RECIPE: Quickie Shepherds' Pie

I love a good shepherds pie (or cottage pie if you decide to use beef) - who doesn't?  

Our girls all play netball and are all this year playing in different teams.  All of which have practice on different afternoons.  It's becoming chilly so this is perfect for those nights where we've been rushing around all day but want to serve up a hearty dinner on those cooler days especially when the kids need something to abate their ferocious hunger and warm them (and us) up.

Cue the quickie shepherds' pie.  No lots of simmering, no peeling, cooking and mashing potatoes.  It's a quick chop, fry, bake assembly job.  Thank heavens for that.  We all need a repetoire of these recipes in our busy lives, so please bookmark for your busy days!

Also, if you don't own a cast iron skillet, ask for one for mother's day!  I got mine for my birthday last year and use it SOOOO much.  This is mine and yes it's not cheap ($370) but you will use it forever and often.  There are some cheaper type here (for $140).  If that's not an option use a frypan and transfer to casserole dish before putting potato gems on top.

Ingredients:

1 large brown onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced (include some of the leaves too)

500g lamb mince

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

2 tb cornflour

700ml beef stock

1 sprig parsley

leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme leaves

1 cup frozen peas and corn (or half a cup of each)

700g potato gems (or tater tots)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees c

With 2tb oil, saute  onions, carrots and celery, until onions become transparent

Brown your lamb mince and add worcestershire sauce.

Sprinkle cornflour over the top

Then add stock, frozen vegetables and herbs and stir well.

Take off the stove (or transfer to casserole dish) and cover with frozen potato gems. Press them down a little.  Pop in the oven for 30 minutes.

This give you time to shower, do lunch-box unpacking and watching, even do a little homework or heaven forbid - have a glass of wine!

The potatoes will be crispy on top and the lovely gravy will soak into the bottom of them.  So yummy.

Kids will be cheering!

Your busy night solution: Doner kebabs at home

My Dad once told me not to trust what was in a Doner Kebab.  "they are the bits of the animal you don't want to buy or eat' he would say.  It didn't deter me at 3am in my twenties to grab one on the way home from a boozy night... nor did it stop me for blaming that illness I had from probably a few too many cocktails on 'it must have been that doner kebab'.

These days though Doner Kebabs don't get such a bad wrap (boom-tish!).  In fact when I do need to choose something that my kids will eat in a food court/strip mall - if there is a doner kebab I will usually try and sway it that way because there's at least some salad involved and it seems, something you can recognised that isn't too over processed.

Now this doner kebab is pretty saintly.  It's has all recognisable ingredients and is great when you are rushing around after your busy day at work or after school activities.   Set this to marinade in the morning or lunchtime (I did mine the day before) and pop it in the oven.  You can even cheat a little by buying the accompaniments if you don't want to make hoummus, tzatziki or tabbouleh.

Put the ingredients on your shopping list and this recipe on your meal plan.  You'll love it!

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1kg butterflied lamb

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1//4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 small tin crushed tomatoes

Accompaniments

Lebanese pocket bread

Tabbouleh

Hoummus

Tzatziki

Sliced tomatoes

Thinly sliced onion

lettuce

grated cheese

Method:

Slice your lamb thinly.  Place into an airtight container

In a jug or small bowl add all the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

Pour over lamb and pop the lid on top.  Give it a good shake to ensure all the meat is covered.  Place in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

1 hour before serving time, heat oven to 220 degrees c.  Place the lamb in a tray/shallow casserole tray lined with baking paper, and place in the oven when the oven reaches 220 degrees (about 15 minutes depending on your oven)

Now's a good time to make tabbouleh if you want to..

At about the 30 minute mark check on your lamb, you are looking for the edges to turn dark, this is not quite yet there..

This is what it should look like!

Place lamb onto your pocket bread, down the centre. I love to sandwich mine between hoummus and tzatziki.  You may want to add a chilli sauce or cheese or... both!

When you've added everything fold one side over and roll it up.

Now I cut this up and shared it amongst two of my kids.. and of course I ate a whole one.  No leftovers which is quite sad, I will need to make double next time as the lamb is so flavourful and tender.  Not fatty either.  It would nice on it's own with just a tzatziki dollop on top!

So who feels like a doner kebab now and is going to give this a try over the weekend or next week?!

Meatball lovers - here's 5 recipes for your mealplan!

For me, meatballs are always a winner.  Kids love helping you roll them up, and will generally eat them if they've had a hand in making them.  You can experiment with flavours and tastes and even types of meat (Ok, maybe not horse as Ikea recently found out) but it's a great way to jazz up plain old mince of any kind.

I always find something comforting about meatballs, probably because they are one of my Mum's specialties and I guess my girls do too - because there are never objections to meatballs at our house!


1. Hungarian Meatballs
These are a beef/pork mince combination and are quickly prepared and then sent off to simmer in your slow cooker.  You can fast track these on the stove if you like too.

2.  Spicy Tagine Meatballs
These are made from beef mince (but you could use lamb) you can add extra yoghurt and have less paprika if you want less spice.  I love these and they are going on my meal plan this month for sure!  If you don't have a tagine, just a pot with a snug lid in fine!

3.  Smokey oven baked meatballs
So easy to prepare and pop in the oven - ready in an hour go-to-whoah!  I made mine with beef but I think you could use chicken or turkey mince too - I've made them with pork mince with spectacular results.

4.  Moroccan Turkey Meatballs
I never get tired of this one, my kids love it too, it's so flavourful and moist - which are two things that turkey isn't used to being called!  You can try this with lamb or beef mince too!

5.  Swedish Meatballs
If you are a fan of the Ikea Meatballs - leave those ones behind, these are BETTER.  Back me up those who have tried them!  They literally melt in your mouth so I would suggest making a double batch, because if you don't you will have only yourself to blame because I warned you!

So which one do you like the look of?  Have you tried any of these?  Let me know what you think!

Slowcooker braised lamb chopped with whipped chive potatoes

Hands up who needs one of those recipe that takes minutes to prepare and you can serve it up and feel like you made an effort?  Ok, put your hands down friends because this is one such recipe.  It's one of those recipes you keep for a rainy day - real or figuratively speaking.  Braises to me remind me of my Nan, she's the queen of the braise and I think there's no better accompaniment to braised lamb than mashed potatoes.

It doesn't get any easier than this!  You can double or triple this recipe, it will always turn out - you may need to account for an extra hour cooking time if you do..

Braised lamb chops

Ingredients:

Lamb chops (I used 8 lamb loin)

2-3 large cloves garlic, thinly slice

1 small brown onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 sprigs thyme, chopped

2 sprigs oregano, chopped

2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

Put half your onion on the bottom of the slowcooker.  Place chops on top.

Sprinkle rest of ingredients on top.  Place lid on slowcooker and place on low for 8 hours or medium for 4-5 hours.

Look at this!  

You also have the option of once you remove all the chops from the slowcooker put 1 tb cornflour diluted in 2 tsp of the stock left behind and then turn up your cooker or move to a hob (if your slowcooker base will do this) and heat for 5-15 minutes until you have a thick-ish gravy.  Easy!

Now for the potatoes, once cooked whip with your mixer... for about 1 minute on a medium speed will do it.

For every kg of boiled potatoes add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup milk and 1tb (25g) of butter, plus a pinch of salt.  With some scissors, cut/chop about 3-4 sprigs and throw into the bowl with the potato.  Whip again until well combined.

Serve with some steamed greens - that looks (and tastes) like you went to a lot of effort, but you didn't! Put your feet up and let someone else do the dishes..!

Or doesn't that happen at your place?

One for the mealplan: Turkish Lamb Pide

Three words:
Holy freaking dooly.

For something that actually doesn't have a lot of ingredients it tastes pretty fancy.  Hearty and yummy but fresh - perfect for this time of the year when it's still a little cool but we want it light and fresh too.  My only recommendation is that you make two.  OK, try one and then do what I did and make two the next time!

Ingredients:
Dough
300ml warm water
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
2 1/2 cups plain flour
tsp salt flakes


Filling
1 brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 kg lamb mince
2 tb paprika
2 tb cumin
1/2 cup red wine (I used Shiraz, use whatever you like the drink!)


To serve:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 sprigs fresh parsley, choppped
2 springs of mint, chopped


Method:
Prepare your dough first by adding yeast to your water and leaving for about 10 minutes until it foams up a little.

Add your flour and mix it into a soft dough (a little soft, if it's too soft - add a little flour, if not soft enough, add water) knead for about 3-4 minutes.

Place into a greased bowl for about 2 hours or until it doubles.

To make the filling, brown your onions and soften the garlic, then add the lamb and brown that before adding the wine, cumin and paprika.  Simmer for about 15 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Heat your oven to 220 degrees c.

Roll out your dough onto a floured surface to a kind of oval shape.

Roll out until it's about 3/4cm thick.

Transfer onto a greased tray.

Pour your lamb mixture into the middle and spread out sparing 2 inches at the edges. Fold over the ends.

Then fold up the sides by slightly pinching it so it holds into place.

Then put into the oven for about 20 minutes until the dough it cooked and slightly golden.

Dab with sour cream, then add the mint and parsley...

Slice cross-ways and devour.  Then chastize yourself you made just one.

Crispy potato topped lamb and and bean pie - and mandoline fears

Have you ever had an appliance or even tool that gives you the hee-bee-gee-bees?  For me, that is the mandoline.  My mother had an orange one in the eighties and I remember vividly her slicing her finger nearly half off with it and the blood - oh the blood.  I remember it being in the kitchen, but not being used.  Almost like an example of extreme caution: kitchens can be dangerous.

It was something like this:

When I saw the recipe for 'Crispy Potato topped lamb and lentil pie' in this month's Super Food Ideas I wanted to try it, and my food processor slicer has broken, and as much as the thought of slicing potatoes that thin seemed like good remedial therapy - I knew I had to face my fears.  I needed to buy that mandolin.   Many foodie friends of mine rave about theirs - and their fingers are still attached to the hands right?  I really should stop being a baby?  They must have moved on a bit with the technology right?

I thought about all the other things I could use it for.  Potato bake, batons, cheese.  Right-o.  I was ready to invest.   So I got myself a zyliss one.  It's pretty good actually, and no need to touch what your slicing, the guide you hold takes it all the way down to nothing.

Lastly, I need to disclose that this is NOT exactly the recipe at Superfood ideas - I adapted based on ingredients :)

Ingredients:

• 800g lamb mince (I minced 1.2kg of forequarter chops!)
• 2 medium brown onions, diced
• 2 tb oil
• 2 x 400g diced tomatoes
• 1 tin cannellini beans
• 1 1/2 tsp dried herbs - or whatever you like from the garden (I used thyme, rosemary and parsley)
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 10 fresh beans, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tb tomato paste
• 800g new potatoes, washed and sliced thinly

Method:
In a frypan or large saucepan heat the oil and add the brown onion and fry until transparent.  Add the lamb, bit by bit and brown also.

Whilst it is browning, chop up your herbs, I love having fresh herbs in the garden, and chopping them up and taking in their perfume makes me feel quite virtous!

Add the herbs, then the vegetables - fry off for about 3-4 minutes then add the beans - the whole tin including the water and then the beef cube and diced tomato.  Simmer for about another 5 or so minutes.

Then you can get using the mandoline!  See how the potato just fits in the top... that means I can hold the edges and away from those scary blades. It will work it's way down until there's no more potato... no pushing with fingers at all!

 And look how pretty they are... I didn't even bother peeling them...

 By now your lamb is all beautiful and stew like - so turn on your oven to 200 degrees c

Take the lamb off the stoves and transfer into an oven-proof dish.  Layer your potatoes how you wish.. I think this looks pretty don't you?  Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Then take off the foil and cook for a further 20 minutes - I like my potato nice and crispy - but you might not so just bake it until it's golden brown on top.

Serve!   In the words of Dora: Delizioso!

Do you have a fear of the mandoline or any other kitchen/house appliance?