Ingredients

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1-lb grain fed ground beef

¾ cup Onion finely chopped

1 tsp butter

5 medium carrots – peeled and sliced

5 stalks celery – scrubbed and sliced

Garlic to taste

2 cups Beef bone broth

Beef bouillon

Black pepper to taste

½ cup of flour or cornstarch to thicken

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Topping

6 large potatoes cut up and boiled

Mash the potatoes with a little milk and butter

– not too thin and runny

1 beaten egg

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Method

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Boil the potatoes for the topping first

Mash the potatoes and set aside

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Brown the onion, garlic and celery in the butter

          This creates a wonderful flavour and aroma

Set aside the golden brown onion mixture in a bowl

Brown the meat in the onion/butter residue

When the meat is browned add back the onions and celery

Add Beef bone broth

Add carrots

Add beef bouillon

Add black pepper

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Simmer gently until carrots and celery are tender

Cool down…Then …Thicken with paste made with flour or cornstarch

Turn on oven to 350 degrees

Place a sheet of foil on oven rack (not on the bottom of the oven)

below the middle rack.

 

Pour mixture into large pie dish or casserole dish

Spread mashed potatoes over meat until completely covered to the dish edges

Brush beaten egg all over the mashed potatoes

Put the casserole dish over the sheet of foil on middle rack

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes

If the topping is not browned turn on the broil and watch carefully until potatoes are nicely golden brown.

Serve with steamed green vegetables, i.e., broccoli or brussels sprouts.

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Ingredients

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3 cups of chopped chicken meat

or use left over turkey 

¾ cup of finely chopped onion

1 tbs olive oil

3 cups of chicken broth (or your own turkey stock)

6 medium carrots – scraped and chopped ( ½  inch)

6 stalks celery – chopped     slice ¼ inch

1 tbs(level) thyme

1 tbs(level) sage

½ tsp pepper

Bay leaves 4

1/3 cup flour or cornstarch (cornstarch has fewer carbohydrates)

Bisto chicken gravy granules

No salt – you’ll get plenty of sodium from gravy granules and chicken cubes

Knorr’s chicken cubes  2 or 3

1 tsp garlic chopped (from jar or whole)

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry

 

1.  Thaw one sheet of pastry (2 hours but keep it in refrigerator – it must be very cold to roll out

 

A Casserole dish 11 X 14 approx.  – not covered

Rolling pin (or wine bottle) dust with flour

One Sauté Pan (deep) or large skillet

Pastry brush

 

Brown onion and garlic in olive oil    toss and stir

Add carrots and celery – toss and stir

remove vegetable mixture and set aside

brown the chicken pieces and add back in the vegetable mixture

OR use turkey later

Add thyme, sage, pepper    toss and stir

Add broth to fully cover - stir

Add chicken cubes    stir

Add bay leaves    stir

Simmer until celery and carrots are tender 25 minutes - stir

When celery is tender add turkey and simmer for 7 minutes   - stir

Remove bay leaves (I never bother to remove bay leaves).

Turn on oven to 400 degrees and use middle shelf

This is when you thicken your mixture

You can use Bisto gravy granules (pour them into boiling mixture) they will add flavour and may thicken mixture -  Bisto does not make mixture very thick and adds sodium  keep stirring

OR

Mix flour or cornstarch and water to make a paste 

Cool mixture in pan and then add the flour or cornstarch paste (to thicken) and stir and heat

Pour mixture into casserole, if dish gets too full put sheet of tin-foil under dish in the oven

Unfold the sheet of Puff Pastry and dust with a little flour

Roll out puff pastry wide enough and long enough to cover your casserole dish with slight overhang

Cover mixture in casserole with pastry and fold the edges under to make thick edge

Beat egg and brush on top of pastry (crimp edge of pastry on to edge of casserole a wee bit)

Slit the pastry to vent (or slit and  use a pie vent) and put in 400 degree oven for 22- 28 minutes     (watch until nice and brown)

Serve with green vegetables (brussels sprouts or broccoli) and

 new potatoes with parsley and butter.   Beets would complement the arrangement.

Because you have lovely crunchy pastry you will not need BREAD & BUTTER

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Large soup pot (about 10 quarts) wooden spatulas and spoons for stirring and scraping.

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If you have home made stock from left vegetables or chicken carcass all the better.

 

8 oz dry pearl barley (about ½ packet)

3/4 cup chopped fresh large juicy onion

2 cups chopped (fairly thin) fresh celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 to 3 cups baby lima beans

2 to 3 cups frozen chopped green beans

2 to 3 cups diced freshly peeled potatoes

2 to 3 cups thinly sliced (medium sized mature – not baby) carrots

2 to 3 cups frozen kernel corn

2-3 cups frozen petite green peas

6 to 8 cans of fat free chicken bone broth

2 cans diced skinless tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

8 chicken cubes  (contains salt)

Tap water – and any other vegetables you think would be good

 

2 oz real butter         Do not cook with salt – salt can be added 

¼ cup Olive oil          Be liberal with the herbs you put in your soup

2 heaped tablespoons Curry powder

1 heaped tablespoon dry Coleman’s English mustard powder

1-teaspoon Celery seed

1-heaped teaspoon Dill weed

1-heaped teaspoon Basil

1-heaped teaspoon Tarragon

1-heaped teaspoon Marjoram

1-heaped teaspoon Cumin

2 heaped teaspoons Coriander

6-8 bay leaves and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (in bouquet garni bag)

Sprinkle black pepper to taste   (and any other herbs you think would be good)

 

Start by browning onions in butter, add ½ cup of finely chopped celery and continue to brown

Add a little olive oil and ½ cup of thinly sliced carrots and continue to brown.

Add 2 tins of chicken broth and all the herbs and the bouquet garni bag

Add chopped green pepper stirring and simmering for a few minutes

Add all the barley and start to boil, and then turn down to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add all the chicken bone broth bring to boil, turn down to simmer.

Add baby lima beans, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes

Add chopped whole green beans, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes

Add remaining carrots, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes

Add remaining celery, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes

REMEMBER TO KEEP SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF POT OR THE BARLEY WILL STICK.

Add kernel corn, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes.

Add diced potatoes, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few (5) minutes

Add petite frozen green peas last, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for a few minutes

You will probably need to add some water or soup will be too thick.

The barley should be fully cooked by now and the soup should be ready to eat.

The rest of the soup can be stored in containers in the freezer.