07/22/14 recipe -Taste USA

Shepherd's Pie

How to make Shepherd's Pie Recipe - Its wonderfully simple name and unpretentious character prompted a young family we know to make this their Christmas Eve meal every year because it provides a plain yet tasty contrast to the rich food served on Christmas Day.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups ground cooked meat
1 cup hot beef broth or leftover beef gravy
1 small onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup half and half or milk
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In a medium-sized bowl, combine meat with broth or gravy and onion. Add salt and pepper.

Turn into a heavy skillet and heat to simmering. Pour into a baking dish. Whip potatoes with half and half or milk, butter, salt and pepper.

Beat until light. Spread whipped potato mixture over meat mixture to cover completely.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 4 servings.

Red Flannel Hash

How to make Red Flannel Hash Recipe - This hash is usually prepared on the day after a New England Boiled Dinner which included cooked beets. It is the beets that give it the "red flannel" name.

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized beets, cooked
1 large potato, cooked
1 pound ground cooked meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 tablespoon whipping cream

Method:
Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Chop beets and potato using a knife, or chop in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarse but not fine. Turn into a medium-sized bowl.

Mix in ground meat, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat half of butter. Add onion.

Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Stir in meat mixture. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat broiler. Lift mixture into greased baking dish.

Melt remaining butter and combine with cream.

Spoon over hash. Broil 3 inches from heat 5 minutes or until hash has a rich brown crust.

May be served with poached eggs on top. Makes 4 servings.

New England Boiled Dinner

How to make New England Boiled Dinner Recipe - The traditional dish for the day following a boiled dinner is one of Red Flannel Hash which utilizes the leftovers from this meal.

Ingredients:
1 (3- to 4-pound) lean beef brisket or corned beef
8 medium-sized onions, peeled
1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges
8 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 white turnips, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 medium-sized potatoes, quartered
8 whole beets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Melted butter (optional)
Freshly grated horseradish (optional)

Method:
Place meat in a deep heavy pot. Add water to cover.

Simmer 3 to 4 hours or until meat is fork-tender.

Add whole onions, cabbage, carrots, turnips and potatoes. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, place beets in a separate pot.

Add water to cover. Simmer until tender. Peel cooked beets. To serve, slice beef and arrange vegetables around it on a large platter. In the classic arrangement, carrots and turnips are at opposite ends.

Cabbage wedges and beets are on opposite sides of platter from potatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour melted butter over vegetables, if desired. Serve with Northern Johnnycake or Corn Bread, Beaten Biscuits, or white rolls. Freshly grated horseradish can be passed at the table.

Apple Pie, completes the menu. Makes 4 servings with enough leftovers for Red Flannel Hash, opposite.

Notes:
For a boiled dinner, a genuine Yankee cook uses brisket, the classic cut for making corned beef. The meat is covered with cold water and simmered gently until almost tender, then the vegetables are added. Strangers to New England are alarmed at the absence of the red color which is characteristic of corned beef. But this beef is not cured with saltpeter which would give that red color. The beets are usually boiled separately as they tend to dye everything red.