November recipes including a pudding!

 Cottage Pie

A Cottage pie uses beef, a Shepherds pie uses lamb but any meat or quorn or *left over meat can be used.

 (serves 4 people depending on appetite!)

 Ingredients

500g fresh mince beef

 1 large onion

4 carrots cut in cubes

 Tomatoes or tin tomatoes for flavour

Tomato puree

Garlic if desired

seasoning

For the topping

1 – 2 kilo potatoes

A little milk

Butter

Seasoning

Method

  • Melt butter/ or heat sunflower oil in a saucepan and cook the meat to brown it for a few minutes.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. (you can leave this to the end of the cooking time if you wish).
  • Add the onions/garlic & carrots and stir together.
  • Add 300ml of water and stir in a teaspoon of yeast extract.
  • Bring this to the boil, put the lid on and cook this for 20 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the topping.

  • Peel the potatoes, chop and put in salted water, bring this to the boil.
  • Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes, put the lid back on and leave to steam dry until cool. ( Do not let the potatoes be too soft)
  • Mash the potatoes with 50g butter and a little milk. Keep the mixture firm. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put meat in oven proof dish.

  • Spread mash potato on top about 2.5 cm thick.
  • Use a fork to rough up the potato.
  • Dot the top with a little butter.

(You can freeze the cottage pie at this stage. You can divide it up in smaller portions)

Cook for 40 minutes at 180c.until golden brown on top.

  • *If using left over meat or quorn:
  •  cook the onion/garlic/ carrots first mix with 300ml of water and a teaspoon of yeast extract and cook  about  10 – 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the cooked meat with a tablespoon of flour.
  • Continue as above with the topping.

2 BREAD PUDDING RECIPES USING STALE BREAD

INGREDIENTS

8ozs stale bread cut into slices

8 fl. Oz milk

2oz melted butter

3ozs brown sugar but can use white

2 level teasp. Mixed spice

1 egg

6ozs mixed fruit

Grated rind of ½ orange, if liked

Grated nutmeg

METHOD

 Break bread into large bowl and cover with milk.   Leave for at least ½ hour to soak.

Add all other ingredients and mix well

Put mixture into 2-21/2 pint baking dish.

Cook on gas 4/180C for about 1-1/2 hours.

 Can be served hot with custard but I think it’s delicious served cold.

THIS NEXT BREAD PUDDING IS GREAT EATEN COLD AND IS REALLY GOOD FOR THOSE LONG WALKS IN THE HILLS!!!

¾ loaf

6oz shredded suet

6ozs raisins

4oz brown sugar

2 teasp. Mixed spice

1 egg

Little milk

 Soak bread in water for ½ hour.   Squeeze out and drain.

Add other ingredients and cook in greased tin as above.