Eatin' Like a Shepherd

I'll never forget the look and smell of
one of my favorite meals growing up.
Shepherd's Pie.
Even though I was never fond of veggies
until my later teen years and young adult life,
when my mom prepared this meal I was in heaven.
Shepherd's Pie was one of those comfort foods
that comforted AND
would trick me into eating a few veggies.

My mom always made her Shepherd's Pie
in a good ol' seasoned black iron skillet.
Oh, if THAT skillet could talk!
I remember she would dollop those
homemade mashed potatoes on top,
in five or six mounds, so we would all know
where our serving/portion was.

Then, as if all of that wasn't enough,
there would be shredded cheese
on each mound of potatoes.
Ohh the cheese.
As a kid, melted cheddar on mashed potatoes
was like dying and going to heaven.
At the time, it seemed to be ingenious!
Of course, we used to call it 'grated' cheese -
because we NEVER, EVER,
bought pre-packaged 'shredded' cheese.
Oh no.
Grating that big ol' block of cheddar
was a weekly chore for one of us girls.

Shepherd's Pie has been around since
the late 1700's when it was known as Cottage Pie.
Same principle pretty much -
leftover meat with potatoes on top and/or bottom,
with variations of meats used through the years.
We've always stuck with ground beef for ours.

If you've never tried this classic dish,
please do so as soon as possible!

WHAT YOU NEED:
(to serve 4-6)

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained

1 batch pre-made mashed potatoes
(for us, 8-10 med. potatoes to make homemade
or 2 envelopes if using instant)

2 cans 'Veg-All', as mom used
(on the canned veggie aisle)

OR
1 med. bag frozen veggies, thawed
(green beans, sweet peas, cubed carrots)

1 can petite diced tomatoes, OPTIONAL
OR
1 can mild rotel tomatoes, if you'd like some spice

(sometimes we do, sometimes we do neither!)

appx. 2 cups shredded cheddar

the spice trinity
salt/pepper/garlic powder

green onions to garnish, optional

your favorite baking dish
(iron skillet, 9x13, or other)

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium saute pan, brown the ground beef.
Don't forget to season the meat while cooking.
(salt, pepper, garlic powder)

Drain when cooked.
Place cooked beef in a dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Spread canned or thawed frozen veggies
on top of prepared beef.
Season a bit with salt/pepper

Prepare mashed potatoes.
Homemade, semi-homemade, whatever works for you.
(We do both.  Depends on how hungry we are.)
Either dollop or spread potatoes
over beef and veggie mixture.

Finally, sprinkle shredded cheddar,
as much as desired, on top of potatoes.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes
or until bubbly and golden.

Mmmmm.
ENJOY!!!

Easy to Love!

 Wanna cook something easy
for someone you love this weekend?
Check out my Easy Omelets article in the latest
Wedded Bliss magazine.
That's what this week's
Free Recipe Friday is all about.
EASE.
Make it easy on yourself and
enjoy a simple, yummy meal this weekend.
Omelets make a great breakfast OR easy supper
for any time of the week.
These photos are of an omelet my sweet hubby
made for me - he's the bomb like that.

Omelets are quick, inexpensive
and pretty spiffy looking. 
A great way to pamper those you love.
Venture out and try your hand
at omelet making if you never have.

If you haven't picked up a
Wedded Bliss magazine,
you can do that this weekend too!
(available at area restaurants and bridal shops)


ENJOY!

So Long Summertime!

  Is it really September??? Say it ain't so!  We hope this means cooler weather...at some point.  But before those garden zucchini or the last of your tomatoes disappear, you need to make this delicious eassssssy little dish.  We call it Zucchini Casserole - although I believe it originally called for yellow squash, we've never tried it any other way. A friend of ours gave us this recipe more than 15 years ago and we've been making it ever since.  Thank you Renee!!!!  This recipe can be made with store bought zucchini and even canned tomatoes - sliced or diced - we have tried it every way and it's always just as good.  Zucchini, tomatoes, shredded cheddar and a few basic spices - that's it - that's all you need and it is A.mazing!

WHAT YOU NEED:

(for a 9x13 pan)
5-6 medium zucchini

2 cans sliced or diced tomatoes
OR
5-6 medium fresh tomatoes

garlic powder

salt and pepper

non-stick spray

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

Wash and slice zucchini and tomatoes if need be.
Begin layering ingredients in the casserole dish.

You really can't mess this up.

Begin with tomatoes - cover the bottom of your dish

sprinkle lightly with salt pepper and garlic powder.

Next, cover tomatoes completely with sliced zucchini
and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle completely with shredded cheddar
and continue layering until you've used
the remainder of your ingredients
or your dish fills up - whichever comes first.
We usually end up with 2-3 layers.
Cover with foil and bake for
45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove foil at the end of baking
and continue baking a few more minutes.

This will be lava hot for a good 20 minutes or so!

Let it cool a bit before consuming.

THIS IS SO YUMMY!

Our kids have always loved it as well
zucchini and all!

ENJOY!

Peanuts.....get yer, uhhh.....umm...

  If you've been looking for a Friday night nibbley snack or something to take with you to those Friday night football games - you've come to the right place.  This week's Free Recipe Friday may look like roasted peanuts, but instead are roasted, toasted Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas.  Garbanzo beans you say?!?  Yes, don't be scared - they are yummy and oh so cheap, so no excuses.  You can find them on the canned bean aisle in most any grocery store.  Buy organic, name brand or whatever floats your boat.
  Although Garbanzo beans are larger and hail from the Mediterranean region, and Chickpeas are smaller and hail from the Middle East, they are similar enough to be used interchangeably.  Which is why people may treat them as the very same legume.   Garbanzo beans/Chickpeas are one of the main ingredients in Hummus, which happens to be the Arabic word for Chickpeas.  Hummus is a yummy dipping snack that's growing more and more in popularity.
  What makes this week's roasted recipe so great is the seasoning possibilities - the sky is the limit!  I stumbled upon Roasted & Toasted Garbanzo Beans a while back on the website, A Bachelor and His Grill.  Amazing food with amazing pics.  Check it out!  In the meantime, you should toast and roast some Garbanzo beans yourself, really.

WHAT YOU NEED:
2 cans Garbanzo Beans
(Chickpeas)

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/4 teaspoon Sugar

Salt & Black Pepper to taste
(appx. 1 teaspoon of each)

WHAT TO DO:

Rinse and drain beans in a colander
and lay out on paper towels to dry a bit
for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place beans along with all other ingredients
in a freezer style baggie and shake!
Once the beans are thoroughly covered
with spices, spread beans out
onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.



Roast in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour,
stirring often.
Let rest for several minutes.  Yummy!
Once they are completely cool,
you can store them in a large size baggie
or good seal-able container.


Take these little yummies on your next road trip
or sit and enjoy them on a comfy couch!

ENJOY!!!

What a Tart!

Finally, a bit of rain this morning! 
What an awesome way to start out a Friday.
Especially if you were able to sleep in!!!!
So jealous if you did!

This week's recipe, Caramelized Onion Tart with Swiss,
is such a rich, yummy treat...
it just confirms my love for
almost anything in a crust.
It's a rustic type, as we used
only a baking sheet, no tart pan required.
There are sooo many variations to this,
just like a quiche,
you can throw in most anything
and voila, you have a tart!

Some of you may not believe it,
but I am all about easy and quick meals.
The hardest part about this recipe
is probably slicing all of those onions.
This week's Free Recipe Friday certainly
falls under the easy category...
ESPECIALLY if you BAKE the onions
to caramelize them
instead of cooking them in a stockpot.
Either way is fine.
Just make it easy on yourself!

WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1 uncooked pie crust
(store bought or homemade)
- 2 cups caramelized onions
(we used about 4 medium onions)

- 8-10 oz. Gruyere cheese (or Swiss)
- 1 egg, beaten with a bit of milk/cream
(for the egg wash)
- salt/pepper

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Peel, slice and saute onions on a low/medium heat
along with a few pinches of salt
in a bit of olive oil for about 30-45 minutes
or until golden - stirring frequently.
You can also bake onions and get the same outcome.
Getting onions to the caramelized state takes patience.
It is very easy, but can't be rushed.
Now, roll out pie dough into a circle measuring
appx. 14-16 inches.

Sprinkle half of the cheese onto the pie dough
leaving almost a 2 inch border free and clear.
Spread your onions over cheese and sprinkle
with a bit of salt and pepper.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over onions
and begin to crimp or pinch the dough
around the onions to form a crust.

Brush the entire crust with the egg wash.

 

 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until ooey, gooey and golden.

Cut into wedges and serve.

It can be served hot or at room temperature.
It is very rich, but makes a great meal
with just a side salad.
Imagine that, a meatless meal!
It would also be great for a brunch or
breakfast-ey supper with a side of
scrambled eggs and a bit of fruit.
It's amazing.
Caramelized onions are amazing as well.
I could eat them plain.

ENJOY!