It seems to me like I’ve only been sharing meat meals in the last while. Reality is I just haven’t been a very good blogger and haven’t been sharing as many recipes as I could be. I love to try new recipes and when they become favourites I usually like to blog them. There are a lot of reasons my blogging habit has follow off lately including renovating my house with plans to put it on the market. We are getting very close to our goal! I think the meat meals have been getting special attention because they’re so uncommon.

This steak pie was outrageously rich and all kinds of yum! I had bought a couple no hormone, no antibiotic steaks and organic beef stock at the grocery store recently and wanted to try something different. Cam’s not a fan of meat though; he won’t eat pork (and other than local bacon, I don’t either) and he’s not huge on beef. He was willing to try this pie and loved it from the first bite!

This recipe is best started earlier in the day. The filling needs to simmer for a couple hours and then you’ll want it to cool a bit before putting it in the pie crust. It will then cook for about 30-40 minutes so keep all this in mind if you plan to make this crazy delicious pie.

Here’s what I did:

87.365  Steak Pie

Pie Crust

  • 1 cup cold Unsalted Butter, cubed into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup Almond Milk
  1. Put the cubed butter in the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes. Measure out the almond milk and pop it in the freezer for a few minutes too.
  2. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor with the dough blade in place. Take the cold butter from the freezer and process it with the flour mixture until lumpy. Don’t over process.
  3. While the machine is processing, add the cold almond milk. Once the dough has come together, wrap the dough well in wax paper in disc shape and put in the fridge for an hour (or while you are making the pie filling). I like to make one disc a bit larger than the other. The larger one being for the bottom of the pie and the smaller for the top. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Steak Filling

  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup Carrots, diced
  • 1/2 cup Celery, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Thyme
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 1  14 oz can Diced Tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup Wine (I used a red I had open.)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Cracked Pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs Sirloin Steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I used a sirloin and a boneless ribeye)
  • 1 tbsp Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Beef Stock
  • 2/3 cup frozen Peas
  • 1 Egg
  • 3 tbsp Water
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and oregano and cook for a further 5 or 6 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper. Stir in and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  2. Add the cubes of beef, stirring to combine and then add about 1/2 cup of the beef stock. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. You may need to add more stock as you go to ensure the mixture doesn’t dry out and burn. I ended up using about a total of 1 1/2 cups of stock.
  3. After the mixture has simmered for 2 hours, turn off the heat and sprinkle flour over the mixture. Stir well to incorporate, and the residual heat from the mixture will allow any cooking liquid to reduce and thicken. You are after the consistency of a Bolognese sauce. If you need to add more stock, do. Fold in the peas, and let the residual heat defrost them. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan to the side to cool.
  4. Preheat oven to 400’F and in a small bowl whisk together the egg and water. Set aside.
  5. After the mixture has cooled slightly, take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll the discs out into circles big enough to line a cast iron skillet or deep dish pie pan.
  6. Transfer the pie filling mixture to the pie shell and pinch the crust edges together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash, and cut a few slits into the crust to allow steam to escape during the baking process.
  7. Bake at 400’F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350’F for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Steak Pie

Leif was born six years ago today (I wrote this last friday)! He was born in the wee hours of the morning. You can read his birth story here.

I still think about that night that Leif was born. From the moment I started to think that my labour was impending and preparing to give birth to him on my own at home, to the slow, intense 3 hours I laboured him during his birth, to welcoming my only son to our lives.

He changed me. He healed me.

I’m reminiscing tonight and want to share some of my favourite photos of Leif.

Leif less than a day old and and waking up next to his sister always eager to make him smile.

Leif Pleased that Leif finally woke up!

About 7 months old sitting and playing with wooden fruit while I make supper. Nursing pillow behind and pillows in front!

Leif

Newly walking. (sorry about my voice!)

Trying to get up on the counter and a picture Paxye took when she visited us on the island of Cam and Leif walking on a log. This is how my kids dressed growing up and being ec’d always in t-shirt, one wet pants and baby legs!

Leif Daddy and Leify up high

Spending time with friends on Gabriola and exploring Prince Rupert after our move.

Broom Busting Hitching a ride

Spending time with dad and new playmobil and being my second shooter when making another empathy poster.

Playing with a playmobil chainsaw Second Shooter

Always with the faces and being silly!

Untitled My crazy son

Ahhhhh....

But sometimes just being himself.

Leif with his baby, "Lily" Leify the Beefy

Leify

Celebrating Imbolc in style

Eating lunch together

Feeling shy.

A little snack before supper Leify

Having a bath at the cabin and showing me what I always look like with a camera on my face!

Bath Time Facebox face!

Dress up!

Wonder Boy! Roar!

Sweet and Serious Birdie Leif

Pilot Work Man

Visiting Oona River and showing some excitment!

Leify Untitled

Sometimes Leif is a bad guy and sometimes a rock star!

Bad guys! Untitled

Time spent on Kitson Island and Lucy Island!

Leif hanging in the huge net hammock Playing with fire

Fishing with Dad.

Fishing with Dad

Bonfire at the cabin.

Evening bon fire

So peaceful when asleep and with his best sister, Lily.

1.365 Over the dam

So curious!

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Exploring

We received exciting news that our good friends gave birth to a baby girl the day before and of course our friend Kim’s birthday is shared with Leif. It’s so wonderful to celebrate these birthday’s together every year!

We went for a mucky hike this week in search of a sauna built into the side of a tree! We didn’t know what we’d find when we were hiking the trail. Maybe nothing at all?

Following the trail

Or maybe something incredible!

Leif and Lily packed their own packs for this hike. Leif had his rain coat, rain pants, pliers and knife. Lily packed a swim suit for some just-in-case saunafication along with her rain gear.

Peek

The hidden and hushed sauna was there and sits next to a lovely meandering creek and lush mossy beds all around.

It was worth the muddy hike

Hidden Sauna

At first glance, we were wowed and then as we got closer we were feeling really let down. It looked like the place had been ransacked by beasties with bits of plastic, a strewn first aid kit and random flip flops all about. The telltale sign of beer and cheap liquor bottles suggest that it was a drunken free for all that made such a mess. A shame because the sauna looks well supplied apart from being extremely unappealing in it’s current shape. Next time I’ll know to bring garbage bags with me for a bit of clean up.

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Where they meet

Once and a while our weather forecast reads the opposite as many of our friend’s living elsewhere. We’ll have sun and they’ll have our usual dreary grey weather. The last week has been one of the those times. We have been soaking up as much of the sun as we can! The kids have been living outside, grudgingly coming in for meals and sleeping. I only wish I were a bit more free with my time to be outside as much as they are. Working on our house to sell it is taking up a lot of our time!

Diana Lake mirror

We took our bikes out to Diana Lake with friends to enjoy the sunny afternoon some days ago. Even with the sun shining, we still had to pack toques, mitts and firewood. It’s still early March in Northern BC and quite chilly, especially when the sun goes behind a cloud. We even had to ride through a few patches of snow before getting to the lake.

Riding bikes to Diana Lake, no biggie

Once we got to the lake the sun warmed us enough to take shoes off and dip toes in the lake.

We rode through snow to get here

We took the afternoon slow. Cooking lunch, eating cookies and snacks, riding push bikes, launching logs into the water, climbing trees, building with sand and chatting with friends…

Cookies all round Playing by the water

I mostly just sat around when I wasn’t clicking my camera.

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Diana Lake

We had to leave before the sun went down or it would have been a truly cold ride back to the truck.

Riding out before the sun goes down Mirrored

We had to take a few minutes though to take a few pictures over the damn and by the river.

Over the dam

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And chat a bit while we loaded our bikes back in our trucks. What a great day!

Loved the ride back Smooooosh

I don’t know why I keep trying new pancake recipes when I have so many that my family already love. Alas, I tried this recipe and they may be my family’s favourite pancakes yet?! These are perfect for when you have leftover quinoa for the night before.

Quinoa Pancakes

Quinoa Pancakes

  • 1 cup cooked Quinoa
  • 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour (or all purpose flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3 large Egg Whites
  • 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (plain, vanilla or sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup Milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tbsp Demerara Sugar or Maple Syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
  • 2/3 cup fresh Berries (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together cooked quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites. Add and whisk in yogurt, milk, and demerara sugar until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add vanilla and whisk again.
  3. Gently fold in fresh berries, careful not to fold too much and run the colour and mush the berries.
  4. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt a little butter. Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet and press into the poured batter a few chocolate chips if you’re adding them.
  5. Cook until bubbles appear on top, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes.

Quinoa Pancakes

Quinoa Pancakes

We’re in the midst of painting our house at the moment (more soon!) but I thought I’d pop on with a quick and easy recipe. Sharing the recipe is quick and making it is easy- at least it’s easy to make but you need to allow it to stew for a couple hours before you want to eat it. That said, I have successfully made this meal with less stewing time when I’ve been in a pinch for time. I suppose the ability to stew less has a lot to do with the quality of beef one’s using! This is a wonderfully delicious meal!

Here’s what I did:

Curry Beef Stew

Curry Beef Stew

  • 2 pounds Top Sirloin Steak, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used antibiotic and hormone free stew beef)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 2 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 1 large Onion, diced
  • 3 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 28 oz can of diced Tomatoes
  • 14 oz can Coconut Milk
  • 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tsp Ginger, minced
  • 3 tbsp Mango Chutney (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups Carrots, sliced
  • 1 Bell Pepper, diced
  • 1 cup frozen Peas
  • 3 cups cooked Quinoa or Jasmine rice
  1. Heat a large stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add a tsp or so of olive oil and brown the meat in two batches, then remove from the pot and set aside seasoning with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Discard the leftover drippings from pan.
  2. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the garlic and onion. Sauté for a few minutes or until the onion is tender. Return the beef to the stockpot with the curry paste and bay leaf, stir and cook for one minute. Stir in the tomatoes, coconut milk, lemon juice, ginger and chutney then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer for 1 1/4 hours.
  3. Add the carrots and continue simmering while covered for 30- 45 minutes or until the beef and carrots are fork-tender.
  4. Stir in the bell pepper and peas and cook uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes or until the bell pepper is crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
  5. Serve in a bowl over the hot quinoa or rice.