Fat Tony's Cottage (Shepherds pie with an Italian twist)

So my brother in law and I wanted to cook something this time.  We were stumped on what we wanted to make but then it hit us, shepherd's pie.  So I googled a typical shepherd's pie recipe and then we made it our own by changing it up a bit.  The major change didn't happen until we were in Publix, specifically at the meat locker when we chose to go with ground Italian sausage rather than ground beef.  We had already got Parmesan cheese for the mashed potatoes.  If you look back at one of the first posts there is a Parmesan garlic mashed potato recipe that we used in this recipe too.  For our first rodeo with shepherd's pie, this turned out really nice.  The hardest part was thinking of the name, "Fat Tony's Cottage."  

Ingredients:

1lb ground Italian sausage

1lb red potatoes

1 cup Parmesan cheese (fresh shredded)

1 cup white cheddar cheese (fresh shredded)

1/4 cup fresh chopped thyme

1/4 cup fresh chopped oregano

1/2 chopped Vidalia onion

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

4 cloves fresh chopped garlic

3/4 stick of real salted butter

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 egg yolk
About 2 tablespoons of flour

Let's get started.

First you'll need to quarter your potatoes and get them boiling in a pot.

While the potatoes are cooking chop the onion, garlic, and herbs.

Once you have your herbs, onion and garlic chopped start heating a deep frying pan with 1/4 stick of butter.

Spread the butter all around and then add the onions, herbs and garlic.

Cook these until the onions have sweat (they should be translucent). Stir often.

Now add the peas and stir until the peas are cooked (about 3 minutes).

Preheat your oven to 400

Now add the sausage.  Break it apart into smaller pieces.

Add the Worcestershire sauce. 

Mix this with the rest of the pan and cook until browned thoroughly.
Add flour and mix well to thicken

Add pepper as you like.

Potatoes should be ready to strain about halfway through the cooking of the meat layer. 

Strain the potatoes and return to pot.  

Add the Parmesan, heavy cream, and the rest of the butter (1/2 stick).

Mash the potatoes well.

Now add the egg yolk and mix that thoroughly. (very important ingredient as it is a binder for the potatoes).

Now get a square baking dish about 3 inches deep (typical Pyrex square dish).

Spread out the meat mix first, evenly across the dish.

Next spread out the mashed potatoes.

Top with one cup of fresh shredded white cheddar.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Taste:  The sausage really sets it off along with the Parmesan and oregano flavoring really give it a nice cross culinary profile.  A hearty delicious meal with elegance and explosion of flavor.

The Memphis Asian (Memphis style BBQ sandwich in egg roll form)

This one all started one night when my brother in law and I were playing Monopoly and we got hungry.  I had left over smoked pork butt in the fridge and egg roll wrappers too (I was going to try to sub egg roll wrappers for seaweed in making sushi, but was able to find the seaweed).  Glad that worked out.  So I said "dude let's make some smoked pork egg rolls!"  He said "hell yeah I'm down!"  That night we made a very simple one, meat and egg roll with a mustard sauce dipper.  While eating it I said, "you know what would make this a million times better?  Memphis style coleslaw."  Two weeks later, the Memphis Asian was born. For your ingredients you will need:

All you see here:  1 Bag of dry coleslaw, egg roll wrappers, your favorite mustard based bbq sauce and some left over smoked pork butt.

I only used about half of the bag of slaw and about a pound of pork.  It should make about 16 rolls depending on how heavy you stuff.  I kinda eye balled the sauce, but it was in the 1/2 cup ball park.

Next, gather your ingredients in the bowl:

Toss that beautiful mess:

Now start wrapping.   Once you are ready to wrap get a shallow pan of oil hot.  If you have a deep fryer that would probably work better.

Here is the step by step wrapping.  Wrapping directions are also provided on the egg roll wrapper package.

Step one:

Step two:

Step three:

Step four:

Now it's fry time.  Make sure you've got good hot oil.  Since all the ingredients are cooked the frying takes less then three minutes (about a minute and a half on each side).  Unless you are deep frying which then it's till they are golden.

And now.... The Memphis Asian!

Two words, FRICKIN DILISIOUS!

Smoked Chicken Salad

I did this one with one of the kids I work with.  Last night I got my new smoker and smoked 2 whole chickens.  Instead of tacos, as planned for our Monday cook at therapy, we made chicken salad.  Turned out great.

You will need the above ingredients:

2 breast smoked chicken
1/2 cup celery finely chopped
1 cup mayo
1/2 tablespoon of your favorite bbq dry rub

Directions, simple.

Measure all your ingredients, place them in a large enough bowl to hold them all, and mix well with a fork or spoon.

Put it on some bread for a sandwich or just eat as is.

Enjoy friends.

Coming up... Smoked chicken salad.

Soon to come... smoked chicken salad.  So delicious.

Ham 15 Bean Soup

Ham 15 Bean Soup

Just Jeremy here with a recipe I'd like to share.  This is a nostalgic piece for me, as it is one treasured from my childhood.  Growing up I called this "Ham Fart Bean Soup" (for the obvious reason).  I even remember angering the bus driver the day after with the after effects of this delicious dish while sitting in one of the front bus seats.  Anywho, back to the story.  We had ham for Christmas this year and I was like, "holy crap! We have so much ham leftover!"  So I remembered ham fart bean soup and gave mom a call.  I put my own spin on it of course with the fancy pantsness of fresh herbs and garlic.  Beware if you venture into this dish.  Take the Beano if you need to.

You will need:

-         Ham bone and 2lbs of leftover Christmas ham chopped (more if you want more).

-         2 bags of 15 bean dry mix

-         1 cup of fresh oregano finely chopped

-         1 cup of fresh basil finely chopped

-         5 fresh cloves of garlic finely chopped

-         ¼ cup of Lawry’s season salt

First you will need place the dry mix in a 6 quart stock pot with 2 quarts of water and soak the beans overnight.

The next day, rinse the beans and return them to the pot.

Add the ham bone, chopped ham, herbs, garlic, and season salt and cover the entire contents in the pot with water.

Place on the stove on low heat, covered, stirring occasionally for at least 4 hours.

Serve and enjoy.

Taste analysis:

Deeeeeeeeeeeelicious!

Shrimp Po Boy with Hand Cut Steak Fries

Lance and Jeremy are back in the kitchen together.  We began tonight's adventure as we always do with a trip to Publix, where shopping is a pleasure.  We got our essentials, and returned to Lance's place to prepare this amazing dish.  It's been over 6 months since the two of us got together in the kitchen, but it was well worth the wait.  We learned tonight that both of us have grown tremendously as cooks.  Lance has exquisite knife skills and tastes everything as he prepares.  It was like poetry.  I would say it almost flowed like a professional kitchen.  So tonight's menu was shrimp po boy with hand cut steak fries.  Here it is folks.  Enjoy.

Shrimp Po Boy and Hand Cut Steak Fries

You will need:

- About 6 large potatoes

- 2 lemons

- 4 cloves of fresh garlic

- 1 shallot

- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

- ¾ cup mayonnaise

- 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce

- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard

- 1 head of romaine lettuce

- 2 large tomatoes

- 1lb fresh shrimp (we used local never frozen)

- 1 stick of butter

- Vegetable oil

- Fresh baked hoagie rolls

Sandwich Prep

- Slice the two tomatoes and then slice those slices in half (half moon style)

- Wash the lettuce and prepare about 4 leafs

- Slice your hoagies sub sandwich style, like they do after they ask you what bread you want at subway

- Make some delicious Remoulade

Remoulade (Do this before you start cooking)

- Chop that shallot really fine and put it in a bowl

- Finely chop that fresh parsley and scoop 2 tablespoons into the same bowl

- Add ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper to that bowl
- Add ¾ cup mayonnaise to that bowl
- Add 2 tablespoons Plain mustard to the bowl
- Add 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the bowl
- Add juice of ½ lemon to the bowl

- Mix it all up

- Put it in the fridge

Shrimp, Scampi style (We recommend starting the shrimp after the first batch of fries are done)

- Begin by deveining and shelling your shrimp. 

- Get a large skillet.  In that skillet begin melting one stick of salted butter on medium high heat. 

- While your butter is melting, finely chop 4 cloves of fresh garlic. 

- Now add the garlic to the butter. 

- Slice in half one of the lemons and squeeze the juice into the skillet.

- Add the shrimp to the skillet

- Cook on each side for about 4 minutes

Steak Fries (We recommend making fries about 10 minutes before you start cooking the shrimp)

- Then slice your potatoes long ways. 

- Then, divide those long halves in to 4 long pieces. 

- As you slice your potatoes put them in a large bowl of cold water. Doing this will prevent browning.

- Now, get a medium sauce pot going with vegetable oil about half way full.  Turn that on medium heat. 

- Put about 6-8 fries in the pot at each time for about 8 minutes.  Cook longer for crispness desired.

- Place the fries on a plate lined with paper towels and season with garlic salt, or whatever you like.

Sandwich Assembly

We started with a generous portion of remoulade on the hoagie.  Follow that with a leaf of romaine.  Next, add the shrimp.  Following the shrimp add the tomatoes.  If you loved the sauce as much as we did, then add some more sauce on top of the shrimp.  Enjoy it.  We sure did. 

Savory Cheddar Garlic Cornbread

This is a little something I made for the office last week.  It was goooooooooood.  Try it folks.  Simple, savory, delicious and great with chili.

Savory Cheddar Garlic Cornbread

You will need:

- 2 eggs

- 1 cup of all purpose flour (gluten free sub with gluten free Bisquick)

- 1 cup of cornmeal

- 1 stick of salted butter

- 1 cup buttermilk

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- cup shredded cheddar cheese

- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic

- ½ can of cream corn

- cooking spray

MMMMM Cornbread

- Begin by preheating your oven to 375

- Now finely chop your garlic cloves

- Next, melt the stick of butter in the microwave in a mixing bowl

- Now beat the two eggs in with the butter

- Add the rest of the contents and whisk well (order doesn’t really matter) Just whist until there are no clumps

- Now grease a loaf pan or muffin pan, whichever you like

- Pour in your batter, and bake for 30-40 minutes

- Check your dish at the 30 minute mark with a butter knife into the center.  If it comes out clean, it is ready.

Enjoy.