A Homemade Meat Pie

The air has that fall nip to it signaling it's time to make hearty  homemade meals .One of the best is the meat pie.It's a tasty way to get rid of leftovers while providing a rib sticking lunch or dinner. - Vegans and vegetarians need not worry  - the recipe can be tailored so that's it's chock full of only veggies.Any way you make it  it's a nice hot meal,perfect for a chill autumn day.

The first thing to do is choose a crust. Does the family like those ready made meat pies?Then your best bet is a flaky pie crust. This is the best for absorbing the gravy along with providing a tasty outer shell, perfect for dipping into gravy. Puff pastry is great if you don't have time to make the exterior. You can always buy Pepperidge Farm's.it also gives a different flavor and texture to the pie, imparting a light, buttery taste with a super flaky crust, not unlike that of Beef Wellington. If you want 'a traditional shepherd's pie then use only a top crust of mashed potatoes as they do in Great Britain.The mash actually gets crusty and it's wonderful in sopping up the pie's juices. You could blend in  some chives  or the scantest amount of garlic to give it more flavor and color. Home chefs may want to think outside the box and use a cornbread crust. This is mostly used for chili pot pies or Mexican beef pies , and like the shepherd's pie crust is only layered on top. Of course the recipe should be remedied if there are gluten allergies,  Go for the paleo crust  then - a combination of ground almonds and cashews bound together with coconut oil.

What should go into a meat pie? Leftovers if you have them. Any London Broil or roast beef would be the start of a perfect filling. Many have used what was left of their holiday turkeys.Chicken can also be used and if you don't have the time, use  Swanson's Chicken a la  King  which also has peas and carrots in it. You can also make the French Canadian meat pie , tortiere with ground pork .It can also add ground veal and beef to it as well for more flavor.What about vegans? Surprisingly tofu is actually a tasty filling. You just have to use the extra firm kind  or it will get mushy and fall apart. A mix of mushrooms is another excellent meatless choice too.  Any pot pie has to have a good amount of veggies  for  added color and flavor.Most include the usual mix of carrots and peas however you can mix in some different ones such as  lima beans and spinach for variety. All fillings should be first cooked as a stew so the pies are filled with a rich  gravy. Any filled pie can be frozen and saved for another day but you have to under bake it about ten minutes and then let it cool off. It then can be stored in fridge for a few weeks,


A home made meat or vegan pie is a great chill chaser during these autumn days.Make them for the family for a nice and tasty way to warm up. They'll appreciate a ribsticking chicken or shepherd's pie after a brisk day out.

Cooking With Guinness

If you want to bring out the flavor of red meat or even chocolate then think about adding a traditional Irish ingredient.  Think Guinness stout in for heartier stews and more flavorful burgers. It doesn't create a boozy  type of meal but one that gives richness and complexity to even the simplest of dishes.Even just half a cup of the brew can do wonders, even in cake batter.

Guiness' rich taste comes from the fact that it's made with barley since its' inception in1759. Also the roasted malt and hops also bring something to the flavor as well. The ale works best in tandem with red meat. Use it in shepherd's pie to create a rich earthy taste  that will bring out the literal beefiness. This works well with the traditional crisp potato crust and even sweetens up the pie's carrots and peas.Another idea is the famed Guinness burger where half a cup s added to ground meat along with a dash of Tabasco and chopped onion. Again the stout will bring out the meat's flavor, creating one of the best burgers ever.

Can Guinness be used as a marinade? Yes! In fact it's; excellent for any kind of steak or even kabob.A good recipe includes two cans of stout along with molasses  for thickness and sweetness. (the recipe comes from The Food Network) For added bite, toss in red pepper flakes and garlic (although I'd nix these). There is a simpler recipe that calls for onion along with garlic. I would maybe just use brown sugar , molasses and Guinness and leave the meat soaking in it  for two to three hours. You can finish with the latest cupcake flavor Guinness, The stout is also used in creating a boozy mini cake , usually with a chocolate or devil's food base.

Guinness is a great drink on it's own . However it;' also best used for bringing out the flavor of beef and even cakes. Use it to create a great summer dish full of flavor.

Kitchen Kids

Are foodies born or made?Is it nature or nurture that creates baby gourmets? It could be a little of both, especially if parents permit their young ones discover the joy of cooking. Letting them loose in the kitchen and allowing them to cook family meals can not only be a learning experience but also a fun adventure .

This was the subject of the De Gustibus column in today's New York Times Dining section. The piece written by Leslie Kaufman, shows how a teen and a pre teen have become young gourmet chefs. It started with the idea of her and her husband swapping cooking chores with her sons' cleaning up ones.The result is a good lesson in not only cooking but nutrition as well. The boys  not only have to  plan the meals  but also come up with ideas for healthy fare that is beneficial for the entire family.End results? Proud kids and even an even prouder mom. Oh, and some delicious suppers too,

Ms. Kaufman doesn't just let her kids make the usual kid friendly fare like grilled cheese and hot dogs. She lets her boys explore the varied and educational world of international cooking. One night resulted in a shepherd's pie topped with homemade mashed potatoes. Another dinner was an exotic chicken satay. Her eldest even tried his hand at complicated Vietnamese dishes, one called cho which involved pouring a highly seasoned broth over raw steak strips and noodles.Of course Ms Kaufman does go over the menus beforehand to make sure that the chosen dishes are not overly fried or too difficult.

It's a good idea to let kids explore the kitchen at a young age. Doing such not only teaches them about creating a meal but its' nutritional value as well. It also introduces the little ones to the world of good eating.

Pie Charts

Just when I thought macaroons were the new thing, pie comes along and tops it. Yes, pie, that lovely homespun treat that our moms and grannies perfected.Nowadays people can't get enough of this traditional dessert. Pie shops are popping up everywhere. Let's face who can't resist this down to earth simple and simply delicious sweet.

Pie was one of the first foods mankind ate. Ancient Egyptians invented them then the Romans adored them and spread the recipe throughout the Empire. The English and French perfected the dish , first calling it boxes or tartes. Early Americans celebrated both sweet and savory kinds, varying the dish from the traditional British shepherd's pie thus creating delicious meat pies. Americans were also fond of fruit pies thanks to the abundance of wild fruit trees. Soon apple pie became a Colonial favorite and standard, served at almost every holiday and family event.

Today the dish comes so many variations . You can make a really nice custard filled one using any instant pudding and a ready made shell. There are also the traditional fruit ones such as strawberry rhubarb, and blueberry along with peach. Make these with the traditional flaky homemade crust. for a real treat. Sometimes the two fillings are combined as in a banana cream pie . Another favorite is pecan pie that combines chewy pecans in a gooey caramel like pudding. This has a variation in the walnut pies where one kind of nut is substituted for another.

Pie is suddenly making a comeback. it's a reminder of all foods homey and earthy. It's not pretentious or trendy. It's just down to earth.