Shepherd's Pie

For those of you who read this, I'll share a secret with you. I publish my cookbook here so I can have recipes when I travel. This one has been a favorite lately and we are going to be on the road soon. So, voila!, you benefit. I started out with a pretty bland recipe I found on the Internet then doctored it until I got this. Another secret: My English friend tells me this is actually cottage pie. Shepherd's pie has lamb instead of beef, which makes sense it you think about it. I have made a healthier version with ground turkey. (We called that woodland pie.) The secret to any one of them seems to be plenty of onions and the sauce in step 4 so, however you  modify it, don't scrimp on those. 

Ingredients

1.) 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper

2.) 2 cups frozen peas

salt, pepper, and butter to taste

3.) 5 carrots, roughly chopped

salt, pepper, and butter to taste

4.) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 onions, chopped

2 pound lean ground beef

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup ketchup

2 cups beef broth

2 tsp. Worcestershire

5.) 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, milk, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Boil or steam peas. Add salt, pepper, and butter to taste. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and butter to taste. Drain, mash and set aside. 

4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Make these layers in a 2 quart casserole dish: beef on bottom, carrots, peas, potatoes, cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Curry

You would think that with Indian food being my very most favorite food in the world, I would have a lot more of those recipes on this blog. The fact is, I love to eat it but have never been great at making it. All that has changed since I have been on a quest for good and reasonably easy-to-follow recipes. This one is definitely a keeper. I cannot take credit for this photo--I usually photograph my own food--because I borrowed it from the Internet. One of these days I may make that right but for now, this is actually very much what it looks like, sans the naan (Indian bread) because I haven't mastered that yet. Parathas are much easier (basically whole wheat flour and water made into thick tortillas and fried in a pan).

Are you surprised to not see curry as one of the ingredients? That's because you're kind of making your own when you mix all these spices together.

My husband says, "Mmm, I love this food." See if yours does too.

4 TBS cooking oil

2 lb. chicken breast, cubed

2 large onions, chopped

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 TBS garlic paste

1 TBS ginger paste

3 TBS tomato paste

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp garam masala powder

Chopped cilantro to garnish

In a large saucepan, heat half the oil and brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and cook the onions until golden brown. In a food processor, blend the cooked onions, tomatoes, garlic paste, and ginger paste until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan.

Heat the mixture and add the tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well.

Add the chicken to the sauce and cook on medium heat until cooked through, about ten minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with hot Indian bread and rice.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

This is truly delicious. Don't forget to make up the rice so it's hot and ready to serve when the chicken is done. Steamed carrots with a little brown sugar glaze and a simple salad make this a beautiful meal.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 TBS. olive oil

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1 TBS cornstarch

3 TBS snipped fresh basil

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together the curry powder, salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Sprinkle spice mixture over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat.

In a large nonstick wok or skillet cook and stir onion, garlic, and jalapeño peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Remove onion mixture from wok. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from wok. If necessary, add additional oil. Cook remaining chicken as above; remove from wok.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch. Carefully add to wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Return chicken and onion mixture to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve over hot rice.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Thanks, Benay, for this addition to my cookbook. I use it all the time. These are perfect for a party. Kids love them too if you don't mention the onions. One of our pint-sized guests last night said, "These are great! Can you teach us how to make them?" Here you go:

1 ½ lb. thinly sliced ham

1 lb. sliced Swiss cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stick soft butter

3 Tbs. poppy seeds

3 Tbs. dijon mustard

2 Tbs. Worcestershire

3 pkg. small rolls (12, unseparated per package)

Mix onion, butter, poppy seeds, mustard, and Worcestershire. Slice rolls while still unseparated and spread paste-like mixture on tops and bottoms of rolls. Lay slices of ham and cheese on bottoms of rolls and put tops back on. Do not separate rolls until after they are baked. Wrap each set of prepared rolls in foil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cut into individual sandwiches.

These can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. They should be wrapped in foil to be frozen. If frozen, they should be baked for 60 minutes.

Sausage and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

My mother-in-law makes this and it's wonderful. I like to make it on Sunday mornings for the church that meets in our house. It seems to be popular with both adults and children. Maple sausage adds a yummy dimension to this crowd pleaser.

6 cups fresh bread crumbs

1 lb. sausage

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped tomato

2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated

10 eggs, beaten

3 cups milk

2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Brown sausage and mushrooms together. In separate bowl, mix cheese and tomatoes together. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.

Layer in rectangle pan: 1/2 bread crumbs on bottom, 1/2 sausage and mushrooms, 1/2 cheese and tomatoes. Repeat the layers again. Pour egg mixture over top and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until done.

Cheese Ball

Super easy. Super delicious. Super popular.

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Dash garlic salt

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Chopped pecans

Mix first four ingredients. Roll into ball. Roll in chopped nuts to cover.

Pesto

Basil is easy to grow and worth the while if you enjoy this dish as much as my family does. My two-year old devours it.

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 tsp. salt

black pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine oil, nuts, basil, cheese, garlic, and salt. Cover and blend until nearly smooth, stopping and scraping sides as needed. Add pepper to taste.

Toss with hot penne - (I use whole wheat). It’s best served on a bed of marinara. It also freezes well for up to three months.

Masala Chai (Indian spiced tea)

I got this authentic recipe years ago at an Indian food restaurant in New Orleans. You can buy the ingredients at most health food stores. Go ahead and spend the money because you'll want to make it again and it will still be cheaper than frequenting Starbuck's for their version.

3 cinnamon sticks

4 cloves

4 whole cardamom

2 tea bags

36 oz (4 ½ cups) cold water

12 oz (1 ½ cups) milk

sugar to taste (about 3/8 cup)

Add sugar and spices to cold water. Bring to a boil. Add tea when water is yellow. Boil for 60 seconds. Add milk and return to a boil. Strain and serve. Makes about 4 cups.

Ed's Lasagne

I would like to say this authentic Italian recipe has been in my family for many generations but the truth is that we are not Italian and my mom got it from her neighbor - an Italian, by the way - when I was very young. I don't think I have ever met anyone who doesn't like it. It's that good.

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS basil flakes

1 ½ tsp salt

1 lb. can whole tomatoes

2 6 oz. cans tomato paste (1 1/3 cups)

1 box lasagne noodles

3 cups fresh ricotta cheese (large container)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 TBS parsley flakes

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 lb mozzarella cheese (thinly sliced)

Cut skin off sausage. Chop up and brown slowly. Spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles in large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and rinse.

Combine remaining ingredients, except mozzarella.

Place noodles lengthwise (3 across) in bottom of large pan. Spoon sauce over noodles. Layer with cheese mixture. Top with sliced mozzarella. Do this making three layers in all.

Bake uncovered at 375° for 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These nutty little treats are light and crispy on texture but heavy on deliciousness.

1 cup shortening (preferably butter flavored)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup natural peanut butter (preferably 1/2 chunky and 1/2 creamy)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cream together the shortening, brown and white sugars until smooth; add eggs and vanilla and fully combine. Stir in the peanut butter. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly but don't overmix. Roll into walnut-sized balls and press flat with tines of fork to make a pretty design. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Moqueca

If you like fish, you'll love this. It may be my favorite Brazilian recipe. If you don't like fish, forget it. I'm not going to pretend there's hope for you.

Read the recipe through and be sure you know that it's relatively involved, but oh so worth it. Make plenty of Piri Piri to use the next time you want to cook this. If you make it once you'll want to make it again and you'll be happy to not have to make the Piri Piri twice.

1/2 lb. red snapper, cut into 2-inch pieces (or substitute with any white fleshed fish)

1 cup roughly chopped onion, plus 1 cup julienned onion

2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes, plus 2 tomatoes sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

2 cloves garlic, plus 1 TBS minced garlic

5 TBS chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tsp. salt

3 TBS fresh-squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Piri Piri*

1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk

Place the fish in a large non-reactive mixing bowl. In the carafe of a blender, combine the chopped onion, the chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lime juice. Blend until smooth in the blender, then pour directly over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and once hot, add the julienned onions to the pan and saute, stirring often until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for an additional 30 seconds. Pour the fish and the marinade into the saute pan and add the remaining teaspoon of salt, the Piri Piri, and the coconut milk and stir to combine. Once the liquid comes to a boil, dot the top of the pan with the sliced tomatoes and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the flesh starts to flake, about 10 minutes.

Remove the cover from the pan and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of cilantro over the fish. Serve accompanied by steamed white rice.

* Piri Piri

1 TBS, plus 1/2 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic, smashed

4 cayenne chile peppers, stemmed, ribs and seeds removed, and rough chopped

(or substitute other hot red peppers)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and peppers to the pan. Saute, stirring often, until the edges of the garlic start to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan, and remove from the heat.

Place the contents of the saute pan in a blender and add the salt. Puree the peppers and garlic in the blender until mostly smooth. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube of the lid of the blender. Let cool before using, and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Jambalaya

Thanks to Leslie, one of the best cooks I know, for this recipe. I lived in New Orleans before I knew anything about cooking so I didn't take advantage of the Cajun recipes in Louisiana. Good thing you did. The only thing I changed was doubling the ingredients to make more.

1/2 cup oil

2 cups finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 finely chopped bell pepper

16 oz. tomato sauce

4 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 cups raw rice

4 cups water

4 tsp Worcestershire

dash Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 pounds meat: raw shrimp, chicken, sausage, andouille sausage, etc.

In medium-sized saucepan, sauté the onions, parsley and bell pepper in oil

until the onions are clear. Stir in the tomato sauce and garlic and

continue cooking until the sauce starts to boil. Stir in the rice and

mix well, then add water, Worcestershire, hot sauce and shrimp.

Stir occasionally on medium high. After the water disappears from the

top, turn heat to low and cover tightly. Let steam undisturbed for 45

minutes. Stir to make sure that the rice is well cooked. If not, cover

and check often. Be careful to not overcook.

Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

Everyone in my family loves this recipe.  The only thing we're missing for it in Brazil is sour cream. 

2 cups cooked rice   

3 cups diced cooked chicken 

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed 

1 can (11 to 15 ounces) Mexican-style corn, drained 

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, slightly drained 

1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro, optional 

1 tsp. ground cumin 

½ tsp. garlic powder 

½ tsp. dried leaf oregano 

1 TBS. chili powder 

¼ to ½ tsp. ground red or chipotle pepper, to taste 

4 TBS. butter 

2 TBS. flour 

1 cup milk 

½ cup chicken broth 

¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 

½ tsp. salt 

½ to 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional

In a large bowl, combine rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, and hot pepper. Stir to blend.  In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour until well blended and bubbly. 

Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir into the rice and chicken mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as needed. 

Pour into a 2-quart casserole sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with the cheese about 5 to 8 minutes before done. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions and tomatoes, if desired.

Guava Cake

How about a taste of Brazil for breakfast?  Go shopping in the ethnic section of your grocery store for guava paste (sometimes called guava cheese) and maize flour (flakes of corn, not powder like cornmeal).  Then enjoy this with a strong, black cup of coffee and pretend you're here.

5 TBS. butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup natural yogurt

2 cups maize flour 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 TBS. baking powder

1 cup guava paste, cut into cubes

Grease and flour a square pan.  Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and yogurt until creamy.  Add maize flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder.  Mix well.  Pour into prepared pan and top evenly with guava paste squares.  Push squares down into the cake.  Bake at 325˚ for about 30 minutes.  

Cappuccino Cake

Our neighbor in Nashville brought this cake to a cookout.  It has since become one of my favorite dessert recipes.  It seems to be a hit with coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers alike. Just a tasty little treat, or one step closer to total global coffee dependence?

Cake:

Yellow or white cake mix

3 tsp. instant coffee

Follow the directions on the cake mix, diluting the coffee in the liquid.  Grease and flour pan.  Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes.  Poke holes in cake while hot.  

Topping:

1 TBS water

2 tsp. instant coffee

1 can condensed milk

Mix well, in order, and pour over cake while hot.

Finishing Touch:

Top with 

whipped cream

cinnamon

chocolate shavings.