I don’t know why but I just can’t seem to stand seeing things sitting there, left idle day in and day out. I would want to use it all up…or throw it away, otherwise. Take, for instance, the mashed mixed sweet potatoes/potatoes that my daughter made for our Chap Goh Meh dinner. She made a whole lot and we could only eat this much so the mum packed the rest in a plastic container and stuffed it in the fridge. Seeing that staring at me each time I opened the door sure sent my adrenaline juices shooting through my head so I started thinking of what I could do with it.
Then, there was this bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce that the two bought to cook something (that I can’t remember what now) and used only a bit. That would have to go as well…sooner or later, if I had my way.
So that day, I looked into the freezer for some meat but all I could find was a bit of pork so I just used that and cut it into slices and marinated it generously with the Lea & Perrins. Then I sliced one Bombay onion and also a can of straw mushrooms that had been hibernating in the pantry for quite awhile now – still good, due to expire in April…and I threw everything, with some chopped Rosemary from my garden, into a pan and let it cook…
…adding a dash of pepper and salt to it, till all the juices had come out after which, I just left it to simmer.
When the gravy had more or less dried up, I transferred everything into a casserole…
…and covered it all up with the mashed sweet potatoes/potatoes…
…and put it in the oven to bake till the cover had turned nicely golden and a bit crusty…
There, it’s done! Nice and easy…and all ready to be cut and served…
So was it nice?
Well, I would say that I would prefer beef or lamb instead…and mashed potatoes – my version with cheese and milk…but it was good, much better than some of the stuff we can get outside, and we finished it all up that day.
Now, there’s still half a bottle of the Lea & Perrins left… Two down, one to go! Tsk! Tsk!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Your version of shepherd’s pie? Lol
It certainly is…and it is nicer than what they serve at that West Malaysian franchise here in town.
That’s really innovative! It’s like a nice pork Shepherd’s pie but with sweet potatoes + regular potatoes instead of just the latter on top.
I’ll love to bake something like this! π
It was a nice change but personally, I prefer beef and ordinary mashed potatoes. Let me know earlier when you’re coming home and I’ll see if I can bake some for you. π
Thanks for that mate! π
I’m still waiting for elections to be announced.
Me too!
…and maybe, just maybe, I won’t be coming back alone. π
Oh? Bringing somebody home to meet the family eh? Hmmm….
sweet potato! brilliant idea! I would love to replicate this one these evenings!
Personally I prefer mashed potatoes – my very rich version with cheese, milk and butter…but it was good for a change.
Well done, Arthur! Serve the pie with some green leaves and it would be a perfectly balanced meal! Thumbs up for not wasting leftover…
Yup. As they say, it’s a sin to waste… π
Nothing’s wrong! *answering the question in title*
I don’t usually take beef nor mutton, beef cos religion matter while I scare of overly gamey taste for mutton.
So chicken is good. But I need a oven first.
They come pretty cheap these days. You don’t need a big one. Ok, noted…no beef, no mutton for you. So you only go for chicken burgers then?
There is nothing wrong with you. Me too, I can’t stand having left overs staring at me each time I open my fridge too. I usually surprise myself what I could come up with the leftovers. They make delicious quick meals like this one.
Yes, once you get the feel of it, you will not go wrong…or at least, not all the time. You would know what would go well with what and the end result can be really good. No need to follow recipes rigidly.
Waste not want not! Not bad mah you came up with some kind of “shepherd’s pie”. I like the “adrenaline juices shooting through my head” hah! hah! π I also don’t like to waste food but sometimes it’s my own fault for buying too much. I am trying to be more prudent now and not end up with food or sauces that are going to expire soon.
Also if the recipe calls for a teaspoon of something, I don’t see why one would need to go out and buy a big pack or a big bottle…and then leave the rest to waste. Can just substitute or leave it out unless it is absolutely essential e.g. baking powder in cakes – will not make a world of difference in the taste and the end result can be just as nice. That’s why I don’t follow recipes and play by ear – too many of those little little things or details.
You are perfectly fine, Artthur. Me too, can’t see left overs sitting in the fridge for too long. At least you whip out something nice rather than let it go to waste. Yummy!!!!
Sometimes I do! Throw away things, that is…especially when I am not too sure how long it has been there or at times, I cannot even figure out what it is! Tsk! Tsk!
The pie looks very yummy. I hope I can have some for breakfast this morning π
There’s nothing wrong with you. My mum is the same type of person as you too. She would ask us to finish what she cook everyday, so that the leftovers would not find a place in her fridge. Throwing food away is a total waste.
You wouldn’t believe what I would find sometimes – a piece of chicken or meat that somebody could have finished off in one mouthful. I keep nagging, “Don’t want to eat – just throw away. Don’t stuff in the fridge and then conveniently forget about it!” Gee!!! I’m worse than an old grandma, hor?
I’d love me some mushroom now! they look so delicious
Mushroom lover too eh? Just like my daughter… π
You must be a great cook Arthur and yea, i would definitely prefer Chicken instead of pork, as well as potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, they are just too sweet for me π
I don’t mind sweet potatoes but for mashed, I think potatoes are nicer.
That is one huge shepherd pie! Looks like its enough to feed at least of 10 servings! And it is very innovative of you to make it in such way. Can you share your secret recipe with us ^^?!
Anyways, here is a recommendation if you are looking for more inspiration for new recipes. Fly around Sarawak area and see what can you get ^^?! I used the link a lot to help me decide on my next trip and it was useful. Never failed me though.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pakej-Percutian-Sabah-Sarawak
The recipe’s in the blogpost. Don’t ask me for the measurements – I cook old-school style, all agak-agak one. Old man like that one. Thanks for the tip and thanks for dropping by. Welcome and do come again.
Those are the BEST meals! – unplanned – pure inspiration.
Normally I would plan ahead what I would want to cook but these days, my missus does the marketing so I would have to cook whatever is available…or use whatever leftovers I can dig out in the fridge.
Without the mashed sweet potatoes it looks just like the Mushroom I had in Plan B.
You better open a restaurant . You can cook so well
Wah!!! Standard so high one kah? Plan B kot! Hmmm…not bad lah this old man! Hehehehehehe!!!!
That looks good! Never waste food, as the saying goes and you had come up with this dish… i love sweet potatoes a lot!
They say they’re good for health.
Arthur’s pie! I hate any leftovers too as I always tend to forget that they are hibernating in the fridge.
You no problem one…you can always force-feed your two willing victims. Hehehehehe!!!! I eat fast and leave the table fast or else I would just gulp down whatever little bit that is left, finish everything, lick the plate clean – would not want to stuff in the fridge, not me!
It was a commendable effort on your part – similar to cooking from the ingredients found in MasterChef ‘mystery box’. Worcestershire sauce, if kept in the fridge, is good till the last drop.
Oh? Still half a bottle left. I guess that can sit in the fridge for a while till it starts getting on my nerves again. Hehehehehehe!!!!
I think it comes with age.. the cannot see things lying around thing. hehe :P.. but I’m being general here, because my perfectionist wife would always nag me when I keep too many “rubbish” around the house. haha
Have a great friday Arthur!
True! True! Old people (like me) tend to be very kotak. That’s what my missus always says about me. Hmmm…sounds like your missus is just like me. Not old already like that kah? Hehehehehe!!!!
wow, looks so delicious!! the Food Mayor of Sibu can really cook~~ π
Thank you, thank you…*take a bow*
Homecooking is always the best right…I like the mashed sweet potatoes topping.
It was nice – great for a change but I prefer potatoes for this.
Arthur is me again. I would to try the filling. Can i have the recipe? how you cook the mushroom? please?
It’s canned straw mushrooms – sliced and thrown in to cook together with the meat (seasoned with Lea & Perrins) and onions and chopped rosemary, that’s all. Add salt and pepper according to taste.
Thanks…lot. I think it is ok to use other range of mushrooms. I’m trying to make something with this filling. looks so yummy
I guess so. I would have used buttons but I did not have any on the house.
Oh Man! This looks sinfully delicious and good. You are so creative. By the way, you have talent in cooking.
No lah! Trial and error. Where it turns out great, I will blog about it and show off a little. The disastrous ones, I’d just throw away and keep very very quiet. Hehehehehehe!!!!
That’s a brilliant idea of using leftover mash sweet potatoes! I would never have thought of that! And I am like you too, don’t like food to be left too long in the fridge. So I should look into my fridge today and conjure a creative dish like you too, using whatever I have! π
Hmmm…I guess I would see on Facebook later what you come up with. Hehehehehe!!!!
you’re so creative and really knows how to put everything together… I am one of those that must have a recipe base to at least know… hahahaha
great idea to use sweet potato to top up casseroles… gonna steal this idea ya! π
Ah!!! Recipe-dependent! If I follow one, it would be a total flop. Somehow I just can’t. Will just have to follow my instincts – this works perfectly for me.
Then I think you’ll faint if you look into my fridge! There’s HALF of everything in there! Some even rotten! @_@
Sounds very very familiar. I guess this is an individual, not a woman’s thing…as from the other comments, it seems that many are not like that. Well, no worries! You’re not alone. Hehehehehe!!!!
sweet potatoes, one of my favorites! π phew, the title of the blog entry made me worried this was a post about your health. luckily it wasn’t, and it was delicious fun to read instead π
Thank goodness I’m all right…or quite all right, at least and all right enough to cook. π
How i wish i could taste it!!!
You can try making your own…or come to Sibu? π
wow….u r good in recycling. haha…..At the look of it, I can sense it is delicious. The meat at the bottom combined with the mashed sweet potatoes on the top………wow.
It certainly was. Could be better but I would say it was very nice, nice enough. π
Me thinks it is a very creative way to not waste leftovers. Personally , I would have preferred mashed potatoes, but this dish of yours does seem yummy! ^^
+Ant+
Yes, you’re right! Mashed potatoes are nicer…or at least, to me too!
You’re really at this, “recycle” left over food. Looks yummy, but i think this one having a bit will be very full already.
Cannot waste mah! Ya…very heavy – potatoes & meat, one serving’s quite full already.
I’m the same way, I can’t stand to see leftovers and will come up with my own creations. The last stir fry I made (vegetable noodle stir fry) was created from leftovers. π
Looking at what you created, I’m now wondering mashed sweet potato cakes would taste. I’ve made them with plain potatoes and my daughter has eaten them but never tried a sweet potato.
I prefer mashed potatoes…to these sweet ones. Sweet potatoes – I would prefer them just steamed or baked or fried as fritters…or cooked in some soup or fried dishes, local style. Ya, Asians certainly stir fry more, I guess.
just like me, i cannot see food being unattended. i must eat ’em all. hahaha
Latest: I Have Too Much Body Fat!
Hah!!! Thankfully, you’re so slim. I used to do that but later, I decided I should just leave the dinner table earlier and close one eye to what happens after that. Can’t be eating the leftovers all the time – so fat already. π¦
hmm that was another interesting dish suituapui, and i think
i was great! hmm i love how two dishes made for each other hahaha
You can give this a try. Very easy, and tastes good.
my bad! i thought i was different dish haha but then
i think it was scrumptious already on the first shot and it could go well with rice,
but i guess it would be better with those potatoes,
anyways why was it orange? i expect it to be more on the yellow side
We had that with rice – that would be some kind of fusion, I guess. Some people may feel that rice and potatoes are not very compatible and will never have the two together like that.
You’re such a creative person!
It definitely looks yummy =)
It was.
I really like your style. You don’t let the food go wasted and it’s really a good practice! thumbs up!!
Upbringing, I guess. Must finish everything, not allowed to waste.
Looks delicious, but too bad it’s pork LOL
No worries – can substitute with chicken or beef or lamb – same procedure…and you’ll get something that looks the same. May taste better too – I think I’d love it more if it’s beef.