Deeper 'n' Ever Pie

And here it is. In all it's cheesy glory the Deeper'n'Ever pie. This definitely cured any unvittled eye shrink one might have had. Due to the size and depth and the fact that I made it earlier in the day I first warmed the pie in a preheated 350º oven for about 1 hour. I tested it with a metal chopstick to make sure it was heated all the way through. Once that was accomplished I placed a generous amount of grated old cheddar cheese on top. Waited until the cheese had bubbled then removed the dish from the oven and served straight away. The Deeper'n'Ever pie was tasty and saw Dibbuns and non-Dibbuns go for seconds and thirds. This is an easy recipe because essentially it is just layers of mashed vegetables. Also if you bake it straight away. However if you choose to do it the way I did by making it in the morning and baking it later it may be a bit of a process. I can assure you that all the effort is worth it! My son was very pleased with the effort and a full round table discussion regarding Brian Jacques Redwall was plenty.        

The top crisped up and the cheese bubbly with nestle layers of potato, carrot and turnip. 

Piping hot and disappearing fast!

Hope you all have a great weekend! - JW 

The REDWALL Cookbook

This is my son's cookbook. And I could not be more pleased when he asked for a cookbook for Christmas. However I sense an ulterior culinary motive here and he has succeeded.  He knows I  like to review all cookbooks regardless if it is based on a book or a movie, outdated or old, tongue and cheek, new or vintage. My cookbook collection is extensive and he happily has added one of his along the sidelines.  

All recipes are based on the Brian Jacques Redwall series. Something that my son reads religiously. This cookbook is fun and enjoyable for any Dibbuns at heart. Even if you have not read the Redwall series you can still get a sense of the characters and storyline. Culinary and literary tales combine amongst the recipes which are divided into the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. 

Tonight I am serving Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie. Which recipe was handpicked by my son. I will serve this with English bangers and a spinach salad. Another day I will make the Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread.  

Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie

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1 pound (3medium) potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound (4 medium) carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 pound turnips or rutabaga, peeled and chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1 cup (2 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese or any hard cheese

Crisp green salad, for serving  (optional)

Pickled beets, for serving (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Place the carrots and turnips or rutabaga in another saucepan, cover with water and add a pinch of salt. Boil all the vegetables until soft, 10 - 15 minutes.

2. Drain the vegetables separately, then return them to their pans and add half the butter to each pan. Mash the vegetables until they are smooth and season with salt and pepper. 

3. In a deep casserole dish, spread the alternating layers of mashed vegetables, starting with the carrot mixture and finishing with a layer of potato. Roughen the top with a fork.

4. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake on the top shelf until the cheese is bubbling, about 15 minutes. 

5. Serve with a crisp green salad and pickled beets if desired.

Here was my effort in the kitchen this morning. Although I did have a bit of help. My husband decided to peel and chop the potatoes and turnip before dashing off to work.    

This was the best kitchen workout. Peel, chop, boil, cook, and mash. 

 First a layer of the carrot mixture goes on the bottom of the dish.

 Then a layer of potato. Keep alternating until you finish with a layer of potato on top.

   

Finished. The grated cheddar cheese still needs to be placed on top however since I am baking this later I will add it then. Will post a picture tomorrow in all it's melted cheesy glory. - JW

Irish Oatmeal Cookies

Every week I try... or more to the point I make a sweet treat for the kidlets. Whether it be cookies, brownies, banana bread or cupcakes. I try to create and covet the holy grail of all baked goods. Offering them homemade indulgence. Ultimately, I hope that all my baking and cooking efforts inspire them to create for themselves inside the kitchen. Sharing their culinary delights with pure enjoyment. Nothing is more rewarding when it is done by yourself. Kitchen flattery will get one to sample works in progress, witness the failures, and of course to be the prime taste tester. Whether it be hot out of the oven or fresh from the pan. The taste tester is where it is at. And I had four of them last night while I made these oatmeal cookies.

I bought a box of McCann's Irish oats and on the back of the box was a recipe for Irish Oatmeal cookies. The recipe looked good however I thought that the butter content was a bit much. How could I reduce that. I felt a substitution was in order. One part butter and one part applesauce. I omitted the nuts and raisins because I did not have any on hand. And instead I added coconut.     

With the few substitutions they turned out fine. They offered a more cake like texture then a biscuit one. Still the taste testers approved.  

Irish Oatmeal Cookies

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1 1/4 cup softened butter or margarine

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla extract. 

3. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture. Mix well. 

4. Stir in McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal, raisins and walnuts.

5. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter on a ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 350º. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire cooling rack. 

Makes approx. 36 cookies

Notes: I added 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup organic applesauce instead of adding the 1 1/4 cup of butter the recipe called for. Also I omitted the raisins and nuts and added about a 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. Baking times may vary... I baked my version of this recipe for only 12 minutes. 

    

Copper Wok

To ease my love of all things copper my husband found this wonderfully priced wok for me. And I am certainly grateful. Seeing how our other wok was showing a considerable amount of wear and tear. I was a bit apprehensive regarding the stainless steel interior however after many uses food sticking is not a problem. Cleaning is a breeze. The most important thing is heat. The heat is even and is retained very well when using this wok. This is my third copper piece of kitchenware and I am very please. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW 

Beef Cider Stew

As promised I will share the recipe for the Beef Cider Stew from the Apples, Apples, Apples cookbook. This recipe was fairly easy and after some simple prep work and the cooking time was tweaked. This is a hearty dinner for a St. Patrick's Day however beef cider stew is good anytime.

Beef Cider Stew  

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Serves 6 

2 lb (1 kg) stewing beef

3 tablespoons (45 ml) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper

1/4 cup (50 ml) vegetable oil

2 sliced onions

2 cups (500 ml) sweet cider, I used Magners, or apple juice

1/2 cup (125 ml) beef broth or water

2 tablespoons (25 ml) cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) thyme 

4 small potatoes

4 medium carrots 

1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced celery

1. Cut stewing meat into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. I added a bit of paprika to the flour mixture. Add meat and shake to coat. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large stewing pot over medium heat and brown meat on all sides, in two batches. Add sliced onions and sauté for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain off excess fat.

2. Return meat to Dutch oven and add cider or apple juice, beef broth or water, vinegar, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour or until meat is nearly tender. 

3. Peel potatoes and carrots. Quarter potatoes and carrots. Add vegetables to stew and simmer covered for 30 minutes or until vegetables and meat are tender.

Notes: I decided to pre-cube the meat and chop the vegetables before starting. I also added a bit more stock, I used vegetable stock, because I had chopped a more vegetables than stated in the recipe. I added a small tin of no salt stewed tomatoes. So that it would make an adequate gravy also because of the extra veggies I added. I also added a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce. I had purchased better cuts of beef therefore the cooking time was not as long as stated in the recipe. 

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Serving up a slice of Guinness bread and a bowl of Beef Cider Stew with a pint of Guinness at our house for St.Patrick's Day. I already posted the recipe for the bread. The recipe for the stew I will post later. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Irish Heritage Cookbook

This cookbook is only 96 pages and offers recipes that are contributed and inspired by a long list of the author's family members in Ireland. There are plenty recipes to choose from and the nine chapters bring a taste of the emerald isle into your home. This cookbook may be small however it gives a no fuss, straightforward, here are the recipes approach; which makes finding a recipe very efficient. 

If you do celebrate or if you do not celebrate St. Patrick's Day this bread recipe will add something a little different to your breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Mercedes' Guinness Bread (an adaption of the popular beer bread)

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2 packages od dry yeast

1/2 cup of warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 bottle of Guinness stout (6.3 oz)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 teaspoons salt 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unsifted white flour

1 teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375º

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of sugar; set aside for 5 minutes.

Heat stout, honey and margarine until warm. Add stout mix to the dissolved yeast and stir into 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, ginger and caraway seeds to make a soft dough.

Shape into a ball. Knead on a floured board until smooth, about 3 minutes. Form into a round loaf and with floured knife make a cross through centre of the bread. Place in a greased 8 inch round cake tin. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and brush with butter. Cool on rack.