Pepper Steak and Mushroom Pie

My grandpa loves steak and kidney pies, but they're hard to find in Montreal. So for Christmas I baked him half a dozen of them to store in his freezer. I am NOT a fan of kidneys (or any organ meat, for that matter) so it was kind of gross for me to prepare, but I love my grandpa enough to have made the effort. They pies turned out really well and Grandpa loved them. My husband, who also loves meat pies was only allowed to sample a taste of the sauce so I decided to make the pie again last week. Since I had to eat dinner too I decided to swap out the kidneys for mushrooms, and I thought the result was even better. Rich gravy, tender meat and delicious mushroomy goodness.

Ingredients

2-crust pie shell (I used Pillsbury pie crust to roll in my own pie dish but use homemade if you feel so inclined)

3 strips bacon, sliced

1lb cubed beef

2 tbsp flour

1 onion, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 package of button mushrooms, washed and quartered

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 egg lightly beaten

Directions

In a large pot, fry bacon until crisp and fat has been rendered. Move bacon pieces aside to paper towel lined plate.

Meanwhile, put flour and beef cubes into a plastic bag (I used a old bread bag...with no holes!) and shake to coat in flour.

Fry beef cubes in batches until brown on all sides. Don't overcrowd the pot or the beef will not brown properly. Move browned cubes to paper towel lined plate.

If there is not enough oil left in the pan, add about 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the onions, carrot, celery, bay leaf and thyme until softened.

Add mushrooms and saute until softened.

Season with salt and pepper

Return beef cubes and bacon to pot and cover with water.

Cover the pot and allow to simmer on low until the meat is fork tender (about an hour or so).

If the gravy does not look thick enough, mix 2 tbsp flour and 1/2 cool cup water in a mug. Slowly add the flour/water mixture to the gravy until it thickens to a nice consistency.

Pour Steak and Mushroom mixture into a 9-inch pie shell and top with remaining pastry, fluting the edges shut. Brush the top with beaten egg and cut some vent holes to let steam escape.

Bake at 350 F for about 45-50 mins or until crust is golden brown.

Shepherd's Pie

Sometimes when I can't figure out what to make for supper, I turn to my friends for ideas. I'm always interested in what other people's go-to dinners are. My neighbour was over for tea one afternoon and she said her go-to was a shepherd's pie. I seldom make this dish so it was a good suggestion! I like shepherd's pie but don't like peas or corn mixed in so I adapted the general recipe for my tastes. I made individual shepherd's pies in french onion soup bowls and also made baby ones in little ramekins for my little one (minus the salt). What are your go-to dinners?

Ingredients

500 g/1lb lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

6-7 mushrooms sliced

2 cups beef broth

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp cornstarch

4 large potatoes

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp butter

generous handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover potatoes and boil until cooked through.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute onions and carrots until softened.

Push the veggies to the edges of the pan and brown the ground beef until no longer pink.

Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.

Add thyme and bay leaf, beef broth and allow to reduce a little.

Sprinkle cornstarch over top and mix thoroughly to thicken the gravy.

Prepare the mashed potatoes: drain and mash the potatoes and beat in milk, egg, parmesan cheese butter and season with salt and pepper (I use a hand mixer instead of a potato masher so potatoes are really fluffy and smooth).

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large glass baking dish (or individual casserole dishes), layer beef mixture on the bottom and mashed potatoes on top and smother with cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is bubbling and slightly brown on top.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Yorkshire Puddings

My father-in-law is an AMAZING cook. One of my favourite things (among many others) are his roast dinners. Last night, he made roast leg of lamb with roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. I know Yorkshire puddings belong with roast beef, but we thought... why not with lamb too?
One of his tricks in making super flavourful lamb is stuffing garlic pieces into the meat before cooking. Then he coats the lamb with salt and pepper, butter, rosmary and thyme.
Because Yorkshire puddings are my absolute favourite part of the roast dinner, here's the recipe...


Yorkshire Puddings

Ingredients
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
2 large egg
300 ml milk
300 ml water

Directions
Ensure oven is heated to 400 F
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally.
Put about 1/2 tsp vegetable oil into the bottom of each well of a muffin tin and place in hot oven for 3 minutes.
Once the oil is hot (should be smoking), carefully but QUICKLY pour batter into each well.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F, then reduce heat to 325 F and continue to bake until puffy and golden brown.



Here's a picture of Sharl digging in. It must have been torture for poor little Xhosa.