We had the Missionary Sisters over for tea last night.  I love feeding the missionaries and I like to feed them something they aren't going to get anywhere else.  I figure they get enough bangers and mash and roast dinners.  I  usually prepare them something completely different and unexpected.

 

This week I decided to do them a Greek meal.  I have never been to Greece, but it's a place I have wanted to go since I was a young girl and saw Haley Mills in the film The Moonspinners.   Sigh . . . that whetted in me an appetite to travel to Greece that has never been fulfilled.  Some day . . . 



You can't go wrong with a tasty Moussaka (a la Tamasin Day Lewis), a lovely Greek Salad and some Greek Tear and Share Bread.   It all went down a real treat.  No plates were thrown or broken.  ☺



*Moussaka*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Inexpensive and delicious.  Great party dish.  Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread for sopping up all of that goodness.


Olive oil
3 aubergines, sliced 1/2 inch thick (Eggplants)
2 medium brown onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds minced lamb
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes in tomato juice, undrained
(14 ounce tin)
3 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)
60ml of white wine (1/4 cup)
2 TBS parsley
finely grated Parmesan cheese

for the Bechamel:
600 ml of full fat milk
(1 pint, or 2 1/3 cups)
1 medium brown onion, peeled and studded with a couple of cloves
1 bay leaf, broken
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS plain flour
a touch of nutmeg
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


 

Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a deep baking dish and set aside.

Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with some olive oil.  Lay them out onto a large baking sheet in a single layer, or two if necessary.  Bang the trays into the oven and roast them for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are soft all the way through when pricked with the tines of a fork.  Don't let them brown too much.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook, without browning, until soft and a pale gold.   Add the garlic and cook for several minutes before crumbli9ng in the mince.  Fry the mince, scrambling and stirring until it is no longer pink and well browned.  Add the cinnamon and season to taste with sale and black pepper.  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree and parsley.  Stir well, add the white wine, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer at a quick simmer, until most of the liquid had evaporated (but not all) and the meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

While the meat sauce is simmering, make your Bechamel.   Place the milk, onion and bay leaf into a microwaveable beaker.   Heat on high for about 1 1/2 minutes or until scalded.   Set aside to infuse for about 10 minutes.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.   Once it begins to foam, whisk in the flour.  Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute.   Strain in the infused milk and cook, stirring constantly until any lumps are stirred out and the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.   Allow to simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes and stirring occasionally.  (Keep watch on it so it doesn't catch.   I use a diffuser plate under my saucepan.)  Halfway through the simmering time season to taste with some salt and pepper and just a touch of nutmeg.  You want the nutmeg to be subtle, not slap you in the face.   You should just know that there is another flavour there without being able to recognize it.

Layer the roasted aubergine and meat sauce in a deep casserole dish, beginning and ending with the aubergine.   Pour a thick layer of the bechamel over top.  (You may not need it all.)  Dust the top with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until it has nicely browned on top and the meat and aubergine layers have married beautifully together.  Spoon out hot from the dish to serve.


  

*The World's Best Greek Salad*
Serves 6 as a side salad, or 3 as a main
Printable Recipe

Delicious, refreshing and very, very tasty!!  The onions are marinated several hours ahead in a portion of the dressing, so take note that you will need to start this a bit in advance.

6 TBS olive oil (Divided)
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp dried oregano (I like to use Bart's freeze dried)
For the Salad:
1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into
bite sized pieces
1 punnet of baby plum tomatoes, quartered
(or 3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped)
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 small pepper, seeded and chopped (Green or yellow)
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese



Between two to four hours before you want to serve the salad place 2 TBS of the olive oil, the red wine vinegar, the lemon juice, garlic and the oregano in a zip lock baggie.  Add the onions and shake to combine.  Place into a bowl and allow to sit and marinate until you are ready to complete the salad.  (This process takes away from the sharpness of the onion and adds an incredible depth of flavour to the dressing.)

When ready to serve, place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl, except for the cheese.  Remove the onions from the marinade and place them in the bowl with the other salad ingredients.  Pour the marinade into a measuring cup and then whisk in the remaining 4 TBS of oil.  (If you find the mixture too tart, you may add a tsp of sugar here if desired)  Pour the resulting dressing over the salad and toss all together.  Sprinkle with the feta cheese and serve.

 

1 1/2 TBS olive oil





Use a rolling pin to roll out the bread dough to a rectangle which is 11 inches by 16 inches in size.   Mix together the olives, tomatoes, cheese, oregano and garlic.   Scatter this mixture lengthwise over half of the dough, with the long side facing you.  Drizzle with the olive oil.   Fold the other half of the dough over top of the filling and seal the edges.  Cut into 10 even strips cross wise with a sharp knife.  Working with one piece at a time, roll up lengthways and place, cut side down, into a well greased 9 by 5 inch loaf tin.  Push the ends in to fit and take care not to drop too much filling.   Continue to pack the rolls in so that they fit snugly and scattering with any dropped pieces of filling as you go along.  Press down on the surface with a damp hand to make it even.  Cover with a damp towel and allow to raise in a warm draft free place for about an hour, or until the dough reaches the top edge of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Bake the loaf for 50 minutes, or until golden all over and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.   Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

And for dessert . . . a lovely and light Lemon Mousse . . .



*Lemon Mousse*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I love lemon anything and this is a tasty version of a lemon mousse, chock full of delicious lemon flavours and light as air!

the finely grated zest of 3 lemons
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup (185g)  caster sugar
4 large eggs, separated
5 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Place the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, and cook over a low heat.  Stir constantly, cooking for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a metal spoon.  Whisk in the butter, piece at a time.  Remove from the heat and cool.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean and great free bowl, until stiff.

Fold half of the egg whites into the lemon mixture with a metal spoon, then fold in the remaining egg whites.  Divide amongst 4 serving dishes and chill until firm.  Serve with a small cake or crisp cookie on the side.

Served up with some sweet and buttery and light two bite Lemon Madeleines  



*Lemon Madeleines*
Makes quite a lot
Printable Recipe


These are like tiny baby lemon sponges, each one a heavenly bite just for you!

5 large eggs
200g (7 ounces) caster sugar (generous cup)
finely grated zest of one lemon
200g (7 ounces) plain flour, sifted (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
185g (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled ( 3/4 cup)
Icing sugar to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F.  Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until they are pale yellow in colour and fluffy.  Stir in the lemon zest. Fold in the flour, baking powder and melted butter.  Leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Spoon the mixture into well buttered madeleine trays and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or a little bit longer until they test done.  Repeat as necessary.  Cool on wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Nobody was disappointed.

It is hard to believe that I had never really eaten lamb before I moved over here to the UK. It is a meat that I have come to love very much and I have to say that here in the UK we have beautiful lamb . . . some of the best in the world.



More often than not we have lamb chops, cutlets or steaks, and occasionally I will treat us to a shoulder or a leg. All are very, very good.



Last weekend I cooked some lamb shanks for the first time and I was very pleased with the results. They were tender and full of flavour and we both really enjoyed them!



The shank is cut from the shoulder area of the animal and is actually very lean, with very little fat marbling or cut into it. Lamb can be quite a fatty meat, so this was surprising. Because it is so lean, it truly lends itself perfectly to braising in a liquid.



A long slow braising in the oven may require more patience than frying a few chops in a pan or roasting a leg, but your patience will be more than rewarded with fork tender meat and a rich and tasty gravy.



Not to mention that, once it is covered and in the oven, it really requires no attention at all.

The resulting dish lends itself perfectly to being served with a delicious mound of buttery mashed potatoes . . . the absolute comfort meal!! It made my meat and potatoes loving husband a very, very happy camper indeed!



*Oven Baised Lamb Shanks*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Tender and juicy, with a delicious gravy. Perfect comfort food served with freshly mashed potatoes!

5 lamb shanks
olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1/2 pound of parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks
a handful of fresh rosemary leaves
400ml of lamb stock ( 1 1/2 cups)
400g tin of chopped  tomatoes n juice (1 3/4 cup)
2 star anise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS red currant jelly

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown them on all sides. Remove and place into a large roasting dish which has a lid, with the bones sticking up. Add the onions and celery to the drippings. Cook and stir over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips and rosemary. Cook and stir for several minutes. Add the stock, tinned tomatoes, star anise, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and currant jelly. Heat through and then pour over the lamb shanks in the roaster.
Cover tightly with the lid and put into the oven. Roast for 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the lid and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the meat and bone begin to brown somewhat.
Serve immediately with a nice pile of mashed potatoes. Serve one shank per person on a plate with some of the vegetables and gravy spooned over top.

We had company for supper on Saturday night and I prepared a hearty wholesome meal for us all, Beef Stew and Dumplings.  I served it with fluffy and buttery mashed potatoes and it went down a real treat.  I made extra so that I could have leftovers, because .  .  . as everyone knows things like Beef Stew always taste even better a day or two later on.  Not sure why that is, I only know it is.   Trust me on this.



I am a person that has never minded eating leftovers.   I love them.  I do know that some people are not too fussed on having leftovers however, but it seems such a waste to throw good food away so I am going to give you some really great ideas today to use a leftover such as Beef Stew.  Bear in mind that this would work with any type of leftover stew really, chicken, lamb, etc.  They are both really easy.



If you always have a sheet of puff pastry in the freezer, ready to roll and use, you have the makings of a very easy pot pie, depending on how much you have leftover.   I had made the full recipe of stew so I had basically four servings leftover, which would make a tasty meal for a family, especially if you add potatoes and veggies or salad on the side.   Simply spread your leftover stew into a pie dish.   Cover with foil and bake it in a190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 oven for about 20 minutes until it gets hot and is bubbling.   Then unroll your puffpastry and cut it to fit over top of the warmed stew mixture.  Brush it with some milk or beaten egg yolk/water and sprinkle with a bit of cracked pepper, sea salt flakes and parsley flakes and then return it to the oven, increasing the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6 and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.




Doesn't that look good?   I can assure you it was very good indeed!

Note:   I always add a bit of stock to loosen up my stew mixture a bit when reheating as the vegetables tend to absorb most of the gravy when you store it.  If that isn't a problem then just leave it, but if you want a bit of a gravy you will want to add some stock.



Another good thing to make with leftover stew is a cottage pie.  A cottage pie is basically stewed beef, or leftover roast and gravy anyways, so it makes perfect sense to use leftover beef stew.  My stew is always chock full of lovely veg such as carrots, parsnips and swede, so it's very tasty.  I happened to have leftover mashed potatoes from the other night as well, so that was not a problem, but it's really easy to make fresh mash as well.   You can also buy bags of frozen mash in the shops now for about £1, so if you keep one of those in the freezer, you always have mash on tap.



Simply spread your stew into a casserole dish and cover with foil.  Heat in a preheated oven (180*C/350*F/ gas mark 3) for about 20 minutes.   Take your potato and loosen it up a bit with a beaten egg.  Remove your casserole dish of stew from the oven and uncover.  Spread the mash over top of the hot stew and score attractively with a fork.  Bang it back into the oven and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown. 

Doesn't that look tasty?  I know!  It was really tasty and nobody felt like they were eating leftovers!

And that's the truth.  ☺

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth.  Cover and chill until needed.  Place into a serving bowl.  Drlzzle the top with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few thyme leaves.  



I also made these lovely little Lamb Kofta Meatballs.  Spicy and just wonderful served with some pita breads and Tzatziki for dipping.    You could fry them if you wanted to, but I just bake them in the oven because they brown nicely, evenly and as lamb is a rather fatty meat anyways it helps to cut down on some of that extra fat.



Crumble the meat into a bowl.   Add the chopped onion, parsley and cooled spices.   Season with salt and pepper.  (If you wish you may cook a small bit of this in the frying pan and taste it to see if you have seasoned it correctly.)   Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them evenly spaced on the baking trays.  Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through.  Serve warm or at room temperature with sauce for dipping if desired.  

Note: These are also nice served hot and tucked into warm Pita Breads with some lettuce and sauce. 

Happy New Year!  Have fun and stay safe!

I love potatoes.  I could not live without them.  A day without a potato is not a good day for me.  In fact you could take away my chocolate, and I might protest a bit . . . but if you tried to take away my potatoes, I would be really upset.   They are an important part of my life and have been since I was a child.  Happily the Toddster is of the same school of thought.

I used to think a potato was a potato was a potato.   I came to learn later in life and after much experience that all potatoes are not the same and that certain potatoes are better for certain preparations than others.  With some 4000 different varieties of potatoes available worldwide at any given time, it's easy to see where someone could be quite confused when it comes to potatoes and their uses.

There are basically only two main category of potatoes, with only a few exceptions . . . floury potatoes, and waxy potatoes.

Floury potatoes (also called mealy potatoes) are  high in starch with a low water content.  These tend to be older and larger and become almost fluffy when cooked.  Therse are the best for roasting, baking, mashing and chipping.  They tend to break up easily when boiled, so aren't really suitable to prepare just as boiled potatoes.

Waxy potatoes are lower in starch and have a higher water content.  They are firm in texture and normally have a shiny skin.  They tend to keep their shape when cooked, which makes them an excellent choice for boiling, making salads, sauteing or using in gratins.

Potatoes are also classified s being new and old.  You will find most new potatoes are best in salads and he like, but old potatoes are much better for mashing

I can remember one Thanksgiving when I had a whole house full of people, peeling tons of potatoes for mash, only to learn that they were new potatoes and I ended up with glue instead of fluff.  Lesson learnt.

Potatoes don't like light or cold, so are best stored in a cool dark place, but not in the refrigerator.  I store mine in a basket in the closet beneath the stairs.



One of my favourite ways of cooking potatoes is baking them.  (Surprise surprise!)   You can bake just about any kind of potatoes.  I happen to love little baby potatoes washed and dried and then tossed unpeeled in some oil and herbs and then roasted until they are crispy, but my favourite of all is the large floury baked potatoe.  Scrub your potatoes clean under cold running water and then dry them really well with kitchen paper toweling or a clean tea towel.  Prick them all over with a fork and then place them into a  hot oven which has been preheated to 200*C/400*F gas mark 6.  I place mine right on the oven rack.  The air is able to circulate all around them and you end up with a lovely crisp skin.  I happen to think the skin is the best part!  If you want crisp skins, don't rub them with butter or oil of any kind and don't wrap them up in foil.  They will only steam.  Just cook them on the rack until they are tender.   Medium to large potatoes will take approximately an hour to be perfectly done.

Once tender (and I don't recommend pricking them with a fork to find out, unless you want an oven full of burst potato.  Just gently squeeze with a pot holder and if they give, they're done!) you can take them out and they are ready to eat.  I ascribe to the Nigel Slater method of presentation in that you give em a quick light bash with the side of your open hand to burst them open and fluffy them up.   Not too hard, or too slow . . .  fabulous served with lashings of cold butter and salt and pepper, but also pretty wonderful with some sour cream, chives, cheese . . . you name it.  A baked potato is the perfect canvas for all sorts of toppings.  If you have a baked potato, you have a meal.   Coleslaw, baked beans, grated cheddar, chili con carne, meat and gravy.  All good.  (but not all at once, although cheese sprinkled over all of those things on top of a baked spud  is really scrummy to say the least.



Small boiled potatoes, tossed in some butter and parsley make a lovely side dish for many meals.   To prepare this dish for 4 people you will want 3 1/2 pounds of waxy potatoes (A charlotte, or pink fir, or baby new potato all work well)  Peel and slice the potatoes into smaller pieces if they are on the large side.  Put them ito a pan of lightly salted water.  Bring them to the boil and then cook, just until tender.   This will take 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size, and possibly even less if they are very small.  I would fork test them after 8 to 9 minutes.  You only want a little give.  You won't want the potato to break apart.  They should be JUST tender.  Once they are cooked, drain them immediately.  Melt 6 ounces of butter (about 3/4 cup) in a large frying pan and add the potatoes.  Stir them well to coat with the butter and toss with 6 TBS of finely chopped  parsley and a bit of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.   Serve immediately.



This is where you will want old potatoes or a nice mealy/floury potato, such as a Maris Piper, King Edward or a Russet, or Yukon Gold.  For four people peel about 5 1/2 pounds of the floury potatoes.  Cut them into evenly sized chunks.  Place them into a saucepan of lightly salted water and bring them to the boil.  Cook, until just tender.  A fork should enter easily.  Drain at once.   Return the drained potatoes to the pan and shake them a bit over the residual heat of the burner and leave to dry, shaking them every 30 seconds or so.  Put them through a potato ricer if you have one, or mash well with a potato masher.  Have ready 180ml of hot whole milk into which you have melted a good knob of butter (3/4 cup milk).  Continue to mash the potatoes adding the milk slowly until you have the consistency you want.   Season to taste with some salt, white pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.  If your mash is too stiff, you can stir in a bit more warm milk.

This is a good basic recipe for mash.  You can really switch this up very easily by adding some grated cheese and a bit of finely grated onion, some mashed roasted garlic, some sour cream or even a bit of mild blue cheese.  Just be careful not to add too much.



Once you have mastered Mashed Potatoes it is very easy to make Duchess Potatoes, which are a fancier richer version of Mash, which is grilled in a hot oven until lightly browned.

For four people you will need 5 1/2 pounds of floury potatoes.  Peel and slice the potatoes into small pieces.  Put them into a saucepan of lightly salted water to cover. Bring to the boil.   Cook until just tender and then drain at once.  Return to the pot and place over the residual heat of the burner, shaking the pan lightly to dry the potatoes out.   Put the potatoes through a food milk or potato rices, then add a knob of butter and 3 egg yolks, whisking them in carefully and thoroughly.  Season with fine salt, fine pepper and nutmeg.  Place into a piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe small mounds onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Place under a heated gril and grill until they are nicely coloured.



I don't know anyone that doesn't love Potato Croquettes.  You can buy frozen versions but they are largely disappointing.  The best ones (as with everything) are the ones you make yourself.   For four servings you will need 1 recipe of the Duchesse Potatoes.  (See above.)  You will also want a shallow bowl of plain flour, a shallow bowl filled with 4 egg whites into which you have beaten a spash of oil, a shallow bowl of fine dry bread crumbs and some hot oil for cooking.  These are best made ahead and chilled before frying.  Place the duchesse potatoes into a piping bag you have fitted with a large plain nozzle.  Pipe the potatoes out into long strips on lightly greased or waxed baking paper.  Cut into 2 inch lengths.  Roll each piece in the flour.  Season the egg white mixture with some salt and pepper.  Roll the floured pieces in the egg whites and then drop them into the bread crumbs, rolling them to coat them well.  Place onto a lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to cook them heat some cooking oil to 180*C/350*F.  Carefully lower the crouquettes into the hot oil and brown on all sides.  Serve hot.



You can't get a nicer type of potato to serve with a nicely roasted joint of beef or lamb than Potatoes Dauphinoise.  Tender slices of potato baked in a seasoned mixture of milk and cream, which has been flavoured with garlic, nutmeg and cheese.   For four people you will need 3 1/2 pounds of floury potatoes.   Grease a large oven proof shallow glass baking dish with some butter.  Place 950ml of whole milk (4 cups)  and 950ml of double (heavy) cream (2 cups) into a saucepan along with one peeled clove of garlic which you have bruised.  Heat gently just to the boiling point, then remove and set aside to infuse for several minutes.  Season to taste with some salt, black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.  Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. Place them into the prepared baking dish.  Strain the milk/cream mixture over top of the potatoes to cover.  Sprinkle with  3 ounces of grated cheddar cheese and dot with some butter.  Cover with a layer of buttered foil and bake in an oven you have preheated to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 for one hour.  Check to see if the potatoes are tender.  If they are not bake for about 15 minutes longer.  Once they are tender you can uncover the potatoes and place then under a heated grill and grill until the cheese is golden brown.



They call fries "Chips" over here in the UK, and no matter what you call them, I can think of nobody that doesn't love a good "chip!"   For great chips you will want a nice floury potato.  To serve 4 people you will want 4 very large floury potatoes.  Peel the potatoes and rise them under cold water.  Dry them with some kitchen paper and then cut them into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long.  Dry them again.  Half fill a deep fat fryer or a deep, heavy based pan with sunflower oil or lard.  Heat it to 150*C/300*F.  Fry the potatoes in batches for 5 to 8 minutes until they are soft, but still very pale.  This is called oil blanching.  Lift them out and drain them.  (You can prepare the chips up to this stage several hours in advance.)  When you are ready to serve the chips, raise the oil temperature to 200*C/400*F.   Return the chips, again in batched and fry them for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and crisp.   Drain well on kitchen paper toweling and then sprinkle generously with some coarse sea salt and malt vinegar if desired.  Serve hot.



If you are interested in more potato recipes you can click here and it will open up all of my recipes which contain potatoes, including this recipe for fail proof perfect Classic Roasted Potatoes.  There is literally something there to please most tastes and appetites. 

Enjoy!

For the Topping:
2 pounds of floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
(use a King Edward, Maris Piper, or good Idaho potato)
2 ounces butter
¼ cup of sour cream
1 TBS finely grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese
A little warmed milk if necessary

Pre-heat the oven to 220*C/450*F/gas mark 7.

Peel and chop the onion. Peel and dice all the other vegetables into a uniform dice. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and vegetables and cook them over medium high heat, stirring from time to time until they just start to colour. Add enough stock to just barely keep them from sticking to the pan and reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are still crispy tender. Season them to taste with some salt and a good grinding of pepper. Stir in the herbs, and then pop the whole mixture into a pie dish. It may seem a bit dry, but not to worry, the final baking in the oven will release all those delicious vegetable juices.

For the topping put the potatoes into a pan of salted boiling water and cook them until they are fork tender. Drain well and return the potatoes to the pan. Give them a good shake over the still warm burner to dry them out a bit and then mash them well along with the butter and sour cream. Stir in the cheese and grated onion. Add only enough milk to make them nice and fluffy. You don’t want the mixture to be too loose. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pile the fluffy mash on top of the cooked vegetables and bang the pie dish into the heated oven. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the topping is nicely browned. Serve hot.

 

Today's recipe is the type of recipe everyone should have tucked up their sleeve.  It comes in very handy when you are not ready yet to go shopping and you find yourself with a few bits in the refrigerator which are still good to use, but not enough that a person could make a meal of them on their own.  



I will often find myself with a piece of a head of broccoli, an onion, perhaps a carrot or two, a couple pieces of bell pepper, a tomato, etc.   You know what I mean.   There is nothing wrong with them but for the fact that there are not huge amounts of them.



Its happened to us all, but that doesn't mean that any of these tasty vegetables should go to waste, or that you need dash to the store until you really want to.   You can make a delicious, quick and easy stir fry with them by adding a bit of this and a bit of that and a lot of ingenuity!  



One thing I love about stir fries is you don't need a lot of anything really, not even the protein part . . . and almost anything works protein wise.   Beef, chicken, pork, fish, tofu . . . quorn.   You can even use leftover cooked meats if you really wanted to, but I like to use fresh myself.  



That way I can marinate the protein first and really get some flavour into it, but I suppose you could marinate cooked meats as well if you really wanted to.   A few nice flavours such as soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, garlic, five spice powder, garlic . . . and all of that lovely veg and protein thrown together in a pan and cooked into a delicious chinese feast.  All you need on the side is a bit of rice, and Bob's your Uncle.



No need to shop right away, and everyone is happy.  Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.  Just add them from the order of the ones which will take the longest to cook to the quickest cooking ones and it will all work out well.  Cheap, cheerful and cooked to order.  You can't get much better than that!  Enjoy!




Cut your broccoli into florets if you are using it and your carrots in thin diagonal slices.  I cut the onion into wedges along with the tomato, the rest I thinly slice.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add a TBS of peanut  or vegetable oil.  Drop in the meat.  No need to drain.  Cook and stir, flipping it around and adding vegetables as required and according to the length of time it will take them to cook.  Add the ones who take the longest first and work your way up to the ones which will cook really quickly.  Keep flipping and stirring until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are crispy tender.  Serve hot with rice.