Monday, February 13, 2012

#RomanticMeal ~ Valentine's Day Dinner - Easy to Make and Crazy Delicious! Your Man will love it -- and You!!

Steak Pie for Valentine's Day Dinner at Home - yum!!


Delicious and Easy Steak Pie


Key for Men: Do NOT leave the clean up for your Wife - Big Mistake - if you're having your Valentine's Day Dinner at home, you must be super-extra kind, either do the dishes, or help with the dishes..and did I already say, Be Nice? hahaha! #WordToTheWise - haha!

So here's what I'm making, today... Scottish Steak Pie, but my own version, without the yuuucky kidneys (the traditional Scottish Steak Pie is a combination of steak and kidneys... I would guess that most people in North America aren't in the habit of eating kidneys (blah!! lol!), and even though they're full of iron, I canny stand the texture! haha!  So I made up my own recipe to still get the delicious steak part, plus the amazing Puff Pastry topping... I just buy that in the Freezer Section of the grocery store -- usually back by the frozen pie shells.  You just put it in the fridge the day you're going to use it, then your can either roll it out or just unwrap the package, open the pastry (it'll be folded in three, probably, and lay right on the steak pie... is even easier if you use a 9" X 13" pan... round is just fancier! lol!

Steak Pie Main Ingredients... you can make this on it's own, too -- you just serve it with mashed potatoes -- yum!
The Crock Pot, all ready to go... set on High while you're in the house, but if you are heading out to work, or for a walk, or whatnot, set on lower setting, for the longest period of time on your Crock Pot. I set mine for 6 hours on High, then it will go to Simmer for a few more hours... the meat will be soo tender!
Here we go -- all the meat is in -- steak at the bottom, sausages  next, then the mushrooms, sprinkle with Onion Soup Mix and Montreal Steak Spice, pour 8 cups of boiling water over everything, stir and cover.

So I've just put the meat and mushrooms on, using the Crock Pot.  It's a crazy easy way to make this meal, since the secret to amazing melt-in-your-mouth steak is to slow-cook it, so I put it on in the morning, let it simmer away all day, will pull the meat apart in the evening, and cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces... and everything cooks together, so you just rinse all the meat ( a package of steak -- doesn't matter what kind -- rinse a package of sausages (I use Mild Italian Sausage, since my son, Aidan, (he's 12!) doesn't really like spicy things, but normally I would use the Hot Italian Sausage (sounds good for Valentine's Day, anyway! hahahahaha! Okay, that little jokes just for me!! lol!)... anyway, place the steak on the bottom of the Crock Pot, then add the sausages -- no need to cut them, just place them in the pot, then clean some button mushrooms (quarter the mushrooms if you like), pop them on top of the meat, sprinkle on a package of Onion Soup Mix and sprinkle that with Montreal Steak Spice (yum!), then pour 8 cups of boiling water over everything.  I use a really big Crock Pot, since I like to make an enormous Steak Pie... seems like I only work in 'enormous' or 'nothing'! hahahaha!  Story o' me life! lol!

When the Steak and Sausages are fully cooked, make the gravy  (follow the directions below :), pour into a large pan or pie plate, fit the pastry over the steak, like a pie (no pastry on the bottom), brush with egg and sprinkle a little salt (you can make fancy wee Love Hearts or Leaves out of the pastry, if you're feeling extra-fancy, today! lol! Just use a little of the egg to 'glue' the shapes onto the pastry)... pop in the oven for about 45 minutes, until it's a lovely golden brown, make your mashed potatoes and veggie, and Voila, you're done!! This is fantastic the next day, too, if you should have any left over!! lol!  Happy Eating!!

                                                                            * * *

 This is my own version of the Traditional Scottish Steak Pie. In the Traditional Steak Pie (Steak and Kidney Pie), it's full of Steak and Kidneys, which I do not like -- not at all! But I love, love, love Steak Pie, so I adapted it to a more 'North American' taste, taking out the yucky Kidneys, and replacing the kidneys with sausages (yum!).

Ingredients:

1 Pound Beef Cubes or Steak

1 Pound Sausage (I like large English Sausage or Mild Italian Sausage)

Onion Soup Mix (2 Packages or 6 Tablespoons of the Onion Soup Mix from the Bulk Package -- from Costco!)

1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms (If Whole, just Quarter the Mushrooms)

1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice (or Whatever Steak Spice you use -- 1 tsp if it's too salty)

4 Cups of Water

Bisto, Flour or Corn Starch for the Gravy.

Puff Pastry (Just buy the Package at your Local Grocers in the Frozen Pastry Section -- usually over by the Fozen Fruit.)

1 Egg (optional)

Salt

Directions:
I use a Large Electric Wok to make the Meat, since it's huge and holds a nice steady heat. I've made it in a Crock Pot, before (pop the meat in before you go out to work...). You can use a Big Skillet, too.

Brown the Sausages. Remove from the Pan and slice. (If you have a George Foreman Grill, or the like, that's even better to remove the ft from the sausages... then brown the steak right after the sausages are done. Mnnn, lovely!)

In the same pan, brown the Meat.

Toss the Mushrooms in on top of the Meat. Cover and simmer a wee bit. (about 5-10 minutes)

Add the Sliced Sausages

Add the Water. Stir in the Onion Soup mix and the Spices.

Turn the Heat down to Simmer.

Cover and leave it for hours and hours. Literally. The longer this cooks, the tastier it is, so if you put it on in the morning, the steak will be sooo tender by the evening. Yum. (Do I sound hungry??)

You can make this delicious Roast Meat Meal in the oven, too - this is my new favorite way to make it, is soo easy, and then relax for the day, in the house, while it's cooking - I would give it a good 6 hours, 2 to 4 cups of water in with the meat, depending on the size of the roast beef, ham, turkey... before you put it in the oven, and along with your spices, cover with foil, cook it at 350 for hours and hours - and throw some scrubbed and pierced potatoes around the edges - yum! So delicious! : )

When the Steak is cooked nicely (it'll shred easily), remove all fat from the meat and pull apart with a fork. It's easy if you just remove it onto a separate plate. Return Shredded Steak If you have a wee dog, they will love you even more if you share a wee bit with them!

Using a Slotted Spoon, remove all the Meat and Mushrooms from the Pan and place in a Deep Pie Dish. I usually double the batch so I can make enough for Two Big Steak Pies, since that'll make it much easier the next time we have it -- I just put the extra Meat in another Pie Dish and freeze it -- no Pastry on the Frozen Pie.
Now I just section the pulled meat into baggies, pop them in the freezer, fantastic over Ramen, put the broken noodles in a medium size bowl, put the meat on top, cover in boiling water, pop in the microwave for 3 minutes, add 2 or 3 sorta heaping teaspoons of Chicken OXO, is waaay better than the flavor packet it comes with - lol! Add some chopped green onions and parsley - ah'yum! And we make the Pass da Pasta with the frozen meat, too, or anything else we like : )

Make the Gravy. The easiest way to make a nice smooth Gravy is to put a Couple of Tablespoons of Corn Stach and a pinch of Salt into a Tea Cup. Stir the Corn Starch and Salt to make it smooth. Then add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Liquid (see in the picture?) to the Tea Cup. Stir into the Corn Starch until completely smooth. Add in a bit more at a time until you have about a half-cup of the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. Turn the heat up on the Liquid, then quickly stir in the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. The Gravy will thicken up and be delicious in no time. (Seconds, really...)

Pour the Gravy over the Meat in the Pie Dish.

Now I just add enough water, when I cook this Roast Meat in the oven, to create it's own gravy - ah'yum! Way faster and easier - not fastie schmast, over all, but when it's time to put the whole meal together to serve it, that's when it comes together really quickly - lol! 

Oh, and this is the Steak and Mushroom in a Cream Sauce, Le Closure Meal - is supposed to be a meal you serve the one you want to marry, and they'll propose the next day - or, something like that - it IS very delicious, and for some reason, you ARE totally thinking about how delicious it was, later that night, AND the following day, sooo.... might work! And at the very least, you'll have a grea meal - haha! 

Puff Pastry: Oh, I love Puff Pastry! Follow the Package Instructions and take it out of the Freezer well in advance. Remove one 'Square' of the Pastry and roll it out on some Parchment Paper (if you have it) with lots of Flour on the Rolling Surface so it won't stick. Put plenty of flour on the rolling pin, too. Roll it to fit the Pie Plate -- about 1/8th of an inch thick.

Place the Pastry on top of the Meat, and trim around the edges. Make little 'slot marks' in the center of the Steak Pie with a sharp knife. If you're feeling creative, shape the extra pieces of Pastry into Leaves and 'glue them' onto the Pie Crust with a wee bit of Egg.

Beat One Egg. Using a Pastry Brush, very lightly 'paint' the egg on the Pastry. (If you are allergic to Eggs, just skip this part and use milk.) Sprinkle a wee bit of Salt on the Pastry with a normal Salt Shaker.

Pop in the Oven for about 45 minutes, to cook the Puff Pastry. Check back at 20 minutes to see how it's doing, and to turn the Pie if you need to. The Finished Steak Pie should be a lovely Golden Brown.
Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Peas. (That's the Traditional Meal -- usually served at Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year.) I make it year-round, because it's delicious and everybody loves it. And now that I've just written all about it, I'm desperate for a wee bit of it, now, so I think I'll make it this week!
I must have some photos of the finished Product, so I'll go through my old Photos to see where it is!

Happy Eating! Ailsa!

Look who's tried this Recipe:

Hi, Ailsa. I found your web site when looking for a recipe for Steak Pie. My husband loves to get it when we go to a little pub in Napanee. There it is Steak and Kidney, but like yourself, I am not a fan of Kidney. I tried your recipe today-I was afraid of the Puff pastry, as I had never used it before, but it all turned out very well, and my husband loved it.

Where were you born in Scotland? I am origionally from Dundee, but have been in Canada for 40 years.
I don't know where you get the time for all the STUFF for your web site. It is fun reading it.

Best Wishes ...........Helen

Hello, Helen! That's one of my favorite names! Oh, I love Napanee -- so pretty. I think I know the Pub... is it on the Main Street? I'm glad you liked the Steak Pie -- delicious, isn't it? Did you happen to make Apple or Cherry Turnovers with the extra Puff Pastry? I always do that, and everyone loves them. Good for your Figure, too, as far as I'm willing to understand how Puff Pastry fits into a Diet! ha,ha!

I was born in Glasgow, Scotland (Cumbernauld), and we all moved to Canada when I was 2 and a half, so I've been here for 40 years, too. Except for a few lucky years in my Twenties when I got to live in California... We have many friends from Dundee, so I have to assume that you have a great sense of humour, since I think that's a given if you're from Dundee or the surrounding area, am I right??

I love that you found my little website -- well, not so wee, anymore! I started it with a baby on my lap, and now he's in Grade One (and Cara was in Grade 8, and I had to wait for her to come home from school so she could turn the computer on for me, because I couldn't seem to remember how to do that, so it was quite a feat for me to become a successful website owner... and now Cara has finished High School and is heading to Scotland to visit my Mum & Dad this Spring -- lucky girl!), so it's a long, slow process... and a whole lot of fun. I don't know anyone who is only interested in one thing, so that's my theory behind adding in whatever happens to appeal to me on the site. Plus, who's gonna stop me? ha,ha,ha!

Thanks for Writing! I love to hear from my Readers! Ailsa

 This is my own version of the Traditional Scottish Steak Pie. In the Traditional Steak Pie (Steak and Kidney Pie), it's full of Steak and Kidneys, which I do not like -- not at all! But I love, love, love Steak Pie, so I adapted it to a more 'North American' taste, taking out the yucky Kidneys, and replacing the kidneys with sausages (yum!).

Ingredients:

1 Pound Beef Cubes or Steak

1 Pound Sausage (I like large English Sausage or Mild Italian Sausage)

Onion Soup Mix (2 Packages or 6 Tablespoons of the Onion Soup Mix from the Bulk Package -- from Costco!)

1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms (If Whole, just Quarter the Mushrooms)

1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice (or Whatever Steak Spice you use -- 1 tsp if it's too salty)

4 Cups of Water

Bisto, Flour or Corn Starch for the Gravy.

Puff Pastry (Just buy the Package at your Local Grocers in the Frozen Pastry Section -- usually over by the Fozen Fruit.)

1 Egg (optional)

Salt

Directions:
I use a Large Electric Wok to make the Meat, since it's huge and holds a nice steady heat. I've made it in a Crock Pot, before (pop the meat in before you go out to work...). You can use a Big Skillet, too.

Brown the Sausages. Remove from the Pan and slice. (If you have a George Foreman Grill, or the like, that's even better to remove the ft from the sausages... then brown the steak right after the sausages are done. Mnnn, lovely!)

In the same pan, brown the Meat.

Toss the Mushrooms in on top of the Meat. Cover and simmer a wee bit. (about 5-10 minutes)

Add the Sliced Sausages

Add the Water. Stir in the Onion Soup mix and the Spices.

Turn the Heat down to Simmer.

Cover and leave it for hours and hours. Literally. The longer this cooks, the tastier it is, so if you put it on in the mornign, the steak will be sooo tender by the evening. Yum. (Do I sound hungry??)


When the Steak is cooked nicely (it'll shred easily), remove all fat from the meat and pull apart with a fork. It's easy if you just remove it onto a separate plate. Return Shredded Steak If you have a wee dog, they will love you even more if you share a wee bit with them!

Using a Slotted Spoon, remove all the Meat and Mushrooms from the Pan and place in a Deep Pie Dish. I usually double the batch so I can make enough for Two Big Steak Pies, since that'll make it much easier the next time we have it -- I just put the extra Meat in another Pie Dish and freeze it -- no Pastry on the Frozen Pie.


Make the Gravy. The easiest way to make a nice smooth Gravy is to put a Couple of Tablespoons of Corn Stach and a pinch of Salt into a Tea Cup. Stir the Corn Starch and Salt to make it smooth. Then add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Liquid (see in the picture?) to the Tea Cup. Stir into the Corn Starch until completely smooth. Add in a bit more at a time until you have about a half-cup of the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. Turn the heat up on the Liquid, then quickly stir in the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. The Gravy will thicken up and be delicious in no time. (Seconds, really...)

Pour the Gravy over the Meat in the Pie Dish.


Puff Pastry: Oh, I love Puff Pastry! Follow the Package Instructions and take it out of the Freezer well in advance. Remove one 'Square' of the Pastry and roll it out on some Parchment Paper (if you have it) with lots of Flour on the Rolling Surface so it won't stick. Put plenty of flour on the rolling pin, too. Roll it to fit the Pie Plate -- about 1/8th of an inch thick.

Place the Pastry on top of the Meat, and trim around the edges. Make little 'slot marks' in the center of the Steak Pie with a sharp knife. If you're feeling creative, shape the extra pieces of Pastry into Leaves and 'glue them' onto the Pie Crust with a wee bit of Egg.

Beat One Egg. Using a Pastry Brush, very lightly 'paint' the egg on the Pastry. (If you are allergic to Eggs, just skip this part and use milk.) Sprinkle a wee bit of Salt on the Pastry with a normal Salt Shaker.

Pop in the Oven for about 45 minutes, to cook the Puff Pastry. Check back at 20 minutes to see how it's doing, and to turn the Pie if you need to. The Finished Steak Pie should be a lovely Golden Brown.
Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Peas. (That's the Traditional Meal -- usually served at Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year.) I make it year-round, because it's delicious and everybody loves it. And now that I've just written all about it, I'm desperate for a wee bit of it, now, so I think I'll make it this week!
I must have some photos of the finished Product, so I'll go through my old Photos to see where it is!

Happy Eating! Ailsa!

Look who's tried this Recipe:

Hi, Ailsa. I found your web site when looking for a recipe for Steak Pie. My husband loves to get it when we go to a little pub in Napanee. There it is Steak and Kidney, but like yourself, I am not a fan of Kidney. I tried your recipe today-I was afraid of the Puff pastry, as I had never used it before, but it all turned out very well, and my husband loved it.

Where were you born in Scotland? I am origionally from Dundee, but have been in Canada for 40 years.
I don't know where you get the time for all the STUFF for your web site. It is fun reading it.

Best Wishes ...........Helen

Hello, Helen! That's one of my favorite names! Oh, I love Napanee -- so pretty. I think I know the Pub... is it on the Main Street? I'm glad you liked the Steak Pie -- delicious, isn't it? Did you happen to make Apple or Cherry Turnovers with the extra Puff Pastry? I always do that, and everyone loves them. Good for your Figure, too, as far as I'm willing to understand how Puff Pastry fits into a Diet! ha,ha!

I was born in Glasgow, Scotland (Cumbernauld), and we all moved to Canada when I was 2 and a half, so I've been here for 40 years, too. Except for a few lucky years in my Twenties when I got to live in California... We have many friends from Dundee, so I have to assume that you have a great sense of humour, since I think that's a given if you're from Dundee or the surrounding area, am I right??

I love that you found my little website -- well, not so wee, anymore! I started it with a baby on my lap, and now he's in Grade One (and Cara was in Grade 8, and I had to wait for her to come home from school so she could turn the computer on for me, because I couldn't seem to remember how to do that, so it was quite a feat for me to become a successful website owner... and now Cara has finished High School and is heading to Scotland to visit my Mum & Dad this Spring -- lucky girl!), so it's a long, slow process... and a whole lot of fun. I don't know anyone who is only interested in one thing, so that's my theory behind adding in whatever happens to appeal to me on the site. Plus, who's gonna stop me? ha,ha,ha!

Thanks for Writing! I love to hear from my Readers! Ailsa


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