Cottage Pie - one of my faves!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

560g/1¼ lb beef mince

400g/14oz can tomatoes

290ml/10fl oz beef stock

1 bay leaf

fresh thyme leaves from 1 sprig

2 tbsp tomato purée

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cloves garlic

75ml Worcestershire sauce

Mash Potato Topping:
750g/1½ lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
75g/2½oz butter

55ml/2fl oz milk

Grated parmesan.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft.

3. Add the minced beef and cook for 3 minutes to brown. Drain any excess grease

4. Add the tomatoes, purée, beef stock, bay leaf, worchestershire sauce and thyme.

5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Season.

6. Make the mash: boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash with the butter and milk. season with salt and pepper.

7. Spoon the meat into an ovenproof dish. Top with the mash and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.

8.Add the cheese and grill for a few minuites until the cheese melts and forms a crust.

ENJOY!!!!

Keftethes - Greek Meatballs Recipe

Greek Meatballs (Keftethes)

Thanks to Joanne for this

4 servings.

Ingredients
4 slices bread, white or wheat or whole grain - or Bread crumbs - they’re easier.If you use bread, trim the crusts.
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 medium onion chopped fine.
1 tbs. crushed mint
salt and pepper to taste
some flour
2 tbs butter. 2 tbs olive oil.


Cooking method
Place in mixing bowl and cover with small amounts of water. For bread crumbs youcan omit this step.
Add meat, egg, onion, mint, salt and pepper.
Shape into two inch patties.
Coat the patties well with the flour.
Fry the patties in the mixture of oil and butter.f. Brown on each side then drain.
You can make these ahead of time and freeze them thenwhen you are ready to serve
efrost and reheat them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

These are absolutely fantastic with potato salad or coleslaw. They’re also great cold and on picnics. You can also use these with a tomato sauce and serve meatballs and spaghetti. A little twist on the traditional. Enjoy!

Vitello Tonnato (Tuna Veal)

This is a traditional Italian dish that I can never seem to find out of Europe. I think it is because Veal is hard to come by in the USA.

Ingredients
2 kg of veal in one piece- i find that the fillet would be the best but choose a tender cut
1,5 l of white wine
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 celery sticks
2 carrots
1-2 leaves of thyme
Salt and Pepper





TUNA SAUCE:
1 7-oz. can imported tuna, packed in olive oil
5 flat anchovy filets
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp. capers, soaked and rinsed
1 1⁄4 cups mayonnaise


Method

Tidy up the veal and remove any fat.
Fill a pot with wine and water, enough to cover the meat
Add the onion, chopped up, the carrots, grates, the garlic, the celery and the thyme.
Bring to the boil, then add the veal, season and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hrs.
Take off the fire.
Let the veal cool in the pot and broth for about 2-3hrs

While the meat is cooling, drain tuna and put into a food processor with anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, and capers.
Process until it becomes a creamy, beige-colored sauce.
Fold sauce gently, but thoroughly, into mayonnaise.
Keep the sauce in the fridge until ready to serve.
When the meat has cooled down, cut in very very thin slices - as thin as possible - this is the key.
Arrange on a serving dish and cover with the sauce. Add some capers on top for decoration