Shepherd's Pie

My love of Shepherd's pie comes about from eating at Baker Street pub in New York city. As far as New York pubs go, this is a good one: good food, ample seating, big screens and a helluva time for St. Paddy's day. As a non-meat eater, ordering Irish, English, or French food is often difficult for me. I'm generally happy with piping hot fish and chips came out, but as I noticed everyone else at the table had steaming cheesy bowls of mashed potatoes in front of them, my interest was piqued. Digging under the steaming potatoes, revealed a delicious smell and the appearance of ground meat. Delicious -- if only I could've had a bite... Here's a version I can eat myself -- as I'm not a big fan of veggies such as celery, peas, and carrots, the "veggie" portion is one small carrot, which offers great texture. If you like veggies, feel free to add more into the meat mixture.


Mashed Potatoes:
2 russet potatoes
3tbs butter
3/4c milk

Meat Filling:
1/4 onion
1 small carrot (peeled and diced)
1c ground turkey
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbs ketchup
1/4c tomato sauce

1/4c shredded cheese to top

1. Mashed potatoes: Peel and dice potatoes, cover with water, boil, cook until tender. Strain. Mix in butter and milk. Salt & pepper to taste.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Heat 2 tbs oil. Sautee carrot and onions until soft. Add turkey meat, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Add ketchup and tomato sauce. Cook until evenly distributed. Season to taste.
3. Grease baking dish. Add 1 layer of meat mixture, smooth down. Add layer of mashed potatoes, smooth down.
4. Bake 15 - 20 minutes, add a layer of cheese, bake 15 additional minutes (until cheese is bubbly and potatoes have golden brown peaks).

Enjoy!

PINKBERRY at home...

Since leaving my former homes, I occasionally get cravings for certain treats...Shake Shack cheese fries, Stanton Social pierogies, Potbelly creamsicle shakes, Heights frozen margaritas, Gianna's italiano chicken cheesesteaks...and Pinkberry korean style frozen yogurt!

Pinkberry has become somewhat of a fad, started in LA, but discovered by me in NY. As a yogurt lover, I love that this frozen yogurt actually tastes like yogurt -- not watered down ice cream. Actually, its delicious taste paired with its non-fat claim remind me of that Seinfeld episode "The Nonfat Yogurt." It's tangy, and sweet, and perfectly compliments the fresh fruity toppings that accompany it. So in a fit of desperation, I broke out my hand crank ice cream maker and attempted it at home...

2 7oz containers Fage Greek Yogurt
2/3c (minus 1 tsp) sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract

1. One day prior -- place mixing bowl of ice cream maker in the freezer overnight
2. Beat ingredients together with a whisk.
3. Using a spatula, transfer mixture into ice cream maker and freeze.

Enjoy!

Altogether I found the mixture tasty, but not as frosty as the real thing (this could be the effect of my hand crank model as opposed to using an electric ice cream maker. That said, close your eyes, put on the Pinkberry song...and it's a tasty quick fix!