Readers, readers, readers! The Amateur Foodie has been neglecting you. And she's upset about it.
Certainly I've not been fasting or anything silly like that (not that it's silly to fast...it's just a bit comical to think of me depriving myself of tasty food for an extended period of time).
I've been cooking and eating, but I've also been writing essays and doing Calculus homework, which makes it a little tough to get online and share with you. The important thing is, I'm back! So, now that I've apologized thoroughly, to the food!
Yesterday was that most hallowed Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day. Some like it for the beer, others for the whiskey...I happen to enjoy it because of the food, not the beverage. I like fish and chips, bangers and mash (tee-hee, I know...we've been through this, readers...control yourselves!), shepherd's pie, and that quintessential Irish staple, corned beef, which I was regrettably deprived of this year.
Now, I was most upset at not being able to enjoy corned beef, but Momma was workin', and Daddy don't like corned beef, so I had to resort to my backup plan (one just as tasty, I assure you).
Ground beef, baby carrots, potatoes, frozen peas, and Coleman's Shepherd's Pie mix. Delicious. Yes, I know, AF made her shepherd's pie with the use of a spice packet!?!? Oh, don't look at me like that, darlings, we all have our vices.
To be frank, Coleman's is the only spice mix that closely matches the flavor of my ab-fab favorite pie (from Shannon's, aforementioned in my blog). And it's so easy to use! Sagey and warm and delicious, it adds just the right amount of flavor to mincemeat (ground beef, to those of us from the opposite side of the pond) and veggies.
The only thing that might throw you off is the metric system measurements on the back of the packet. Resort to the almighty Google if you need to. It'll be worth looking up, because the thing turns out deliciously.
It says to add the veg right toward the end of cooking and bake the whole thing for a half hour. But to me, it seems terribly inefficient to do that. Plus it results in al dente veggies...this is Irish food! We don't want al dente! (So sorry, I'll calm down.) To eliminate said issue, I cook the carrots and peas in the pan after I take the mince out to drain.
To make the whole thing just a tadbit more interesting, you can cook chopped button mushrooms in with the beef. They add a nice sweetness, and they soak up the sauce like little sponges.
I mix the meat back in and put the whole concoction into a casserole dish, top with lots of mashed potatoes and bake for ten minutes at 400-Fahrenheit, plus some time under the broiler (which you'll have to watch so you don't petrify your potatoes...just go until they're golden-brown).
It was a tasty dish to sit down to at eight at night after Mom got home from work, but it just wasn't corned beef.
I'm gonna get my Reuben sandwich soon...very soon. And I hope it's from Shannon's.
Until next time,
~Amateur Foodie
