Potato Salad

Fish pie

Fish Pie

Lamb & potato bake

Shepherd's pie will be on the list of many families' list of favourite dishes but one that necessitates the use of several dishes and steps. You need to peel the potatoes and dice them, fill a pan with boiling water, wait for the potatoes to cook, drain them and then finally mash them with butter and milk. All for just the topping! So this is my cheat method for Shepherd's pie which I cook everything in my trusty Le Creuset cast iron shallow casserole dish. If you don't have something which can be used to fry in and then cooked in the oven you will need then you will need to use another oven-proof dish but at least I've cut out the mash stage!

This is a one-pot meal as I've added the vegetables into the dish. Mr JibberJabber and I both like leeks and in fact it's probably his favourite vegetable. However, the younger members of the family are not fans. My daughter can seek out anything remotely leek or onion in origin while Master will reject any green vegetable. My cunning plan therefore was to chop the leeks finely rather than just slicing them and the outcome was clean plates all round! This is particularly satisfying as leeks are in season at the moment and I bought a pack of four British trimmed leeks for £1. Another green vegetable which can be disguised in the same cunning way is the stalk of a broccoli (and saves it from the bin). To add some more extra goodness into this dish I leave the skins on the potatoes so make sure they are of the ready washed variety.

Equipment: A 12in (30cm) round casserole dish that can be used to fry in and oven-proof or 1 large frying pan and an oven-proof dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1tbsp (15ml) Oil

1 Leek, finely chopped

3 Carrots, finely chopped

9oz (250g) Lamb mince

½ pint (150ml) Lamb stock

2 tbsp (30ml) Tomato purée

1lb (450g) Potatoes, washed but unpeeled and sliced

3½ oz (100g) Strong/mature Cheddar, grated

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

2. Heat the oil and then lightly fry the leeks and carrots until they start to soften.

3. Add the lamb mince and continue to cook until the mince has browned. Drain off any excess fat.

4. Add the stock and tomato purée. Stir and bring to the boil.

5. Reduce the heat. If you need to transfer it to an oven-proof dish do so now. 

 

6. Layer the potato slices on top and try to fill any gaps.

7. Sprinkle over the cheese and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

I am sending this recipe to three challenges this month. Firstly to the new Extra Veg event being hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food for Families.

For a similar reason I am also sending this to Family Foodies for this month's theme of Hidden Goodies and ways to get kids eating good stuff without them realising it! It is run by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash and Louisa at Eat Your Veg.

Lastly, this is going to Cheese, Please! at Fromage Homage. This month's theme is Comfort Food and Winter Warmers and without the cheese topping this dish is just plain wrong!

Chocolate and Potato Ring Cake

Chocolate and Potato Cake with the addition of macadamia nuts and dried cranberries.

I've been blogging for a bit now and enjoying the cooking challenges that are hosted by other bloggers. Often challenges are guest hosted by other bloggers giving them a chance to pick their own themes. I thought it was time that I stepped up to the plate and put myself forward as a guest host. Since I always have a very willing band of chocolate recipe testers I thought I would ask Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog to be a guest host of her We Should Cocoa chocolate cooking challenge. Happily, she agreed and for October 2013 I decided the theme should be vegetables. So here's my contribution for the We Should Cocoa challenge.

One question that may well be asked is why the inclusion of the mashed potato? Firstly, it's a terrific way of using up a little bit of leftover mashed potato. Secondly, the addition of the mashed potato adds a moistness to the cake. Quite often when cocoa is added to a recipe it can have a drying effect.

I've also added some macadamia nuts and dried cranberries. Substitute these if you wish. Chopped almonds, walnuts, raisins or sultanas would all work equally well. I've left it plain this time but an icing topping, either plain or chocolate, is also welcome.

Equipment: 1½ pint (900ml) Ring mould or savarin tin (mine's from Lakeland), electric whisk.

Ingredients

4oz (110g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

4oz (110g) Caster sugar

3oz (85g) Self-raising flour

1oz (28g) Cocoa powder

3oz (85g) Mashed potato

1oz (28g) Macadamia nuts, chopped

1oz (28g) Dried cranberries

Method

1. Grease the ring mould.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

3. Sift the flour and cocoa together.

4. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and caster sugar.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the flour/cocoa mixture.

6. To remove any lumps from the mashed potato put through a ricer or press through a sieve.

7. Stir the mashed potato, macadamia nuts and cranberries into the creamed mixture.

8. Fold in the flour and cocoa into the tin and cook for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Leave in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.