Culinary Wasteland

Ok so this is my second post today because I had two recipes to post and I needed to rant about my unhappy cooking week(s). I have been in culinary wasteland - the last 3 or 4 recipes I've tried have been pretty unsatisfactory. It could be too many shortcuts, trying to multi-task, who knows. Has anyone else ever felt this way?

But finally Sunday I actually made some food that I liked and I would make again. I tried the Afghani soup and a beef pot pie with ground beef from a CI cookbook I borrowed from the library. I had to improvise because beef pot pie is usually made with chunks of beef and not ground, but it still turned out alright.

Ground Beef Pot Pie - adapted from Cover and Bake, from Cook's Illustrated

1 frozen pastry sheet
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp veggie oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 cups beef broth (or 1 beef bullion dissolved in 2 cups boiling water)
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas


1. Thaw the frozen pastry sheet on the counter.
2. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Stir meat until brown. Transfer meat to a bowl.
3. Add onion, carrot, and salt to pot. Cook until onion is soft and lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, water, tomato paste, and thyme. Add the browned meat and any juices, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Put oven rack on middle position and heat over to 400 degrees. When meat is done, transfer to a baking dish or casserole (or several small ones for individual sizes). Top with pastry sheet, rolled out if necessary to cover dish. Bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
5. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.