shepherds pie

Mark has been asking for shepherds pie since the weather got cooler. This is a slightly unintentional twist on it, in that I grabbed ground veal thinking it was ground pork. It ended up being a happy accident.



Shepherds Pie

3/4 lb lean ground beef
3/4 lb ground veal
1 large well-washed leek, chopped (you can use onion instead)
2 large cloves of garlic
2 cups sweet corn (frozen works fine)
4 large russet potatoes
2/3 cup of milk
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel potatoes, chop roughly and place in a large pot. Cover with water and set to boil.

Meanwhile, brown the veal and ground beef with the leek (or onion). When meat is almost cooked through grate or mince the garlic and add it, stirring well. Allow to cook a couple minutes more. Once cooked through, remove from heat and drain any fat off. Spread evenly in the bottom of a casserole dish and set aside.

When potatoes are cooked through, drain thoroughly. Return to pot, add half the butter and the milk (you may need slightly more or less milk, depending on the texture you like your mashed potatoes. I don't like mine super smooth...I prefer them a little chunky, aka: Irish style...hah!) and mash. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread sweet corn over meat layer in baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the corn. Dot with remaining butter. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until warmed through and top is starting to brown.

turkey burgers, sesame green beans, and roast potatoes

I used my basic turkey burger recipe - ground turkey, some onion, a couple cloves of garlic, a little salt and black pepper, dash of cayenne, one eggs...and instead of bread crumbs, I used some going-stale scali bread torn / rubbed into crumbs. It made the burgers have a lighter texture, which I liked a lot.

The green beans are so easy, and SO yummy! I just snapped the ends off a bunch of fresh green beans and threw them into a ripping hot pan with a splash of olive oil and a splash of toasted sesame oil, as well as a handful of sesame seeds. I stir-fried them until crisp-tender (I HATE mushy green beans), and that was it.

My potatoes were simply cut-up red bliss potatoes tossed with a couple glugs of olive oil, some sea salt, and some thyme. I spread them out on a big non-stick pan and put them in a 500 degree oven for about 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The high heat might seem excessive, but if you like your roast potatoes nice and crisp, it really is necessary.

sunday night dinner

We stopped in at one of the local farm stands on the way home to look for something for my dad, and I ended up finding some really cute little Japanese eggplants and some lovely rainbow chard. I had no clue what I was making with them when I bought them, and I think probably in terms of cohesiveness I could have done a lot better...but everything still tasted really good, so I'm happy.



For the pork chops, I took thin-cut boneless loin chops and dosed them with thyme, black pepper, and a little garlic salt. Those went into a 450 degree oven for about 5 minutes (no, really, they were THIN) and were done. The eggplant was cut into rounds, tossed in a beaten egg, then in a mixture of flour, a little corn starch, some breadcrumbs, black pepper and cayenne. I laid them into a pan of smoking hot olive oil in batches so as not to crowd them, and flipped them when they got crispy and golden. The chard was washed, chopped roughly (including most of the stems because I like the crunch), and thrown into a hot pan with some chopped onion. I covered the pan tightly so that the water on the leaves would help to steam it and cook it through. It took about 6-7 minutes for the leaves and stems to get tender. I dressed the chard with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I liked the chard and wouldn't change anything with it, I don't think...but I wasn't really satisfied with the eggplant. I keep making eggplant, thinking it's going to taste like something on its own, but...it kind of doesn't. I need to work on that. :)

Spanish chicken skillet

SO yummy, and really quite healthy and inexpensive. We will definitely be having this again.



Spanish Chicken Skillet

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 half breasts)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, UNDRAINED
1/2 cup chicken broth

- Mix flour, salt, and all the spices except the crushed red pepper on a plate or wide bowl. Cut chicken breasts in half to make 6 serving-sized pieces. Dredge chicken lightly in flour and spice mixture. Reserve remainder of flour mixture!

- Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet on medium about 3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside. Add bell pepper and onion to pan, cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until tender.

- Stir in tomatoes, broth, and remaining flour mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in crushed red pepper to taste. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

- Serve chicken and sauce over brown rice. Makes 6 servings.

kielbasa kale soup

Sorry I've been gone so long! We've moved house, and are just about settled in. The kitchen is far bigger and easier to work in than my old one, so I'm very excited to get back to cooking regularly.

Tonight's effort, for your nomming pleasure:



Kielbasa Kale Soup
this was inspired by a conversation with my good friend Amy, about a kielbasa soup she threw together on the fly that turned out really well. As always, thanks Amy! :)

1 loop of kielbasa, chopped (I used McKenzie)
half of one yellow onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 large (or 2-3 small) cloves of garlic, chopped
2 big handfuls of kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped
6 cups of chicken stock (I use half low-sodium and half regular)
1 15-oz can of white beans
2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, lightly brown kielbasa. Once browned, remove meat but leave rendered fat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook over medium heat until all is softened slightly. Add chopped garlic, cook a minute or so more. Add the kielbasa back into the pot, along with the chopped kale. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until kale softens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add a cup of chicken stock, scraping bottom of pan to deglaze. Add the rest of the chicken stock, the beans, crumbled thyme, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 15-20 minutes on low, or until kale is tender.

We had it with some nice semolina bread that I brushed with garlic and olive oil and toasted under the broiler.

Husband-requested meatloaf and onion gravy

My husband likes meat a lot. As in, when I ask him what he wants for dinner, his usual response is "some kind of meat and something to go with it". This afternoon when I asked him if he had any requests for dinner, it went like this:

me: Is there anything specific you want for dinner tonight?
him: Yes! Meatloaf!
me: ...meatloaf? Really?
him: YES! I would like meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
me: Ok. Meatloaf and mash...got it.
him: And peas!
me: Alright...and peas.
him: And onion gravy!
me: Meatloaf, mash, peas AND onion gravy. Sheesh. Ok.
him: *happy grin*

I used to HATE meatloaf as a kid (sorry Mom), so I'm always interested in trying different meatloaf recipes in an attempt to find the perfect one. I came pretty damn close tonight, and the recipe was right in my own kitchen all along! My much-loved and well-used copy of Mark Bittmann's "How To Cook Everything" had a nice simple meatloaf recipe that sounded worth a try. So...I got to work!

The recipe calls for 2 lbs of ground meat, and Bittmann suggests mixing beef with something else - veal, pork, what have you. I used a pound of nice lean ground round, and a pound of ground pork. I added breadcrumbs soaked in milk, a beaten egg, salt and pepper, some grated garlic, a smallish onion (also grated - it's way less work than mincing), and chopped parsley. The recipe called for sage, either fresh or dried. I was out of sage, which I didn't realize until I was elbow-deep in meat, so that was a bummer and I had to skip it. It also called for a minced carrot. I grated mine instead of mincing it. I mixed everything up by hand (my least favorite part) and formed it into a loaf on the rack of my broiler pan. I like cooking it this way rather than in a loaf pan because then you get a nice crust on most of the surface. A lot of what I never liked about meatloaf as a kid was the texture of it after it had cooked in a loaf pan in its own grease. Blech. Anyway - I liberally applied a layer of HP Sauce on the surface of the loaf, and popped it into the oven at 350 and cooked it for about an hour.

While the meatloaf was cooking I peeled 5 big russet potatoes and cut them into medium chunks. I boiled them till tender, then drained them and set them aside. For the gravy I thinly sliced one large white onion and cooked it down in a pan with about 2 tbsp each of olive oil and butter (hey, I didn't say it was healthy...that's why we don't have it every day or even every week). When the onions were nicely browned and softened I sprinkled 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and a little black pepper into the pan and stirred thoroughly. I let the roux cook to a dark golden color, then added in about half a cup of beef stock and whisked vigorously. I let that cook about 30 seconds until it thickened, then added more stock and whisked again. Once it thickened up the second time I added the rest of the stock and whisked again, then turned the heat down and let the gravy bubble gently and reduce.

The potatoes were ready to mash at this point so I tossed in some butter and milk, salt and black pepper, and mashed away. I can never get them entirely smooth but I don't mind, really. Having some lumps in them reassures me that they're real potatoes, I think. ;)

The meatloaf came out of the oven just as the gravy was getting thickened up again. I put half a bag of frozen peas in a pot with 1/4 cup of water and covered, letting them steam while the meatloaf rested. When the peas were done, it was time to eat!



I don't have a gravy boat so yes, my gravy was in a Campbell's Soup cup. ;) The meatloaf was, in a word, wonderful. Really and truly. It was incredibly juicy without being greasy, and it had such good flavor. I can only imagine that having the sage would have made it even better (because I love sage). The only thing I'd change about the meatloaf recipe is that next time, I'll omit the carrot. It just didn't add to the flavor in a constructive way, I didn't think. I kept noticing it and thinking "what's that I taste? Oh, carrot again...yeah..." Other than that, this is most certainly going to be my go-to meatloaf recipe from here on out.



See how juicy? NOM! Also, this is a good shot of my gravy. I originally came up with the gravy recipe when Mark was explaining "Bangers and Mash" to me, since I'd never had it. It took a couple tries to get it right, but now that I've got it down, it's super easy (though not quick).

Mark is already looking forward to meatloaf sandwiches for lunch tomorrow! ;)

pork chops and peaches

Last night I was wandering around the grocery store, looking for something for tonight's supper. I found some really gorgeous-looking super thick-cut pork chops. SOLD! I decided I was in the mood for some "pocket" potatoes on the way home, so I stopped to pick up some red potatoes and some garlic. I found some really nice-looking peaches as well, and decided I'd try a different spin on grilled peaches for dessert. I had zucchini and a lovely beefsteak tomato from a co-worker's garden hanging around the kitchen that I figured would make good sides.

For the pork chops, I wanted to keep them as simple as possible, so I tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and rosemary, then put them on the grill. I've talked about "pocket" potatoes here before: sliced red potatoes, sliced garlic and thinly sliced onion tossed with salt, pepper and olive oil, all tossed together and sealed up in foil packets. They roast on the grill in the foil packets until done (usually about the same amount of time it takes the meat to cook). The zucchini was supposed to have some balsamic brushed on it, but I got involved in what I was doing and totally forgot! It came out rather bland and I'll try harder to remember next time...;)



The pork chops were nicely juicy and had a good sear, but they didn't really taste all that porky, if that makes sense. They were alright, don't get me wrong, but I was just dreaming of a nice porky pork chop, and these didn't quite do it. The pocket potatoes were great, the zucchini was ok, and the tomato was lovely!

For dessert, I split two nicely ripened peaches, pulled the pits out, and rubbed the cut surfaces with some thin slices of fresh ginger. I sprinkled the cut sides with brown sugar and put them on a well-oiled grill for a few minutes. When I flipped the peaches over to cook on the other side, I placed slivers of the fresh garlic in the middles where the pits had been. I generously sprinkled with more brown sugar and then shut the lid on the grill for a few minutes to give the sugar time to melt and caramelize some. Once the brown sugary was syrupy looking and a little caramelized, I pulled the peaches off the grill and served them with some whipped cream. They were far better than my first attempt at grilled peaches, though nowhere near ad decorative! I missed the balsamic reduction I made last time. I think that reduction paired with the peach with ginger and brown sugar from this iteration would be perfect. Next time!