r e . a l i t y

ɹǝʌo ǝɯ uɹnʇ – sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı

pinkfloyd-wishyouwerehere

May 17, 2013
by Ray
0 comments

New Vinyl

pinkfloyd-wishyouwereherePicked up a remastered 180g vinyl pressing of Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, released in 2011.  It’s probably my all-time favorite album – and I look forward to playing it.  My original copy is over 30 years old – I remember buying it along with Queen, Night at the Opera – another classic!

May 13, 2013
by Ray
0 comments

Lamb sliders

Mother’s Day dinner on the BBQ was a hit.  Made beef & lamb sliders.  Ground lamb & ground beef from  Acme Meat Market, along with a couple jars of condiments: Mint & Ginger Jelly, and also a Red Pepper Curry Mustard.  These were delicious – and while they are a bit spendy, a little goes a long way!

Print
Lamb sliders
Recipe type: BBQ
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground lamb
  • 3 links Italian mild sausage
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground pepper
  • ½ cup plain greek yogurt
  • ⅓ english cucumber, grated
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 dozen slider/cocktail buns
  • few slices of gruyere cheese
  • butter lettuce
  • mint and ginger jelly

Instructions
  1. Start barbeque and get it heated up well
  2. Remove casings from Italian sausage and mix well with the ground lamb, adding the cumin, salt and pepper.
  3. Form into 2 inch balls, and flatten slightly
  4. Put BBQ on low, and add patties
  5. Cook about 4-5 minutes/side, add a slice of gruyere about 30-45 sec before finishing the second side
  6. Combine greek yogurt, cucumber, cilantro, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. This can be prepared while cooking the sliders, or earlier – just refrigerate after mixing. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Cut buns in half.
  8. Spread some mint and ginger jelly on bottom half, add slider, and add yogurt sauce to top half.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

 

April 29, 2013
by Ray
0 comments

The right tool for the job

Floor jack

3 1/2 ton floor jack

Finally picked up a floor jack from Princess Auto this past weekend.  I’ve wanted one for a while, and I immediately put it to use swapping the winter tires off of my in-laws car.  It was amazing how quick the job went – certainly wasent a NASCAR tire changing speed, but had all four tires done in about 15 – 20 minutes I think…. And that included inflating all four summer tires :)

With a 21″ lift height, it should work well on the Jeep too!

 

March 18, 2013
by Ray
0 comments

Shepard’s Pie

I used the America’s Test Kitchen recipe as a base, and added about 1/3 cup red wine (instead of the Madeira), and used canned mushroom pieces instead of chopped up fresh mushrooms.  Didn’t have any fresh thyme on hand, so I used a teaspoon of dry thyme instead.  The results were delicious – and even tastier the next day heating up left overs for lunch.  I used lean ground beef when I made this over the weekend, and it did turn out a bit greasy – next time I’ll use extra lean ground beef, and also add some frozen peas a few minutes before adding the cornstarch.

Print
Shepard’s Pie
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Irish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

Ingredients
  • 1½pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons water
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1¼cups beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions
  1. Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.
  2. Bring potatoes to a boil potatoes in medium saucepan, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft (tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance) about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan on low heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, to evaporate any surface moisture on the potatoes, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk in small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.
  4. Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes.
  5. Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add red wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute.
  7. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.
  8. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through.
  9. Stir cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water together in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.
  11. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off 1 corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure to cover entire surface. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet under broiler for a few minutes, until potatoes are golden brown & crusty, and the filling is bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  12. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe