These last couple weeks have been hard, so I apologize for not posting a recipe last Sunday. I got some blood drawn at the Doctor and they hit a nerve and my arm was one giant bruise and it was a whole thing.
This recipe I got from Chef Ramsey. In the video I got it from he didn't use real for sure measurements he did a lot of "use several splashes of this" and "a few glugs" of that. So, I tried my best to give a good estimate of the measurements. Funny thing I learned the first time I made this:
Shephard's Pie: Lamb
Cottage Pie: Beef
Hunter's Pie: Venison
Meat Mixture: Mince
Potatoes: Mash
So I made Cottage Pie, because I just can't bring myself to eat lamb. I think it would be interesting to try it with ground venison though.
Ingredients:
Mince:
1.5 lbs ground meat
1 large grated carrot (I actually bought a bag of grated carrot and then chopped it up because we like smaller bits of the carrot in ours.)
1 large diced onion
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
Mash:
1.5 lbs golden potatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
(extra shredded parmesan for sprinkling on top)
Directions:
1. Peel and boil potatoes. I always cut the potatoes into about quarters when I boil them. You will know they are done when you stick a fork in them and it shows no resistance. This is usually 20-30 minutes of boiling. Drain. Mash. Add all ingredients for Mash and blend with electric mixer until smooth. Set aside. Tip - When I have to separate eggs I crack them into a bowl and then use a spoon to pull out the yolks.
2. You can be making the Mince while your potatoes are boiling. Brown meat. Make sure you drain any grease. You don't want a greasy mince and we will be adding plenty of liquids so it wont be dry. Add carrot and onion. Cook until the veggies are tender. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine, and chicken broth, stirring between each. Let it simmer so all the flavors can mix together. It will end up looking a bit like sloppy joe mix.
3. I use my 7x5 pyrex glass dish. You put the mince on bottom. Then you cover it with the mash, making sure to spread it evenly. Then I take a fork and poke holes in the mash all over. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.
Who doesn't love meat and potatoes?
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Spaghetti and Meatballs
When I first decided to make my own meatballs, I looked up a lot of recipes and I was surprised at how totally easy it was! Once I saw how easy it was I was amazed that anyone would ever buy frozen meatballs knowing how easy it was to make them from scratch. So here is the recipe I use:
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 lb spaghetti
(I do this for just me and Tim so it makes about 12 meatballs and enough spaghetti for us to have 2 servings each)
Directions:
1. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Shape into 12 meatballs and arrange in a baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
3. While meatballs are cooking, prepare spaghetti and pasta sauce. When everything is done, Serve.
Can you believe how easy that is?!?!?!?
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 lb spaghetti
(I do this for just me and Tim so it makes about 12 meatballs and enough spaghetti for us to have 2 servings each)
Directions:
1. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Shape into 12 meatballs and arrange in a baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
3. While meatballs are cooking, prepare spaghetti and pasta sauce. When everything is done, Serve.
Can you believe how easy that is?!?!?!?
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Manicotti!
My manicotti recipe is something I have been making for years. I always had to make two batches when I made it for my family because I had certain siblings who were very picky so I had to make half of the batch without the spinach/onion mixture and half with it. It was the meal I made when Timothy came over to my house for the first time after we started dating. It's one of the first things I even learned how to make when I started cooking. It's super easy, and super delicious.
Ingredients:
8 oz box of manicotti noodles
1 large yellow onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
5ish oz baby spinach (I use a little over half of a 10 oz bag of spinach. I tend to do it by sight, when I think it's enough I stop chopping but this is a good estimate I would say.)
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese (divided into 3 and 1)
3/4 cup grated parmesan (divided into 1/2 and 1/4)
2 Tbsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (optional! I'll explain later)
2 jars pasta sauce (This time I'm trying the new Prego Florentine Spinach and Cheese. We like to try different sauce flavors all the time. Also I LOVE sauce which is why I use so much. Feel free to use less.)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add in manicotti noodles. Cook al dente (remember last time I said this means they are still a little firm. Once again the liquid from the sauce will cook them further in the oven.) When they are done, place on paper towels to cool down/dry a little.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion. Chop spinach. Add onion, spinach, and olive oil in pan. Cook until onions are soft and spinach is wilted down. (When you first put in the spinach it might seem like A LOT but it's not. When it wilts down it becomes a lot less.)
3. Mix together in a bowl - ricotta, 3 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, oregano, salt, pepper, and spinach/onion mixture. This is where the egg might come in. If you feel that the cheese mixture you have created is a little too runny you can add the egg. If it's holding together well don't worry about the egg. It's completely up to you. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. It usually depends on how much liquid was created while wilting down the spinach.
4. Put a little bit of sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. (Just enough to cover the bottom. Sometimes I have to use an extra smaller dish if I have a few extra manicotti that don't fit.)
5. Stuff the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells. I just use a spoon. I've seen people online use a pastry bag. It's up to you what you want to do. Place the noodles in the 9x13 baking dish.
6. Cover in remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover in foil. Place in oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve.
Tonight I'm serving mine to not only Tim but our siblings Brittany and Jamie. :)
Ingredients:
8 oz box of manicotti noodles
1 large yellow onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
5ish oz baby spinach (I use a little over half of a 10 oz bag of spinach. I tend to do it by sight, when I think it's enough I stop chopping but this is a good estimate I would say.)
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese (divided into 3 and 1)
3/4 cup grated parmesan (divided into 1/2 and 1/4)
2 Tbsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (optional! I'll explain later)
2 jars pasta sauce (This time I'm trying the new Prego Florentine Spinach and Cheese. We like to try different sauce flavors all the time. Also I LOVE sauce which is why I use so much. Feel free to use less.)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add in manicotti noodles. Cook al dente (remember last time I said this means they are still a little firm. Once again the liquid from the sauce will cook them further in the oven.) When they are done, place on paper towels to cool down/dry a little.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion. Chop spinach. Add onion, spinach, and olive oil in pan. Cook until onions are soft and spinach is wilted down. (When you first put in the spinach it might seem like A LOT but it's not. When it wilts down it becomes a lot less.)
3. Mix together in a bowl - ricotta, 3 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, oregano, salt, pepper, and spinach/onion mixture. This is where the egg might come in. If you feel that the cheese mixture you have created is a little too runny you can add the egg. If it's holding together well don't worry about the egg. It's completely up to you. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. It usually depends on how much liquid was created while wilting down the spinach.
4. Put a little bit of sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. (Just enough to cover the bottom. Sometimes I have to use an extra smaller dish if I have a few extra manicotti that don't fit.)
5. Stuff the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells. I just use a spoon. I've seen people online use a pastry bag. It's up to you what you want to do. Place the noodles in the 9x13 baking dish.
6. Cover in remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover in foil. Place in oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve.
Tonight I'm serving mine to not only Tim but our siblings Brittany and Jamie. :)
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