In the Kitchen

Good news for those of you who waited with bated breath to find out how my apple pie was... it was a success. I even got to participate in Irish hospitality when two neighbors dropped by and were invited to partake of tea and and pie, which they polished off pretty quickly, if I may say so myself.


A little tip for those Americans who are looking for another way to eat their pie without ice cream: here one of the ways to eat pie is with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Kate put a dollop of 10% Greek yogurt on a piece of pie, which I have actually found I enjoy more than the ice cream. It complements the apple pie without being too sweet.

I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen as Kate's been busy at work (her other job in the city). Below are two of the recipes that I've been fooling around with. Warning, these are not professional recipes, so be cautious if you do attempt to try them out.

Variation on Fiona's Simple Lentil Shepard's Pie (Vegetarian)

Note: Fiona is one of the moms who visited Kate this past weekend, and I really liked her version of a vegetarian Shepard's pie. I tried to remake it and this is what I created.
(Serves 6)

1 cup lentils
1/2 can plum tomatoes in tomato juice (can is 15 oz.)
1 medium onion
1 cup vegetable stock (or one cube of vegetable stock dissolved in 1 cup boiling water)
8 medium potatoes
1/2 cup cream
tablespoon of butter
mild cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Rinse lentils. Bring about 2 cups of water to boil and add lentils. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add plum tomatoes, tomato juice, onion, and vegetable stock. Simmer until lentils and onions are tender and mixture is not too runny. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon heated mixture into casserole dish.
Make mashed potatoes with potatoes, cream, and butter (Boil potatoes until tender. Mash with a little bit of water, cream, and butter.  Salt to taste.) Smooth mashed potatoes over lentil mixture.
Add grated cheese to cover mashed potatoes. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until cheese is melted (or if you made it without cheese, until potatoes start to brown).

Simple Zucchini Tomato Cream Curry with Vegetable Rice and Feta Cheese

Note: This was really good made with fresh zucchini (called courgettes here in Ireland) which Kate and I got from the garden. The dairy here is also produced locally (there is a Wexford brand that boasts that you are never farther than 10km from the farm where your milk originated), so the cream was especially nice as well.
(Serves 1-2)

1 medium Zucchini
1/2 can of plum tomatoes in tomato juice (can is 15 oz.)
1/2 cup cream
mild curry spices/powder
1 cup brown rice
1 cup vegetable stock (or one cube of vegetable stock dissolved in 1 cup boiling water)
feta cheese

This is the garden where I got the zucchini.

Saute brown rice in olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add 3 cups water and 1 cup vegetable stock. Bring to boil then simmer until rice is tender (add water until then, but be careful because you don't want to end up with runny rice).
Saute sliced zucchini in olive oil. Add tomatoes and tomato juice. Simmer until zucchini are tender. Add cream and curry spices to taste.
Serve rice, covered with curry, topped with feta cheese.