Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Simple Sheperds Pie

Tonight I made a really simple, yet such a delicious dinner! I decided I'd put my own spin on the traditional sheperds pie. It takes about 30-40 minutes to make and it's so easy!

Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. Ground Meat (I used turkey)
1 Yellow Onion
1 Bell Pepper (I used an orange one)
2-3 Carrots; peeled and sliced in 1/2" chunks
1 Can Sweet Corn; drained
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Paprika
Fresh Chopped Parsley
6-8 Small Potatoes (I used Red Potatoes)
2 T. Butter
1/4 C. Milk

Gravy
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 C. Chicken or Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to BROIL.  Wash the potatoes and cut them in half.  Fill a pot with water, add a dash of salt and add potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  In the meantime, get a large saute pan and cook the ground meat.  Add salt & pepper to taste and crushed red pepper.  Then add onion, carrots and bell pepper.  Saute in pan with meat until carrots are tender, but still have a crunch to them.  Remove pan from heat and add can of corn.  While potatoes are still boiling, get a small saute pan and start making the gravy.  Over medium heat, melt the butter in the pan.  Once melted, add the flour while whisking at the same time.   Add W. sauce while still whisking.  While that is mixed well, add the broth.  Let the gravy come to a boil, then reduce heat to low until it thickens.  Once the potatoes are done, strain and mash them, adding the butter, salt & pepper and milk. 

Now that all 3 components are ready, get a casserole dish, grease with cooking spray.  Then add the meat mixture, gravy, and use a cookie/ice cream scoop to put potatoes on top.  Top with paprika and put in the oven until the potatoes are golden brown and have a "crisp" on top.  Serve with fresh parsley and ENJOY! 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Sweet & Spicy Glazed Salmon

Yay for fish!  One of my top favorite fish is salmon.  It's gorgeous, light and yet so easy to cook!  A foolproof recipe is one that I've come up with.  This recipe has converted non-salmon eaters into salmon-loving eaters!  I like to serve this one with a fresh salad and either couscous or quinoa, but be creative; you can customize any of my recipes to satisfy your family's taste buds!  Here's what you'll need:

 Boneless Salmon Filet (use fresh!)
1 lemon; squeezed to make 2 T. juice
2 T. Brown Mustard
2 Shallots; minced
1 Clove Garlic; minced
1/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1 t. Soy Sauce
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
Salt & Pepper

Start off by preheating your oven at 400 degrees.  Prep your baking sheet by putting a layer of foil and using cooking spray to ensure your salmon won't stick!  Then, get a large skillet and heat up over a medium/high heat.  Add olive oil and allow to heat up.  Add shallots and cook for about 3 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and allow to sweat for about 1 minute.  Then, add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and crushed red pepper.  Mix and allow to cook until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat.  Next, put the salmon on your prepared baking sheet (skin side down if you have skin)  and brush the fish with the glaze.  Place in the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes or until you see the salmon has changed color.  Put another layer of the glaze on the fish and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Do NOT over cook the salmon!  It should easily break away with a fork and have "flaky" texture.  Add another layer of glaze and it's ready to enjoy!  Leave a comment if you have a question! :)