for 40 minutes.

Enjoy with the family on a chilly night!

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup!

Hi friends:

When it's overcast, damp and downright chilly, we all start thinking soup for dinner. There are a lot of very good commercial soups to choose from, but nothing beats homemade when it comes to health and nutrition. You get to control the ingredients, especially the salt! This quick and easy recipe for vegetable beef soup comes to you from my dad. You can vary the ingredients so that everyone is happy and satisfied. If you have a vegetarian in the family like I do, just use vegetable stock and add the meat to each bowl when served. As with all homemade soups, sauces and gravies, this tastes even better the next day and freezes well.

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 celery stalks, medium dice
2 carrots, medium dice
60 to 64 oz. broth (beef, chicken or vegetable/can or carton)
2 cups water (according to desired consistency)
1 large potato, medium dice
2 large tomatoes, medium dice
20 oz. mixed cut vegetables (canned or frozen)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried basil or 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 pound ground beef, trimmed stew beef or diced chicken

Melt butter in 6 quart saucepan and saute onion, celery and carrot until softened.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, brown ground beef, cubed stew beef or cubed chicken. Set aside.

Dice potato and tomatoes.

Add mixed cut vegetables to the pan. I used a bag of frozen peas, corn, green beans and carrots and then added a cup of frozen lima beans. This is completely your choice. Add more or less vegetables according to taste. More vegetables will give you a stew-like consistency.

Add broth and water to the saucepan.

Next, add in the potato and tomato. Everything is added immediately in this recipe.

Finally, add in spices and salt to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender (approximately an hour). 

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and, of course, hot rolls! Enjoy! 

 

Dill-icious!

Being a full time communications professional, business owner and blogger, any recipe that is quick, easy and flavorful has my immediate attention. My life changed when I tried this new entree salad recipe that features seasonal fruits, nuts and a dillweed vinaigrette that makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If there is one variety of food that must work extra hard to inspire me, it's salad. I'm not that girl who can sit down to a plate of lettuce and a bottle of ranch and be happy or satisfied. But this salad really packs a punch. Try it for dinner one night this week and let me know what you think in the comments section.

Happy dining!

Mixed Greens with Dill Salad Dressing 

Assemble ingredients

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. dried dillweed

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 Tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 Tsp. dried oregano

Salad Ingredients:

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 pound of shrimp

Steak and Chicken Rub (any brand will work)

8 cups spring/mixed greens or baby spinach

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup crumbled goat or farmer's cheese

1/4 cup pecans, chopped & toasted

For the vinaigrette, mix all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a whisk or fork. Let stand while you prepare the salad. 

Next generously cover the chicken or shrimp with a steak and chicken rub and grill on a gas or charcoal grill (12-15 minutes for chicken / 2-5 minutes for shrimp). I skewer my shrimp to avoid losing them through the grates. Cool.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and toast chopped pecans (5-8 minutes, turning often). Arrange salad greens on four plates. Top with cranberries, goat cheese, toasted pecans and chicken or shrimp (if using chicken, slice thinly). Give the vinaigrette one last whisk then drizzle over each salad. 

Dill-icious salad pictured with chicken and shrimp. Enjoy!