Posts Tagged ‘dinner’

SHEPHERDS PIE: ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD

Posted: February 25, 2024 in Uncategorized
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This cold weather always has me craving comfort food…and nothing says comfort more than Shepherds Pie!

 

To make this recipe, I used organic vegetables, organic grass-fed dairy products, grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, and homemade chicken stock. These extra efforts made a big difference to me, but use what you are most comfortable with and have easiest access to.

And although the basic recipe calls for beef, I’ve had great success using lamb and even venison.

If you’re on a gluten-free diet, the only gluten in this recipe is in the all-purpose flour. Using a GF flour, like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour, does a great job of thickening without the gluten.

Potatoes are the classic ingredient in Shepherds pie, but I found that sweet potatoes are a fantastic substitute. (See the photos at the bottom of the blog.) Give either one a shot yourself, or be really bold and try a combination of the two! The procedure is the same either way…

2 oz. cheddar cheese

1 1/2 lbs. Russets (or sweet potatoes), peeled and cubed
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 oz. unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk 

Grate the cheddar cheese. Set it aside for later.

Peel and cube the potatoes and place them in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender.
While they are boiling, place the half-and-half and butter in a microwave safe bowl and zap them for 35 seconds to warm them up.
Once the potatoes are done, drain them and place them back in the pot. Add the half-and-half and butter and mash really well. Add the salt and pepper and continue mashing. Finally, add the egg yolk, mixing quickly and thoroughly. Then set the potatoes aside.

 

 

The meat filling…

2 tablespoons bacon fat (or your favorite oil)
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs. beef, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 400°.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the meat filling.

Place the bacon fat or oil in a pan and set it on medium high heat. Add the onions and the carrots and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and stir.
Add the beef and the salt and pepper and cook until the meat has browned nicely.
Sprinkle the meat with the flour, and mix to combine, cooking for another minute.
Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme, and stir to combine.
Bring this to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cook it for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened nicely.

Add the corn and the peas to the meat mixture, and then pour it all into a baking pan. ( I used a 9-inch round metal baking pan that was about 3 inches deep.)

Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture. If you use the mashed potatoes all around the edges, it seals the meat mixture in, and prevents bubbling over and messing up your oven. A rubber spatula makes this job easy.

Place the pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet (to prevent spills), and in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the pan and sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes. Then return the pan to the oven for 10 more minutes, until the cheese has melted and created a beautiful golden crust on top.

Remove the pan from the oven, placed it on a wire rack, and let it cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

As I said earlier, sweet potatoes make a great substitute for regular potatoes. Give them a try!

 

CHICKEN FRIED RICE…MY WAY

Posted: February 7, 2024 in Uncategorized
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I’ve gotten a few requests for my chicken fried rice recipe. Not sure if it’s authentic Asian, but I use a lot of the flavors and veggies that I find in chicken fried rice when I get takeout. It’s really not a difficult thing to do, but it does take some work, chopping everything up and getting it ready.

I don’t have a wok, and I don’t think it’s necessary. As long as you have a pan that’s big enough to hold everything at the end, you’re good to go.

All the Asian ingredients can be found in any supermarket. And if you want this dish to be gluten-free, use GF soy sauce and hoisin sauce. La Choy and Kikkoman make them.



I like to start by sautéing all the veggies, then removing them from the pan, putting them in a separate bowl, and then continuing with the chicken. It seems like the best order of business for me.

They say that you should use day-old rice, so, if you plan on making this recipe, boil up some rice the day before, and put it in the fridge. I like to use jasmine rice, but use whatever rice you like.

All measurements for this recipe are approximate. Again, add more of what you like, and take away what you don’t.

Don’t be afraid to explore the international aisle in your supermarket as well as the produce section for interesting veggies that you can add to this dish. I’m not a fan of water chestnuts, but that’s one option. And if you don’t like the little corn cobs, add some frozen corn. Bok choy, mushrooms, and scallions are all great choices.


1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 
2 teaspoons rice vinegar 
1 teaspoon (or more) Chinese garlic sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 small onion, finely chopped
1cup of finely chopped cabbage
1/2 can of small Asian corn cobs, chopped
1 cup or more chopped broccoli
1 cup mung bean sprouts or pea shoots
1 cup frozen peas (optional)


3 cups of cooked rice
1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, cut into small cubes
2 eggs



To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, Chinese garlic sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl.

Cut the chicken breasts into small 1/2-inch cubes and place them in a bowl. Add the marinade to the chicken, and make sure the meat is coated well. Let it marinate for a couple of hours at room temperature, or in the fridge if you need more time.

Get a large pan that will hold everything and put it on high heat. Add an oil with a high smoke point, like peanut oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil.

Add the onions to the pan and sauté until they’re translucent. Add the cabbage, and let it wither. Add the corn cobs and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chopped broccoli, and continue to sauté. You can add the bean sprouts now, or save them for later if you want them to be very crunchy. Save the peas for later.

When the veggies have softened, pour them into a bowl and return the pan to the stove top. Add a little more oil and let it heat up.

Add the chicken pieces to the pan, pouring in all the marinade with it. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked, and just starts to caramelize.

Scramble the two eggs in a small bowl and add them to the pan, constantly moving the chicken and eggs around to fully cook the eggs.

Add the rice to the pan and mix everything thoroughly. Then return the veggies and mix thoroughly again.

This is where you taste everything. Add what you think it needs. Maybe it’s some soy sauce…maybe a little hoisin…maybe salt and pepper…maybe a little sesame oil. Maybe more of everything! It’s up to your individual taste.

Toss the fried rice with the added seasonings, then add the bean sprouts and the peas, giving it one more good mix.

This chicken fried rice is great as meal in itself, and leftovers are always welcome.

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