Sunday, June 21, 2009

rather than throwing it away...

Upon my return from my trip to Rome I realized that I had some cauliflower that desperately needed to be used... along with some ground chicken and mushrooms. I usually make a shepherds pie with turkey, mushrooms and sweet potatoes... so why not with chicken, mushrooms and cauliflower?

You can be sure you wouldn't find this version in Scotland... but for this urban shepherdess, I quite enjoyed the result!

Shepherdess Pie

ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 package button mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 jar salsa verde
1 tbsp flour
cayenne pepper
chilli powder
head of cauliflower, divided into florets
dijon mustard
tin of green peas, rinsed and drained

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Heat a large pan over medium high heat and cook the mushrooms and celery. Add the chicken to the veggies and brown the meat. Add your cayenne pepper and chilli powder to the mixture - flavour to your own personal preference. Once the meat has browned, add the salsa verde and the flour to the pan - stir well so that the flour can thicken the mixture. Set aside.

Meanwhile, you'll want to fill a large pot a 1/4 of the way with water and bring it to a boil. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water (you don't want the water to cover the vegetable, you just want to steam it). Once the cauliflower is cooked through, drain it and throw it into your food processor. Add a good spoonful of dijon mustard and puree both together. You want a super smooth consistency.

Grab your casserole pan or loaf pan and line the base with your meat and veggie mixture. Top that with your green peas and then the cauliflower mash... exactly like you would with mashed potatoes.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes - you're just heating everything through.

Another use for cauliflower... oh, and just like we all enjoy eating it with a creamy cheese sauce - I bet adding some shredded cheddar to this would be excellent as well.

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