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Normal nursery food has made a comeback in our family lately.

I haven’t worried making shepherd’s pie ( or cottage pie, as it is also known ) for ages, as the youngsters just used to eat the potato from the top and leave the mince.

If I use the same minced meat to make meatballs or burgers the children devour it, but they don’t like picking out all of the small bits of veggies that I hopefully put into it, when I make the shepherd’s pie, in the expectation of smuggling some veg into their diet. Anyhow my child basically requested shepherd’s pie yesterday, so yesterday I made it and they gobbled it up, plants and all, several servings each, so I’ve gained another dish for the regular list.

Recipe for Shepherd’s Pie – to feed four:

500g/1lb good quality minced beef or lamb (hamburger beef)

1 onion (finely chop)

2 carrots (finely chop)

1 stick of celery (finely chop)

1 clove garlic (finely chop)

2 large fresh tomatoes or half a tin of tomatoes (skinned and chopped)

2 tablespoons olive oil

a dash of wine

a few drops Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

water or stock

potatoes peeled (the amount of potatoes depends on how much you may need)

small piece of butter – about 20g/1oz and milk to mash with

In a low heat sauté the onion in an olive oil until translucent, then add the celery, carrots and garlic. Continue sautéing for five minutes. Turn the heat up and add the meat. Cook the meat until it has just lost its redness. Then add the wine and stir. Add the tomatoes and put the rest of the seasonings together with enough water or stock to cover the meat.  Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 1-2 hours.

Bring the potatoes into a boil until it is cooked and soft. Drain and mash the potatoes, add butter, milk and salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven 200 degrees C or 400 degrees F.

In a dish put the cooked meat and top it with the mashed potatoes. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the top in golden brown.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Dry sherry

4 green (Spring) onions, chopped

1 Piece of root ginger, shredded

500g (1 pound) boned chicken, cut into 1 inch strips

2 Celery sticks, sliced

125g (4oz) button mushrooms, quartered

1 Green pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced

2 tablespoons Light soy sauce

Shredded rind of 2 lemons

A few lemon slices to garnish

2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

In a bowl combine the sherry, spring onions and ginger, then toss the chicken in it until well coated. Leave for 15 minutes to marinate.

Preheat the oil in a frying pan, stir fry the celery, mushrooms and green pepper for one minute. Add the chicken and marinate sauce, cook for 3 more minutes. While it is still cooking add the soy sauce and the lemon rind. Serve it with lemon slices. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutritional information, per serving

294 Calories; 6g Fat (20.0% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 144mg Cholesterol; 346mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.

Ingredients:

1 pkg frozen green beans — (16 ounce) 500g

1 pkt chicken broth — dry crystals

1 bunch scallion

2 lg garlic bulb

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp splenda

1 tbsp peanut butter — creamy

1/8 tsp sesame oil — chinese

Directions:

In a microwave safe casserole dish combine the green beans and broth granules. Then cover and microwave it on high for 4 minutes. While waiting, slice your scallions into rings and mince the garlic. For the sauce combine in another bowl the ginger, soy sauce and the Splenda, and then add the scallions and the garlic. After 4 minutes remove the green beans from the microwave and pour the sauce and stir. Cover it again and microwave high for 4 minutes.  Stir in the peanut butter and sesame oil. Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

Nutritional information, per serving (excluding unknown items):

52 Calories; 2g Fat (29.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 143mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Recipe 1

1 ½ cups of different types of vegetable shortenings

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons flavors (colorless)

2 pounds of confectioner’s sugar

¼ to ½ cup of water or milk (water is a good choice, but milk goes well with lavender color)

In a mixing bowl combine the shortenings, the flavors and the salt. Then add the powdered sugar. When it is well mixed, add the water slowly and gently mix the ingredients until it is well blended. After 2-3 minutes the mixture will be creamy in texture.

Notes:

a) When mixing ingredients try to introduce the same amount as listed, adding some variations may affect the outcome of the recipe.

b) In making a thin icing you can add three to four tablespoons of corn syrup.

c) For a chocolate butter cream, just add ¾ cups of cocoa powder or an ounce of chocolate squares that is mixed with one to two tablespoons of milk.

Recipe 2

½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup of soft butter (you can add margarine also)

4 cups of confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons water (milk)

½ teaspoon almond, for flavor

A dash of salt

In a mixing bowl add the shortening, butter and almond and mix. Then add the confectioner’s sugar and mix it gently by hand. Add the remaining ingredients and mix it quickly for six to seven minutes or until you reached the desired consistency. If the icing is thin just add powdered sugar gradually and if the icing is thick add milk or water in the mixture.

For a chocolate butter cream just add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder.

Recipe 3

Butter cream icing, which has a snow-white appearance as well as a yummy taste, is the best choice for frosting a cake. This so-called “snow white butter cream” is mostly used for decorating wedding cakes or any flat-surfaced cake and for making nail flowers. Remember to dry the flowers uncovered for at least a day. Flowers like apple blossoms or drop flowers are ready for use after four to five hours of air drying.

The good thing about snow-white butter cream is that it does not need refrigeration to become consistent and boasts a delicious taste as well. Here’s a recipe for this delicious icing:

2/3 cup of water

4 tablespoons of meringue powder

12 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 ¼ cups vegetable shortening

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon almond (for flavor)

½ teaspoon vanilla (for flavor)

¼ teaspoon butter (for flavor)

In a bowl combine the water and the meringue powder and mix it fast. Then gradually add the confectioner’s sugar (add it 4 cups at a time). Then add the remaining ingredients together and mix it gently.