My special warm and fuzzy place filled with comfort that I like to indulge in and hide from reality!
I have a full life at present, I'm helping my future daughter-in-love and her wedding planner to plan her beautiful wedding in a couple of months! We were enlightened to hear that beside all the venues, gorgeous islands and her home town , they have chosen to have their wedding in our little city right at the sea's edge...
the rest is still top secret and I'm truly blessed to be a part of it besides playing the role of Mother of the Groom!
Before their big day, our youngest is celebrating his 21st at our home as well so we have really moved here in a delight some year!
It's really a freezing coastal winter that we are experiencing, waking up to frost on our lawns, the Egyptian geese squabbling on the roof tops and the trees full of wintry colours.....
I have been busy cooking only warm comforting stews, soups, curries and of course, M's warm ginger spice coffee cake seems to be baked at least once a week....
My Jozi boys tend to phone me lately with cries for wintry recipes and top of the list is the Shepard's Pie which my picture does not do justice....but here goes that recipe for keepsake, Wes and Ian.
Recipe
500g lean ground beef mince browned
1 onion finely diced
2 chopped tomatoes or 1 tin of "all gold" tomato and onion mix 175g
700g of mashed potatoes
25ml cooking oil
25ml butter
1 tsp of mixed herbs
2 finely grated carrots
couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and flatleaf parsley
200ml meat stock
1 talespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in the frying pan and saute the onion until lightly browned.
Add the tomatoes, carrots and mince and heat through...
Add herbs, salt and pepper and the stock and simmer until all has cooked.
Place the meat in a casserole, top with the mashed potatoes and dot with the butter.
Bake at 180deg C until the top is nicely browned .
Some fresh ingredients I have enjoyed putting together to make a pretty dish are snow peas and asparagus with a soft poached egg and a drizzle of hollandaise.....a pretty picture it does make
Mac 'n cheese with skinless chicken breasts filled with sour cream and herbs and wrapped in prosciutto makes for a comforting meal.....
it's starting to take shape and I have planted spring seedlings at the bottom of the garden to be ready for the Spring wedding
Just praying the guinea fowls won't destroy them before...
and these pictures of sunset are what I see on a good day from my kitchen .....
Thankful for every day!
Take care
Shel xx
