MONDAY WEEK NIGHT MENUS - SHEPHERD'S PIE AND BLACK EYED PEA SUCCOTOSH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Here are a few more very winter dishes to enjoy!

These recipes are designed to make week-night meal choices and planning easier and more delicious.  I call these "use every day" recipes.  They will feed a family of four, so adjust accordingly.  Most of the recipes (except the desserts) are chosen with health and nutrition in mind for week day meals.  If you are trying to watch your weight - leave off the deserts the bread and cut the cheese portions and sugar and butter in half!  Skip the potatoes.   Otherwise, enjoy making these pre-planned, nutritious and healthy menus for Winter:

MENU:  Creamy Cole Slaw, Best Buttermilk Cornbread Ever, Shepherd’s Pie, Black-Eyed Peas Succatash, Follow The Star Cookies

Salad:

CREAMY COLE SLAW

Ingredients:

1 head green cabbage finely shredded

2 large carrots finely shredded

¾ cup best quality mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons grated purple onion

2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons celery salt

Dash of salt and fresh ground pepper

1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

Directions:

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots and grated onions in a large bowl.  Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, then add to the cabbage mixture.  Mix well to combine and do a taste test for the seasoning.  Add or subtract seasonings as desired to your own taste.  When all is mixed and ready to serve, stir in one tablespoon of heavy cream.  This is the secret to making the cole slaw stay creamy.
Bread:

BEST BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD EVER

Ingredients:

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup yellow cornmeal (or white if you prefer)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar

¼ cup melted butter

1 large egg

1 -1/4 cup buttermilk

3 tsp. canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and drop the canola oil into a 12- inch cast iron skillet.  Heat for about 15 minutes until just hot; but not smoking.  Mix dry ingredients well; then mix wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix lightly until blended, but do not over-mix.  Pour cornbread mix into the hot skillet and return to oven for 20 minutes.  When the top is golden brown remove from oven and let cool until cool enough to place a plate over top of skillet and invert to remove cornbread onto the plate.

Main Dish:

SHEPHERD’S PIE

Ingredients:
1 Large Onion Quartered and Sliced

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups cooked diced roast beef

2 cups brown or beef gravy (use any beef gravy mix)

½ cup diced carrots

1 cup frozen peas, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg yolk

2 cups mashed potatoes

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; add onions.  Saute onions until tender; add diced beef, gravy, carrots and peas.  Heat through; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to a baking dish.  Beat the egg yolk into potatoes and spoon potatoes over the meat and vegetables (press potatoes through a pastry tube if desired).  Bake shepherd’s pie at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until mashed potatoes are browned and gravy is bubbling. 

 Side Dish:

BLACK-EYED PEA SUCCOTOSH

Ingredients:

6 cups water

 1-1/3 cup dried black-eyed peas

1 teaspoon salt

 1 bay leaf

 ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

 1 tablespoon honey

 5 drops hot pepper sauce

 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 16-ounce package frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

½ cup finely diced red onioin

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

1/3  cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup finely diced green bell pepper

Directions:

Combine water, black-eyed peas, salt and bay leaf in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until peas are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.  Drain well; discard bay leaf.  Whisk rice vinegar, honey, and hot pepper sauce in medium bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in oil.  Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix into black-eyed pea mixture. 

 Dessert:

FOLLOW THE STAR SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

1-½ cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 Egg

2-1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 can white pre-mixed icing

Blue food coloring

Directions:

 Make the batter for this recipe the night before and leave the batter in the refrigerator overnight before baking.   Mix all ingredients except icing and food coloring and refrigerate overnight.   Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and grease a cookie sheet.     Divide dough in half.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ¼ inch.  Use 2-1/2 inch star cookie cutters dipped in flour to cut out star shapes.  Place on tray for baking.  Repeat until all dough is used up.   Bake 7 to 8 minutes until edges are slightly brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  After cooled mix blue food coloring into one half of pre-mixed icing of your choice until it is the color you desire.  Alternate colors of white and blue.  Spread on top of cooled cookies.