Vegetarian/Vegan Cottage Pie

(Surely there's a better name for this?)

Filling:
Basically, a big Mix of Stuff - you can use whatever vegetables you have around. Last night I used:
* Onions (1 and a half)
* Garlic (3 cloves)
* A handful of yellow split peas (these give it a meaty flavour)
* About two cups of red lentils
* Two carrots, chopped finely
* Broccoli, chopped
* Zucchini, chopped
* Tinned tomatoes (I can)
* Vegetarian stock (a couple of teaspoons)
* Soy sauce (a couple of tablespoons)

Making:
*Cook the split peas separately, as they'll take a while.
* Meanwhile, fry the onions until soft, then add garlic. Add red lentils, stir around for a while, add some water and let it simmer for a bit.
* Add vegetables.
* When everything looks close to being ready, add the tinned tomatoes, stock, and soy sauce. Let it simmer until it's moist, but not too soupy.

Topping
While you're cooking the filling, chop up a heap of potatoes (maybe six or seven, if they're large) and put them on to boil. I prefer not to peel them.

Once they're cooked, mash them and mix in some soy milk (or real milk, if you prefer). I also like to add a heap of pepper.

Assembling:
Pour the filling into a dish, put the topping on, sprinkle with paprika, then put in a moderate oven for about half an hour.

Nacho nacho man

superduper lots of nacho mix for when you're feeling tired and in need of irons.

bits:
* 500g of beef mince (or more if your'e feeling particularly meaty - just use less vegetable or elseyou'll have nachos for a month)
* one small zucchini (or half a big one)
* one small - medium sized capsicum (doesn't matter what colour)
* one onion
* two or three tomatoes or one tin of diced tomatos
* one or two tins of three or four bean mix, depending on just how big and beany you want it
* some tomato paste
* quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon
* half teaspoon ground nutmeg
* tablespoon of cumin powder (i think...you need a fair bit of cumin power)
* quarter - half a teaspoon of paprika
* as much cayenne pepper and/or chili as you're into
* half a teaspoon of dried oregano is also nice sometimes
* quite a bit of parsley - helps mute the digestory effects of the onion and beans, and it won't alter the taste too much
* bit of oil
* condiments - salsa, jalapenos, sour cream, cheese, refried beans, whatever

rules:
1. cut up the onion into smallish pieces - pretty much however big you want the onion to be when you find it in the final product.
2. start sweating the onions in a little oil in a big pot (soup pot or the like). when about half done, chuck in the mince and turn the burner down to medium low so that you can go off and do other things and it doesn't burn. stir it around a bit to loosen the mince up.
3. dice one tomato into quite small bits and stir it into the onion meat mix. by now, there should be a bit of juice happening in the pot.
4. start putting the spices in. you can alter the amounts, cuz it'll start smelling super good right about now, so you'll know when you've hit the right combination. be very sparing with the cinnamon though, otherwise it turns into nacho doughnuts.
5. cut up the res tof the tomatoes, zucchini, capsicum, mushrooms, and any other vegetables you've decided to add. cut 'em up pretty small.
6. when you can't see any pink in the meat, you can start adding more stuff. add the tomato paste (like, a table spoon and a half? one or two scoops, anyway) and remaining tomatoes, then add the zucchini first, then the capsicum. hold off on the mushrooms for now.
7. drain and wash the beans. add them around the same time as the zucchini and capsicum. stir it all about, cuz it's getting to the stage where it'll start wanting to catch on the bottom.
8. turn the heat up as far as you can handle it. if you're going to wander off and do other things, keep it down to simmer by itself. if you're going to stare at it and stir it, you can turn it right up. just make sure it's not burning on the bottom.
9. when it's looking just about ready, chuck the mushrooms in (and chopped parsley, if you're using fresh rather than dried parsley). keep cooking and stirring until the mushrooms are done enough for you.
10. serve with corn chips, cheese, salsa, jalapeno chilis, and sour cream. good with beer and british comedy.

Ultimate Break Up Treat

Ingredients:

* More potatoes than you think are strictly necessary,
* An onion or two,
* More mushrooms than you think are strictly necessary,
* More butter than you think is strictly necessary,
* Some of slices of bread/Some breadcrumbs,
* Some delicious melty cheese

What To Do:
* Peel and boil them potatoes like nobody's business.
* Sautee the onions until they start going clear, then add the mushrooms and lightly cook them.
* Mash up the potatoes when they are soft. Put the mashed potato into a big baking dish.
* Mix through the onion and mushroom concoction.
* Either grate the cheese, OR, if you are lazy or fragile, dice the cheese. Mix the grated cheese through the potatoonionmushroom mush, or poke the cubular cheese in strategically.
* Foodprocess up yourself some tasty breadcrumbs. Put a good layer of breadcrumbs on top of all the other mush.
* Melt some butter (much more than you think you should), and drizzle on the breadcrumbs.
* Cook in an oven on some heat until the breadcrumbs go crunchy and awesome.
* Munch it down.

You are cured! Right? Right?!