Irish Guinness Shepherd Pie

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I had a couple of leftovers that I did not want to go to waste. So I gathered my extra veggies and mash potatoes and added some ground beef to make an interesting shepherd pie.

It came out wonderfully, my kids loved it. For me the greatest part was being creative and not wasteful with what I had. Here is a recipe of a shepherd pie that I tweaked a little. 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces ground beef or lamb
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 large carrots, finely diced
1 cup frozen peas
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 bottle Guinness
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup stock
1 large quantity mashed potatoes (estimating 6 cups, fresh or leftover)


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 400°. Saute′ carrots in the olive oil until starting to get tender. Add in the onions and sauté for a minute or two, and then add the meat. Season with black pepper and thyme. Cook until browned then drain fat. Add the butter and peas. Sprinkle with flour and stir through. Add tomato paste, Guinness and Worcestershire sauce. Let this reduce slightly then add the chicken stock. Allow to reduce down until you have thick meaty gravy. Season to your taste. Remove from heat. Grease a 9 x 13” oven proof dish with butter and add the sauce. Spoon mashed potatoes on top.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the potato is nice and browned on top. 

A great meal to serve on a cold wintery day!

Macaroons!

I love macaroons. Recently, my husband found this wonderful pastery shop that makes them. The above macaroons are pumpkin, hazelnut, key lime, raspberry rosewater and espresso. And just by coincidence I had a sample of each flavor ;-)! They all tasted devine, but I would have to say the pumpkin one was a favorite. Check out the cafe site at http://www.essencemacaron.com/index.php

Cocktail Hour

Dirty martini with Hor d' oeuvres.

Had a little cocktail gathering at home with light fare. We had Chianti marinated salami with rosemary wafers, Dubliner cheese and Rosemary olive oil Asiago cheese, with a side of Blue Cheese stuffed green olives.  Dirty martinis were the beverage accompanying the appetizers. So simple and fun to put together in a short amount of time. It was a nice way to relax after a long day.

Ube Yogurt Treat

Ube, an Asian purplish yam.

This delicious recipe was a favorite of mine as a child. I tweaked it a little to make it lowfat, but the taste still remains the same. I love this recipe; very easy to make with few ingredients. 

 All you need is a can of Coconut Milk (13.5 oz), 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, and a pound of shredded Ube (which you can find at any Asian grocery store). Puree in blender and add to ice cream maker. Within a few minutes you will have yourself a delicious healthy dessert. Happy eating.      

Cherry Pecan Meringue, so light and airy

Fluffy clouds of goodness.

Sweet and chewy in the center.

You can't just stop at one........

Ingredients


Makes 36
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped pecans


Directions
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Still beating, very gradually (1 tablespoon at a time) add sugar to egg whites. Continue to beat until sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in chopped dried cherries and chopped pecans.
Drop meringue mixture by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake, switching baking sheets halfway through, until meringues are dry, about 2 hours. Cool completely on baking sheets. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container, up to 5 days.

I need a drink!

Here is my large stiff and yummy drink.

I am right now in the middle of doing my final paper for my master's program. Lots of research, but finding all the information fascinating and exciting. I have to create a poster presentation of my paper as well, and I am finding myself creating lots of great ideas in my head :)...... But back to my yummy drink; I borrowed it from "Martha", she always has great ideas and recipes. Here goes:

Cantaloupe Shake

1/2 cantaloupe

2 cups nonfat yogurt

3 Tbl. honey 

1/2 scoop protein powder

some ice

Blend all ingredients except ice in blender, then put ice in a tall glass. Pour shake into glass and then enjoy! The recipe makes for 2 servings.

Cucumber-Pear Yogurt Shake

A refreshing drink for a warm May day. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

3/4 cup crushed ice

1 medium pear chopped

1 small banana chopped

1/4 cup cucumber chopped and peeled

2 Tbl protein powder

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and consistent, then take a sip and enjoy the lovely day!

Sushi for Three

My kids and I tried to make salmon with dill sushi rolls this afternoon. It was a fun way to get in some time together and do some hands on learning. The results were well worth the fun and anticipation of eating them. Take a look!

The secret ingredients :-)...

My failed attempt at making a perfect sushi roll.

The sushi pro; on her first attempt she scored a nice roll. That said I watched the master and learned her tricks.

A yummy snack that was enjoyed by all!

Orange Oatmeal Lace Cookies

It all began when I went to a Foreign market in search of rose water for another recipe. I found the water as well as this Orange Blossom water next to it. Rarely do you find exotic items like these at the local grocery store, so I decided to get it also. Not knowing yet what to do with it, I randomly searched for recipes on the internet and found this easy recipe that I could do with my kids.

I scraped off the zest of one large orange, just the smell of the pieces was appetizing.

Then my daughter blended the remaining ingredients together.

When you form the dough use a melon ball scooper and space cookies on sheet in 2 rows; these cookies spread.

Beautiful, light and crisp......addicting. Fortunately it is low in calories and carbs :).

Ingredients:
1 orange for zesting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup very finely chopped pecans

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, using dabs of butter or shortening to hold the corners of the paper in place.

Finely grate the orange until you have 1/2 teaspoon of zest. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour, salt, and milk all at once, then add the vanilla extract and orange zest and blend for about 30 seconds more. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oats and pecans.

Scoop and gently shape the dough into 1-inch balls -- each about a rounded teaspoon. Place the balls on the sheet, leaving approximately 3 inches between them.

Bake the cookies on the center oven rack until they are bubbly and the edges have started to turn a dark golden color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and let it cool for 2 minutes.

Carefully lift the sides of the parchment paper and transfer the cookies to a countertop. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before gently placing them on a serving plate. In the meantime, line another baking sheet with parchment for the second batch (or let the first baking sheet cool to room temperature, then line it with fresh parchment). Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

A Swedish Meal

One word, IKEA.... went a little crazy shopping at the market and came home with some delicious goods.

I'll start with the Swedish crispbread topped with hard boiled egg and creamed smoked roe, YUM!

For dinner to compliment our Swedish meal we had asparagus with olive oil and lemon.

Along with our side dish we had a lovely Tomato Balsamic Salad.

And our main dish, gravlax with yogurt dill sauce.

A wonderful simple and easy meal to fix.....with a little help from IKEA ;-).

Old-Fashioned Lavender Honey Ice Cream

I have an English lavender bush that is starting to bloom, the flowers were just right for making a new type of ice cream for the family.

The honey was just enough to bring out sweet flavor of lavender.

Here the lavender, honey and milk are all combining to make a delicious treat.

The incorporated ingredients, ready to serve.

A lovely light dessert or as my daughter would say "quite refreshing Mom".

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half-and-half

2/3 cup mild honey

2 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers

2 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Bring cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and heat over moderate heat until hot.

Whisk together eggs and salt in a large bowl, then add 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175 F on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes (do not let boil).

Pour custard through sieve into cleaned bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden

Strawberry Meringue with Chocolate Chips

A very simple and easy spring treat that my kids love! Happy Easter everyone.

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons red gelatin powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Carefully seperate egg whites from yolks - ANY yolk left in the egg whites and you will not be able to make the meringue! In a clean dry bowl whip egg whites, white vinegar and salt until stiff (but not dry!). Add in sugar and jello powder (Traditionally we use Red Jello - such as raspberry or Cherry -- ). Fold in chocolate chips. On buttered cookie sheet, drop spoonfuls of meringue - I do smaller, bite sized cookies. Bake on a buttered cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 250* then turn off the oven and let them sit there over night. Do not peek or open the oven! They will turn out soft and chewy! Preparation time is to make the meringue - Cooking time is total time to make.

Macaroons...post Valentine's blessings

Rarely do you find a great recipe on NPR, but this takes the cake.....or Macaroon!.... The photos just scream  delicious.....I am going to try making these over spring break :)

Photo by Kyle Samperton

Photo by Kyle Samperton

Rose White Chocolate Macaroons 

Paste

6 egg whites 

18 ounces almond flour 

18 ounces confectionery sugar 

Blend almond flour and confectionery sugar together. After blended, sift. Spread on parchment paper and let dry for one day. The following day, add the egg whites to the mix and stir until it becomes paste.

Meringue

7 egg whites 

18 ounces sugar 

5 ounces water 

1 teaspoon food coloring 

Instructions: Cook sugar in water until it has reached 250 degrees. While it is heating, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg whites on high speed. Let cool while whipping until the bowl is warm to the touch. Add food coloring. Whip an extra two to three minutes.

While meringue is whipping, mix paste (almond flour, confectionery sugar and egg whites) until incorporated.

Stop mixer and add a small portion of the meringue into the paste. (Incorporating the meringue helps loosen the paste.) Add the rest of the meringue, then beat with spatula until fully mixed. When finished, pipe to desired size and shape. Let dry 20 to 30 minutes after piping.

Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool.

Rose White Chocolate Filling

12 ounces cream 

12 ounces milk plus 6 ounces milk, divided 

2 ounces cornstarch 

Pinch of salt 

11 ounces butter 

16 ounces white chocolate (solid bar or chunks) 

10 drops of rose extract 

Instructions:

Combine cream and 12 ounces of milk and bring to a boil.Meantime, mix 6 ounces of milk with cornstarch, add salt, then pour the starch mixture into the cream mixture. Bring to a boil then add solid white chocolate. Mix, then add the butter and rose extract. Let cool. Delicately make small coin shaped indentations in each macaroon disc with your thumb, pipe in filling and gently press discs together to assemble the macaroon.

Sniffles and Homework

Once again a virus has hit home. This week was hard with kids sick, doctors' appointments and school (yes twittering is part of school work).

Little time to do any home cooking, but I wanted to share this delicious soup that I love getting at a Vietnamese restaurant not far from my home. I was able to find a recipe of it, and I have posted below.

Beef Noodle Soup

4 ounces dried rice noodles
6 cups cold water
3 (10.5) cans condensed beef broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Thai chile, chopped
1/2 pound boneless top round steak, sliced very thin
1/4 pound fresh basil
4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 pound mung bean sprouts
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 wedges lime


Instructions: Soak noodles in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain. Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add noodles, and boil 3 to 5 minutes, don't overcook. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Meanwhile, combine beef broth, ginger and salt, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Place equal portions of noodles into 4 large soup bowls, and place raw beef on top. Ladle hot broth over noodles and beef. Garnish with lime wedges, basil leaves, cilantro mung beans, and green onions, and serve.

A Beautiful Day

With all the rain we've had in the past week, the sun finally came out to stay. The weather is perfect for planting in the garden, and today I did just that. In my tiny garden I planted some early girl tomatoes, better boy tomato, cucumber, mesclun, chocolate mint, greek oregano, violas and pansies. Hoping for a successful early summer harvest.

These are herbs for my windowsill, rosemary, peppermint and greek oregano. They smell so fresh and beautiful.

I rewarded myself after digging in the garden with a quick trip to kokomo for a refreshing yogurt treat. My favorite combination, tart yogurt and raspberry swirl on top of pineapple and strawberry yogurt, mixed with fresh berries, mochi and mango. Yummy and healthy too.

Movie Nite

Starting off the weekend with a family and friend movie nite. No recipes today, instead we ordered my favorite pizza, NYPD's Fran's favorite and the Meat Lovers Pizza for the guys. We rented the French film "The Class" ( excellent movie), Mona Lisa Smiles, and a Flash of Genius. Eating, learning, blissfulness what more can I say :).

Reds and Browns

Reds and browns remind me of the upcoming holiday, Valentine's Day and the chocolate treats that go along with it.

A simple dessert you might try making involves combining strawberries and chocolate together. Buy some juicy fat strawberries if they are available where you live and dip them in melted chocolate, refrigerate for a couple of hours, then take out and enjoy!

Fresh and Easy

During school I often find myself not having enough time to make a fresh and healthy meal for the family. I hate when that happens, but I have found some helpful solutions. Lately, I have turned to Fresh and Easy with their pre-seasoned fish dishes. The fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.) are all fresh and well prepared all you do is cook it, and that takes only a few minutes. As a side dish I usually serve our meal with the grocery brand herb salad. Be mindful that not all the products sold are organic, but they are good quality and the small grocery customer service is excellent.

My favorite items at Fresh and Easy, Oglio Prosecco and Salmon stuffed with Shrimp and Chipotle Sauce.

The Elephant Bar

If I had to admit one of my guilty pleasures it would be eating at The Elephant Bar. And today I had the opportunity to do that with my two lunch dates. I tried to eat healthy but got a bit carried away for dessert. My meal started off with a ground beef and lettuce wrap appetizer, followed by a lunch combo of tempura salmon roll with a side of pad thai. Though I was satisfied with my meal I was tempted into sharing a small delicious sundae in a deep fried wonton. I do not want to guess how many calories this all added up to; instead I will savor the moment. For a quick recipe of the Beef in Lettuce Wrap see below:

Ground Beef and Lettuce Wrap

2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 (3/4 ounce) package stir fry seasoning
2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 bunch chopped green onion
1/2 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
iceberg lettuce

Instructions: Brown ground beef with a bit of sesame oil and hot chili oil. Add some light soy sauce, pepper, garlic, 1/2 package of stir fry seasoning and 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce. After ingredients browned halfway add 1 bunch chopped green onions and 1/2 bag of coleslaw mix and finish browning. While the ground beef mix is cooking, wash a head of iceberg lettuce and carefully pull whole leaves off. When ground beef mixture is done serve with crisp cold lettuce.

Getting Sentimental

The big guy is starting high school this year, tonight is his orientation.

When my son was a newborn I loved eating a certain egg and meatball dish. My brother-in-law would make this wonderful dish for me sometimes, and he christened it Alex's Meatballs in Egg Lemon Sauce in his honor. Every now and then I will make it for the family and we'll chuckle at how the dish got its name. Thank you brother-in-law for sharing your "secret" recipe.

Photo: http://kalofagas.ca/category/soup/

Alex's Meatballs in Egg Lemon Sauce 

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 teacups rice (1 cup), washed
• onion
• parsley
• garlic
• salt / pepper
• dill
• oregano
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• rice
• 2 eggs, yolk and white separated
• 2 lemons

Instructions: Mix first 9 ingredients and make into small meatballs. Bring 3 cups of water in a pot to a boil, then add meatballs with some olive oil and dill. Let simmer for an hour (add water as needed). While meatballs are cooking, in a separate bowl beat egg whites well, then add yolks and lemon juice. Slowly add some broth from pot to lemon sauce until meatballs are by themselves. Then pour the lemon sauce over the meatballs, shake around and spread the sauce evenly over the meatballs. Add juice of 2 lemons and dill to taste. Serve hot. YUM! Serves 6.

Go Green

Going green seems to be a theme around my house. I'll begin with the Green Tea pictured above. Rishi tea is a traditional Japanese tea served ceremonially, but I use it as a morning wake-up beverage of choice. If you add steamed milk with a tablespoon of the tea you get an excellent version of Starbuck's Green Tea Latte. No need to add sweetner, its perfect the way it is. You can find this particular brand at Whole Foods Market.

Just a few things we do around the house to promote environmental awareness. 1. composting, 2. choosing brands that use recycled or recyclable material, 3. recycling paper, 4. using energy efficient products, 5. using earth friendly biodegradable household items, 6. bringing a recyclable grocery bag when we shop, 7. carrying a doggey bag when walking our pals, and 8. maintaining a little garden in the side yard that we grow a few herbs and vegetables in. Some fun ideas that we all can do to save our planet and make it a better place for our kids to live in.

Food + Furniture = IKEA

Food takes precedence over furniture in this collage. Yesterday we went to IKEA to look for a computer chair that was both comfortable and stylish for my daughter's desk. She chose a fun printed pattern that reflected her youthful spirit. Unfortunately for me when I go to places like IKEA I never leave without getting other stuff. Case in point, I exited the superstore with food! The above treat is called the Princess Cake and is composed of sponge cake, strawberry jam, whip cream, chocolate and marizapan. The dessert melts in your mouth and leaves you feeling like you're not cheating ;-). In addition to our trip I found a cool blog called Table for Two that has a sweet post about IKEA and the Princess Cake, take a look and explore other good stuff on the site too.

French Women Don't Get Fat

Mirelle Guiliano is the author of French Women Don't Get Fat and this past October she released her second book Women, Work & The Art of Savoir Faire which I am currently reading with Tucker Miller. In her first book Guiliano talked about how Frenchwomen enjoy eating because they do it in moderation. Her latest book is completely different, instead she discusses how to be successful in the workplace and still enjoy life. I love her style of writing, straight to the point with a touch of humor. I cannot wait for her next book, a cookbook in April.

Chocolate Croissant

A simple and easy way to make chocolate croissants is to buy crescent roll dough at the grocery store ( you can usually find it between cookie dough and butter) add broken pieces of chocolate bark (found in the baking section of  the grocery). Preheat oven at 350° and bake according to crescent dough directions. Afterwards, you can sprinkle the croissants with powdered sugar to give  a made from scratch look. Bon Apetít.

Short Cuts

Not quite Valentine's Day but it never hurts to start putting out the treats in the glass candy jar.

I was craving something sweet and chocolaty but didn't want to work hard for it, so I took a short cut and bought chewey chocolate cookies and partnered it with raspberry and chocolate sorbet. Ummm....the kids will be in for a surprise treat when they come home from school.