Once again I have been in my Grandma’s ear, asking her for another of my favourite recipes; this time her beef pasties. Another classic Australian recipe, I’m sure many families enjoyed these at the peak of their popularity and even continue to do so now (despite pastry-wrapped meat having fallen from favour due to the rise of the nutritionally-savvy public). These are very basic, tasty pasties that will go down well at any picnic or anytime you’re asked to bring a plate. Best served hot with tomato sauce, this is simple fare for casual dining.
Tag Archives: beef
Cottage Pie
Winter is fast approaching here in Melbourne. As the temperature drops, the clouds darken and the kitchen becomes a welcome place of comfort and warmth. What better way to feed such desires than a cottage pie? I’ve been making this for many years and have yet to receive any complaints. It’s easy to increase the quantity and freeze the spare pie for rainy day!
From my understanding, Cottage Pie, similar in origins to Shepherds Pie, was first made to use up ingredients left over from the weeks roast. Cottage Pie uses beef, rather than lamb. It’s also called a pie, but there is no pastry involved in this version. The top is a lovely crust of mashed potatoes.
This recipe is inspired by Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros. What I love most about the cookbook is the recipes are categorised not by ingredient but rather by colour. As with any recipe I have taken some liberties with the ingredients! This is one of two recipes I use depending on what I have in the house (the other recipe uses stock, instead of tomatoes.). I intend on posting the other recipe eventually.
Using the quantities below this comfortably feeds 4 to 6 people. It can also be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge overnight.
Stephanie Alexander’s Middle Eastern Meatballs
With a pack of mince meat in the fridge and a new cookbook in hand, I decided to try out this recipe from Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion. We had all the ingredients to hand, excepting the coriander, but a tube of coriander paste in my fridge was a good substitute. For dinner, this was served with greek yoghurt and a green salad, but it would also be great served with a couscous salad.
