So... Whats for lunch?

[Lise]

Hey, that sounds like a brilliant idea. Sour cream and cheese on potatoes.

  Yes, please! How does one make gravy? Can I subsitute ground beef with ground turkey?

  EDIT: Thanks for all the helpful tips.  

[Gopher]

Lise wrote:
 Hey, that sounds like a brilliant idea. Sour cream and cheese on potatoes.

  Yes, please! How does one make gravy? Can I subsitute ground beef with ground turkey? [/DIV]
 I suppose you could, but I'd not recommend it.

[purelife]

PC, is your cable guy hot?

[Lise]

So you're saying ground beef is better than ground turkey in Shephard's Pie.

  Boo. I got a tray of ground turkey and was thinking of doing Shephard's Pie. Ah well.

[Russ]

P.C. wrote:
 Russ, that's what I find with Brunswick......VERY strong fishy taste.  Much milder, delicate flavour with the other brand.



Lise, there has to be some kind of gravy base in with the ground beef.  I do veggies separate.  Veggies on bottom layer.....meat and gravy next layer (it doesn't need to be slopping around in gravy).....just enough to bind and a little more to give the mashed potatoes a little extra dip.....which of course are on the top layer.  I like a little cheddar grated on top too.  [/DIV]
 I agree with your way PC. When I helped make some of these, that was the way. Make it separate then put it together and throw it in the oven to finish it off.. and I agree with mr Gopher, cheese is a must!  

[purelife]

It won't taste the same, Lise.

  You can make ground turkey patties, Lise.  Take them, add eggs, oats and wheatgerm to hold the mixture together.  Then, I make the patties.

  I like the oats and wheat germ to add that healthy touch to my meat balls.  You can go further and add flax seed.  Very good and totally healthy.  Yes, I'm a health nut (on occasion only)  

[P.C.]

Well, making gravy with ground beef is a little tricky, so you have to enhance it a bit with some kind of beef boulion or French dip powder (ok in a pinch), but what I usually do, is when I have a roast beef, I always make a little extra gravy and freeze it......much nicer tasting.

  After you brown your beef, remove it from the pan, drain the pan leaving just the bits that have cooked to the bottom.  I add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and turn the heat high (ish).  Sprinkle in a tablespoon and a bit of flour and cook it into the oil.  When it's sizzling and browning, add water and whisk it to make it smooth.  Start with smaller amounts of water....maybe 3/4 of a cup to start.  (it's easier to make it a little thinner, than to thicken it back up) Season, or add a little boulion at this point, to taste.    

[Lise]

Yummy!! I'll definitely give that a try but with beef. I'm just not too crazy about ground beef. Thanks again, everyone!

[Sportsdude]

Got my car back finally

[purelife]

Oh, flour.  Thanks so much PC.  I'm going to make this this weekend.  

  Does anyone have a recipe for lasagna?  I have never made this and would really love to attempt it!  

[purelife]

Are you going to drive your car up the wall, SD?    (or is that the other way around?)

  No pun intended, of course.

[Sportsdude]

no it got hit by a teen girl on her way to work she apparently got blinded by the sun and slammed into my parked car.

[purelife]

Uhhhmmmmm okay... I meant it as something else...

  You tense?

[Lise]

Nope. Too much work for lasagne.

  I just get the frozen ones from Save-On Foods. The Western Family. What I do is a cheater's way. I open a can of kidney beans, frozen veggies, dump everything onto a baking dish, then top with the frozen lasagne from Save-On. Cheat way but easy on my life and everyone would go, "Wow".

  EDIT: Microwave, then broil to get that cheesy-burnt top look.    

[P.C.]

Have you ever made spaghetti sauce, purelife ?  If so, same thing, but a little thicker.  Layer between noodles.  Between one of the layers of noodles, put cottage cheese, with an egg beat into it and seasoned.  Finish top layer with noodles, and smother in mozza.