The Solo Chef: Carrots

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Cottage Pie Recipe Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker

Portions: 2-4

Ingredients

500g Minced BEEF
2 Onions (diced)
4 Carrots (diced)
Frozen Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Oil (either vegetable oil or olive oil)
300ml of Beef Stock
Gravy Browning
Winiary Przyprawa (OPTIONAL)

Equipment

Ninja Foodi (With Pressure Cooker Lid)
Oven Dish(es) to portion the Cottage Pie in to

Instructions

Put a little oil in to the Ninja Foodi and set to Saute on a medium heat (4 will do nicely) and add the diced onion and give it a good stir until they have softened and just started to caramelise
Add the Minced Beef and continue to stir and chop up the mine with a wooden spatula in to small pieces
When the mince has browned, turn off the Saute mode and add in the carrots and beef stock and give it a good stir
Put on the Pressure Cooker lid and Pressure Cook on Hi for 15 minutes
Once the pressure cooking has stopped, add in some frozen peas!
Give it a good stir and add a tiny bit of gravy browning and if you fancy it, add a dash of Winiary Przyprawa (which is a Polish alternative to Worcestershire Sauce).
Portion out in to some oven dishes ready to put on the mashed potatoes and bake!

Serving Suggestion(s)

Serve with vegetables of your liking (runner beans and/or asparagus go very well with Cottage Pie).

Cottage Pie Recipe With a Twist

Introduction

First things first, lets get one thing clear - Cottage Pie is made with Minced Beef (or ground beef if you're American). It is not made with Minced Lamb.

There is no such thing as Cottage Pie made with Lamb Mince. What you're thinking of is Shepherds Pie (the clues in the name).

If you put cheese in/on the mash it is also not a Cottage Pie - that's a Cumberland Pie!

Portions: 4

Ingredients

500g Minced BEEF
2 Onions
4 Carrots
Frozen Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Oil (either vegetable oil or olive oil)
300ml of Beef Stock
Gravy Browning
Winiary Przyprawa

Equipment

Saucepan
Frying Pan
Oven Dish(es)

Instructions

Chop up the Onions and the Carrot
Fry the Onion and Carrot in a little oil until the carrot has started to soften
Remove the Carrots and Onion mixture from the frying pan and set to one side
Put a little oil in the pan and brown the Minced Beef
When the mince has browned pour in the Beef Stock
At this point you would traditionally add some Worcestershire Sauce, instead I've added a dash of Gravy Browning and a generous splash of Winiary Przyprawa sauce (yes, I know, with all these changes I guess it's not technically a Shepherds Pie any more)!!
Give it a good stir and simmer for 20 minutes
If you haven't already made some mashed potatoes, now's the time to do so whilst the minced beef mixture is simmering...
Add the frozen peas to the minced beef (yes, again, I know, traditionally you don't add peas to a Cottage Pie (they do go in Shepherds Pie though) but I had a handful left in the freezer that needed eating up)
Stir and simmer for a few more minutes
Pour the minced beef mixture in to 1 or more oven dishes
Cover in the mashed potatoes
IMPORTANT: rough up the mashed potato by using a fork, this will make the top nice and crispy!
Put in the over at 180° for approximately 15 minutes until the top is brown and crispy

Serving Suggestion(s)

Serve with vegetables of your liking (runner beans and/or asparagus go very well with Cottage Pie).

Scottish Mince and Tatties with a Twist

Portions: 2

Ingredients

500g Minced Beef
1 Onion
2-3 Carrots
Potatoes
Peas
Beef Stock (450ml)
Oil
Flour or Gravy Granules (for thickening)
Secret Ingredient 1
Secret Ingredient 2

Equipment

Frying Pan
Sauce Pan
Chopping Board
Knife
Spatula

Instructions

Prepare the onion and carrots by chopping them up in to small cubes
Put a little oil in your frying pan and gently fry the onion until it is starting to soften
Add the minced beef to the frying pan and using a spatula 'chop' it in to small pieces
Fry the mince until it has browned and then add the Beef Stock
Give the pan a good stir and then add the carrots
Mix well and leave to simmer...
Now it's time to cook the potatoes so peel them, chop them up and add them to a saucepan
When the carrots have started to soften it's time to add the peas
Secret Ingredients Time: It's at this point the recipe stops being Scottish so if you want to be authentic then skip this step...

The 2 'Secret Ingredients' I like to use in my Mince and Tatties are Sarsons Gravy Browning (just a tiny dash) and a generous splosh of Winiary Przyprawa (a Polish seasoning for soups and meat).

The Przyprawa (which can be found in most good supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons) is a flavour enhancer (just like Worcestershire Sauce is) and the Gravy Browning adds a nice depth of colour.
Thicken the mixture with either a little flour or I like to use Bisto Gravy Granules
Leave the pan to simmer and give it a stir every now and then
When the potatoes are cooked you are ready to serve!

Serving Suggestion(s)

Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes.

Pressure Cooked Frozen Chicken Legs and Veg with Onion Gravy in a NinjaFoodi

Portions: 2

Ingredients

2 Chicken Legs
Carrots & Other Veg (I'm using mushrooms and mini corn cobs)
Asparagus
Butter
Garlic
Small Onion (finely chopped)
500ml of hot water
Gravy Granules

Equipment

Electric Pressure Cooker (I'm using a Ninja Foodi)
Small pan for the gravy
Frying Pan
Wooden Spoon
Sieve

Instructions

Mix to small teaspoons of Chicken Gravy Granules in to 500ml of water and pour in to your pressure cooker bowl
Place your (Frozen) Chicken Legs in to the pressure cooker
Set the Temperature to High and the Time to 15 minutes
Prepare whatever vegetables you fancy for you meal
If you're having some Asparagus then wait until there is 5 minutes cooking time left and then add the butter, garlic and Asparagus to the frying pan and start to cook it
When the time is up on the pressure cooker, stop the cooking and release the steam!
Remove the chicken breasts from the Pressure Cooker and put to one side
Add your vegetables to the Pressure Cooker
Either add the Chicken Legs back in to the Pressure Cooker to finsish them off or if like me you like the skin crispy, wrap them in tin foil to keep them warm and then crisp them up in the air fryer function.
Set the Pressure Cooker temperature to High and set the Time for 3-4 minutes (depending on how soft you like your veggies)
When the time is up, release the steam! Then strain the vegetables over a saucepan.
Keep the veggies that you have just strained warm (I put them in a dish/bowl with a bit of tin foil on the top)
Add the chopped onion to the saucepan and heat up to a gentle simmer
The onions will slowly start to soften. Check the consistency of the gravy and add more Gravy Granules until it is at the thickness you prefer
When the onions have softened and the gravy is nice and thick, you are ready to dish up!
Serve and enjoy!

Serving Suggestion(s)

Check the finished dish out on TikTok:

@thesolochef_official
What's for tea today?! I love my #NinjaFoodi #PressureCooker and can't believe how quick it easy to cook things (even from frozen) and how delicious they are! #TheSoloChef #Ninja #WhatsForTea
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