Receta Easy Comfort Food
Good afternoon everyone. Sorry for the delay in between posts, I was away with work last week in Edinburgh and was away again this weekend in Chester with Stuart. Posts about both will follow shortly. Today, I would like to discuss a couple of my favourite comfort food dishes with you. The first is my version of Cottage Pie and the second is the Hairy Biker’s Mince Beef Stew and Dumplings.
Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie should traditionally be made with leftovers, the same as Shepherd’s Pie, however, I think it is a simple easy to make Sunday lunch dish when you have time to spend in the kitchen but do not want anything to complicated to make.
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium white onions, chopped finely
- 500g lean steak mince
- 3-4 carrots, depending on size, chopped smallish
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 8 average sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 250 ml beef stock
- Few drops of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tomato Purée
- Pinch of sugar
- Big knob of butter
- Salt and pepper (white pepper is best for the mash)
- Olive Oil
Method
Put carrots into a saucepan with some water and salt and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.
Put olive oil in a saucepan with the onions and some salt and allow them to soften. Once softened, add the steak mince and brown all the meat.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, stir and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until it has thickened. Pour into an oven proof dish (a nice as you will be serving it in it) and leave in the fridge for an hour or to set slightly.
Go and get a glass of wine!
Put the potatoes with some water and salt in a saucepan and boil until cooked through. Drain and put back in saucepan, put back on stove for 20 seconds to get rid of any excess water from the potatoes.
Put lots of butter into the potatoes, with salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Put mashed potato on top of the mince mixture in an even layer (a palette knife seems to be the best), decorate with a pattern if you like and put into the oven at 180° for 40 minutes to one hour until golden and bubbling. Take to the table, serve and enjoy!
Hairy Biker’s Mince Beef Stew and Dumplings
I have recently brought a copy of the Hairy Biker’s new book called ‘Mums Know Best’ which accompanies their current BBC TV series. I was very eager to try one of their recipes straight away and this one jumped out at me, as another easy comfort food Sunday lunch dish.
The mince beef stew part of the dish is very similar to my cottage pie mince recipe above, except their recipe has the addition of a bay leaf in it. The dumplings are simplicity in themselves too. Its only half suet to flour with some water added. Parsley is an optional extra too. I recommend that you buy their new book as it is full of traditional simple and easy to make recipes and no, I am not being paid to say that! Let me know what you think of the book if you have brought it, I would like to hear your opinions.
Rediscovering Food & Flavours – Kidney Care Cookbook
I have been asked by Jacqueline from Mccann who is working with Shire to tell you about a new cookbook that had been produced by Lawrence Keogh (from BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen and head chef at Roast restaurant in London’s Borough Market) for sufferer’s of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). CKD sufferers have strongly regulated diets as they are restricted by the amount of salt, sugar and fat they can have. In a bid to vamp up the quite often dull and boring foods that CKD sufferers are allowed, Lawrence has taken his knowledge and passion for food and worked closely with Renal Dietician, Diane Green to develop a cookbook specifically for kidney disease patients – Rediscovering Food & Flavours.
Blog Awards
Recently, I have been awarded two blog awards from Helen of Helenthornber.com and Charlene from No Love Sincerer. I just want to say a big thank you ladies and I will pass them onto other bloggers soon.
That’s it from me today. I will be back with my first Fresh from the Oven challenge post on Thursday.
Happy Cooking!