La lah alala
Today I have baked a falsha strudel that I am having a very very difficult time not just devouring. I messed with the recipe a bit - it called for unsalted butter, which I did not have, so I just left the salt out. It also called for only a cup of blackberries, but for some inexplicable reason, I did not freeze any blackberries in one cup increments. Because I am lazy, and feel that there is no such thing as too few blackberries, I just used one of the two cup bags I had instead. I have a feeling it will be awesome with the extra berries.
I have also scrubbed the bathroom down and bleached the tub like three times. It is fucking spotless in there. I am so happy. I may take a bath tonight to celebrate (I usually shower, but a clean tub calls for a good long soak with bubbles).
I need to go work out, but that's going to be put off until I get the Shepherd's Pie started. I've had a craving for it, and since I'm home, I have decided that that's what we're having for dinner tonight. It is awesome.
Shepherd's Pie:
1 lb cooked very lean meat, preferably roast lamb (okay, I never use lamb, mostly because my mum hates it. Instead, I take a chuck roast, cut it up and brown in in olive oil and spices. It works just fine)
2 TBSP butter
1 cp finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (I never measure the carrots, celery or onion. I just chop a bunch up til it looks like enough and toss it in. It's never fucked it up)
2 TBSP finely chopped parsley (dried parsley flakes are fine)
3 TBSP flour
2 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (I pretty much use whatever white wine I have open, despite the dryness factor)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (Or broth. Broth works as well)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste (I don't have a pepper grinder, so I just kind of wing this. Like, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black or white pepper)
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 or more cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1. Cut the meat into 1/4 inch cubes. There should be about 3 cups. Set aside. (If, like me, you don't use precooked, leftover meat, this is where you brown the meat in oil and spices.)
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted.
3. Sprinkle with flour and stir with wire whisk (If you don't have a whisk, use a fork). Add tomato paste, wine, stock, Worcestershire, and pepper, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and stir in meat and corn. Cook 5 minutes longer.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F
5. Put meat and sauce into a 7 cup baking dish or casserole (I use a deep, 10 inch ceramic pie plate). Outfit a pastry bag with a round pastry tube - No. 7 or 8 - and spoon the mashed potatoes into the bag. Pipe the potatoes neatly and evenly on top of the meat mixture, covering it completely.
(Okay. I do not have a pastry bag. Chance are, you don't either. Instead, I take a big ziploc bag, cut a corner out, and use that instead. It's a little bit rougher, but works just as fine.)
6. Sprinkle with cheese
7. Place in oven, and bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until dish is piping hot throughout and the cheese is melted. If necessary, run the dish briefly under the broiler to glaze the top (I never do that).
And thus, Shepherd's Pie. Tasty and filling.
.
I have also scrubbed the bathroom down and bleached the tub like three times. It is fucking spotless in there. I am so happy. I may take a bath tonight to celebrate (I usually shower, but a clean tub calls for a good long soak with bubbles).
I need to go work out, but that's going to be put off until I get the Shepherd's Pie started. I've had a craving for it, and since I'm home, I have decided that that's what we're having for dinner tonight. It is awesome.
Shepherd's Pie:
1 lb cooked very lean meat, preferably roast lamb (okay, I never use lamb, mostly because my mum hates it. Instead, I take a chuck roast, cut it up and brown in in olive oil and spices. It works just fine)
2 TBSP butter
1 cp finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (I never measure the carrots, celery or onion. I just chop a bunch up til it looks like enough and toss it in. It's never fucked it up)
2 TBSP finely chopped parsley (dried parsley flakes are fine)
3 TBSP flour
2 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine (I pretty much use whatever white wine I have open, despite the dryness factor)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (Or broth. Broth works as well)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste (I don't have a pepper grinder, so I just kind of wing this. Like, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black or white pepper)
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 or more cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1. Cut the meat into 1/4 inch cubes. There should be about 3 cups. Set aside. (If, like me, you don't use precooked, leftover meat, this is where you brown the meat in oil and spices.)
2. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add onions, carrots, celery, and parsley. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted.
3. Sprinkle with flour and stir with wire whisk (If you don't have a whisk, use a fork). Add tomato paste, wine, stock, Worcestershire, and pepper, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and stir in meat and corn. Cook 5 minutes longer.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F
5. Put meat and sauce into a 7 cup baking dish or casserole (I use a deep, 10 inch ceramic pie plate). Outfit a pastry bag with a round pastry tube - No. 7 or 8 - and spoon the mashed potatoes into the bag. Pipe the potatoes neatly and evenly on top of the meat mixture, covering it completely.
(Okay. I do not have a pastry bag. Chance are, you don't either. Instead, I take a big ziploc bag, cut a corner out, and use that instead. It's a little bit rougher, but works just as fine.)
6. Sprinkle with cheese
7. Place in oven, and bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until dish is piping hot throughout and the cheese is melted. If necessary, run the dish briefly under the broiler to glaze the top (I never do that).
And thus, Shepherd's Pie. Tasty and filling.
.