Beef Mince with Sweet Potato

It is so weird today that it is so HOT. I check the temperature that it goes to around 13 degree C in the morning. Doing some house works this morning lets me sweat immediately. I really think I am living in a very warm house.

Last night, we went to choir practice for the carol services. It was very funny. Our director couldn’t remember what he has told to us. When we sang what he told us, he looked at us confusedly. Then, we needed to remind him what was happened. I hope everything will be fine soon because I am so nervous about this. It is only 2 weeks left.

Recipe: Serve around 2~3 people

 

 

Steps of Beef Mince with Sweet Potato

(1) Prepare a saucepan. Boil the chopped sweet potato for 10 minutes. Then, dry it and set aside.

 

(2) Get another sauce pan. Add some oil, and then fry half of sliced onion for 3 minutes.

(3) Add beef mince into the pan. Fry the beef mince until it turns golden.
(4) Add beef stock, water, salt, and dry basil into the pan. Mix all of them well. Simmer beef mince for 10 minutes. Then, leave in a bowl and set aside.

 

(5) Use the same pan to fry another half of onion and sweet potato for around 3 minutes. Add some oil if needed.

(Selena’s Kitchen Talk: If you like crispier on your sweet potato, you can cook longer.)
(6) Add beef mince back to the pan. Mix it with sweet potato. Add some salt if needed.

 
I did this meal because I got some beef mince and sweet potato left. I just tried to cook them together. But, I was so surprised that it is very delicious. Serve this with some vegetable than you get all nutrition you need. Enjoy it.

Cottage Pie with Parsnips

Cottage pie is a very traditional meal that there are always fresh or frozen one sold in shops. I have eaten cottage pie on some parties. The taste varied a little. But, the essential of cottage pie is beef mince fried with some vegetable covered with mashed potato. Then, bake it. There are some beef mince, vegetable, and potato. Then, that it. My lunch is cottage pie. But, my potato is very small it will not be thick enough. I still have some parsnips so that I decide to use mashed potato and parsnips. It is cooking that there is no rules for here :D

Baking Temperature Setting: 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8

Baking Time: 20~30 minutes

Recipe: Serve 2~3 people

 

Steps of Cottage Pie

(1) Chop all potato and parsnips into small pieces. Prepare a saucepan. Place all potato and parsnips into the pan. Add 1 tea spoon of salt. Keep boiling them until it turns tender. It takes around 10~15 minutes

(2) When potato and parsnips are ready to be mashed, dry the potato and parsnips. Place them in a dish. Before mashing potato and parsnips, add butter, milk, and another 1 tea spoon of salt in. Mix them. Then, mash potato and parsnips. Set Aside.

(3) Prepare a fried pan, place onion into the pan. Stir a little

(4) Add chopped mushrooms into the pan. Stir a while. Cover the lid. Use medium heat to cook around 3 minutes

 (5) Then, add beef mince into the pan. Fried the mince until it turns golden. Then, add 1 tea spoon and 2.5~3 table spoon of soy sauce into the mince. Mix all of them. Simmer it until the gravy turns thick. Set aside

(6) Place the mince into an ovenproof dish (around 7 inch).

(7) Spoon the mashed potato and parsnips over the top of mince.

(8) Use a fork to decorate mashed potato and parsnips with lines. Send it into the pre-heat oven at 220C/450F/Gas Mark 8 until the topping is golden.

 

I like to eat cottage pie a lot. Because there is everything in one dish. Last year, I always prepared a lot for my exam season. If you don’t have lots of time to cook every day, try cook more and freeze it. When you want to eat it, just send it to the oven. Less than 40 minutes, you will have a tasty cottage pie. Enjoy it.