Monday, July 23, 2012

Compromise in the Kitchen

It’s Sunday afternoon and frankly I am tired of eating out and I am tired of eating grilled chicken and fish in support of this yucky diet!!  With my oldest daughter off in the Navy and my youngest away visiting her dad for the summer, it’s just me and Chris at home.  Been pretty wonderful but I’ll have to let you in on a little secret… THIS MAN’S EATING HABITS ARE PLUCKING EVERY LAST ONE OF MY NERVES!!! He is not Muslim, nor is he of Islamic faith… so why the heck does he not eat beef or pork?


Well I grew up on steak and potatoes, collard greens, ham-hocks, neck bones… alright, alright getting back on message.  I know that this isn’t the healthiest way to eat, but can we get some variety in this house puh-lease.  As I have grown older, I began to eat healthier and I am more conscious of what goes into my body and I yes I know that red meat and pork should be eaten in moderation… Yeah, moderation… but since I have been with Chris, it’s been zero, nada, non!!  #StrongExhaleOfBreathEyesRolling… Compromise.  That’s what it is all about.  Love my babes and respect his eating habits + I am on the road to healthy living = I don’t know why I am complaining because this benefits our relationship and our journey towards longer life.

I have wanted to try this traditional English dish called “Shepherd’s Pie”.  Never had it before, but I have heard from so many people that it’s delicious and I wanted to try it out… Dilemma…The main ingredient is ground beef!!!  I had to get creative with this one.  Figure out some substitutes that would allow me and my babes to eat good tonight, without putting him into anaphylactic shock  from his imaginary allergies to beef!!  Y’all wish me luck, because if you know me, Cherlyn McIntee, you know that I don’t play around in the kitchen and, ummm, if I can make it through cooking this dish without setting off the fire alarm and killing Chris in the process, I have done a great job.  If you want to try my modified Shepherd’s Pie recipe, I have posted it below.  Our adopted little sister and neighbor, Candice will be over in a little while to be the guinea pig for this one!!  This meal pairs wonderfully with a Guinness Extra Stout Beer.

Ms. Me’s Shepherd Pie Recipe for the Non-Beef Eater

Ingredients
 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
 1 onion chopped

 2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas

4 large Russet potatoes

¾ cup shredded 6 Cheese Italian blend cheese

1 tbl. spoon minced garlic

 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

¼ cup chicken broth

¼ cup Guinness Extra Stout beer

 1 tbl. spoon Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. thyme

1 tbl spoon corn starch

 Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

 Preparation

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground turkey and sauté until no longer pink.  Add salt, pepper,  ½ tsp. thyme and tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Add ¼ a cup of chicken broth and ¼ a cup of Guinness Beer.  Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more chicken broth (or Guinness) as necessary to keep moist.  Add corn starch to thicken broth.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter and garlic, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

 Yield: Serves 6


Enjoy!!  If you try this recipe, make sure to come back and post a comment letting us know how it turned out.


Love always,

Ms. Me ‘aka’ Cherlyn

2 comments:

  1. This meal was definitely filling and GOOD! Getting over the texture of potatoes and ground turkey was the hardest part, but the with the love and right touch of spice added to this recipe, I'd overall give it an A+.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Candice. I admit, I was a little skeptical about the potatoes and ground turkey competing textures, however in the case of this dish, I think the grainy and soft worked well together and made for a well rounded dish. The seasonings, especially the Guinness beer made the dish hearty and very tasty!!

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