Cottage Pie
 

Good to eat on a winter's night.  Cottage Pies and Shepherd's Pies are essentially the same. This is a slightly different recipe in that it has red wine and herbs as ingredients.  My family love the smell of this cooking when they walk in the door at the end of the working day.

To convert any of these ingredients into US measurements please use this Quantity Conversion Chart.

1 kilo (2 and 1/4 pounds) potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parmesan
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
100 gm grated cheese

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Cook the mince, onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme together for 20 minutes on low heat, stirring to break up the mince and to ensure meat and vegetables don't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Keep the lid on the pan as the steam will cook the food - ie you don't need any fat in which to cook the meat and vegetables. 

Add Worcestershire sauce, wine, water, tomatoes and peas.  Cook a further 10 minutes on high until peas are cooked through.  Reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile peel and cut potatoes up small.  Bring to the boil and cook until soft.  Mash with butter, parmesan, milk, salt and pepper. The amount of milk needed will vary according to the type of potato you use.

Mix the gravy powder and water in a small bowl.  When thoroughly combined, drizzle into the pan, stirring continuously until meat mixture thickens.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Pour into a large greased casserole dish.

Top the meat/vegies with the mashed potato.  Smooth over the potato until it is an even depth.  Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top

Cook at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 - 40 minutes.  Serves 6.

Notes:

Worcestershire sauce is a thin, brown, spicy, bottled sauce

Food Facts:

Carrots are native to Afghanistan.  They used to have a yellow flesh and a purple exterior.  Carrots were first grown as a medicine and not a food.  Just one carrot supplies enough vitamin A for an entire day.  In fact, they have the highest Vitamin A content of any vegetable.  Carrots have high levels of the anti-oxidant beta carotene which is reputed to help fight cancer and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.

Onions are high in energy and have good amounts of B6, B1, and Folic acid in them.  They contain chemicals which fight free radicals in our bodies.  Free radicals cause disease and destruction in our cells.  Onions have anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties in them.  These properties are most potent when the onion is eaten raw.  Onions raise the levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol and they lower the levels of the bad LDL cholesterol. 
 

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