My Sunday Best - Recipes

Sheppard’s Pie: Cook Time: 20 Minutes: Ready In: 50 Minutes

Ingredients:

·         4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
·         1 tablespoon butter
·         1 tablespoon finely chopped onion\1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
·         Salt and pepper to taste
·         5 Carrots , chopped
·         1 tablespoons vegetable oil
·         1 Onion Chopped
·         1 Pound lean ground beef
·         2 table spoons all purpose flour
·         1 table spoon ketchup
·         ¾ cups beef broth
·         ¼ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.       Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.  Drain and mash.  Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and ¼ cup shredded cheese.  Then season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. 

2.      

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

3.        

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add onion and cook until clear.  Add ground beef and cook until well browned.  Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 mintue.  Add ketchup and beef broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.      

Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish.  Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots.  Tops with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. 

5.       Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Just Desserts: Chocolate Emergency Microwave Cake! (Easy and Delicious) 

               

      Ingredients
1 large coffee mug
4 tablespoons plain flour (do not use self-rising)
4  tablespoons sugar
2  tablespoons baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1  egg
3  tablespoons milk
3  tablespoons oil
3  tablespoons chocolate chips  (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Chocolate syrup (optional)
Whipped topping (optional)
Cherries (optional) 

       Directions

       Add dry ingredients to mug, & mix well .

       Add egg & mix thoroughly.

         Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add chocolate chips (if using), vanilla, mix again. Set mug in the microwave & cook for 2½ to 3  min at 1,000 watts. Cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be  alarmed!
Some report that 2½ minutes works best. It depends upon your microwave. So, watch carefully to not over do it! Remove from microwave. Allow cake to cool a little, then tip out onto a plate, if desired. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with whipped topping and cherries, if desired!
This can serve  2 if you care to share!                                                  

A Random Pearl of Wisdom..brought to you by my day planner of quotes

"I've learned that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances."
Martha Washington

These are feel good shoes!

A Lazy Week...

It’s been a quiet week in Kerri’s Kitchen. I had every intention of making a shepherd’s pie on Sunday but I got lazy and settled for the Superbowl, popcorn and diet coke.  The rest of the week followed suit as I found my evenings to be occupied with drinks with friends, unsuccessful first dates, and haircuts.  I spent last night deep cleaning my kitchen so it is now ready for a weekend cooking showdown.  Stay tuned for a Sunday Shepherd’s Pie and Coffee Mug Cake.



Wish List Item #1:The Kitchen Must Have.



For all of my blog readers out there I’ve complied a wish list of some kitchen must have’s.  If any of these beauties are gracing your basement and need a new home, please let me know.  

Bon Appetit,

 Kerri

Wish List Item #2: For all my stew and soup needs



Wish List Item #3: It doesn't hurt to dream! I love the retro colour.

So how do I cream the butter...?

 This might just be a question right out of Baking for Dummies,

When I received the recipe from my Mom this afternoon I was very excited. However I didn't quite know what cream the butter meant.  Luckily the Martha in my office offered me some excellent instruction.  Martha Katie's instructions: take a hand mixer and make it fluffy like whipped cream. Easy Peasy. With that I was all set to bake some tarts.  The family recipe is as follows:

Ready to Bake!

Ingredients:
* 12 to 14 (4 inch) prepared tart shells
* 1 egg
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup of butter
1 TEASPOON OF VANILLA
* 1 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees
2. cream the butter and brown sugar then add the egg and vanilla and pinch of salt. mix that up and
Fill tart shells half full. tarts will have the rainsins on the bottom
PUT THEM ON A COOKIE SHEET IN CASE THEY SPILL OVER ON YOUR OVEN.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow tarts to stand for a few minutes in the pans before removing to racks to cool

 The recipe was easy to follow, it came together nicely.  I enjoyed creaming the butter. I felt like a true Martha Stewart Domestic Goddess my wooden spoon in hand. The butter tart filling wasn't challenging, scary or difficult, it was very simple. 

Do I look like a cheerleader doing this?

When it was time to fill the tart shells, I thought I had over filled them. The shells were very small and it was hard to judge the half way point.  Luckily once they started to boil in the oven I could see that they were just right. 


I baked them for about 16 minutes. Next time I will bake for about 18 minutes as they were not quite as crisp as I would have liked.  

When I tasted them I was thrilled!   They were just like Mom's and Nanny's.  Success!!

Degree of Difficulty 6
Execution 5.5
Almost Perfect!!!

Tarts with filling about to go into the oven. 

 

 

I can't wait to bake these again. My apartment smelt amazing all night. Enjoy, admire and then come over for a tart! Bon Appetit - Kerri

Baking Butter Tarts

It's Thursday February 3 and I'm feeling sentimental.

 Spending time with my family this past weekend inspired me to try a treasured family recipe. My Maternal Grandmothers wonderful butter tarts.  An easy favorite!

I was thinking about Nanny today(my Maternal Grandmother) and remembered how important baking and entertaining was to her. It wasn't just a domestic chore it was her passion.  Her baking came from her heart. As I learn to master her recipes I feel as though a part of her is living on through me. 

Baking is a special art.  It's a story, a tradition, a form of love and learning that is passed down through the ages. It's a memory that is treasured through egg, flour, butter and brown sugar. Baking these family recipes reminds that both of my amazing Grandmothers are cheering me on from heaven. 

Three generations - Love Love Love

A Random Pearl of Wisdom..brought to you by my day planner of quotes

"Remember Ginger Rogers did everything that everything that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels. "  Faith Whittlesey

Flashy and Fabulous Dancing Shoes.. to show Fred Astire who's boss!

Sweet Orange Chicken - Part Two

Monday, Monday, Monday.. it least my kitchen was happy to see me,

So as I unpacked my groceries my kitchen greeted me with a sense of optimism and hope.  After 28 years my kitchen is now home to flour and brown sugar.  I felt very proud that I finally have these two staples in my cupboards.

The recipe was pretty easy to follow but a little finicky. My electric skillet was little small for stir frying and wok purposes.  I had to improvise when combining the sauce vegetables and chicken and put them into a pot on the stove.

Improvised Stir Fry

One Handy Skillet

Sizzle Sizzle

The chicken and the sauce was very tasty. Not my favorite but it wasn't to bad.    I did however have some issues with the Uncle Ben's instant rice.  That was a "Kerri" moment.  So what's the trick to cooking Uncle Ben's in the microwave? I missed the memo on that one. 

Rice or Rice Soup?

Here's my next question to the experts: When cooking with raw chicken and washing the dish in the sink how do ensure that the water is hot enough to kill the bacteria?

Degree of Difficulty 4
Execution 3 (I'm not counting the rice)

Bon Appetit, till next time :)
Kerri