Beef

Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef

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Alright so you made that roast beef, loads of mashed potatoes and now you have heaps of leftovers, right? I offer you a wonderful solution:Paula Deen’s Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef found over at Food.com. I made a few changes…as I am known to do, so I have listed how I made it. My husband was thrilled that I even presented him with a lil serving of Ketchup to go with his portion. This Shepherd Pie reminded me of an Aussie Meat Pie which also begs for a good dollop of Ketchup.

This Shepherd Pie is different from all the ones I have seen; it uses mashed potatoes for the “crust” and has a biscuit topping! I don’t EVER purchase Bisquick Baking Mix but a few years ago I realized that someone MUST have posted home made versions of the stuff; I was right. I make up a batch of biscuit mix now and again and keep it in the fridge for when I am feeling particularly lazy and don’t want to make ’em from scratch.

I poured the goopy Biscuit dough on top of the meat filling as directed in the recipe but my son Ryan said next time I should scoop it on in mounds. I think he might be on to something with that suggestion.

Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef
Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef, Mashed Potato Crust and Biscuit Topping

1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds Leftover Roast Beef, cubed
3/4 cup Gravy (use leftover Gravy if you have it; if not, stir 1 Tablespoon Gravy Mix into 3/4 cup cold water, whisk until no lumps remain)
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper
3 cups Mashed Potatoes, leftover
1 cup Frozen Sweet Peas
1/2 cup diced Carrots
1 – 1 1/2 cups Milk
2 cups Biscuit Mix
4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly spray a 9x9inch square pan with vegetable oil spray.
Beef Layer:
In a large skillet over med-high heat sauté onion in olive oil.
Add minced garlic and continue sautéing for another couple of minutes.
Add beef, stir well.
Add gravy and heat to boiling; cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Add worcestershire sauce,  salt and pepper; set aside.
“Crust”:
Layer mashed potatoes halfway up the sides of prepared baking dish.
Spread beef mixture over mashed potatoes.
Next, add frozen sweet peas and diced carrots.
Biscuit Topping:
Combine biscuit topping mix with enough milk to make a goopy dough.
Scoop biscuit dough and drop in mounds onto vegetable layer.
Brush with melted butter.
Bake in preheated 350F oven for 35 – 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serve 4 – 6

Poultry

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

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The boys in this house enjoy Chicken Adobo but I don’t like frying chicken; I was pleased to find this recipe for Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken, which did not ask for me to first brown it in oil.

I reckon it is pretty adaptable to what you have on hand too: I was in desperate need of grocery shopping and only had one onion and part of a red onion on hand to work with, luckily I had just purchased Rice Vinegar so had that on hand – in the past I have subbed in regular white vinegar. That said, I do hope that it tasted alright? Both the guys said it was good. I asked for more specific details but they couldn’t come up with any! (I don’t eat meat so I have no idea how it tasted. I thought it looked better than the stove top version I make and I also liked the consistency of the sauce. I removed the chicken to a serving dish, poured the liquid into a small saucepan and reduced it to a thicker consistency to satisfy my own sensibilities.

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

4 Onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger
1 Bay Leaf
3 lbs Bone In, Chicken Thighs
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
Steamed Rice

Place onions, garlic,  ginger and bay leaf in an even layer in the slow cooker.
If Chicken Thighs have skins, remove skin and visible fat; arrange chicken in an even layer on top of the onions et al.
Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and pepper; pour it over the chicken.
Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone, about 4 – 5 hours on LOW.
Transfer Chicken to serving dish and cover with foil.
Pour liquid into a small saucepan, fish out bay leaf and discard; bring to a boil.
Continue boiling to reduce to desired consistency.
Pour over Chicken, sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve alongside hot Steamed Rice.

Serves 4 – 6

Side Dishes

Roasted Cauliflower

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So it is interesting to cook around here; I am a Vegetarian and have been for the past 33 years so no, I am not about to start eating meat…no, not even a lil bit! However, my husband of 13 years is NOT a Vegetarian. For the first 10 years that we were together I continued cooking Vegetarian meals; he didn’t complain. Oh wait, he had been eating his own cooking for a number of years…he was probably just happy to have someone cook for him! Two years ago he tried Atkins which meant  A LOT of meat!

Once Luke started eating meat again he confessed that he didn’t really like vegetables and particularly cauliflower. He conceded that this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower that I found over at Simply Recipes was the best yet….next to Frosted Cauliflower…which I think he likes because it is slathered in a cheesy sauce. This Roasted Cauliflower is plain, simple and tastes oh, so good.

roasted cauliflower
Simply Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of Cauliflower
3 – 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
Lemon Juice from half a Lemon
Olive Oil
Coarse Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish.
Toss in the garlic.
Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
If the oven hasn’t reached 400F. yet, set aside until it has.
Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown.
Test with a fork for desired doneness.
Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower.
Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately

Serves 4 – 6

Pork

Pork Chop with Cranberries

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I honestly don’t remember how I came across this recipe? What could I possibly have been googling? Well, I had pork chops in the fridge, that I know for sure. But cranberries? It must have been a fluke that I had some tucked away in the freezer? It went over well with the meat eaters and it smelled pretty good while it was cooking. At any rate, I found this recipe for Pork Chop Saute with Cranberries over at Eating Well. Head over there for a peek at all their great recipes!
Easy enough to pull together for a meal on a busy week night.

pork chops with cranberries
Pork Chops with Cranberries

1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon Pepper, divided
4 boneless Pork Loin Chops (1 – 1 1/4 lb), trimmed of fat
2/3 cup Cranberry or Orange Juice
2 1/2 – 3 Tablespoons Honey
2 teaspoons Canola Oil
1 small Onion, sliced
1 cup Cranberries, fresh or frozen, thawed, coarsely chopped

Mix thyme and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with thyme mixture.
Stir until well blended the cranberry juice and honey in a 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides, 2 – 3 minutes on each side.
Push the chops to one side of the pan, add onion to the empty half of the pan and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Pour half the juice mixture into the pan.
Add cranberries.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, turning the chops occasionally, until cooked through 2 – 4 minutes.
Transfer the chops to a serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add the remaining juice mixture to the pan.
Increase heat to high and cook until the mixture reduces to form a syrupy sauce, about 2 minutes.
Season with remaining salt and pepper.
Spoon sauce over the chops.

Serve with Pan Fried Potatoes, or Steamed Rice and Steamed Broccoli

 

Serves 4

Beef, Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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With cooler temperatures prevailing it’s time to haul out the slow cooker for some comforting stews; and don’t forget to make yummy bread to go with it: Dinner Rolls,Biscuits, Dumplings or pick up some Multigrain Rolls from the grocery store on the way home from work.

slow cooker beef stew
Satisfying Slow Cooker Beef Stew

2 lb Stewing Beef cubes
4 Potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs Celery, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Beef Broth
1 (5oz can) Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup frozen Peas
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Corn Starch or Flour

For ease of cleaning I like to spray the inside of the crock pot with vegetable oil spray.

Cut beef into 1″-cubes.
In 4.5-6litre Slow Cooker mix together beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, beef stock, tomato paste, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 10 – 12 hours (or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours) or until beef and vegetables are tender.
30 – 60 minutes before serving, add frozen peas, salt and pepper.
Increase heat to HIGH.
Whisk corn starch with a bit of water to make a paste; stir into stew.
Cover and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes.

Serves 4 – 6

Welcome to my Kitchen where the most important ingredient is Love.