Sheperd's Pie

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

POTATOES

 

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes

1/4 cup half-and-half

2 ounces unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg yolk

 

MEAT FILLING

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb or beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup fresh or frozen  peas

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.
 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Honey Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the cream, oil, honey and eggs; stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean.

Quinoa Blackbean Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken stock                   
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1-15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro                   

                

Directions

1. Bring quinoa and chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
3. Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

Gluten Free Chocolate Torte

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
6 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. Cut butter into small pieces.  Combine the chocolate and 1 1/2 sticks butter in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let cool slightly.
Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, 5 to 8 minutes.

Gently fold half of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is no longer shiny and barely jiggles and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely in the pan. Remove the springform ring and transfer to a platter.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and fresh raspberries

Never Fail Pie Crust

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cup of shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
5 Tbl ice water

Sift flour, blend in shortening a pastry tool until the dough is the consistency of small peas.  Beat egg, add vinegar, salt and water .  Mix with fork til mixture leaves sides of the bowl and forms ball..  Rolle between two sheets of wax paper.  Gently place over pie plate, press into the sides and trim the edges   Fold the edges under and flute the edges.

Charlie's Gazpacho

Ingredients

6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 Tbls red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of ground pepper
1- 4 oz can of V8
2 Tbls fresh basil leaves

Put all of the ingredients into the Vitamix and mix until chopped.  Chill and serve cold

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

Ingredients

3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup of eggs or egg substitute
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1, 2.6 ounce bar dark chocolate
2 Tbl powdered sugar

Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.  Place butter in large bowl, beat with mixer at medium speed 1 minute.  Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (a bout 5 minutes).  Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended.  Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10- 4 oz ramekins; arrange on jelly roll pan.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Let ramekins satnd at room temperature 10 minutes or until cakes are puff and slightly crusty on top.  Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Clara's Hazelnut Cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of ground toasted Hazelnuts
4 eggs
2/3 cup of sugar (maybe more)
1/2 cup of butter
1 tsp baking powder

Directions

Separate the whites from the yolk of the eggs.  Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar.  Beat the whites of the eggs separately until they rise up.  Put the butter and the yolks together and add the hazelnuts and baking powder.  Add whites at the end and pour it all into a greased pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Thumbprints

Ingredients
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/2 cup of shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg yokes
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour sifted
1/2 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly the shortening butter and brown sugar.  Add egg yokes and 1 tsp of vanilla.  Fold in flour and salt.

Roll into balls the size of walnuts.
Beat eggs whites slightly
Dip balls into whites then chopped nuts
Flatten slightly onto cookie sheets

Bake 5 minutes at 375.
Remove from oven and press thumb into each ball.  Fill with Hershey kiss or helly.

Return and back 5 more minutes.

Pierogies With Potato and Cheese Filling

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2/3 cup water

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large potatoes

8 ounces sharp-tasting cheese

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Mix flour, water, and egg and salt together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough with bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and rinse. Add cheese. Let stand a few minutes until cheese melts. Then fold potatoes and cheese together.

Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares. Fill each square of dough with one teaspoon of potato and cheese filling. Fold in half and pinch ends together to seal. Drop in hot boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and fry in butter a few minutes until heated through. Chopped onions and/0r shredded cabbage may be added to the butter, if desired. Salt and pepper, to taste.

Mediterranean Polenta Frittata

Ingredients

4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of course polenta
2 Tbl butter
salt
pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 finely chopped artichoke hearts
2 ounces of black olives, chopped
3 ounces of sundried tomatoes
1 Tbl fresh chopped oregano


First make your Basic Polenta

Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to boil.  Reduce heat and slowly whisk in 1 cup of course polenta.  Continue whisking 5 minutes.  Replace whisk with wooden spoon and stir until spoon can stand and polenta comes away from the sides of the pan.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of softened butter and season with salt and pepper.

To make the Mediterranean Frittata: 

Transfer the above mixture to a bowl; add 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 4 finely chopped artichoke hearts, 3 oz of sundried tomatoes, 2 oz of black olives and 1 Tbl of fresh oregano.  Sponn the mixture into a 12 inch springform pan and press down with a wooden spoon.  Set aside to cool and remove from pan.  Brush lightly with olive oil and cook under preheated grill until just crisp and golden brown.  Cut into wedges and serve hot.