Skillet Steak with Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms & Carrots

SOOOOOOOOOOOO............
When I did my weekly food shop I challenged myself to go very minimal and to not go over a certain price range with the items I was buying.
This meant my menu shopping mentality... which I do on occasion to save my mind the brain from going into the dreaded "melt down phenomena" (which more than likely brought YOU here to this web site!) had to be left behind.

I found a few really incredible deals,  one of which was the skirt steak that I have here today. It isn't skirt steak though. Don't be annoyed with me, I forgot to write down the name of the cut. They were fairly thin and about 6 inches all around circumference wise.

My big guys had a bad day. The van broke down in 114 degree weather, and when they got home I knew they would need happy belly food.
I always have potatoes on hand because I LOVE them, and some kind of veg, fresh or frozen... my shop led to the mushrooms.. the rest is history...
Grumpy bug was gone and everyone went to bed happy!

Feeds 6


Ingredients

 8 Small Steaks
1 small pint of  brown mushrooms wiped down and sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
1 small package of baby carrots
4 large potatoes peeled and quartered
1 cup of Milk
Half a stick of butter
3 tsp dried  rosemary
2 Tbs Herbs De Provence
2 tsp sea salt
1tsp of black pepper
 3 Tbs olive oil

Prepare 

* Take  your beef out of the fridge and unwrap. Place on the counter and allow to go room temperature, about 30 minutes, sprinkle both sides with Herbs De Provence, salt and a tiny drizzle of olive oil
* Boil your water for your potatoes, and when boiling put your potatoes in until tender, about 15 minutes, drain, put 5 TBS of butter in, milk and cover
* In a medium saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tbs of butter and 1 tsp of olive oil
* Throw your mushrooms and onions and rosemary, salt and pepper in pan and saute until light golden, turn off heat and set aside
* In a small pan bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil and throw your carrots in for about 4 minutes, drain, cover and set aside
* In a cast iron skillet that is HOT put your meat in and allow to cook 4 minutes on each side leaving alone while it cooks on each side, meat will be medium
*Mash your potatoes and add sea salt and pepper as desired
* Dress your plate with your yummy food and enjoy !!

Jacket Potatoes and Rocket Salad

While we lived in England we were introduced to a very simple yet strangely wonderful, satisfying meal....The Jacket Potato.
All it really is a an over sized baked potato with yummy fillings which can vary depending on how much you have in your fridge or pantry. Fantastic for a family on a budget, but as you may have guessed by some of the other meals, they will never feel like they are being fed on a budget!

1 Large Potato per person or 1/2 for little guys and girls

Ingredients

Large Potato washed and poked with a fork, and wrapped in aluminum foil
Bag of mixed salad
Shredded Cheese ( we like cheddar )
Pat of butter
Bacon- try turkey bacon if you don't eat pork!
Mushrooms
Onions
Baked Beans
Sour Cream
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar


Prepare

* Pre Heat your oven to 350 degrees
* Put Potatoes that are covered in foil in for about 1.5 hours
* Fry your bacon, place on a paper towel and set aside
* Slice the onion and mushrooms, place in a pan on medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and piece of butter, salt and pepper and sautee until soft, about 10 minutes
* Place mushrooms in a bowl with foil on top to keep them warm
* Heat your beans
* Put your salad on the plate you will have the potato on
* Put cheese, sour cream, bacon crumbled, beans into bowls and let people dress their own potato.
* Cut potato criss cross, add a bit of butter if desired and dress!!
* Add olive oil and vinegar to your salad with a bit of pepper

ALSO TRY
Lunch meat cut up, ham, turkey etc
Tuna fish salad ( mixed with Mayo)
A dab of ricotta
Sliced chives
Avacado diced


Have fun! You will be shocked at how wonderfully yummy and filling these potatoes are!

Risotto with Asparagus, Mint and Peas

Risotto is one of those dishes that can be used for a multitude of things... you can have it be very basic and then after it is cooled down use it for my all time favorite... Rice Ball Parmesan...You can also add other things too it.
My dear friend Andrew made this while he and his family lived with us last spring and it was GORGEOUS!! So experiment with different things and let me know what you discover!

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of water
½ a bottle of dry white wine
1 stick and a couple of tbs of butter, about ¾ of a cup
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 16-0z-box Arborio rice
20 to 25 Asparagus stalks cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup freshly shelled small peas or petite frozen peas (about 1/4 pound)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Prepare

* Saute your asparagus and peas in a medium pan with about 2 tbs of olive oil until golden brown set aside off the heat
*Melt ½ a stick of butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. *Add onion
* Sauté until soft and transparent, about 6 minutes
* Add rice; stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 minutes
* Add wine; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 1 minute
* Add broth 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, about 15 minutes
* Add the last of the butter, stir in well
* Add your mint, stirring in well
* Taste the risotto, if it still seems too al dente, slowly add water as you did the broth until it is absorbed cooking until rice is tender but firm to bite and the mixture is creamy
* Add a generous handful of cheese… stir until it melts
*Season with salt and pepper
*Serve and add another handful of fresh Parmesan

Not Your Momma's Salad!

  I have had so many fantastic conversations with people about why I am doing this sight!!
 Aside from the financial reasons and my love of all foods from around the world.. my next motive and drive is feeding my family and my own body, fresh, nutritious life giving food.

If and when you are detoxing or trying to lose a few pounds because of the other yummy food you eat, this is sure to delight your taste buds, and give your body an extra protein kick that is also very Gluten free/ Vegetarian friendly for you.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Hand full of Red Leaf Lettuce
Bunch of Baby Spinach
Firm Tofu
1/2 Can of red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 Carrot cut into thin slices
1 Avocado diced
4 grape tomatoes cut in quarters
5 mushrooms wiped and sliced
1/4 of a red onion finely sliced
2 oz or so of cheese ( I like cheddar ) cubed
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Pepper



Prepare

 * In a saute pan add a splash of olive oil and heat to mid- high
* Drain your tofu and pat dry with a paper towel
* Cut your Tofu in half horizontally
* Pat dry again
* Add your Tofu to the pan add a splash of balsamic and cover with a lid
* Let it brown for 4 minutes, uncover and flip over
* Add more balsamic and olive oil
* After the other side has lightly browned, remove and put on a cutting board
* When cool cub the tofu
*Rinse and tear all your lettuce and spinach, pat dry and place on your plates
* Add the mushrooms
* Add your onion
* Add your avocado
* Add your tomatoes
* Add your carrot
* Add your Tofu
* Add your cheese
* Dress your salad with a splash of olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper ( Try crushed red pepper for a kick! )

Easy peesy egg cups

I stumbled across a FANTASTIC idea for breakfast... especially when you have lots of guests and wrapping paper is flying and tummies are rumbling!!!

If you want to have this with a nice piece of crusty bread, it works... with a lovely hash brown potato and bacon... fresh fruit....it works....hurray!!!!!
Experiment with all your own thoughts and ideas.. life is FULL of possibilities!

Happy Holidays!!!!

I made this after thanksgiving and re-purposed the mashed potato to become "hash browns" and enjoyed left over corn pudding!

Ingredients

1 cup cake tin (Serves 12)
 Eggs ( usually 2 per person....)
Ham/Bologna/Turkey/ Lox...... 1 slice per cup cake cup
Shredded cheese of ANY kind
Salt
Pepper
butter to lightly coat the cupcake tin


Prepare


* Turn oven on to 350
* Lightly butter tin cups
* Place 1 piece if said meat in cupcake tin
*Break egg into the tin on top of the meat
* Add a sprinkle of cheese, salt and pepper
* Bake for 15 minutes

Serve with a variety things! Potatoes, Fruit, Hash browns, toast!!!! Add Salsa, Hot Sauce, Holindaise......

Jason's Carnitas

How happy am I that ours is a life filled with friends who love food like we do????!!
Our dear friend Jason was in town last week and he happily shared his Carnitas recipe with me and now (lucky you!)... with you too!
I LOVE Carnitas!
The pork can usually be found at an inexpensive cost and it is tender, juicy and flavorful..
One of the things that makes me most happy is exchanging recipes  with my friends because then we have a lovely memory of them at one of the happiest times in our family life... when we sit down and enjoy a meal together!
I encourage you all to give this next one a try... I love your comments!

Photo by Jason Hagen

Ingredients

4-5-pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks (I didn’t bother to trim the fat) 
3 Tbs Olive Oil

About 3 cups of water
1 Pepsi or Coke
1 cup fresh OJ
Juice from 1 lime

Rind from orange and lime

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves (not garlic ;-)

2 teaspoons various chili powders (Ancho, Anaheim, etc)

2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 small onion sliced thin

Photo by Jason Hagen

Prepare

*Heat oven to 325 degrees

* Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to a day.

*Sear the meat in batches with your oil in a large pot or pan. Do not crowd the meat.

* Blot out most of the oil

*Sweat the onions for 30 seconds, salt your pork

*Add garlic and all other spices..Saute for 1 minute, take the pork out of pan and set aside

*Add liquids and deglaze your pan (like making gravy)

*Add meat back to your oven proof pan or pot

*Add enough water so that the meat is almost covered but not completely 
* Stick uncovered in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. (Until the meat is tender and falling apart) 
*After that you can turn to oven way down or stick on the stove top on low low heat, cover and let sit in the braising liquid for a few extra hours if you have the time.

*Increase oven to 450 or even to broil.

* Remove and shred the meat and (throwing any big pieces of fat back into the liquid) reduce the liquid until it is almost syrupy. Strain.  Check the meat for salt.

* Add meat to a roasting pan and spoon over some of the reduced liquid, which will contain a good amount of lard.

*If needed add salt to the meat. Stick meat in oven and watch closely. When the top layer of meat is getting crispy, you are done.

Serve with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, lime and slices of avocado.

Cottage/ Sheperds Pie - Cooking Class Recipe 2

Our family had the absolute privilege of living in the UK for 4 years. Our son Sam was born there and we left knowing the rumor that the English produce bland food was laughable!!!

Here is a recipe that at least 3 friends brought around after Sam was born... Comfort food at it's best!!

 

Serves 6  ( but doubling or even tripling this recipe is SO easy! )

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 pounds of either hamburger/mince or ground or lamb/mince or ground   (lamb is shepherds- hamburger is cottage)
8  big potatoes
1 onion minced
3 carrots chopped
3 TBS butter
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
pinch pf pepper
1 cup of peas
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 TBS all purpose flour (optional)
1 Can tomato paste
2 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup beef broth


Prepare

* Boil the  potatoes (peel on or off up to you!!)
* Soften the carrots and onion in a splash of olive oil or butter
* Add the mince (meat) to the  mixture and brown adding the Worcestershire sauce
* Mash the potato with butter and milk - cover and put aside
* Add the Beef Broth to the Mince(meat) and add the Tomato Paste and flour if desired
* Simmer another 5 minutes
* Heat the oven to 350 Degrees or 176 Celsius
* Put mince (meat) mixture on the bottom of a 13 inch baking dish
* Add peas and Veg
* Put the mashed on top
* Add the shredded cheese
* Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is  light brown

Chicken Afritada

My cousin Donna and her husband Mark have been kind enough to share another DELICIOUS Filipino recipe with us... I love the dishes I have had from the Philippines because they are flavorful and satisfying like so many of the comfort foods I gravitate towards... I would love to go someday because what I also know is that the Filipino's are very passionate about their families and food is a big part of that, just up my ally!!!! Enjoy everyone!

Serves 6

Ingredients
12 Chicken Drumsticks or better yet leg and thigh

5 potatoes peeled and halved

1 diced onion

1 or 2 heads minced garlic

1 red and 1 green bell pepper sliced in strips

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chicken stock or broth

2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce) Note: this ingredient makes the dish

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Prepare

*In a large pot or wok, heat oil. 

*Sautée garlic and onions. 

*Brown chicken.   

*Pour on tomato sauce, fish sauce and  stock.  Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked. 

*Add the potatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

*Add the peppers and simmer for an additional couple of minutes.

*Salt and pepper to taste.  (You can add flour or cornstarch to thicken sauce , like a tsp at a time)

*Serve over rice

Yummy! And  so inexpensive!

Wine Suggestion- Zweigelt

Sweet and Spicy Fish or Chicken Tortilla Lasagna

My friend Denise made this dish the other night. I loved the flavors and that it was another way to get fish into our diets, so I am sharing it with you all.
If your feeding kids, then don't make it too spicy and adjust the jalapenos accordingly...
also note worthy, jalapenos need to be handled with care!! The oil will stick onto your hands and then subsequently onto other things like eyes so use gloves, or be really careful if and when handling the seeds which are the part to AVOID TOUCHING! Enjoy!

This was made with Fish

Serves 4 to 6

 Ingredients

12 or so corn tortillas (or substitute small flour tortillas- like for fajitas-  if you can't get corn tortillas fresh)
1 Jalapeno pepper (or two if you like it spicy)
3 Mangoes diced
5 vine ripe tomatoes diced
I medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
Big bunch of cilantro diced up medium fine
3 avocados peeled and diced ( squeeze a bit of lemon or lime on the avocado so it doesn't go brown)
1 tsp brown sugar
4 to 5  Cups of colby jack cheese or any mild white cheese shredded
Two cod fillets ( if frozen thaw and pat dry) or tilapia ( if so use 3 to four fillets.. they are a smaller fish) or 4 Cups of cooked and shredded Chicken ( Rotissere whole chicken is PERFECT for this)
Sea salt
White pepper
1 lime


Prepare

 Fresh Mango Salsa
*First dice up mangoes,  3 tomatoes, 1 onion and mix in bowl
*Add minced jalapeno and a handful of chopped cilantro and mix into the salsa mixture..
*Add a pinch of  course sea salt
*Next is a teaspoon of brown sugar and 1 tsp of fresh lime juice..stir it up.. cover and let sit while you prepare the rest (Also you can buy some very nice mango salsas at the grocery store and simple doll it up by adding your hot peppers as desired)


Homemade Guacamole
*3 Avocados peeled and diced
*Remainder of your cilantro diced up medium fine
*Pinch of sea salt
*Pinch of white pepper
*4 Minced cloves of garlic
*1 minced onion
*2 whole diced tomatoes with seeds and juice
*1  lime juiced
* Mash everything up with a potato masher or Morter and Pestle until you get the consistency you like
* Cover and Chill


Lasagna
*Get fillets and pat with a paper towel.. cut into 5 inch pieces
*Take salsa and layer a bit in bottom of your  large baking dish
*Place a layer of tortilla on bottom... then place pieces of fish... then cheese and salsa
continue this pattern until you have at least 4 layers... five is great too ! Your top layer should be tortilla
*Layer top with lots of cheese and pop in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes... you want the top to be nice and gold and a bit crisp.
*Take lasagna out of oven and let sit for about ten minutes

                   Add side of guacamole, a simple spinach salad!! ENJOY!

Red Curry

I don't know about many of my fellow foodies, but growing up in the southwest of the U.S, I never ate Indian food. It just wasn't around.  Asian food as a whole was limited to Chinese until the last 15 years. Then we moved to England where Indian food is a hugely popular. After kind and patient friends walked us through a meal, showing us the yummy dishes offered, we were sold! Now I find I can't go very long without making this next dish, and  my kids LOVE these flavors, which are so light and flavorful.
I just know you will make it a staple in your home once you have tried it too!

Serves 6


Ingredients

 2 tsp of sesame oil
2 green onion, sliced thin ( not the hard green part though)
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cup of Mango peeled and  cubed (I tend to buy it frozen and already prepared)
4 cups of diced chicken or small Shrimp (or half and half)
5 teaspoons of Red Curry paste
1 Can of coconut milk
Juice of 2 limes
3 teaspoons of fish sauce
4 Cups of chicken stock made from concentrate
Handful of fresh cilantro/coriander
3 Cups of Jasmine rice

Prepare

*Put your rice on to cook, turn off and leave covered when done
*Prepare your vegetables
* In a wok on medium high heat add your sesame oil and green onion
* Add your red curry and heat it up for a second
* Add your coconut milk, fish sauce and chicken stock whisking together and bringing to a boil
* Gently add your sweet potato and butternut squash to the mixture , turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes covered until the veg is soft
* Add your shrimp/chicken and cook again for another 10 minutes for shrimp but at least 20 for chicken (If adding both I tend to pre cook the chicken to avoid over cooking the shrimp)
* Add your fresh lime and mango and leave for another 5 minutes
* Serve either in a bowl with your rice on the side, or together the mixture on top of rice with a bit of fresh cilantro/coriander

*Try adding cubed tofu to this to make it vegetarian

Nachos

 Maybe not a gourmet dish, but while eating out we have seriously paid $12.00 for 10 tortilla chips with little 'nacho like' cheese and beans and sometimes chicken on them !!!!  Like a joke!

My mother in law made Nachos lots when we lived in Brooklyn, NY  so of course we made them in England when we were missing everyone, but then also because it was a lovely weekend noshy thing. Sometimes they are simple with only beans, cheese and hamburger or chicken and sometimes they get fancier...in any case always around a budget and easy to add things on that you like.. be creative! And please remember dear friends with less people in their household that ANY recipe can very easily be modified to smaller numbers!!! And like wise doubled! Also very easily a lovely dish without meat for my vegetarian friends!!

 

Feeds 4 adults



Ingredients

Plain salted tortilla chips
4 cups of shredded cheese ( cheddar is nice!)
1 pound hamburger meat or 4 cups of shredded chicken
1 jar of salsa
1 small can of olives drained
1/2 can of corn drained
1 can of red kidney beans drained, or 2 1/2 cups of pre- made beans ( see bean burritos for recipe)
1/4 cup of pickeled jalapeneos drained
1 small pint of sour cream
1 handful of cilantro
2 diced avacodos
cumin
garlic salt
black pepper
1 lime (if using chicken)


Prepare
* Pre- Heat oven to 375 degrees
* Get a large backing dish and layer the bottom with tortilla chips
* In a pan, cook the hamburger or chicken adding cumin, garlic salt and pepper to taste, at the end beans to the mixture to heat them up a bit and absorb the flavors
* If cooking with chicken ( I tend to use a whole chicken that is already roasted or left over and shred it and re heat it), when it is cooked turn the heat off and squeeze the lime over it mixing it up
* Add the cheese to the tortilla chips and mix it in with your hands a bit to distribute it
* Add the meat and beans
* Add the corn
* Add olives
* Add jalapenoes
* Add salsa
* Put in the oven until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes or so..
* Add the cilantro, avacado and sour cream on to your plated up nachos!!!!!

*I eat them with a knife and fork because they are so messy

Wine Suggestion- California Zinfindel

Bangers and Mash with Leeks

We spent 4 years living in Bristol, England and a summer living in London.
One of the dishes that I was thrilled to learn to make was this one.. as sausage is quite inexpensive and so are potatoes.
And you can glam it up so easily!
Another fond discovery for us has also been the leek. Rich in nutrients, and not really used much in dishes while I was growing up , we try to incorporate them into our menu because we love them so. You  simply sautee them  a bit and add them too the mashed potato and you are going to be in heaven...
Bangers are what the English call sausage..this dish is a staple in the Traditional English Pub where  we spent lots of happy times.. a wonderful community experience, one which we don't have any likeness to here in the States.

Feeds 6 - or divide up for less people...


Ingredients

12 Sausages ( you can use Pork, Beef,Turkey or Chicken... as you like)
6 Large Potatoes
1 Stick and 2 Tbs of butter
Splash of Olive oil
1/2 cup milk or 1 pint of sour cream/cream fresh  if you don't care about fat
3 Leeks, rinsed and cut into 1/4 inch pieces ( start cutting under the leaves close to the light green part where it isn't so tough)
 2 Tsp Sea Salt
1 Tsp White Pepper



Prepare

* Depending on if your crew like peel on or off, rinse and peel the potatoes, and quarter them
* Add them to a pot of boiling water with a pinch of Sea Salt and cook until tender, about 45 minutes
* In a sautee pan on medium low heat, add a splash of olive oil, 2 Tbs of butter and the leeks, at the end when they are looking soft, add a pich of salt and a twist of white pepper.. cover and turn heat off
* In a large sautee pan, or under a broiler, cook up the sausages, make sure they aren't pink! Remove from heat
* Drain the potatoes and put back into the pot, add the stick of butter and cover and let butter melt
( about 5 minutes )
*Add milk ( or sour cream!) and with a potato masher mash the potatoes until creamy, add a dash of salt and pepper
* Add the sauteed leeks to the mash
*Put a mound of mashed potatoes on the plate and place the Sausages on the mound to the side

Chicken Taco's

This could be the single most eaten meal in our home.
At least once a month, sometimes twice, we have chicken or beef tacos. And the newest addition  since being back in the U.S.. fish tacos!
Today I am going to give you the makings for chicken tacos, and what is really nice is that if you have surprise guests you can stretch them out and feed more people than you realize!

Feeds at least 6 (but up to 12 if you only have 2 or 3 each)


Ingredients

32 fresh corn tortillas to have 5 or 6 each for 6 people
Like 20 oz frying oil
1 pre- roasted chicken ( the store sells them already done for like $4 or feel free to roast it yourself!)
1/2 head of lettuce-shredded
4 cups grated cheese ( even though I would rather shred my own if cheese is on sale, I do on occasion buy the pre shredded if it is on sale)
1 large can of black olives broken up
1 bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped
2 fresh limes
2 diced avacado's ( put some lime or lemon on them to help keep them from going brown)
red and green salsa( the best salsa's have the LEAST amount of ingredients and they should be the fresh kind of ingredients!)
1 pint of sour cream
2 Tbs garlic salt
1 Tbs cumin
3 tsp white pepper


Prepare

* Pull your chicken off the bones and place into a pan that has a little splash of olive oil on the bottom, try to get it all, and then bag the carcass and freeze for soup!
* Squeeze a lime over the shredded chicken and add your garlic salt, cumin and white pepper and heat until warm, cover and set aside
* Prepare all of your toppings and put in bowls for serving (we use a lazy susan server)
* Get a platter or cookie sheet and line with paper towels and have a generous piece of aluminum foil to cover shells as you fry them and some tongs
* In a cast iron pan put about 2 inches of oil and heat oil up on high until the tortilla dances around
* Fry each shell for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, bring to platter and dab oil on each side and fold in half ( like wise for a lighter version just heat up the shells in a  non stick pan!)
* As you go along cover the shells with the tin foil to keep warm
* After shells are done, stuff them with the chicken (I use a fork)
* Let everyone add their own toppings and watch them go!

Cottage/ Shepherds Pie

Our family had the absolute privilege of living in the UK for 4 years. Our son Sam was born there and we left knowing the rumor that the English produce bland food was laughable!!!

Here is a recipe that at least 3 friends brought around after Sam was born... Comfort food at it's best!!

 

Serves 6  ( but doubling or even tripling this recipe is SO easy! )

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 pounds of either hamburger/mince or ground or lamb/mince or ground   (lamb is shepherds- hamburger is cottage)
8  big potatoes
1 onion minced
3 carrots chopped
3 TBS butter
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
pinch pf pepper
1 cup of peas
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 TBS all purpose flour (optional)
1 Can tomato paste
2 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup beef broth


Prepare

* Boil the  potatoes (peel on or off up to you!!)
* Soften the carrots and onion in a splash of olive oil or butter
* Add the mince (meat) to the  mixture and brown adding the Worcestershire sauce
* Mash the potato with butter and milk - cover and put aside
* Add the Beef Broth to the Mince(meat) and add the Tomato Paste and flour if desired
* Simmer another 5 minutes
* Heat the oven to 350 Degrees or 176 Celsius
* Put mince (meat) mixture on the bottom of a 13 inch baking dish
* Add peas
* Put the mashed on top
* Add the shredded cheese
* Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is  light brown

Chicken Adobo with Jasmine Rice and Fresh Veg

My cousin and her husband who is Filipino introduced this wonderful dish to me. It can feed 20 people if needed, and taste as if you were being given a very expensive meal. The most wonderful part.. the cost is so minimal!! 

                                 

feeds 6

Ingredients
Package of Chicken Legs x 10 legs ( you can buy bulk 50 legs for $9.00)
1 - 1 1/2 cups Soy sauce
1/2 - 1 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
2 TBS of All Purpose Flour
3 cups water
5 Bay leaves
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups of Jasmine rice
3 cups fresh veg or beans of your choice

Prepare:

*Brown the chicken legs in the olive oil
* Add the water and leave the setting on high to bring to a boil
* Add soy and rice vinegar
* Add pepper and ginger
* Add bay leaves
* Continue to baste( stir) the chicken legs in liquid for 15 minutes
* Simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours...
* Add Flour to thicken (Optional )
* Continue to simmer for 30 minutes

Meanwhile..
Cook Rice ( 1 cup of rice for 2 cups liquid) * takes about 20 minutes
Steam Veg * takes about 5 minutes for al dente

Wine Suggestion- Reisling