Cottage Pies with a Difference

Normally when one makes a Cottage Pie it's normal to top with Mashed Potato
Here's two different toppings to try
For the kids...Little Fried Potato Pom Poms and for the others
Mashed Pumpkin and Kumera (Sweet Potato)
I used a packet of mushroom soup to thicken and give the mince some extra flavour

Both were delicious
You may wonder why the cheese hasn't melted as normal
It is Pecorino... which does melt that well
Covering for a member of family who is having a break from Cow Dairy
Using normal cheddar cheese would be quite different
This amount made enough for 2 oval x 5 cup casserole dishes

750 gms of beef mince
1 tbs rice bran oil
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
250 gms mushrooms sliced
1 packet Mushroom soup
Water
Good dash of Tomato Ketchup

For the Topping
Packet Potato Pom Poms
1 sweet potato (Kumera)
1 piece of pumpkin about 400 gms
Knob of butter
Chives
Cheddar Cheese grated (about 200 gms)

Heat a large frying pan medium
Add oil then add the mince
you will have to do this in more than one batch
Season with Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Fry till brown, remove and set aside

When the mince is cooked add a little more oil
Turn up the heat a bit
Throw in the mushrooms
Season with S & P
Toss them around till they start to brown
Remove and add to mince
Turn the heat down again
Time for the onion and garlic
Add to pan toss and cook till tender

Return the mince and mushrooms to the pan
Toss well
Add the mushroom soup mix and stir till blended

Add 1 cup of water
Stir well and cook till it thickens
You may need to add more water

Let it simmer away for 15-20 mins
checking frequently so it doesn't stick
When it is ready
Toss in a good dollop of ketchup
Transfer to the casserole dish

Meanwhile while the mince is cooking
Peel and dice the Kumera and the Pumpkin
Cook in salted water until tender

Mash with a good knob of butter
Taste and add extra S & P if needed
Add handful of chopped chives
Bake at 180C about 20-25 minutes
Sprinkle with some extra chives a some sea salt

With the other dish cover with Potato Pom Poms
Sprinkle over with Cheese

Bake at 180C till cheese melted and the mince bubbling
Garnish with chives and serve

Dinner is served

Meatball Stroganoff - Another Fun Way with Mince

When I was a newly married person, I really hadn't cooked a lot
Just the baking in the school holiday
You know...bake a batch of Fairy Cakes and eat the lot,
My Mother was not too happy having me around her feet
So when at the tender of age of 19, I was on my own 2 feet (so to speak)
I did find that I had a love of cooking...and really enjoyed being in the kitchen
I branched out and made Beef Stroganoff, I was so impressed with myself
In the Best Recipes Website, they had a recipe for Meatball Stroganoff
Once again there was mince in the fridge so off we went

As this post is not as colourful as most... I thought this photo of some fresh Chilies and Parsley from the garden is a welcome relief. 
No chilies in this dish but they look so pretty, I had to share

500g beef mince
1 egg
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
 2 tbs tomato paste
1 pinch seasoning
1 tbs oil
2 tbs butter
2 onion sliced
1 tsp garlic minced
250g mushrooms chopped
2 tbs plain flour
2 cup chicken stock (liquid)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp chopped parsley

Combine mince, egg, breadcrumbs, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.
Form into meatballs

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan and
cook meatballs until browned and cooked through.

Remove from pan.
Chop mushrooms

In same pan, heat remaining butter and saute onion,

garlic and mushrooms until soft.

Stir in flour.

Remove from heat and gradually stir in stock.

Heat until mixture thickens.
Return meatballs to pan and stir until heated through.

 Stir in sour cream and parsley.

Serve with cooked pasta or rice.

Middle Eastern Beef Mince Bowl - More Fun with Mince

Lately every time I look in the fridge, I see Mince
I looked on the internet and in the Australian Best Recipes Website
I spied "100 Things to do with Mince"
I shall slowly work my way around this site

So First up Middle Eastern Beef Mince Bowl 
When I went shopping for the other ingredients, it turns out that wholemeal couscous is made from Spelt wheat...Still not good for Coeliacs but maybe better for those keeping away from regular wheat
Also I used Ras El Hanout for the Middle Eastern Seasoning

I found the seasoning a little strong so I added a little sugar just to lift it a bit
Worked for me

500 g lean beef mince
Olive oil 
1 tbs Moroccan seasoning
1 tsp sugar 

1 red onion thinly sliced
350 g butternut pumpkin peeled cut into 2cm pieces
1/2 cauliflower cut into florets
2 Courgettes grated
80 g Baby Rocket

1 cup wholemeal couscous
1 1/2 cups well flavoured stock  (I use a powdered stock, Chicken, rather than Beef in this case)

To Serve
1 bunch coriander
1 handful toasted pine nuts
Lemon wedges 

Preheat oven to 180C
Prepare Cauliflower and Butternut, season with Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sprinkle with Olive Oil 
Roast until Butternut is tender

In a dry frypan toast pine nuts  until they become fragrant and start to turn golden
Keep an eye on them
They are so oily they burn quickly

Heat half the oil in a large wok or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. 
Add mince and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned.
Add Moroccan seasoning, sugar and a little water if it is looking too dry

 Meanwhile

Bring the chicken stock to the boil
Sprinkle couscous over the top
Stir
Cover and leave for 5 minutes
Remove cover and fluff up with a fork
Place in a serving bowl

In another pan add 1 tablespoon oil
Add onion,

Cook till softened, then add the grated courgette

 Stir around for about 3-4 minutes

 Mix the mince and courgette mixture together with the rocket leaves and spread over the
cous cous along with the roasted cauliflower and butternut

Sprinkle over the toasted Pine nuts and Coriander 

Voila
Dinner is served

What do you do with A Large Marrow - Stuff It

Spanish Stuffed Marrow

The Gardener in the Family came in proudly with an armful of Courgettes/Marrow

One of the Marrows was too big and it went into the compost But...we did find a use for the medium one though
I went on-line and found a suitable recipe on the bbcgoodfood.com site
And I stuffed it.
It was very tasty and went down a treat with the family
The courgettes, of course  no problem... plenty of things to do with them

It seems I didn’t get around to taking a photo of the finished product, so you will have to imagine it
If you haven’t got Manchego cheese just replace with Tasty Cheddar

1 Marrow
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
100 gms Chorizo Chopped

1 tsp smoked/normal paprika
1/2 tps cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp each dried oregano and dried thyme
2 x 400 gms chopped tomatoes
1 red pepper chopped
Handful chopped parsley
85 gms fresh breadcrumbs
100 gms Manchego or Cheddar Cheese

Heat oven to 200C or 180C if using your fan bake
Cut the marrow in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle
Put the halves outside up in a large roasting pan and season well with S & P

Heat the oil in a pan
add the onion and sweat on low  till just tender about 10 mins

Add the garlic, chorizo, spices and dried herbs

Cook for a few minutes and add red pepper and tomatoes

Turn down to low simmer and cook for 10 mins, then stir in the parsley
Spoon the tomato mixture into the marrow halves

Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins

Test the marrow with a knife to see if the marrow is getting tender
Then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and Cheese

and return to the oven for 10 minute

until the crumbs are golden and crisp and the marrow is tender
Cut into large slices and serve
It was excellent the next day for lunch at room temperature

And here are the Gardeners at work

Pesto Noodles with Beef and Olives - A Treat for The Gluten Free

Some members of the Family are temporarily removing Grains and Carbs from their diet to try and clear up small medical problem.
No worries for me...as, due to a good friend, I have access to Paleo Cookbooks
Paleo - Perfect for GF People
So last night we had this Pesto Pasta as they called it...I say noodles because it is not Pasta as we know it
Nevertheless it is delicious
I have this fab little tool that I purchased just so I can make vege noodles

Works wonders with courgettes

So this dish has these courgette noodles tossed with Pesto 

Then added to tasty Fried Mince, and Onions, seasoned with Olives and some Garlic powder

Was so, so popular with the family

You need

2 cups fresh basil

1 clove garlic
1/3 cup Pinenuts
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

2 tab butter

1 med onion peeled and diced
1 kg minced beef
S&P
1 tsp garlic powder
8-10 stoned black olives chopped 
Olive oil
9 med courgettes turned into noodles 

Make the pesto
Place basil, garlic and Pine nuts in food processor
Process
Drizzle in lemon juice, olive oil
Add salt to pesto to taste
Set aside

In a pan add a splash of olive oil

sauté courgette noodles till just soft

Toss the pesto through the courgettes

Drain noodles, if they are a bit wet 

Could be a bit over-powering

Meanwhile

Heat butter in large skillet
Add onion, sauté until soft
Add beef to pan
Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder

Continue to sauté until beef in fully cooked

Add courgettes to mince with the olives

Serve with a smattering of coriander leaves

Delicious