From this evening, Cliff and I will be away in India, Andra Pradesh, for nearly 2 weeks to visit the poor and needy and visit the cyclone-sticken areas in Orissa. We’ll be home only just in time to spend Christmas with family.
But just so I keep my promise to share with you my Shepherd’s Pie recipe, which will be perfect for a festive Christmas season, here’s revealing what goes into this wholesome and hearty meal, in some easy steps!
What I enjoy most about Shepherd’s Pie is that it literally is a one-dish meal. With carbs, protein, and veggies altogether, you don’t have to worry about cooking too many fancy dishes at once. The medical doctor (read “health conscious freak”) in me just can’t bear to see this dish get drenched in butter and fatty meat, so here’s sharing my “healthier version” of the dish with you. The Hungry Husband raved about this, so I definitely think you can have delicious meals at home without resorting to being all-out sinful!
Food for Love:
– Six to eight large potatoes
– Carrots (or any other vegetables you like such as celery, red peppers etc)
– Onions
– Mushrooms
– Corn
– Black beans
– Ground beef (or chicken, if you prefer. White meat is healthier.)
– Tomato paste
– Worchester sauce
– Butter
– Low-fat milk
– Cheese (if you like!)
The Act:
-
Gather your host of lovely potatoes and wash them clean.
Peel, dice and boil them for the loveliest mashed potato topping you’ll have.
2. While your potatoes are boiling over low-heat in a pot of water,
gather just about any vegetables lying around in your kitchen.
I love how this recipe calls for all the humblest plants, many of which are root vegetables such potatoes and carrots, or vegetables growing close to the ground like mushrooms and onions.
Don’t you just love the colors?
Chop them all up!
3. Using a saucepan, heat the onions over low-heat.
When they’ve browned beautifully, add in your ground beef ( I used half a kilo) and stir-fry well.
Then, add in the other chopped chockfull of colorful veggies and stir them well over low-heat.
What an eclectic mix of colors!
4. You’ll notice lots of water seeping out from the vegetables- that’s absolutely normal.
Pour in some tomato or spaghetti paste and a dash of Worcestershire sauce (you can get this from supermarkets under the barbecued sauces section).
If you want the mixture to thicken faster, a tablespoon or two of plain or corn flour should do the trick.
5. Now, while the meat-and-veggie mix was simmering away,
I scooped up the lovely potatoes.
Remember, they’re only ready if they’re soft enough to be poked and hurt by a fork.
You want lovely mashed potatoes, not lumpy ones!
Dice them. In a mixing bowl, add in a few tablespoons of butter (don’t overdo this, keep the meal light and trust the wholesome taste of cooked potatoes).
Add a dash of black pepper and some ground oregano and basil. Most recipes will call for salt as well, but given that the meat-and-veggie mixture will be thoroughly flavorful already, I omitted this.
Add in a cupful of warm low-fat milk. Do away with heavy cream which is full of unecessary fat.
This tastes brilliant as it is.
I didn’t have a masher or a blender, so with a big fork, I simply mashed the little cubies! Beautiful!
6. By this time the meat-and-veggie mix would be more or less ready and filling your kitchen with a heavenly aroma.
If you like, go ahead and add in some cooked beans as well to add more texture and fibre to this hearty meal.
I had a can of black beans lying around so in it went!
Place the mix into a large baking dish.
Don’t all those colours look lovely? It’s a great way to get your family to love their vegetables and eat them!
7. Layer the top with dollops of mashed potatoes, even out using either the back of a spoon or a spatula.
8. And if you have some cheese, why not?
9. Toss the baking dish into the oven for about fifteen minutes at 160 degrees Celsius or
until the top turns into a gorgeous golden brown.
10. Present it in an irresistible manner.
And watch it disappear!
The Hungry Husband even asked for a second and third helping!
It’s great for a pot-luck or
a warm, hearty dinner with family this cold and rainy season!
Enjoy this yummy recipe this Christmas!