Keeping things fairly simple around here. To be honest, I am not really all that hungry, but my hubby still has to eat. I found a small package of lamb mince in the freezer and so today I did him a shepherd's pie.
People often confuse Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie, using the terms interchangeably. In reality, although quite similar, they are actually two very different things, with one using minced lamb and the other minced beef.
The clues are in the names . . . a Cottage Pie, uses beef, and is so called because of the "thatch" of mashed potatoes on top . . . said to resemble a thatched roof cottage.
There is certainly a "Thatch" of mash on both casseroles . . .
"Shepherd's" Pie is so called because it uses minced lamb . . . and it is shepherds who have traditionally cared for flocks of sheep/lambs.
My Todd really loves a dinner like this. Meat and potatoes are his favourite of all food combinations, and you can't get more meat and potatoes than this!
I have sized it down to generously serve two people. (There being only two of us in the home, and me only really wanting to serve it to Todd.) There are quantities in the recipe for both two and four servings.
Its a fairly simple and classic recipe. Some recipes call for the addition of veggies, some don't. I choose to add in some grated carrot, and a layer of peas.
The carrot gets grated into the meat mixture, where it flavours the gravy nicely . . .
The peas I add in a layer between the meat and gravy and the potato thatch on top . . .
I also add a smattering of grated strong white cheddar cheese to the top of the potato . . .
It tastes really good and helps to get a really nice golden brown colour to the finished dish.
Todd was one very happy camper when I set this down in front of him. You would have thought all of his Christmas's had come at once.
Yield: 2
Shepherd's Pie for Two
prep time: 25 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 55 mins
A classic family favourite perfectly sized for two. Ingredient measurements for 4 are in the brackets.
ingredients:
- 2 tsp sunflower oil (1 TBS)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (1 medium onion)
- 1/2 medium carrot peeled and grated (1 medium carrot)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (1 clove)
- 1/2 pound lean minced lamb (1 pound)
- 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs (1 tsp)
- 2 tsp plain flour (1 TBS)
- 150ml (generous half cup) lamb or vegetable stock (300ml/1 1/4 cup)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (1 TBS)
- frozen peas (Optional)
- 1 pound floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (2 pounds)
- 2 TBS milk (4 TBS)
- 1 1/2 TBS butter (3 TBS)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 40g (1 1/2 oz) strong white cheddar cheese (50g/2 ounces)
instructions:
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the onion and garlic in it until softened. Add the minced lamb and cook, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in the carrot and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the flour and herbs. Gradually whisk in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until it bubbles and begins to thicken. Leave to simmer while you do the mash.
- Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 12 - 15 minutes. Drain well. (Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5) Return to the pot and shake over the residual heat of the burner to dry out. Mash well with a potato masher. Stir in the butter and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the lamb mixture. Pour into the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover with a layer of frozen peas. Spoon the mash over top to cover, roughing the surface up with the back of a spoon or a fork. Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Spoon out onto heated plates to serve.
Created using The Recipes Generator
Note - the herbs I used were dried parsley, thyme, rosemary and marjoram
I have to admit that on weekdays I am pretty lazy when I get up in the morning. I don't really want to go to a lot of faffing about when it comes to having breakfast. I'm usually really really starving and more often than not will naughtily eat a piece of cake or some cookies. Not the healthiest way to start your day I know!
I think one of the reasons I am so hungry when I get up is because I don't eat anything in the evenings at all, nada, nothing . . . zip . . . at least not past about 6 PM. Its not that I am not hungry past that time. I occasionally am. But when you have gastric disease, you learn quickly that eating past a certain time of night is a necessary evil which can help to prevent a lot of discomfort later on.
I am a huge fan of overnight oats. Overnight oats . . . a bit of fad with some perhaps, but they are one thing which helps me to behave better in the morning, and to eat much healthier.
With a little prep the night before, I have a delicious and healthy breakfast waiting for me in the refrigerator. Its win/win all round.
I am particularly fond of this recipe, which tastes almost like one of my favourite things . . . Cinnamon Rolls . . . oh boy, who doesn't love those!
Okay so, yes . . . it is a bit of a stretch to compare the two . . . perhaps the only thing they have in common is that lovely cinnamon flavour, and perhaps that cream cheese topping, but you have to pick your battles don't you, and this to me feels like a win.
Yield: 2
Overnight Cinnamon Roll Oats
prep time: cook time: total time:
Your favourite bread in a simple and delicious overnight oat combination, ready to eat in the morning.
ingredients:
- 80g old fashioned oats (1 cup)
- 2 TBS vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS Vanilla flavoured Greek yogurt
- 240ml milk (1 cup)
- 3 tsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
For the optional frosting and garnish:
- 2 TBS cream cheese
- 1 tsp icing sugar
- few drops vanilla
- 3/4 tsp milk
- 2 TBS chopped toasted pecans
instructions:
- Stir together all of the ingredients for the oat mixture in a bowl. Divide between two medium coffee mugs, cover tightly with cling film or wax wrappers and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning when you are ready to serve, whisk together all of the ingredients for the frosting (if using), bar the nuts. Drizzle over the tops of the oats in the mugs, and then scatter with the toasted pecans. Serve immediately.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I often enjoy this with a handful of berries on top, both blueberries and raspberries are very good. I do recommend toasting the nuts first. They are just somehow nuttier and tastier if you do! Good morning!
Viet Nam has become somewhat of a "Go To"destination for many in these modern times. I have to say that its never been a place that I have wanted to go.
Mostly because I am not overly fond of high humidity or extremely high temperatures, and I am totally not fond of the two combined!
And so for countries like Viet Nam I am more of an armchair traveller, preferring to enjoy it from a distance and the comfort of my chair in my own home.
I used to be adventurous when I was younger, but not so much these days.
Last year my husband and I watched and enjoyed a program on Netflix entitled Travels with My Father, with Jack Whitehall and his dad. (Minus the bad language. You just can't get away from it today it seems.)
Anyways in the first series they ended up in Viet Nam and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a side of Viet Nam that I was quite un-acquainted with, having only really known it from the conflict in the latter part of the last century. It was nice to be able to see it in another light.
One of the things food wise which is enjoyed now throughout the world is the Banh Mi, or a sandwich served on a French Baguette and stuffed with greens and a choice of fillings.
In fact it is considered to be amongst the top 10 culinary experiences of the country. Who doesn't love a good sandwich!
This version of the classic sandwich includes a deliciously fiery spiced mayo spread . . .
Shredded roasted chicken . . .
A layer of sweet pickled carrot . . .
Thinly sliced English cucumber . . .
And fresh coriander leaf (or cilantro as it is also known) . . .
All tucked into a lightly toasted French baguette . . .
I was able to make use of my Essential 5-in-1 vegetable shredder to
do my carrots for the salad. It is so easy to use and comes with a
handy bowl that you can shred your vegetables into.
I used it to slice my cucumber to just the right thin-ness and I made my carrot pickle in that bowl that I had grated it into. It is a really handy tool to have in the kitchen. Easy to
use, clean, store and maintain. I love it and use it a lot.
My husband and I really enjoyed these sandwiches. You can adjust the heat of the mayo by the amount of Sriracha sauce you add.
My husband quite enjoyed the heat. He likes thing spicy.
I really enjoyed the contrast of flavours and textures . . . the soft bun, the tangy pickle, the crisp cucumber, that spicy mayo, and of course the chicken. Altogether this was really lovely and I didn't have to go very far to enjoy it!
Some other sandwiches that you might enjoy from my archive of recipes are:
CROISSANT TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH - All the things you would expect in a club sandwich, turkey, smoky bacon, sliced tomato and crisp lettuce. Layered on a delicious buttery flaked croissant. What's not to love?
THE GRILLED STEAK SANDWICH - This pub style steak sandwich is an open faced sandwich that even a lady can feel comfortable eating. Light enough to please a delicate palate, but hearty enough to please a man, especially if you add some chips (fries) on the side!
Yield: 4
Roast Chicken Bahn Mi
prep time: 30 minscook time: total time: 30 mins
A French-Vietnamese fusion sandwich which originated in Viet Nam during the French Colonial rule. They are easy to make and quite delicious! They are also a fabulous way to use up leftover roasted chicken or some of a rotisserie bird!
ingredients:
- 75ml white vinegar (1/3 cup)
- 30g white sugar (1/4 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 55g light mayonnaise (1/4 cup)
- 1 to 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (depending on how hot and spicy you like things)
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- large pinch sugar
- 1 (12 inch) French style baguette, split horizontally
- 1/2 pound cooked roast chicken, shredded
- 1/3 of a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
- a handful of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper (optional)
instructions:
- First make the carrot relish. Heat the vinegar, salt and larger amount of sugar together gently, stirring to melt the sugar. Put the carrots into a bowl. Add the sweet vinegar and toss to coat. Leave to set for 15 minutes.
- To make the spicy mayonnaise, whisk together the mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce and pinch of sugar. Set aside.
- Toast the split baguette under the grill just until lightly browned. Spread both cut sides with some of the spicy mayonnaise. Top the bottom half with the shredded roast chicken.
- Drain the carrot relish well and pat dry with paper towels. Scatter over top of the chicken. Top with the cucumber slices and then the jalapeno, if using. Finally scatter the coriander leaf over top and then place the top of the bun over all, pressing down gently. Cut into 4 portions to serve.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I think some of the best adventures you can take food-wise at times can be the ones enjoyed within the comfort of your own home. Call me lazy but this works for me!
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Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
As I write this (Saturday) it is the day of my mother's funeral. I wanted to bake something in my mom's memory today and the first thing which came to mind was these fabulous Butterscotch Cookies.
My mother used to bake these for us all the time when I was a child, either these or her soft molasses cookies. I've just realised that I don't have that recipe on here either, so I will have to bake them soon to share with you.
To be honest when we were kids we were not overly fond of these. We kind of took them for granted and not the treat that they were. We wanted cream stuffed store bought cookies . . . from the Keebler Elves, baked in a tree. We were not mature enough to appreciate the finer qualities and value of homemade goodies as opposed to store bought. (We liked frozen chicken pot pies for crying out loud, and Frozen TV dinners! 😝)
Actually we did enjoy these, we never turned them down . . . and my favourite ones were the ones that had lumps of brown sugar in them that hadn't quite gotten mixed totally into the dough. They ended up like little bits of butterescotch candy. Bonus!
These are refrigerator, slice and bake cookies. You make the dough and shape it into a log and then chill it overnight, ready to slice and bake as you need. Fresh baked cookies on call!
Flavoured with vanilla and brown sugar . . . nothing more . . . I used Muscovado brown sugar this time and I like them even more. (Muscovado brown sugar is a less refined brown sugar.)
They do use white vegetable fat . . . something like Crisco, Tenderflake, Trex, White Flora or the like. I have never made them with butter so I don't know how they would work with butter. I've always just used the white vegetable fat. I am not a snob that way.
I don't bake things like this often enough to be worried about any ill effects from using white vegetable fat. There are plenty of other things to worry about.
These are lovely and crisp . . .
See that lovely little lump of brown sugar there . . . that's mine!
Crisp and perfectly dunkable . . .
Equally at home with a hot cuppa as they are with a tall cold glass of milk!
They are delicious. I suspect they were a family recipe and one that my grandmother used to make for my mother, although in those days they would have used either lard or rendered bacon fat . . .
For me they are a lovely bit of delicious nostalgia and a fitting remembrance of a mother who loves us enough to bake us cookies from scratch, even if they were not always appreciated.
Yield: 5 dozen
Mom's Butterscotch Cookies
prep time: cook time: total time:
These cookies were not our favourites when we were growing up. Oddly enough, I love them now and feel very nostalgic when I bake them. They're actually quite delicious! I cringe to think that as a child I preferred a store bought sandwich cookie to these delights!
ingredients:
- 110g of white vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
- 200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 245g of flour (1 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
instructions:
- Cream the shortening and sugar together. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and stir this into the creamed mixture until well combined. Shape into a log 2 1/2 inches across. Wrap well in wax paper or greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator overnight or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 190*C.375*F/gas mark 5. Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place on un-greased baking sheets, leaving space in between for spreading. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Store in an airtight container.
Created using The Recipes Generator
See how crisp they are? Luvelly jubbly!
They are also Grace approved! Ariana stopped by for a short visit and let Grace have one. I sent a bag full home with her. My Mum would have approved of that. Home baked Cookies = Love = Joy shared.
I love you mum. I can feel your love for us in every bite.
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