Recipes.2

Shepherd's Pie and Soup for Dinner

We had this the other night and it is one of the cheapest meals! It's pretty easy to make and I add a good twist to it (ricotta cheese). The soup is NOT labor intensive so don't be scared about the blending portion - it literally only takes a second.
Also, I make these kinds of meals (the pie) in glass casserole dishes and save them for the week to heat up as leftovers. It's cheaper per portion to make more at one go.

Enjoy!

(For dinner at 7)

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. ground beef (don't sub. turkey - it changes the whole flavor)
6 brown potatoes
1 clove of garlic
8 oz. ricotta cheese
2 egg whites
3 T butter or margarine
1 t each of oregano, basil, and thyme (or an Italian Mix)
1 t each of salt and white pepper (you don't want the black flecks)

5:00pm - fill a pot with water, roughly chop your potatoes, leaving the skins on, and drop them in. Keep at a low boil until they're soft.
5:30 - drain the potatoes and immediately mash in a bowl, with butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic, egg whites, and ricotta cheese. Set aside (the more they cool the firmer they'll be when you assemble the dish for baking)
5:45 - brown the ground beef in a frying pan (with a little oil) and season halfway through with the oregano, basil, and thyme (don't add this too early or it will burn).
6:00 - assemble the pie: spread an even layer of beef and top it with an even layer of the potatoes. Put it in the oven at 425 for about 45 min.


Onion and Leek Soup

4 cloves of garlic
6 stalks of leek
1 big yellow onion (the white ones are too spicy)
16 oz. chicken stock
1 t. each of salt and white pepper

This is the most flavorful soup ever! And there aren't a ton of ingredients. In case you don't know, leeks are in the onion family... they look like celery with white stalks and dark green leaves up top.

6:00 - after you put the pie in, start the soup. Put the chicken stock on medium heat. Chop the stalks of the leek, putting the tops aside (you can use them for another dish - but be careful because they're bitter). Chop the onion. Chop the garlic. Dump it all in the pot and let it boil until everything is soft.
6:30 - All of the ingredients should have cooked through. Next, dump the whole mixture into a blender and blend it through until it's a puree. Put it back into the pot and let it simmer until it's time to serve.

(If you want to, you can ladle a spoonful of the soup onto the top of the pie in the oven - it will crust nicely)

7:00 - Eat! When we had this meal, I served it with broccoli and bread for the soup.