It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

EstherH

This is how I make shepherds pie

Pack of mince
onions
chopped carrots
splash of worcester sauce
tablespoon tomato ketchup
3 oxo cubes
little water.

Dry-Fry mince onions and carrots
add worcester sauce, tomato ketchup and oxo cubes, salt and pepper and water.
Leave to simmer, stirring regularly for about 15mins.

Top with mashed potato or mix of normal and sweet mash

Grill to brown.

This always gets well received.

Have quickly skimmed through yesterdays and todays posts, there was loads. Hugs to those who need them.

Fruball

Mixing a tablespoon of flour into the mince before you fry it off prevents the liquid all coming out so it actually fries rather than boils in its own liquid - same if you mix in a tbsp or two of porridge oats - I always do this now as I hated cooking mince that was all liquidy... and we only buy the lean stuff too

Fruball

Annie56 - You amaze me! Love it that you took the accounts Brilliant
Re this floozie..... she will get whats coming and so will he in time

northwest1965

I always add a tin of baked beans to my cottage pie, I find it thickens it and also adds some sweetness

Hippeechiq

greent wrote: »

Hippiechiq, have you tried Delia's shepherd's pie recipe? (It's a leek topped one, but I odn't do the leek top) I do a cottage pie recipe of it (don't like minced lamb) and top it with mashed sweet potato and then a layer of normal mash. Oh and I add a huge spoonful of marmite to the meat mixture (disgusting stuff!! but it really makes the sauce rich)

No, I haven't actually. I've seen it though because I remember thinking the leek on the top would be nice, but then what you've suggested sounds nice too. I'll have another look at it - thanks

mardatha wrote: »

HippyC, just buy one. Or ask for one for your C. Is worth it in the end as they're fantastic.

I could ask for one from Father C'mas but the other problem I have, is that I'm all open plan downstairs - no doors at all separating the kitchen/lounge/dining room. So whatever I cook, lingers well after it's been cooked, even with windows open. I've seen people on here mention putting a stew on before they go to bed, and get up in the morning to the lovely smell of their cooked stew......I wouldn't like that, as it would mean my whole downstairs would smell of tea at breakfast time.........or have I misread/misunderstood how they work?

lambanana wrote: »

What is this "recipe" of which you speak? I just brown mince first then fry up chopped onions, garlic and whatever other veg may be lying around (last night was courgettes, peppers and mushrooms) then put the mince back in with that and add a tin or two or three (depending on how much mince) of chopped tomatoes, some tomato puree, a bit of red wine if I have leftovers (which isn't often!!), maybe a stock cube, some herbs, salt and pepper and hope for the best!! His lordship is always pleased with it and then from that mince I'll take a portion and add chilli powder and kidney beans to make a chilli, layer some into lasagne and have the third portion as spag bol (assuming it's a lot of mince, last night was a massive 770g pack of lovely, lean mince, hardly any fat or liquid came off when I browned it...lovely!)

That sounds lovely lambanana but I can't cook without an exact recipe to follow

I'm not a natural at cooking, I can cook something, and cook it well, but I don't have that flair, that laid backness (is that a word? lol) that many of you on here seem to have, where you try a bit of this and a handful of that. I no doubt miss out a lot because of it, and could definitely make more of my food if I could - but I can't, simple as

ETA Frugal, Maltesers and EstherH Thank you so much for the recipes I put my post up before reading your posts

mardatha

My god I hear you sister re cooking ! LOL the very WORD makes my heartbeat speed up ! I cover my crockpot with a folded up towel, that keeps the smell in.

Hippeechiq

mardatha wrote: »

My god I hear you sister re cooking ! LOL the very WORD makes my heartbeat speed up !

:rotfl: Thank you Sister

mardatha wrote: »

I cover my crockpot with a folded up towel, that keeps the smell in.

Ah, well then, in may be worth considering writing to Father C'mas in that case

Next question - what size and make if I do?

maltesers wrote: »

The way I was taught to make shepherds pie was to brown the mince without adding extra fat or oil (and always a good amount of fat, not water, would come out.

Add about 1 tbsp flour and stir into mince mix until the fat is absorbed.

I always dry fry my mince till brown, remove from pan and drain on kitchen roll, and squash all the fat out by blotting it with kitchen roll.

I pour away the fat left behind in the pan (I hate the smell of it) and put a tbs oil back into the pan to fry the onion, which I also remove from the pan and drain on kitchen roll.

I then return both to the cleaned frying pan and start to add tomatoes etc.,

Is this where I'm going wrong? by discarding the fat?

Incidentally, my Mum always used to boil her mince in plain water, leave over night for the fat to float to the top of the saucepan _pale_ and then lift it off in the morning (it was a solid circle of fat by then) and for the first few years of married life, I used to do the same. Not quite sure when or why I stopped.

mardatha

See I like fat. I hate dry food.

ceridwen

ANNIE

Hmmm....:cool:so the Secretary has pulled the old "How can I be sure to keep him?" stunt has she....pah!!!! I can understand why you feel it might not even be his...but he wants to think it is..so he does....One born every minute....:cool: (him in this case....)

Glad you saw what I meant by "bartering" - ie doing trade-offs in this situation...I wasnt sure how to put it....:)

Hmmm...so I guess your "price" for "hurrying the divorce through" is a few concessions on his part? Actually - I think the secretary has done you a few favours there in her anxiety to "put the chains on him" as fast as possible...You've got more "negotiating leverage" than you would have if she hadnt done that IYSWIM.....

Cynical...moi??? Errr...

Take care

penelopedee_2

I prefer my mince with its fat too. I dry fry the mince and throw the onions in once its brown and let it all fry together. Unless it is really cheap fatty mince, I don't normally drain any of it off. Don't know what my arteries are like but it doesn't taste quite right really dry.