Brittany's Pantry
Mmmm. Shepherd’s Pie. Raise your hand if you know what I am talking about!
Growing up, I thought if it was a one pot meal and covered with a layer of mashed potatoes, ya got yourself a Shepherd’s Pie. And that is partly true. But I believe that it also has to have lamb to qualify and that is harder to find, harder to get people to eat, and just not practical. I don’t know about you, but lamb of any kind is not available at my corner super market. Hmm? What’s that? You’re saying you live by a Trader Joe’s? A Whole Foods? The world’s largest CUB foods? Not in the middle of a corn field? Fine. So lamb might be available at your corner store. Just don’t rub it in.
And bring on the ground beef!
I had honestly never made this dish myself until the last year. And now my family loves it so much (my daughter goes WILD for it!) I find myself making this version quite often. It is classic comfort food and although it has a few extra steps, it is easy to plan ahead and whip it up in no time.
Please do not tell your Irish grandmother about this recipe. It just may get you stoned with potatoes.
Shepherd’s Pie
Adapted (loosely) from Sunny Anderson
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 T olive or canola oil
1 T butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c tomato paste
1/4 c water or beef stock
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 tsp paprika
1 c grated mozzarella cheese, optional
2-3 c prepared mashed potatoes
In a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter together over medium heat just until the butter is melted. Add the onion and ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, tomato paste and the water, stirring until it is all incorporated and heated through. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Let cook for another few minutes for the flavors to meld and then spoon the mixture into a sprayed, 2 quart casserole dish. Spread evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle cheese over the meat. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add the carrots, zucchini and paprika. Stir vegetables just until they start to sweat, 3-4 minutes. Layer the vegetables over the cheese and spread evenly. Top with mashed potatoes, smoothing the top. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes, or until hot all the way through and starting to brown on top.
Note: There are several ways you can make this recipe go together even faster. You can easily pick-up pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store, as well as refrigerated mashed potatoes, I usually make extra when I am making them for a different meal, and then use the leftovers mashed potatoes to top this casserole later in the week. Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef. You probably won’t even notice the difference in taste. When my garden is producing abundant amounts of zucchini, I shred pre-measured amounts and freeze them for use later in the year.
Honey Carrots & Close-Ups
Brittany wrote this on 30 March 2011
carrots, gluten-free, honey
One of my favorite things about my new kitchen is the lighting. Before? Cave-like. After? Bright and airy. The difference is amazing and I cut myself much less often while chopping vegetables. These pictures were taken at 5:30 at night with no flash and no overhead lights. I was using my 18-55mm lens. What a difference! Sooo much brighter in here. I will post before and after pictures just as soon as we get a few more of the finishing details done.
But speaking of vegetables…
…I like carrots. They are easy to cook, a beautiful color, versatile, and they are just as good cooked as they are raw. We eat fresh carrot sticks quite often so when I make them for dinner, I want them to be a little special. Sometimes I roast them, but the best is glazed with honey.
I know what you are going to say: everything is fantastic glazed in honey. And you are pretty much correct. Especially on carrots. I prefer it over brown sugar any day. Instead of coating the vegetable in a super sweet syrup that masks the flavor, a light drizzle of honey seems to make the carrots themselves, sweeter. And that is all I do. A drizzle of honey.
So take your carrots, and…
Honey Carrots
Cut your carrots into bite sized pieces, either short matchsticks or discs. Add them to a large saute pan with a lid and just a splash of water. The carrots above made about 2 c of carrots for supper and I added about 1/4 c of water to the pan. If you have a ton of carrots, add a bit more water. Put the lid on and let the veggies steam over medium heat. Check them after a few minutes to see if they are done and to make sure the pan hasn’t gone completely dry. If you poke them with a fork and they are crisp tender, drain off any excess water. If they aren’t done yet and the water is gone, add a splash more and put the lid back on. My carrots are usually done right about the time all the water has evaporated. Put them back on the heat, minus the lid, and add a very small pat of butter (about a tsp), a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of honey. Just a tablespoon or so. Toss it all together over medium heat for just a few minutes. You want everything to melt together and get hot. Serve immediately.
Note: Fresh chopped rosemary would be a fantastic addition to this.
Speedy Glazed Salmon
Brittany wrote this on 25 March 2011 dijon mustard, fish, gluten-free, salmon
I didn’t really feel like making dinner tonight.
I mean, I love to cook (it never hurts to state the obvious), but I was in the middle of some serious cleaning and organizing and I didn’t want to lose the ‘zone’. You know. The ‘zone’. Where you are so focused on you task and its goal that you just keeping thinking in your head, “Advance! Advance!” Then I looked at the clock. 4:30. Time to seriously make some dinner plans. I had taken some salmon out of the freezer this afternoon, but now wasn’t really hungry for it. Still, I looked down at the ankle biters that I love so much and figured if I didn’t feed them something, they were going to start to rebel.
I have thrown this glaze together several times before and it always turns out about the same. Feel free to add whatever you like. I served mine with brown rice pilaf and some steamed vegetables. Just in time too. As I was photographing my plate for this blog I noticed it was a little too quiet in the house. I turned around and Eli had climbed up on a step stool to reach the counter and eaten a large portion of the rice meant for dinner. It was a little hard to be mad when he grinned at me with parsley stuck in his teeth and said, “Yes, Mama! Good!” Yup. Good indeed.
Glazed Salmon
Equal parts:
Red Wine Vinegar
Brown Sugar
Dijon Mustard
1/2 part Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Mix all ingredients and pour over salmon fillets. If you are only making a few portions, start with 2 T of each and 1 T of the olive oil. If you are making it for a crowd, use bigger measurements. Roast in a 400 degree oven.
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
