Shepard's Pie

Extra Nutritious Shepard's Pie

So as the rain continues to pelt down and the howling wind continues to bellow, its time for another great winter recipe to warm the entire family for the long winters evening. The simple Shepard's Pie has always been one of my favourite dinners, its warming and filling and is the perfect all in one dish. For this version I have added extra vegetables to make it extra nutritious and I've also gone with a Sweet Potato topping to increase the goodness while also adding a great flavour.


Serves 6


*4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
*1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
*1/2 Courgette (peeled and finely chopped)
*1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
*2 Celery Sticks (finely chopped)
*1 Large Carrot (peeled and grated)
*500g Lamb Mince
*100ml White Wine
*1 Can of Chopped Tomatoes
*300ml of Strong Lamb Stock
*1tsp Dried Oregano 
*2 Bay Leaves
*2tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
*800g Sweet Potatoes (peeled and chopped)
*150ml Cream
*25g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
*Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper


1. Saute the Onion, Corgette, Red Pepper, Celery and Carrot in the Oil over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes until soft. Season well with Salt and Pepper as soon as added to the Oil.

2. Add the Lamb Mince, season and brown all over. Add the Wine and cook for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the Can of Tomatoes, Stock, Oregano and Bay Leaves and bring to the boil. Put on the lid and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour.

3. Remove the Bay Leaves, turn up the heat and reduce, stirring constantly until it becomes thick.

4. Meanwhile, cook the Sweet Potatoes in well seasoned boiling water until tender all the way through. Drain and season well. Add the cream and mash well until smooth.

5. Put the mince mixture into a baking dish and top with the Sweet Potato mash. Even it out with a fork and sprinkle over the Parmesan. Top with a good grinding of Pepper and bake in a pre-heated 180 degree (C) oven for 30 minutes. 

Variations:

This is another great base recipe to which you can add almost anything. Extra veg are the obvious choice but also some streaky bacon added before the mince will really add a great depth. Although Shepard's Pie is traditionally Lamb, the meat could be swapped out for almost any minced meat and a mixture of two or three would work brilliantly. Obviously standard mashed Potatoes could be used on top if anyone dislikes Sweet Potatoes and Cheddar could replace Parmesan if preferred.

Sausage and Herb Pasta

Sausage and Herb Pasta

At this time of the year, with the rain pelting down, wind howling and fires blazing, there's nothing better than a warm, comforting dinner to cheer you up. The weather has been creeping steadily downward in this part of the world for the past few weeks and it now seems inevitable that we are back to our usual October....damp and miserable.

It is at this stage of the year that I can't help but crave Stews, Shepard's Pie and other belly warming delights to perk up the spirits and provide the necessary sustenance to face the pouring rain. This is a simple yet very comforting recipe. The herbs give it a punchy flavour that for me sits perfectly in Winter time while the tomatoes are a throwback to the summer just past. This could be made "Irishy" by serving on a bed of mashed Potatoes but I'll stick to its Italian roots, served with Tagliatelle.

Serves 4

*3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
*1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
*1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
*3 Smoked Rashers (chopped)
*8 Skinless Sausages (chopped)
*1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
*1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
*1 tbsp Tomato Puree
*2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes
*1 and 1/2 tsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
*2 tsp Sugar
*100ml Cream
*Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
*Chilli Flakes

To Serve:
*500g Tagliatelle (cooked al dente)
*Freshly Grated Parmesan

1. Saute the Onion and Garlic in the Oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Add the Rashers and Sausages with the dried herbs and cook for 5 minutes to lightly colour. Season well with Salt and Pepper.

2. Add the Tomato Puree and a good pinch of Chilli Flakes and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the cans of Chopped Tomatoes, 1tsp of Fresh Rosemary and the Sugar. Turn down the heat, put the lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the Cream and remaining 1/2 tsp of Rosemary and stir in. Simmer for a further 10 minutes with no lid, check the seasoning and add more Salt/Pepper if necessary. Serve with some Tagliatelle and a nice sprinkling of Parmesan on top.

Variations

This dish would work as a great base to add a ton of veggies to. You could easily add some finely chopped Carrot, Celery, Courgette, Chillies, Peppers and even fresh Tomatoes to give it a serious nutrient hit. The herbs could be swapped out for whatever you like, Sage would work very well. It could also be done with almost any meat or fish, the options are endless!

Simple Supper 1

 Spaghetti with Squid and Tomato Sauce



 

 

Passata in the pan

Sometimes simple really is better. At its heart, Italian food is among the simplest on the planet and there are some amazing dishes that can be put together in minutes. This recipe is perfect for when you have little time but still want a delicious, home cooked meal. I prefer to make the Tomato Sauce in bulk and keep it in the fridge instead of making a little at a time.

 

Squid

I always had trouble making a tasty Tomato Sauce until I read Paolo Tullio's technique, adding the Oil and Garlic right at the end gives it a great flavour kick. I normally add some torn Basil at the end too but I didn't want the Basil flavour in this dish. Enjoy!



Tomato Sauce

 

Serves 2

For Tomato Sauce:

*500g Tomato Passata

*1 Garlic Clove (minced)

*4 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

*Sea Salt and Pepper



Squid, Frying

For the dish:

*1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

*125g Squid (thinly sliced)

*6 tbsp Tomato Sauce

*250g Dried Spaghetti

*Sea Salt, Pepper and Chilli Flakes

*Freshly Grated Parmesan (to serve)



Squid in Tomato Sauce

1. Make the Tomato Sauce by heating the Passata over medium heat and let reduce by half. Add Salt, Pepper, Oil and Garlic and stir well to combine.

2. Cook the Spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.

3. Meanwhile, fry the Squid in the Oil with some Salt, Pepper and Chilli Flakes for approximately two minutes until just cooked. Add the Tomato Sauce (6tbsp) and stir well before adding the cooked Spaghetti and about 5tbsp of the pasta cooking water.

4. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and a drizzle of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.

Ragu

Ragu

(Meat Sauce)

Ragu with homemade Pasta

As a boy, my first introduction to Italian food was probably through the infamous "Spaghetti Bolognese." The long strands of pasta covered in a rich tomato sauce with beef mince and usually a few mushrooms (although, my mam would always remove them from mine!) always got me very excited and remains one of my favourite dishes today. It still imparts that warm, comforting feeling, especially when served with some Garlic Bread and a nice sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese.

As I began to start cooking, it was with great surprise that I learned that "Spaghetti Bolognese" does not exist in Italy and is more of a British/American adaption of an Italian classic. I began to look for more traditional Italian recipes and it was then that I realised that we have it all wrong. In this part of the world the Ragu is a tomato sauce containing meat, it should be a meat sauce containing tomato. The pasta should not be Spaghetti, the long strands cannot hold onto a meat sauce properly, try Tagliatelle or even Pappardelle instead, it holds together much better. Penne could also be substituted instead as the tubes are great for holding the meat!

Having made this dish more than any other, I've tried numerous recipes and techniques and this is the recipe I've come up with to take the best of them all and give a delicious, rich Ragu. The use of the two different meats is extremely common in Italy and really enhances the flavour while the addition of cream right at the end brings out the richness of this wonderful sauce. Enjoy!

Serves 4

*4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ragu topped with Parmesan

*1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

*1 Carrot (finely chopped)

*1 Stick Celery (finely chopped)

*5 Streaky Rashers (chopped)

*350g Pork Mince

*350g Stewing Beef

*180ml Red Wine

*600g Ripe Tomatoes (crushed)

*2 Bay Leaves

*125ml Cream

*Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

To Serve:

*550g Tagliatelle/Pappardelle (cooked al dente)

*3 Ciabatta Rolls (cut into chunks)

*Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)

Ragu alla Bolognese in Bologna

1. Saute the Onion, Carrot and Celery in the Oil over medium heat for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the Rashers and brown before adding the rest of the meat. Season well with Salt and Pepper and brown well, stirring all the time.

2. Add the Red Wine and allow to evaporate before adding the Tomatoes. Stir well and season. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the Tomatoes begin to break down.

3. Add the Bay Leaves and stir well. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the Cream and stir, remove the Bay Leaves. Add the Pasta to the saucepan and return to the heat for 1 minute stirring constantly.

4. Serve with plenty of Grated Parmesan sprinkled on top and with plenty of good Ciabatta to mop up the sauce.

Variations

This works as a great base recipe to add plenty of your own ideas to. It's not very traditional but I love to add some chopped sweet peppers with the veg at the start and sometimes a red chilli can give it some real depth. The addition of a teaspoon or two of worcestershire sauce can also add alot and lets not forget the Irish favourite....mushrooms! You can also swap out the tomatoes for about 500g of tomato passata if you prefer a smother sauce and dont be afraid to add a bit of torn Basil if you have it lying around. There's so much you can do with a Ragu, go wild!