Cottage Pie for Two

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) leftover roast beef, roughly chopped, or browned ground beef
- 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1/2 small carrot, peeled and grated
- a 2-inch cube of swede (rutabaga) peeled and grated
- 1/2 TBS tomato paste ( tomato puree)
- 1/2 TBS plain flour
- 1 tsp brown sauce (HP sauce)
- 3/4 cup (200ml) well flavoured beef stock
- 1/4 tsp summer savoury
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (50g) frozen peas
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- warm milk
- a knob of butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 TBS grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar)
- melted butter to brush (optional
Instructions
- First make the potatoes for the thatch topping.
- Put the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water and
- bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Drain well
- and then return the potatoes to the pan. Shake the pan over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out a bit and then mash the potatoes well until smooth with some warm milk, and a knob of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Set aside and keep warm.
- To make the filling, melt the butter in a skillet. Add the
- onion, celery, carrot and sweet. Cook, stirring frequently over medium low heat until softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the flour. Slowly stir in the beef stock and bring to the boil.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the tomato puree, brown sauce, and summer savoury. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and then stir in the chopped beef.
- Pour this mixture into the bottom of a buttered 1/2 litre (3 cup) shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the frozen peas over top evenly.
- Spread the mashed potatoes on top tocover. Rough up the potato a bit with a fork. Brush with melted butter.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the casserole in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let stand 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve hot with your favourite sides.
notes:
If you are using ground beef brown it in the skillet along with the onion, carrot, celery and swede. Proceed with the remaining recipe as directed.
I sometimes like to add a bit of creamed horseradish to either the topping or the filling depending on how I feel.
Did you make this recipe?
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Lemon Amaretto Cupcakes

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) of butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (95g)of caster sugar
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1/2 cup (60g) gluten free self raising flour (or 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour, plus 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/8 tsp xanthan gum)
- 1/2 cup (60g) ground almonds (almond meal)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) plain yogurt
- the finely grated zest of two lemons
- 1/4 cup (60ml) amaretto
- 1 TBS caster sugar
- the juice of one lemon
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
- lemon juice to thin
- toasted flaked almonds to sprinkle top
Instructions
- Grease a six cup muffin tin and line with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Place the muffin tin on a tray.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk together the flour and almonds. Fold this into the creamed mixture along with the yogurt and lemon zest. Divide the cake batter amongst the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cakes are firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the amaretto drizzle until the sugar is dissolved. Spoon this over the hot cakes, a bit at a time, when they come out of the oven. It will be completely absorbed. Allow them to cool in the pan.
- Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper.
- Whisk together the icing sugar and enough lemon juice to make a spoonable drizzle icing. Spoon this over the top of each cake in an attractive manner and scatter with some flaked toasted almonds while the icing is still wet. Allow to set.
- These will keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?
Just look at their beautiful texture. They don't look any different than a normal cupcake. Seriously.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
You can use either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes for this dinner. If I am using regular potatoes I try to use a russet or a King Edward/Maris Piper (in the UK). These are potatoes that are well suited to being roasted.
They have a lovely white flesh with a mealy texture and will not fall apart as easily as some other potatoes. You can keep the skin on if you wish. I normally do because, again . . . fibre. We all need to have as much fibre in our diets as we can get.
If you scrub them really well this isn't a problem. I actually love the skin on potatoes. Its one of my favourite parts of the potato and I know I am not alone in this way of thinking.
These sizes ensure that both will cook evenly and in about the same amount of time. You could also use other vegetables if you wanted to. Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, diced carrot or butternut squash, turnips, beetroot, all work well.
The end result is a delicious Chicken dinner with perfectly cooked, tender and moist chicken with a crisp and flavour-filled skin and perfectly cooked vegetables on the side. The potatoes have golden brown caramelised edges and the broccoli is wonderfully crispy tender.
The mix of spices and herbs that you sprinkle over top really compliment everything, so each article although cooked the same and in the same time, come out tasting individually really nice.
I blame the cheese. 😋😋😋
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

Ingredients
- 2 bone in, skin on chicken breasts (I use free range, organic corn fed)
- 1/2 head of cauliflower or a medium broccoli crown
- 2 russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2/3 cup (60g) grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with baking spray. Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and paprika.
- Place the two pieces of chicken in the middle of the pan. Drizzle with 1/2 TBS of the oil, and 1/3 of the spice mixture.
- Place into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes.
- While the chicken is roasting, cut the potatoes and vegetables into small chunks. Put ito a bowl and toss together with the remaining oil and spice mixture.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and spread scatter the vegetables around the chicken on the baking sheet. Scatter the parmesan cheese over all.
- Return to the oven and roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the chicken juices run clear.
notes:
Variations - You can use sweet potatoes cut into chunks instead of the red potatoes, or a mix of both. Use Cauliflower, baby carrots, sliced butternut squash or pumpkin for the vegetables. Or even a mixture. All are very good. (Today I used half a Romanesco Cauliflower)
Did you make this recipe?
You could of course make some gravy to spoon over top of this if you really wanted to. I like it just as it is. I do like a salad on the side also, but then again, I am a person who love, LOVES salad!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Eggnog Bundt Cake

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
- 1/4 sp salt
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
- 4 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (240ml) full fat eggnog
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- milk to thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a medium sized bundt pan and dust with flour, shaking out any excess flour.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture in thirds, alternating with the eggnog. Mix together until well combined and the pour into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top spings back when lightly touched.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then tip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together all of the ingredients only adding enough milk to give you an icing thin/thick enough to drizzle decoratively over the cake. Allow to set.
- Cut into wedges to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!



Social Icons