Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s Pie

If you don't like Corned Beef and Cabbage, this is your dish! Guaranteed to impress your family!! The secret is the fresh rosemary and thyme. 

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

·       2 pounds russet potatoes

·       1/3 cup half-and-half

·       2 ounces unsalted butter

·       3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·       1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       1 egg yolk

·        

For the meat filling

·       1 cup Chopped onions

·       2 carrots, peeled and diced small

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       ½ pounds ground pork

·       ½ pound ground beef (80/20)

·       1 teaspoon kosher salt

·       1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·       2 teaspoons tomato paste

·       1 cup chicken broth

·       1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

·       2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves

·       1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

·       1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

·       1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

Directions:

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

SHRIMP & GRITS

SHRIMP & GRITS

YIELD: 4 servings 

TIME :45 MINS.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE GRITS:

1 cup grits


1⁄4 teaspoon salt


6 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

3 tablespoons butter

FOR THE SHRIMP:

4 tablespoons butter


3⁄4 cup chopped onion


1⁄2 cup chopped green bell pepper

 2 gloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes with a little of their juice (chopped canned tomatoes are preferable to less­than­perfect fresh tomatoes)

1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon flour

1 pound medium to large raw shrimp, shelled (reserve shells for stock)

1⁄2 to 1 cup shrimp stock (see note)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1⁄3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce


2 dashes Tabasco
Salt to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

For the grits, bring 4 cups water to a boil and stir in the grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the grits are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, add the salt, cheese and butter and stir until melted. Keep warm.

*IF YOU WANT TO LIGHTEN IT UP, SKIP THE BUTTER AND CHEESE ON THE GRITS

Step 2

For the shrimp, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, pepper and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice and thyme; bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir well. Add the shrimp and stir constantly until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and stir until blended. Add the cream, Worcestershire and Tabasco and more stock if needed to make a spoonable sauce that generously coats the shrimp. Heat thoroughly, being careful not to let it come to a boil. Taste for salt.

Step 3

Place a portion of grits in the center of each plate and spoon shrimp over or around it. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tip:

To make shrimp stock, combine shrimp shells and 2 cups water and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain.

*If your shrimp doesn’t have the shells on it like mine from Costco that you can make stock with, you can replace with Seafood Stock available in most super markets.

Better Than Restaurant Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi

I've been making this for about 30 years now and finally decided to write it down. JoAnn stopped trying it at restaurants. She said none measured up to this one. Actually I think this dish is why she married me.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Extra Lg. Shrimp, peeled, De-veined, Tails Off, Uncooked

6-7 Cloves Garlic, diced

1 Medium Onion, chopped

6 Tablespoons Real Butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

Salt, Pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 Cup White Wine

Pre-heat oven to 350

Melt butter and oil in large frying pan

Sautee the onions and garlic

Blend in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Old Bay

Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with ½ of the mixture

Place the shrimp on top of that

Add the wine evenly across the dish

Spread the remaining half of the mixture over the shrimp

Place in the oven, top rack and bake for 5 minutes

Change to Broil and cook another couple minutes, checking often, until shrimp is white and some browning may occur. Be careful not to overcook.