And this is why your arteries hate you...

It came to my attention yesterday that I deal with most things in life through food. Thanks to a wonderful fellow blogger over @ Saturday's with Maggy I was reminded of a fabulous and versatile dish that provides endless amounts of comfort for me. Hashbrowns! The best thing about them is how easily you can personalize them to perfection. For a great guide on how to make your own, jump on over to Gwen's site! She does them up right and her picture is way prettier than mine. Still feeling blue? I have another dish for you. 

Shepherds Pie

I didn't grow up eating this insanely rich dish and a part of me is grateful. That part would be my arteries. The other side of me is a little sad. It's a great dish that fills you up, sticks to your ribs, and warms you on cold wet nights.

We're a large family so this recipe will feed a small army:

12 Potatoes
2 lbs of ground beef mince
1 large carrot
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
3 cloves of garlic
150 g white button mushrooms
2 small tomatoes
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend*
salt
pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk or milk substitute (I used rice milk)
1 cup of grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Peel and dice your potatoes and boil until just tender and drain. Preheat your oven to 200 C / 425 F. Dice up your carrot, onion, celery, tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms. Use 1-2 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan to sautee your vegetables. Season with 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning blend and salt/pepper to taste. Add the ground beef mince to the vegetables and brown. Throw in the second tablespoon of Italian seasoning here with a little more salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of butter and start adding the flour a little at a time to the mix and stir. You want a thick sauce but not a paste. Add water if it gets too thick. Place your potatoes in a bowl and mash the dickens out of them with the rest of the butter and a little salt and pepper. Add your milk a little at a time to get the creaminess you want. Place your ground meat and veggies mix in the bottom of a deep pyrex dish, top with your potatoes, and finish it off with the cheese. Throw it in the oven until the cheese has melted and has started to brown a little.

Your arteries will hate you but on a cold winter night it might bring a little comfort and merriness to the table. It did for us!

 * I used one I got from Mountain Rose Herbs. It contained Basil, Oregano, and Rosemary.

P.S. You may want to avoid strenuous activity right after consumption. I can't promise that will end well.

xoxo