Shepherd's Pie

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes

Preparation
1. Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from skillet using a slotted spoon; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium.

2. Sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot drippings over medium heat 10 to 11 minutes or until tender. Stir in ground beef, peas, and next 4 ingredients. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and vinegar, breaking up large tomato pieces with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish or pan. Spoon Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes evenly over meat mixture, smoothing with back of spoon.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated, shielding with aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

British cooking@home
by cooking mania

Cider-House Lamb Stew

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups stew)

Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds boned leg of lamb
4 cups apple cider, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (3 x 1-inch) lemon rind strips
3 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 1/2 pounds potato, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
1 1/4 cups (1-inch-thick) sliced carrot
1 1/2 cups (1-inch) pieces green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper

Preparation
Trim fat from lamb, and cut lamb into 2-inch cubes. Combine lamb and 3 cups cider in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

Drain lamb, discarding marinade. Pat lamb dry with paper towels. Place flour in a large zip-top plastic bag. Place half of the lamb in bag, and seal bag, shaking to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add lamb mixture, and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan. Add the remaining lamb to bag, and seal bag, shaking to coat. Repeat the procedure with 1 tablespoon oil and lamb.

Heat pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Return lamb to pan; add 1 cup cider, broth, and next 6 ingredients (broth through cinnamon). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until lamb is tender. Add potato and carrot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in bell peppers; cook 5 minutes or until bell peppers are crisp-tender. Discard rind strips, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick.

Nutritional Information
Calories:416 (23% from fat)
Fat:10.5g (sat 3g,mono 3.6g,poly 2.5g)
Protein:33.6g
Carbohydrate:46.1g
Fiber:4.2g
Cholesterol:91mg
Iron:5.4mg
Sodium:476mg
Calcium:44mg

British cooking@home
by cooking mania

Introduction

British cuisine has a bad reputation in the international culinary world. Many call it bland, simple, and boring leaving no choice but to splash many dishes with the popular bottled brown sauce. Although this can be true in many cases, the simplicity that accompanies many foods can also classify them as comforting. Root vegetables, seafood, beef, liver, sausages, cheese, and bread play are large role throughout native British cuisine.

Part of the reason getting such a bad reputation is due to historical reasons in the last two centuries. The industrial revolution and both World Wars tore away classic cuisines and replaced them with the food that was at hand due to rationing. Fish and chips, probably one of the most widely known British dishes around the world is quite simple. Battered and fried fish and potatoes served with malt vinegar on the side.

Here you can learn how to cook British food at home by yourself from many popular British recipes. Let's do it and enjoy the great foods now!

British cooking@home
by cooking mania