The recipe for Curried Shepherd's Pie...

This is the recipe for Wednesday, but I'm making it tonight.  It is actually from Woman's Day Magazine, Dec 1, 2009.  I have made the following changes to it:  I use 2 pouches of Idahoan Baby Reds.  I will used Tikka Masala sauce from Aldi of all places.  I would use my own curry sauce recipe instead if I have time to make it.  We do not as a general rule eat sweet potatoes in our house.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

1 bag (24 oz) Ore-Ida frozen Steam n' Mash cut sweet potatoes
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
16 oz bag mixed vegetables
15 oz jar jalfrezi or other curry cooking sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 c. water
2 T. each butter and sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground ginger
Heat broiler.  Microwave the sweet potatoes as directed.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ground beef and onion; cook, breaking up the meat, 5 minutes or until browned.  Stir in the vegetables, curry sauce and tomatoes with the juice.  Simmer, covered, 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Mash the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients until smooth.  Drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture., spreading to cover most of the top. Broil 3-5 minutes until top is lightly browned.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 6.

Beef Barley Soup and Beyond

Beef Barley Soup...and beyond

So I made Beef Barley Soup for dinner last night.  I almost forgot to take a picture of it. (I was so silly, I ate my whole bowl of soup before I remembered!  Fortunately, I could still pour another bowl...I was hungry enough for seconds.)  We had the soup with our favorite potato rolls from Aldi...so yummy.

I usually make the recipe on the back of the Goya brand barley that we use.  It is perfect.  This time, though I made broth from the bones from our standing rib roast from Sunday and the meat for the soup came from the bones I used.  Essentially making this a free meal when it comes down to it.  I had saved my vegetable trimmings from Thanksgiving and New Years and frozen them.  I used half for the beef stock and I'll use the other half for the Chicken stock I'll make on Monday.  When I make my soup stock I just quarter an extra onion and peel the carrot I'll use for the soup itself and throw the peelings in too. (My Mormor would be so proud of me 💖)

I looked on the Goya website and couldn't locate the recipe that has been there forever.  So here is a variation of the Goya Recipe:

Beef & Vegetable Barley Soup
1 T. olive oil
1 lb boneless chuck, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t. dried oregano
4 t. beef bouillon granules
4 c. water
1 bay leaf
15 oz can veggies, undrained or 1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies + 1 c. tomato        juice or tomato sauce
1/2 c. barley
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the beef.  Stir in the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onions are tender.  Stir in the seasonings and water.  Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer one hour.  Add the veggies and barley.  Cook over medium heat 30 minutes.  Serves 4.

Dinner Monday is Chicken Soup...I'll post the recipe tonight!