South of the Border Shepherd's Pie (Mexican Shepherd's Pie)

Gather your ingredients

Rough dice on a mix of peppers

Rough dice jarred Jalapenos

Store brand medium salsa worked

Rough dice Red Onion

Shredded Carrots and Black Beans

I used this but you can make your own

Shredded three Roasted Chickens

Shred Cheddar for the top

Jalapeno rings for garnish

Sprinkle Bacon Crumbles on the top

Ready to bake

Baked and ready to eat!!!

Enjoy!

So where I work we usually have left over rotisserie chickens and are looking for ways to use them.  That and this week we had some extra mashed potatoes.  I was thinking of what we could do with them and thought why not make a "Mexican Shepherd's Pie" or South of the Border Shepherd's Pie.  Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with Mutton (lamb), beef, or sometimes pork... it usually topped with mashed potatoes and sometimes has vegetables mixed into the meat mixture.  It is made from Ireland to Australia and worldwide and is thought to be the origination of a way to use left overs???

So this really works well into what we needed where I work.  We have leftovers and serve mainly comfort foods.  I for one do not like leftovers but have a love for comfort foods that are loaded with tons of flavor.  This dish that I am sharing with you, I think you shall find loaded with flavor and you can add as much or as little heat as you wish!  I also prepared this the day before I cooked it and it can be prepared ahead and frozen if so desired.  It will take additional baking time when frozen, times given in this recipe reflect a refrigerated pie... enjoy...

South of the Border Shepherd's Pie 

(Mexican Shepherd's Pie)

Filling

2-3 Roasted Chickens (cooled and de-boned, shredded)
2 cups Red Onion (diced)
1 cup Bell Pepper (Small dice, medley - red. yellow, green)
1 cup Carrot (shredded or small dice)
1/2 cup Black Beans (prepared)
1/2 cup Jarred Jalapenos (diced) 1-2 packets of Taco Seasoning (as hot as you want it)
+/- 1/2 cup Salsa (as hot as you want it!)
10 cups of Mashed Potatoes (prepared)  You can use your favorite mashed potato recipe!

Topping

2 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1 cup Bacon Crumbles
1/4 cup Jarred Jalapeno Rings for garnish (whole)

Preparation:

1. Shred your chicken and remove all bones, would hate to be choked on a small bone!
2. Dice and prepare your vegetables.
3. Mix Chicken and Vegetables, mixing in seasonings and salsa.  You want it to be just wet but not to dry.  If it is too wet, it will not set up after baking.
4. Cover with a smooth layer of Mashed Potatoes about and 1" thick.
5. Apply toppings in this order - Cheese, Bacon, Jalapeno Rings
6. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 12-15 Minutes, loosely covered.
7. Take out of oven and remove cover, return to oven for another 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes to ensure the cheese has not burned.
8. Remove from oven when cheese is melted to desired done-ness.
9. Tent to hold heat and let it rest for 20-30 minutes to set up.
10. Serve in squares and enjoy!!!

Menu for Food Prep II Practical

Menu for Food Prep II Practical

December 7, 2011

Harrison J. Graden Sr.

Lemony Chicken

Steamed Green Beans

Whipped Potatoes

Recipe that I used as a base for my Chicken:

Chicken Piccata

(Borrowed from Domestic Goddess Blogspot)

Serves 4

4 chicken breast, tenderized (if you don’t have your meat mallet yet, go get one NOW!)

¼ cup of white flour

½ tsp of salt

Spices of your choice (I used a pinch of coriander, cumin, turmeric and chilli powder)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

½ cup dry sherry (use dry white wine and a ½ a Tbsp of sugar if you don’t have any)

2 lemons (one for juicing and one for garnish)

Zest of ¼ lemon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp of capers

1 tsp of whole grain mustard (optional)

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

If you don’t have a meat mallet/tenderizer bash you chicken breasts flat some other way – rolling pin, clean hammer, my cousin used her hand blender end once and said it worked, but let it be the last time... got get one! Mix up the flour, salt and spices. Heat half the oil in a large pan to medium high heat. Dredge your chicken breasts through the flour and fry them until browning on each side (2min per side max). Add the extra oil as you need it. Set aside the chicken.

If there is any burned flour in your pan, wash it out, if not add the butter to the same pan and once it has mealted add the onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes until they turn glassy. Then add the stock, wine, lemon juice from one lemon, the zest, capers, mustard, and sugar. Allow this to simmer and reduce by about a 1/3. Then add the chicken breasts and the parsley to the sauce and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

If making this ahead of time. Leave the chicken and sauce separate until ready for use. Then heat the sauce, add the chicken and parsley, and simmer until the chicken is heated through.

Add lemon slices and extra capers as garnish. 

http://domesticgoddesses-sa.blogspot.com/2011/03/lemony-chicken.html

My results:

High B or Low A, depending on how he weights the grades with the whole class.  Chef said my sauce was near perfect and well balanced, while I felt it was too tart. Since I do not drink anymore, I felt the alcohol was not completely cooked out. When I split my chicken breast, I misjudged my sizes and portions between the two plates were off. Green Beans were cooked perfectly but under seasoned, Potatoes were good as well, just had gotten cold.  I agreed on the Beans and potato assessment. 

Veg Advantage Corn Chowder

This recipe is posted for my buddy Chris! I am taking your challenge seriously and looking into vegan alternatives. I am considering myself "flexitarian", meaning I am not fully vegetarian but allowing myself limited meats at this time.


Corn Chowder
15 ears yellow corn
1 1/4 cups vegan margarine
5 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced thyme
3 1/3 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
7 1/2 lbs. white potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
3/4 cup faux bacon bits (try Bacos brand)
1 1/4 gals. faux chicken broth (try Eco Cuisine or RC Fine Foods brands)
5 cups nondairy creamer or plain-flavored soy milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup minced fresh chives
 Cut the kernels from the ears of corn and set aside.
 In a large pot over medium heat, melt the vegan margarine. Add the onion and thyme and cook about
5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the paprika and cook 1 minute longer, stirring
continuously.
 Add the potatoes, faux bacon bits, faux chicken broth, and reserved corn kernels. Bring to a boil,
then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft but still
firm.
 Smash a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pot, stir, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer
to thicken the chowder.
 Reduce the heat to low. Add the nondairy creamer or soy milk and heat through, but do not boil.
 Season with the salt and pepper.
 Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the chives.
Makes 25 servings
For additional information or assistance, please call 1-800-760-8570 or e-mail Info@vegadvantage.com.

Pot Roast w/Carrots, Potatoes, & Onion

Pot Roast w/Carrots, Potatoes, & Onion

serves 4-6

3-4 Pound Chuck Roast

4 TB Olive Oil

1 1/2 Pounds Baby Carrots

2 1/2 Pound small Red Skin Potatoes

1 Small Onion

2 Stalks Celery

4 tsp Beef Bouillon Powder

Morton Nature's Seasonings: Seasoning Blend

Garlic Powder

Coarse Ground Black Pepper

1 # Amish Style Egg Noodles

Take out the roast, put it on a clean surface such as a cutting board rub in two TB of olive oil on the roast. Get a heavy bottomed stock pot put about 2 TB of olive oil in pan. Season roast with Seasoning Blend, Garlic Powder, and coarse ground Black Pepper to taste. Let seasoned roast rest. Turn heat on to stock pot and prep vegetables. Chop onions, quarter potatoes, chop the celery, and rinse carrots.

When oil is smoking slightly in stock pot, place seasoned roast in pan to sear it and seal in the flavors and juices. Turning ever 4-5 minutes with a pair of tongues being careful to not pierce the meat. Sear all sides including the edges. Spray the crock pot with PAM to assist in cleaning later and turn on high.

Once seared, remove from heat and finish preparing the vegetables. Put in one cup of hot water and 1 1/2 tsp of bouillon into crock pot, stir to dissolve. Place half the vegetables into the crock pot, reserving carrots.

Season vegetables with the seasonings used proir. Place seasoned meat onto the bed of vegetables you just made and then add all the carrots around the seasoned meat. Then add the remaining onion and potatoes. Once again season the vegetables and place 2 tsp of bouillon on top by sprinkling over. Then pour water over to rinse the vegetables, enough water to not quite cover the meat. Leave on high about 40-50 minutes, then place temp on low to finish.

Should take 6-8 hrs total.

You can check periodically or leave on while you are at work, attempt to not pierce the meat other than when using a meat thermometer.

Once you decide it is completed, with Beef it should be 130 degrees F for rare, 140/medium, and 150 for well, remove from crock pot, cover losely with aluminum foil and let rest.

(Meat will continue cooking and temp may rise an additional 10 degrees while resting. This also allows the juices to properly distribute)

Place vegetables into a bowl and keep warm, drizzling with some of the pan juices for flavor and moisture. reserving juices in the crockpot to make the fresh pan gravy, placing crock pot on high. Taste to see if you desire to add more bouillon for additional beef flavor. Season to taste, you want it to be strong, never salty. Bring to a boil. (if it will not boil, place stock into a sauce pan on the stovetop.)

Take a 1/2 cup of warm water and disolve 1 tsp of flour or corn stach. Slowly stir into the beef stock and stir frequently until a full boil is acheived. Reduce heat to a fast simmer, continue to stir frequently until desired consistance is achieved.

Serving suggestion: You may serve the vegetable as is or mash the potatoes.

Steamed Broccoli
Amish style Egg Noodles

To mash the potaotes:

Mashed Redskin Potatoes

Seperate potatoes from carots, onions, & celery.

Mash with a potato masher.

Add enough cream or 1/2 & 1/2 to thin out.

Add 2 TB butter.

Season to taste with Sea Salt & Pepper. (Garlic & Parsley if desired)