Shepherd's Pie

Can you believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am still without my oven?  The long awaited igniter arrived last Friday and it was the wrong one!  I'm beginning to think that holidays, ovens and I, do not mix.  

Last Christmas, as a houseful of family and friends milled around nibbling on appetizers, I happened to mention to Ian that the turkey seemed to be taking too long to cook.

You already know that my husband is a self-proclaimed McGyver.  What you don't know is that his brother is not far behind.  No sooner had the words slipped out of my mouth than those two were in the kitchen, poking and prodding at my aging oven, trying to determine the cause.

Was the temperature gauge malfunctioning?  Was the door gasket not sealing properly?  How about this lever - what does this do?  And, with that, my brother-in-law locked down the oven door with the self-cleaning lever, trapping my turkey inside as the temperature skyrocketed up to 600+ degrees.

As you can imagine, pandemonium then ensued - the three of us panicking as we tried every which way to unlock the oven - to no avail.  Finally the Einstein of the group wrestled the oven away from the wall and unplugged it.  It took the better part of an hour to cool down enough for the self-cleaning lock to release and - Voila!  Problem solved.  The turkey was done, albeit a little extra crispy.

The temperatures were supposed to cool this past weekend, so I'd bought everything necessary to make my husband's favorite traditional dish, shepherd's Pie.  The plan was to light the season's first fire and settle in for a movie with one of the oldest comfort foods known to man.  

Oven or not, I decided to forge ahead and make this Shepherd's Pie.  A barbecue should suffice, right?  We shall see...

As I previously mentioned, Ian is from Scotland, and anyone who knows a Scotsman well knows that they are set in their ways.  God forbid he walks by the kitchen and sees me chopping celery, mushrooms or garlic for the Shepherd's Pie.

"Meat, carrots and peas - nothing else is in Shepherd's Pie!" he'll declare, then later, as he's scarfing it down, he'll grudgingly admit, "It's pretty good."

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb, but a 50/50 blend of turkey and beef works just as well.

 Adding tomato paste, Worcestershire and beef base give it a rich, depth of flavor.

 So into the barbecue this Shepherd's Pie went, and who knew?  It worked perfectly.

Shepherd's Pie is a hearty dish that pairs well with a rich, dark Zinfandel, in this case, Tobin James Silver Reserve.  Its robust, full bodied fruity notes compliment a meaty dish perfectly.

 

 Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey or pork
1 onion or 3 shallots
2 carrots
2 celery

1 C mushrooms
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 C peas
Sage infused olive oil
1 T Rosemary
1 TSage
1 T Thyme
2 T flour
3/4 C Red wine
1/4 C Sherry
1/4 C Beef broth
2 T Tomato paste
1 T Beef base
2 T Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

 

Over medium high heat, brown meat in sage infused oil, breaking into small pieces.  Drain fat.  Add chopped onions, carrots, celery, mushroom and garlic.  Saute until starting to soften.  Sprinkle with flour and cook several minutes.  De glaze with red wine and sherry and cook until mostly evaporated.  Add tomato paste, Worcestershire, herbs and beef base.  Stir until combined.  Add peas last.  Cook until nice and thick.

Pour into casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes, spreading potatoes to edges of casserole to seal in the meat mixture.  Sprinkle top with cheese and paprika if desired.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot and edges are bubbling.  Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Mashed Potatoes

 

Ingredients

3 potatoes
3 T butter
1/2 C grated Guyere cheese
1/2 C Greek Yogurt
Rosemary sprig
Scallions
Milk
Salt and Pepper

Directions

 

Cut peeled potatoes into 1" cubes.  Place in a pot of salted water with a sprig of rosemary and bring to a gentle boil.  Boil until potatoes are fork tender.  Remove rosemary sprig and drain potatoes.  Return to pot, adding butter and cheese.  Mash with Greek yogurt and milk to achieve desired consistency.  Add scallions and salt and pepper to taste.

Ian's Baby Back Ribs

Ah, baby back ribs.  While they don't come in a casserole or crock pot, I consider them to be a comfort food.  When you strike the perfect balance between savory and sweet, they are soul soothing - to me anyway...

And, I could use a hug right about now.

As I write this post, I'm adrift with melancholy.  It was difficult to put on a smile and say goodbye to my sister, Lesley, this past week, knowing she is headed back to the opposite end of the country and I'm not sure when I will see her again.

Michael and Lesley

 
Though we didn't have the luxury of sharing our childhoods (we only found each other in 2000), we've developed an undeniably deep connection.  I miss her already.

I know my husband feels the same, but in stoic male fashion, he's not showing it.  He and my brother-in-law Mike, have that same connection.  Put those two together and it's a guaranteed comedy hour.  

Ian and Michael

I can just imagine how wonderful life would be if we ever wound up in the same state, let alone, neighborhood.  But, for now, all we can do is cherish the times we are able to spend together.

Michael, Lesley, Cindy and Ian

I'd assured Mike and Les that it was going to be hot as usual here in sunny Socal, so they left Connecticut during the season's first snow flurries dreaming of sunshine and armed with an arsenal of shorts and sundresses.

No sooner did they arrive than we had our first rainstorm in over six months, complete with thunder and lighting.  Our temperatures may have dipped into the 60s?  And, as our fur kids were running for cover, my sister was wondering what she'd done to deserve such a cruel twist of fate.

We did make the best of it though. 

Wouldn't you know it, they day they flew home another Indian summer began, and we are right back up into the 90s!  I'm beginning to feel like global warming is hitting our corner of the earth extra hard.

To cheer each other up in the absence of our loved ones, Ian and I decided a patio party for two was in order, and what better patio fare, than baby back ribs?

We buy them by the case when they go on sale, cryo-packed in three rack bundles that keep extraordinarily well in the freezer for months.

Ian's recipe is pretty straightforward, but he guards it with his life.  He's probably going to pitch a fit that I posted his secret to amazing ribs, but the truth is, they're just too good not to share.

The ingredients are simple: 

 You've gotta love the silicone basting brush.  Easy to use, easy to clean.

Once the ribs are on the barbecue, there is no need for basting.  The turbinado sugar melts into a crispy coating that seals in all the spices and flavor.

 

When the meat begins to shrink back from the bone, you know they are getting close to being done.

Resting the ribs (or any meat for that matter) for at least 15 minutes is an integral part of keeping them moist and succulent.

Ian's Baby Back Ribs

3 racks pork baby back ribs, silver skin removed
1/2 C honey mustard
4 T Chef Merito's Fajita Seasoning
3 T crushed garlic
1 T chipotle chili powder
3 T turbinado brown sugar

Directions

Mix first four ingredients well and brush on both sides of ribs.  Sear over gas or coal fire on medium high, 5 - 7 minutes per side.  

Sprinkle both sides of ribs with turbinado sugar and move to center of barbecue.  Turn off center burners but leave side burners on low and let ribs bake two + hours until meat is shrinking from the bone.  Remove from heat and let rest at least 15 minutes.

Baked Garlic Shrimp Bowl

 The Essence of Italy in a Bowl!

 

 

Years ago I lived in Newport Beach, California where we would frequent a restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway called Jack Shrimp.  They served pretty much one thing, bowls of shrimp in a spicy broth with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.  It was an addicting combination.  

Though Jack Shrimp closed over a decade ago, I often still find myself craving their shrimp bowls and decided to create my own version of their delicious specialty - Italian style.

 

 

 

There is something about the classic yet simplistic combination of olive oil, garlic, lemon, white wine and parsley that is timelessly Italian.  Add some fresh heirloom tomatoes (I always keep heirloom cherry tomatoes on hand), spicy red pepper flakes and a pat of butter and the subsequent silky broth is absolutely mouth watering.

 

 

Soudough bread is my favorite.  I simply sliced the bread, spritzed the slices with coconut oil spray, gave each a twist of fresh ground black pepper and toasted them on a sheet pan while the shrimp were cooking.

The crisp bread serves as a spoon to scoop up the shrimp mixture.  Don't worry, there will be plenty of broth left for dipping.

Baked Garlic Shrimp Bowl

2 lbs peel deveined shrimp cut into 1" chunks
Juice of one lemon
3 T garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1/4 C chicken broth
1 T butter
1 T red pepper flakes
2 t salt
1/4 C fresh chopped tomatoes
1/4 white wine

Preheat over to 375.  Combine all ingredients in an oven proof skillet.  Bake 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy with a crusty loaf of sourdough and a buttery Chardonnay.

Irish Coffee - Inspired by the Buena Vista Cafe, Russian Hill, San Francisco

Though we are currently suffering through a Southern California Indian Summer, with temps topping 100 degrees today, there's evidence in the air that autumn is looming.  

The way the morning sun angles through the Cottonwood leaves as they rustle in the dry, Santa Ana wind, makes me want to cozy up to a warm Irish coffee on this lazy Sunday morning and imagine the cold days ahead...

 A dark Italian roast is my favorite, sweetened with Turbinado sugar and topped with freshly whipped vanilla cream.

 

A Splash of Jameson adds a kick of indulgence.  It IS the weekend, after all.

Yet another scorcher cant stop me from lighting a fall candle and dreaming of the change of seasons.

Irish Coffee 

6 cups dark roast coffee

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

4 T Brown Sugar 

Jameson Whiskey

While coffee is brewing, whip cream with two tablespoons brown sugar and two teaspoons vanilla extract. 

Place one tablespoon brown sugar in the bottom of each cup.  Fill halfway with coffee and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add a generous splash of Jameson and more coffee, making sure to leave room for whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!