PUB STYLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

 

There IS nothing better than homey, comforting classics that warm you from the inside out when the weather is COLD, rainy, snowy, gray or ANY of those combos. This recipe for a pub style shepherd’s pies FULL of rib sticking goodness with its rich tomato, beefy, veggie and herb filling that then topped with chunky rustic mashed potatoes and baked to perfection! For me this is a recipe where you MUST use cast iron for the best results.

PUB STYLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
2 stalks celery, diced
2 LARGE carrots, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup beef stock
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons FRESH stripped and chopped thyme leaves

• Place potatoes in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes.
• Drain and return potatoes to pot.
• Mash potatoes with sour cream, 2 tablespoons of butter, a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme until even consistency.
• Keep covered and set until ready to serve.

• While potatoes cook, heat a drizzle of oil in a medium, preferably cast-iron, pan.
• Add carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes.
• Add celery, onion, and a large drizzle of oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until veggies are just tender, 5-7 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped thyme; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Add beef to pan with veggies and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into SMALL pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined, 1 minute.
• Gradually pour beef stock into pan with beef mixture, simmering 5 minutes until mixture thickens.
• Adjust seasonings.
• Sprinkle with half of the cheddar
• Top beef filling with an even layer of mashed potatoes, leaving a gap around edge of pan.
• Evenly sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
• Broil until browned, 3-4 minutes. WATCH CLOSELY TO PREVENT BURNING.
• Serve directly from pan.

NOTE: This recipe can easily be prepared in advance for a GREAT weeknight meal when you're in a hurry.  It can easily be prepared as individual dishes also. Thaw if frozen and bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes before broiling.

SHEET PAN VINEGAR CHICKEN

SHEET PAN VINEGAR CHICKEN ala Valerie Bertinelli – update ala Tamy
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 cups mixed color cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup pitted Castelvetrano (the pale green ones – I use Mezetta) olives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• Preheat the oven to 425°.
• Toss the onions with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Arrange the chicken thighs on top and sprinkle them all over with the smoked paprika and salt and pepper.
• Drizzle the vinegar on top and then roast in the oven about 15 minutes.
• Toss the cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary and garlic with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the mixture to the baking sheet with the roasted chicken and continue to roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 10 minutes more.
• Serve the chicken with the vegetables and juices from the baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with the parsley.

SKILLET CHOPS & BRAISED RAINBOW CARROTS

This recipe came out of a an old (1960’s) cookbook put together for a lake area homeowner’s association. I loved the sound of it, but canned pork and beans use mustard in their recipes and I’m deathly allergic so I had to adapt it and the flavor profile was GREAT.

SKILLET CHOPS
2 tablespoons butter
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
4 thick bone in pork chops
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
1 can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons jalapeno ketchup

• Melt butter in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Saute onions 1-2 minutes
• Generously season chops on both sides.
• Add chops and quickly sear to a golden brown.
• Whisk together the tomato sauce, brown sugar and jalapeno ketchup.
• Fold beans into sauce.
• Arrange beans around pork chops, cover and simmer on LOW 15-30 minutes until chops are cooked through.

OVEN BRAISED RAINBOW CARROTS
1 1/2 pounds rainbow carrots, cleaned and cut to like sizes
4 LARGE green onions, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons melted butter or avocado oil
1 medium shallot, FINELY chopped
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Whisk together the butter or oil, orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, shallots, FRESH ground salt and pepper.
• Toss carrots, and green onions with orange juice mixture.
• Pour into a large flat baking dish, cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.

SPICY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN & BROCCOLI – SHEET PAN STYLE

SPICY PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN & BROCCOLI – SHEET PAN STYLE
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
1/4 cup QUALITY peanut butter
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Frank’s original hot sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 LARGE limes, juiced
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and tri-color pepper, to taste
3 1/4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
Prepared white rice

• Whisk together honey, peanut butter, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, 1/2 cup avocado oil, salt and pepper.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce and set aside.
• Add the chicken pieces and remaining sauce to a large ziploc bag.  Seal and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Line a baking tray with foil.
• Remove chicken from marinade and place on baking tray.  Cover lightly with foil for the first 20 minutes.  As you can see I forgot this time and it got a bit crispy, but still tasted wonderful.
• Bake 35-40 minutes until chicken skin is crisp and chicken registers 165°.
• At 25 minutes, toss broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add to baking tray and return to oven.for final 15 minutes.
• Serve with rice and remaining sauce.

DINNER is meant to be DINNER, in a SINGLE pan when possible :D – PORK TENDERLOIN with GREEN BEANS & ROASTED PEARS

DINNER is meant to be enjoyed, and cooked in a SINGLE pan whenever possible 😀  I want to make JUST ONE  fantastic dish that is so flavorful and satisfying that it can stand alone or simply be paired with a salad or FRESH rolls.  Now to be honest this takes 2 pans UNLESS you use a LARGE cast iron skillet which is my weapon of choice 😀 or at least an ovenproof skillet of some sort.

PORK TENDERLOIN with GREEN BEANS & ROASTED PEARSserves 2-4
2 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 pound green beans, washed, trimmed and cut
1-2 BOSC pears, cored and sliced
1 shallot, chopped
5-6 large mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH thyme sprigs, trimmed and chopped
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1+1 tablespoon butter

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Spray sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• Heat avocado oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• When sizzling, add shallots and green beans. Stir 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften and cghar.
• Season with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
• Add mushrooms and pears, sauteing 2-3 minutes more.
• With slotted spoon transfer to sheet pan.

• Pat tenderloin dry and generously season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
• Add tenderloin to the still hot pan and quickly sear on all sides.
• Transfer tenderloin to sheet pan. RESERVE PAN and EVERYTHING IN IT for sauce.
• Roast 13-15 minutes (140°).
• Remove from oven and tent with foil.
• Rest 5 minutes.

• Return pan to medium heat.
• Add garlic and thyme, cooking until fragrant.
• Whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch until lump free.
• Add teriyaki sauce and chicken broth to pan, simmering until begins to thicken.
• Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Season to taste.
• Plate and ENJOY!