In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Beat in sugar and coconut powder. Gradually add milk, beating until smooth.
Fold in coconut and whipped topping. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon into crust and freeze until firm — at least four hours.
Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in the freezer.
Coconut Ingredients Available on Amazon.com
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
By Susieclue (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Susieclue (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsI first had Shepherd’s Pie when I was a toddler in Africa. My father introduced me to the meal. I fell in love at first bite!
Also called a cottage pie, this dish was originally made popular in Europe, but has become a common comfort meal all around the world. It relies on beef, vegetables, and mashed potatoes all combined in one delicious meal.
It’s not your traditional pie … there is no pastry for a crust. In fact, the “crust” is made of meat! This can be made with beef, turkey or lamb.
The “filling” is made primarily of veggies. While there are some standards usually included in a classic shepherd’s pie, don’t be afraid to mix it up. However, some good ingredients to include are peas, carrots and corn. Frozen veggies work perfectly fine with a shepherd’s pie.
The top layer is made from mashed pototoes and cheese. It is a good idea to start prepping the potato layer first, since it takes longer than the other layers. Peel the potatoes, chop them, and then boil them.
Preheat your oven while you are doing this, and then begin chopping your veggies.
Once the potatoes are done, mash them and mix in your butter, milk, and seasonings.
Finally, heat up your ground meat in a skillet. Add in your veggies to the meat mixture with any of your seasonings. Add some flour to thicken it, followed by the remaining ingredients, including tomato paste, sauce and oregano. You can then place this meat mixture in a pan, followed by the potatoes. Let it bake for a few minutes until everything is nice and hot. And the cheese is all melty.
Here’s a more formal recipe for Shepherd’s Pie:
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds potatoes (about 3 large potatoes), peeled and quartered
Additional suggested veggies: Cauliflower, brocholi, zucchini, lima beans, mushrooms
Instructions
Place the prepared potatoes in a medium pot. Cover with at least one inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until tender. While they are cooking, start cooking the vegetables and meat.
Melt four tablespoons of butter or coconut oil i a large skillet. Cook chopped onions until tender. Add in garlic and sauté for about two more minutes. Add in the vegetables, one type at a type in oder of how long they take to cook. Carrots first, peas last. Sauté until cooked.
Add in ground meat and cook until no longer pink. Add in seasonings and mix. Add in Worcestershire sauce and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out.
When the potatoes are done cooking (you’ll know because you can easily pierce them with a fork can), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the beef, onions, and vegetables in an even layer in a large baking 8″x13″ casserole dish.
Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake in oven until the bottom is browned and bubbling and the cheese on top is melted. This should take about 30 minutes. Broil for the last few minutes to help the top brown.
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 2 hrs 40 mins Serves: 6
A traditional British recipe for a hearty lamb pie from Caroline Watson
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
500g (2 cups) plain flour
230g (1 cup) salted butter
1 tsp dry mustard
beaten eggs, to glaze
For the filling
1-2 tbsp oil
1kg (2-1/4 lbs) Herdwick hogget or other boneless lamb shoulder, cubed
4 onions, chopped
1 swede, chopped
600ml (2-1/3 cups) local stout or ale
100g (1/2 cup) black pudding, chopped
200g (1 cup) damsons, stoned
1 tsp juniper berries, ground
1 small jar damson jam
1/2 tsp dried garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Hawkshead relish or Worcestershire sauce
Method
1. For the pastry: sift the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the dry mustard and just enough cold water to bring the mixture together into a soft dough. Turn this on to a lightly floured board and knead it lightly until smooth, then form it into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge while you make the filling.
2. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches and transfer it to a large flameproof casserole. Add the onion and swede to the frying pan and cook until softened and turning golden, then stir them into the lamb. Add all the remaining filling ingredients to the casserole and top it up with as much water as needed to cover. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 2 hours (or simmer over a low heat) until the meat is tender. Remove the casserole from the oven or hob and allow it to cool.
3. An hour before you want to serve, preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3 (338F). Take the dough out of the fridge, allow it to warm up a little and then roll it out on a lightly floured board. Use two-thirds to line a large pie dish and fill this with the lamb mixture. Cover the lamb with the remaining dough and crimp the edge to seal. Brush the beaten egg over the top to glaze. Cut a small hole in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Put the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
Heritage Meats specializes in Herdwick lamb, hogget, mutton and galloway beef, all reared free range on the lake district fells. Sold fresh, direct from the farm.
Editor’s Note
Substitutions and Supplies
Some of the ingredients in this recipe have unusual names or may not be readily available in your area, so I’ve compiled some definitions, substitutions and links for where you can purchase them from Amazon.
Swede – also known as a yellow turnip, Swedish turnip or Russion turnip. In the US, is is commonly referred to as a rutabaga.
Black Pudding – a type of blood sausage commonly eaten in Great Britain, Ireland and parts of Europe
Damson – A type of plum with a higher sugar content and astringency than norma plums. You can use a prune plum instead.
Juniper Berries – If you can’t find these locally (they are uncommon in American cooking) and don’t want to order online, here are some substituion ideas:
1 tsp. ground juniper berries = 8 whole berries
1 sprig of rosemary = four berries
1 crushed bay leaf = six berries
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
Put meatballs in the oven on a cookie sheet until browned. Remove the meatballs.
Pour the chili sauce and the grape jelly into the skillet and heat, stirring constantly and simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.
To keep warm place into a crockpot and keep covered on low.
Cook’s Notes:
Use Welch’s grape jelly or Cranberry Sauce. This recipe works great with pre-cooked, frozen meatballs. Just eliminate all of the meatball ingredients in the recipe, warm the sauce as above, then stir in the frozen meatballs with the heated sauce. Simmer on low to warm the meatballs through well, about 20 minutes, gently stirring them several times, then transfer them to a crockpot to keep warm if you like.
Frozen Meatballs in the Crockpot:
Heat the sauce on the stovetop. Place frozen meatballs into the crockpot and follow the suggestion on the bag of your brand of meatballs for heating. Generally speaking, you will need to allow about 3 hours for the meatballs to be ready to serve; about 2 hours on high, then another hour on low. Freshly cooked meatballs will only need to be held in the crockpot on low.
Cocktail Sausages:
Substitute a pound of cocktail sausages for the meatballs, eliminate all other ingredients except for the chili sauce and grape jelly.
I have to admit it—I’m a total nacho fiend. Whether I’m watching the game from the stands or on the couch at home, there are few things I find more satisfying than a plate of crunchy, cheesy nachos. I love playing around with different flavors, which is how I came up with my Mediterranean nachos—a healthier and more interesting riff on the classic dish. Preparing fresh hummus and tzatziki makes all the difference in this awesomely easy snack.
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) bag baked pita chips
2/3 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
2/3 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Hummus
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas
3 tablespoons tahini
4 to 5 ice cubes
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tzatziki
1 cup reduced-fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig dill, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, half minced, half diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Make the hummus: Drain the chickpeas, and skin them by placing them in a single layer on a paper towel and rubbing gently; the skins will come right off with your fingers. Place in a food processor with the tahini, blend, and then drop in the ice cubes one by one to create a very smooth texture. Transfer to a bowl, and add the juice of 1 lemon, 2 crushed garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well. If you want a thinner consistency (similar to nacho cheese or refried beans), stir in 1 tablespoon water.
Make the tzatziki: Combine the Greek yogurt, 2 crushed garlic cloves, the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 tablespoons olive oil, the dill, minced cucumbers, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Stir thoroughly so all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Lay out the pita chips on a tray or serving plate. Top with 3⁄4 cup of the hummus and 3⁄4 cup of the tzatziki, and sprinkle with the diced cucumbers, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and feta. Serve immediately with any leftover hummus and tzatziki on the side.
About the Contributor
“Fangating™” expert and celebrity cook Daina Falk, founder of the Hungry Fan®, is author of The Hungry Fan’s® Game Day Cookbook, which includes 165 Fangating™ recipes—including 40 that she collected from Olympians and professional athletes like LeBron James, Boomer Esiason, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi! Daina merges sports, food and entertaining (including tailgating and homegating) to celebrate and curate game day revelry like none other. Reach her online at www.HungryFan.com.
Shaun White, America’s most famous snowboarder, has competed in three consecutive Winter Olympic Games. And he’s got two gold medals to show for it. Pretty remarkable if you ask me. Shaun has publicly shared that his favorite cuisine is Chinese, so I created this recipe in homage to the King of Snowboarding. This is a delicious and athlete-approved spin on the classic chicken with cashew stir-fry. I cut down on the fat by using chicken breasts instead of thighs and opted to couch this protein-packed entrée in lettuce, rather than serving it traditionally atop white rice. This way you’ve got an easy and tasty finger food recipe for your fangate.
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion bulbs, plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 ounces snow peas, ends and threads removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal (about 2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, julienned (about 1 cup)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup roasted cashews
Freshly ground black pepper
16 Boston bibb or butter lettuce leaves
Directions:
Heat the oil in a wok or a large skillet over high.
Place the chicken, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag, and shake to coat.
When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the chicken turns opaque and is lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the green onion bulbs, garlic, ginger, snow peas, red bell peppers, onions, and celery to the wok, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender-crisp. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
Stir together the chicken stock, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add to the wok, and stir with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat, and simmer the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Return the chicken and veggies to the wok, and toss to coat everything well. Add the green onion tops and roasted cashews, season with pepper, and toss again.
Transfer the stir-fry to a serving bowl with a spoon. Serve with the lettuce leaves for wrapping.
About the Contributor
“Fangating™” expert and celebrity cook Daina Falk, founder of the Hungry Fan®, is author of The Hungry Fan’s® Game Day Cookbook, which includes 165 Fangating™ recipes—including 40 that she collected from Olympians and professional athletes like LeBron James, Boomer Esiason, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi! Daina merges sports, food and entertaining (including tailgating and homegating) to celebrate and curate game day revelry like none other. Reach her online at www.HungryFan.com.
This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites from Your Perfect Pie.
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
