Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes
4 medium to large potatoes
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Filling
2 tbsp canola oil
450g ground beef
1/2 large onion
2 gloves of garlic
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp A1 Steak Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Directions
Peel and boil potatoes until they can easily be pierced with a fork (approximately 15 minutes). Drain potatoes and return to pot. Mash using a fork or potato masher and then add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Finally, stir in yolk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and beef. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and cook until brown. Sprinkle flour on top of the meat and combine. Cook for another minute or two. Add chicken broth, A1, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Next, add frozen veggies and stir to combine. Spread the mixture on the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle cheese over top. Place pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes. 

Spoon into a bowl or dish and enjoy!

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. In Korea, asparagus can be expensive. I recently found it at my local mart and the price was finally reasonable. Asparagus tastes delicious cooked every which way. I usually like to steam it and cover it with a little butter and parmesan cheese, but since I’d already had it twice this week I thought I’d try a healthier option.  This delicious fresh veggie goes well as a side dish or can be added to a pasta or rice dish.

Ingredients

1 small bunch of asparagus
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
pinch of salt
pinch of cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 ̊ F (200 ̊ C). Break off the ends of your asparagus. Sometimes, it’s sad to see a few inches of your beautiful asparagus discarded, but don’t worry, those discarded ends are the woody bits and are lacking in moisture. The asparagus will break naturally where the woody part meets the fresh green part. Next, lay the asparagus out on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus. Then, put the garlic through a garlic press and spread over the asparagus. Use your hands and don’t be afraid to get messy! Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the asparagus and pop in the oven for about 15 minutes.

                                                                        Serves two.