Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Long time no see blog world. I've been really busy for the past...6 months...but I thought I'd share a nice little recipe I cooked earlier today.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

3 large potatoes

2 large carrots

1 large white onion

8 ounces frozen peas

12 ounces (3 large handfuls) shredded cheddar cheese

1 pound ground beef

1 cup beef stock

1 tablespoon butter

some olive oil

a few garlic cloves

salt and pepper

1) Start boiling water in a large pot. While you wait for the water to boil, peel and cube the potatoes and set them aside. Clean and peel the carrots, then chop them up. You'll mash the carrots later, so make sure the carrots aren't cut too thick.

2) Place the potatoes in the boiling (salted) water for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, cut up your onion into small cubes. Take a small bit (about a tablespoon) of the cubed onion and chop it very finely, you will add this to the potatoes later. Mince the garlic and place aside with the finely chopped onion and butter.

3) Get a skillet, put a light amount of olive oil in, and set on high. While that's heating, fetch the potatoes. Don't pour out your hot water, because you're going to boil your carrots for 15 minutes now. While your oil is heating and carrots are boiling, place potatoes in a separate bowl, and add the butter, fine onion, and minced garlic. Mash it all up, then add 4 ounces (a handful) of cheese, mix again, and set aside. There is no reason to add milk to the potatoes.

4) Once the oil is hot, add onion and saute until clear (~7 minutes on medium high/high). Start preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Once onions are clear and soft, add the ground beef and cook until brown.

5) Around this time, your carrots should be done. Drain the carrots and lightly mash them. Add the carrots to the onion-beef mix along with your cup of beef stock. Get the stock to boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or so. This is a great time to wash a few of your pans if you don't want to do it later.

6) After simmering, add the frozen peas for about a minute. They cook very quickly.

7) Now you have a beef-carrot-pea-onion mixture. Transfer it into a large casserole dish. Add another 4 ounces of cheese (a large handful) to the top of the mix. Ladle the mashed potatoes on top of the casserole. It's a bit tough to do but you have a ton of potatoes to work with.

8) Once your potatoes are on top, take the handle of a spoon or fork and cut slits into the top of the potatoes so steam can escape. If you don't do this, your pie will explode during baking.

9) Your oven should be preheated now. Place the casserole in the oven for 20-25 minutes, checking to see that its a bit golden on top. Take it out, add the remaining cheese to the top, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so.

10) Take your pie out. It should be slightly golden-brown on top with melted cheese. Eat.

Pragmatic Chicken Curry

I love Indian food. It is one of my favorite things to eat but I don't eat it nearly enough unfortunately. The other day I stopped by a friend's house for a few minutes to see how things were going, and she has prepared an incredible curry dish for herself and her Indian boyfriend. (You know that food's good when natives are singing its praises!) After smelling and seeing this amazing food and not having eaten any (I ate right before), I decided I would try my hand at making curry. Now, I've never made Indian food before so this was all new to me.

This morning I thought I would bike down to Food City (oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about!) Food City is the best grocery store in Phoenix, nothing gets me going quite like shopping to Mariachi music with oddly-shaped fruits and vegetables all around. It's not the best food, but it is value.

Value, es mucho value,

Value, Food City es, es, es, es!

If that isn't enough for you, look at these awesome food specials. Yum! Saboroso!

Yep, this is where I sometimes go shopping. Here are some other reasons I love Food City (aside from being really inexpensive):

1) The music in those videos is pretty much what you hear inside the store. How can you not be happy listening to that music?

2) Off-brand Mexican goods. If you like chiles picantes or real tamales, shop at a Mexican market.

3) The selection is great. Where else can you get cactus or feel like you are in a carneceria mexicana?

Enough about Food City though. Let's talk about my curry. It was easy to make (I used a crockpot) and very flavorful. Here's my not-so-secret recipe:

2 lbs chicken breast

1 medium white onion

4 cloves garlic

3 carrot sticks

1 red bell pepper

8 oz frozen peas

1 can coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ginger

dash of salt & pepper

1) Cube chicken and stick in crock pot.

2) Quarter onion, mince garlic, peel and cut up carrot,

cut thick strips of red pepper and add it to the pot.

3) Add spices to coconut milk and mix thoroughly and add to pot

4) Add half a can of water to the mezcla

5) Add your dash of salt and pepper

6) Cook on low heat for 5-6 hours (or high for 3-4 hours)

while stirring occasionally

7) Add peas, stir, and wait another 30 minutes

8) Check to see chicken is cooked through

9) If it is all healthy and fully-cooked, eat!

All in all, spectacular. I had a few friends join me for dinner and it was a hit.

I know you wish you were here. And to make it that much better, my house smells like an Indian restaurant!