Test 3 - Shepherd's Pie with Mustard Thatch

NOTE 1: the main change is to reduce the amount of Worcestershire sauce.
NOTE 2: Create 'Topping' and 'Filling' sections.
NOTE 3: Changed instructions to add veg sooner; felt that following the old instructions meant the lamb was overcooking while veg (esp. carrots) weren't cooked yet. ALSO, added a pinch of salt to the potatoes to make the flavours pop.
4 - March 20, 2018: Followed the instructions, made it for a group, no improvements suggested.
5 - Feb 2 2019 - I think this is it. It is holding. Perhaps a pinch more salt in the potatoes.

Topping:
1lb 12oz floury (old) potatoes (weight is before peeling)
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
Butter, to taste
A couple of pinch of salt
Filling:
1 lb ground lamb
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup garden peas
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup stock (lamb or beef)
1 Tbsp tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried and crumbled)
2 pinches salt
1\4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

Topping:

1. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and mash until smooth, mixing in the dairy, mustards, butter, salt and pepper.

Filling:

1. Fry the lamb with a little butter. When you can start to hear the sizzle, add the vegetables and cook until just starting to brown, stirring often. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring often, until lamb fully browns and veg start to cook, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the tomato paste and the stock. Keep stirring and bring to a boil, stirring until the sauce thickens/reduces a bit, then remove from heat.
3. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the rosemary, and season to taste.

Assemblage:

1. Transfer the lamb mixture to a 7 cup ovenproof dish and spread the potato evenly on top.
2. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden on top.

Gardener's Cottage Pie - Testing

If shepherds were vegetarian, what would they make their pies from? This is a recipe I'd started exploring about 5 years ago and lost the finalized instructions for. The following are the ingredients, I think...
1 - It needs something. After the fact, I added cheddar, which worked nicely. I'm also wondering how mushrooms would change things, and if it's a question of cheddar OR mushrooms, or a matter of cheddar AND mushrooms.

2 - It's been sooo long since I've made this recipe. In the intervening years since, I feel like I may have learned something that could help with this recipe. Simply put - brown the veg. I will indicate this in the recipe for when I make it tonight. Oh, and it's late fall, I have no zucchini, so I'm going to put in some winter squash instead. I know, lots of variables, but also I want to use what's on hand and seasonal.

The cooking was interesting. The sequencing is pretty good but I'm putting the mushrooms with the carrots and squash.

Topping
1½ lbs. boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes 
2 Tbsps. butter
2 Tbsps. cream
salt, to taste
OPTIONAL dash of turmeric 

1. Mash all together until well blended

Filling

3 Tbsps. veg oil

2 onions, diced (12oz/340gr)

1 leek, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced (20gr)
2 carrots, diced (6oz) 

8 oz mushrooms diced

OPTIONAL: 8oz winter squash, small dice, fall/winter
½ cup white wine
1 red bell pepper, diced
OPTIONAL 3 stalks (about 4.5 oz) diced celery (OR a hefty pinch of celery seed)
1 large tomato or 8oz diced canned tomato
1 cup corn

1 cup peas 
1 bunch spinach or swiss chard, sliced thin
OPTIONAL: 1 zucchini, diced in summer
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp hot sauce

½ tsp salt

1 cup (4oz) grated cheddar
Hot sauce, to serve

1. Sauté onion, leeks and garlic in the oil until starting to soften brown.
2. Add the carrots, mushrooms and squash and sauté until they start to brown, then add wine. 
3. Scrape up the loosened fond and cook the veg until tender.
4. Add the pepper and the tomato and cook a bit longer.
5. Toss in the corn, peas, spinach and zucchini. Cover Do not cover (to concentrate flavor) and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced a bit (how much?).
6. Mix in the cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, basil, thyme, and hot sauce.
7. Spoon into a casserole and top with the potato mix.
8. Bake 30 minutes at 400°F.

Lemony Chickpea casserole - Testing

I can't remember where this came from, only that I made it only once, several years ago. Like maybe 15 years ago.

1 - I'm not sure about the amount of salt. I tried 3 tsps and found it too salty although Ben liked it well enough. Also, when I made it last it was lovely and moist but I used 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of its whey and 1/2 cup creme fraiche. I hope what I've recommended below is a more convenient solution.

2 - The salt is just right I think. So is the dairy. I've standardized with mass and volume measurements. Now, if I make yogurt cheese or mascarpone, would that be a good substitute for the cottage cheese?

5 cups (1lb 14oz/860g) cooked chickpeas
1 cup (5.5oz/156g) cooked brown rice
3 oz shallots, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 large eggs, beaten
2 cup cottage cheese
1 1/4 cup plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt; it has too little moisture)
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 stalks fresh rosemary (leaves only)

Topping
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup dried bread crumbs (ie: Panko)
Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish with olive oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas with the rice, shallots, garlic, and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix the beaten eggs in a medium bowl with the cottage cheese, yogurt, milk (or cream) and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Finely mince the parsley and fresh rosemary leaves. Stir the cottage cheese mixture and herbs into the chickpea mixture.
4. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, 60 to 75 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegetable Korma - Testing

1 - Made it with milk and almond instead of coconut milk and cashews. It was very tasty but the sauce was too thin. I thought the almond flour would thicken it but, no dice. What can I do here?

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cardamom pods, bashed, seeds removed, husk discarded

½ tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1 green chilli deseeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove , crushed
thumb-size piece ginger , finely chopped

1 onion (6oz/170g) finely chopped
1 medium potato (8oz), diced into ½ inch chunks
2 carrots (6oz), cubed
½ of a cauliflower (about 1lb), in florets
6 button mushrooms, in eighths
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup paneer, diced
1½ cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup ground almonds (can substitute for ground cashews)
1½ tsp salt, or to taste
pepper, to taste
2 heaping Tbsp. toasted, unsweetened grated coconut
cilantro, chopped, to garnish

1. In a large pan, heat the oil over med-high heat.  Once the oil gets hot, add turmeric powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger, garlic, chili. Stir everything together until it begins to make a paste and fresh ingredients are cooked, about 5 minutes. Add a little water if the spices start to stick to prevent burning, but let the water evaporate before adding any more.
2. Add the onion and potatoes.  Stir-fry until the potatoes begin to get a little brown—they don’t need to cook all the way through, yet.
3. Add all the other vegetables and paneer and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.  Add about 1 tsp. salt.
4. Add the stock and coconut milk to the pan with the vegetables.  Turn the heat to about medium and let the curry simmer until the vegetables are cooked (7 minutes for al-dente). Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Once the veg are cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the almond flour; allow to rest a few minutes.  Garnish with chopped coriander and toasted coconut.

Chou-fleur gratiné - Testing

NOTE 3: Next time try removing the pan from heat source before adding milk to butter+flour to see if that will help avoid lumpiness and the milk bubbling up.

1 - Obviously I've made this before, but I don't know when and I don't know where the recipe came from or how much I've altered it. But it's good!

2 - It was all good but I overcooked the cauliflower. I don't know if this means the instructions need to change or not. 'Til next time, dear recipe! We'll get you nicely polished in the end.

1 cauliflower (approx. 2lbs)
1 oz butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1.75 oz Cheese (gruyere or cheddar etc, like quiche, a good way to use leftover heels)
1.75 oz parmesan, grated, divided into two portions
1/3 cup bread crumbs (Panko is best)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
2. Cut up cauliflower into florets and blanch cauliflower in salted water for about 5 minutes or just al dente. Pour out the boiling water and run cold water in the pot full of veg for a few minutes. Set aside. 
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk the flour into the butter. Cook until it's just starting to turn golden to cook out the pasty taste of raw flour. 
4. Turn the heat down low and whisk the milk into the butter/flour mixture.
5. Keep whisking until it turns into a smooth, thick sauce. 
6. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg. Whisk in the grated cheese and half the parmigiana and mix until the cheeses have melted.
7. Whisk in the egg yolks. 
8. Drain the cauliflower thoroughly and put in a gratin or casserole dish. 
9. Press the cauliflower down decisively!
10. Pour over the hot cheese sauce. 
11. Mix the bread crumbs and the remaining half of the parmigiana together in a small bowl, and sprinkle on top. 
12. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. If the topping hasn't browned sufficiently, turn on the broiler and watch the spots that are browning fastest and remove when it's to your liking.
13.  Grate fresh pepper over the top and serve immediately.