The pea shoots have survived a day in their beds without being decimated by the slugs or birds and I am keeping an eye on the weather for-cast for late frosts! We’ve gone back to trying to empty the freezer and use up things from the fridge. This morning I grabbed a pack of frozen lamb mince. Another of those bargains in the reduced fridge £1 for a pound. Good value but only if we eat it.
So what have we got to go with it? A few carrots, the last few spoon fulls of frozen peas, lots of potatoes, a mozzarella and some mushrooms. There seems to be only one choice – shepherds pie of course.
You need:
2 or 3 table spoons or a glug of olive oil
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
454 grams (or a pound) of lamb mince
50 ml of red wine – optional
2 teaspoons tomato puree
4 small or 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
a few table spoons of peas
a few mushrooms, peeled and chopped
salt & pepper
2 good quality beef stock cubes
4/5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped up for boiling
Cooking it:
Put the olive oil in a medium saucepan and heat on medium
Add the onion & garlic and fry gently for a few minutes.
Turn up the heat and stir in the mince.
Stir regularly and turn down a bit if catching until browned.
Add the tomato puree, red wine and veg.
Stir in the stock and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Add a wine glass of water stir and allow it to gently bubble away. It may need a bit more water so keep an eye on it.
Now bring the potatoes to boil in a pan of salted water poking a couple of potatoes with a Sharp knife every 5 minutes until the knife goes through them easily.
Put the lamb mixture in the bottom of an oven proof bowl.
Mash the potato with a knob of butter if you have it and add a little pepper.
Spread the mash over the top.
Cut the motzerela into slices and arrange over the spud mash.
Alternatives
Healthy options -
Use a mixed carrot and swede mash.
Add other veg to the mince
other ideas:
Put slices of tomarto on top as well as the cheese.
Use a bit of hard chedder, grated and sprinkled over the top
a couple of spring oniond chopped and mixed with the mash
