Recipe Makeover - Shepherd's Pie

One of the simplest and least invasive ways to eat healthier is to upgrade the meals you’re already eating using healthier ingredients.  This way, you can still enjoy the dishes you like as you begin to also explore new foods. 

Growing up, Shepherd’s Pie was a regular on our dinner table.  Truth be told, I didn’t like it.  The original recipe began with cooked ground beef and onions.  Layered on top of that was a can or two of creamed corn, followed by a thick layer of mashed potatoes.  It was baked in the oven until the top got a little crispy and was usually eaten with ketchup. 

Even to this day, I won’t eat this traditional version of Shepherd’s Pie, yet, the other day, I asked my daughter what she wanted to make for dinner and her answer was, you guessed it - ‘The Pie”.  Thankfully, she was all about a recipe makeover too, to make it more palatable for me and we were both on the same wavelength when we came up with the recipe below. 

We preplaced the standard ground beef with organic ground turkey and added chopped celery in with the onions.  For the middle layer, we eliminated the sugary creamed corn and instead combined half of the onions and celery with frozen organic corn and peas as well as fresh, chopped carrots.   My favorite part was the top layer.  We roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes and combined them for a sweeter yet less dense topping that carries a lower glycemic load than the traditional potatoes.

In the end, we have a cleaner, fresher, and I think, tastier version of one of my family’s favorites that doesn’t need condiments.   Since this dish requires a fair amount of work, my suggestion is to make a large pan and either have it for leftovers throughout the week, or freeze some for later.  Believe it or not, though, this dish did not last long...

Shepherd’s Pie

1 head organic cauliflower, washed and cut into florets

2 large sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and chopped into 1” pieces

olive or coconut oil

1 lb organic ground turkey

1 large Spanish onion, chopped small

2-3 stalks celery, washed, ends trimmed and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen organic corn (or fresh removed from cob if in season)

1 cup frozen organic peas

2-3 large carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced into quarters lengthwise, then diced

sea salt

pepper

oregano

thyme

Combine the cauliflower florets and sweet potatoes in a bowl.  Drizzle with oil and a dash of salt, stir to coat well, then transfer the mixture in a single layer to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for ~45 min, or until both vegetables are tender.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, brown the turkey in a frying pan, adding herbs such as oregano and thyme if desired.  Transfer the meat to a bowl and sauté the onions, celery and garlic in the pan drippings until tender, adding a small amount of oil if necessary.  

Transfer half of the vegetables to the meat and combine.  Spread the meat into an oiled 13 x 9 baking dish.

To the remaining onions and celery, add the corn, carrots, and peas and a just enough chicken or vegetable broth to steam the vegetables.  Cook covered over medium heat until the carrots are almost cooked through.  Add salt and pepper to taste and layer the mixture on top of the meat. 

While the vegetables are steaming, place the cauliflower and sweet potatoes into a food processor and process until smooth.  Add a bit of broth or milk for a thinner consistency if necessary.   Spread the potato/cauliflower mixture on the meat and vegetables. 

Bake the pie in a 350 degree F oven until heated through, ~30-45 minutes.  Serve with sautéed greens and/or a crisp green salad.

You may also like:  Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

Lately, I’ve gotten into the habit of always having some cooked quinoa in the fridge because I’m never more than a few minutes away from a healthy meal.  For example, in the time it took to saute vegetables, I had this nice Confetti Quinoa ready.

In addition, there are so many unexpected ways to use it, like in the salmon burgers I made last night, and in the blueberry quinoa muffins below.  A friend emailed me for a blueberry muffin recipe and since I happened to have quinoa in the fridge, I was able to whip these up in no time.

By using a combination of whole grain spelt and buckwheat flours in this recipe, you’ll be reducing the gluten.  The quinoa will add protein and fiber, making them more filling, and you'll barely know it’s there…


Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

Dry ingredients:

1 ¼ cup whole grain spelt flour

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ c sugar like sucanat or turbinado sugar

1 ½ t baking powder

1 t  sea or Himalayan salt

1 t cinnamon

½ t cardamom

Wet ingredients:

¼ c coconut oil or butter, melted

1 large egg

1 c unsweetened almond milk

1 t vanilla

2 c cooked quinoa, cooled

1 c fresh blueberries

½  c chopped walnuts, optional

1.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk. 

2.  In a separate larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well. 

3.  Gently fold in the dry ingredients and mix just until they are incorporated.  Fold in the blueberries and walnuts.

4.  Fill lightly greased muffin tins ¾ full with batter.  Bake at 350°F for ~20 min, or until cooked through.   Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. 

Confetti Quinoa

Having color on your plate is more than visually appealing.   It’s one of the easiest ways to ensure that you’re getting a variety of phytonutrients from your food, provided that the color is found naturally in fruits and vegetables.   In this article, I explain the benefits of phytonutrients and break it down by color.   And in this recipe, I’ve combined several colorful and flavorful vegetables with quinoa for a healthy lunch or side dish for dinner.

Confetti Quinoa

To make this simple, colorful dish, begin by sautéing chopped vegetables, like the ones below, then add cooked quinoa and spices. 

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

1 small sweet potato or yam, diced

1 medium zucchini, chopped or shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful kale, chopped

sea salt

ground pepper

curry powder

tumeric (optional)

Begin by heating a pan and adding one teaspoon of oil.  Sautee the onion and red pepper until the onion is translucent, then add the sweet potato and one tablespoon of water and cover for a few minutes to let the sweet potato soften.  Add the zucchini, garlic, and kale and cover briefly again until the kale wilts.  Add cooked quinoa and spices or seasonings and mix well.  Can be served warm or as a cold salad.

Free Teleclass - Diet is Not a Four Letter Word

 

Does this sound like you or someone you may know?

Have you tried every diet out there, only to feel unsatisfied, deprived and a failure for either quitting almost before it began or losing weight, only to gain it back?

Are you tired of dieting and being a slave to food?

Do you want to enjoy eating without worry or obsession?

Do you want to understand how to lose weight while feeling energetic, fulfilled, and happy?

Would you like to understand how to manage your weight the right way and never have to diet again?
 

Then you’ll want to hear this!

On Monday, January 23^rd at 7 pm, I’m hosting a free teleseminar entitled: 

“Diet is Not a Four Letter Word; Seven misconceptions about diets and why they don’t work.” 

This high content call will identify the common beliefs held by many of us surrounding diets, how they may be holding you back and what you can do to eliminate diets from your life for good.
 

I’d like to sign up for the call!

If you have a friend that would be interested in the call, please let them know about it too!

Can’t make the call on January 23^rd?  No problem!  If you sign up anyway, you’ll receive the link to listen to the call at your convenience.
 

So sign up today!

We’d love for you to be there,



Linda DiBella, Ph.D., is a nutrition and lifestyle mentor and a First Line Therapy Practitioner with a background in Biomedical Sciences who helps clients gradually change their diet and lifestyle habits so they can lose weight, eliminate their dependency on stimulants, have more energy, and improve their moods. She works with clients in person, over the phone, or Skype. For more information, visit her website at http://www.getreal4health.com or email her at getreal4health@gmail.com.

Image courtesy of isolated images

Purple (and Green) Smoothie

The holidays are not quite over yet, but maybe you wish they were so that you could get back to eating normally.  Thankfully, there’s a week between Christmas and New Year’s where we can slow down with the food, and if you’re on vacation, where you can slow down with the body.  Often, if I want to take a break from food, I’ll turn to one of the smoothies below.  Maybe I shouldn’t refer to it as something other than food though.  There’s plenty in there to keep your blood sugar from plummeting after a couple of hours and heading to the leftovers. 

You can play around with the amounts and try different spices.  I love the warmth of cardamom this time of year and sometimes I’ll add ginger too.  Even a pumpkin pie spice would work well.  It tastes more like a treat that way! 

Happy holidays!

Purple (and Green) Smoothie

1 c water or almond milk

½ c frozen blueberries

½ frozen banana, cut into chunks

1 T chia or hemp seeds, or

1 scoop protein powder, or

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ avocado

handful of greens (baby lettuces, spinach, or kale)

sprinkle of spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc.)

1 t real maple syrup or honey (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  For a thinner drink, add more water or milk.

Quick, Whole-grain Cereal

If you're trying to get away from the boxed cereals that are often loaded with sugar and artificial or genetically modified ingredients here is a great alternative that is easy to make and store.  It's a source of whole grains, proteins and healthy fats and is sweetened with natural ingredients.  You can also play with seasonings to change the flavor.  I made a quick bowl this morning and it was perfectly satisfying.  

Easy Homemade Muesli

3-4 c rolled oats, uncooked
1 c mixed unsalted nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
1 c raw, unsalted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, sesame, chia)
1/2 - 1 c dried fruit (raisins, currants, dried cherries, chopped apricots, etc.)
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves (to taste, optional)


Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container.  Serve with plain yogurt or almond milk.  For more sweetness,  add a bit of honey or real maple syrup.




Image courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn

The Health Food You May Not be Eating

I’m a huge fan of meals in a bowl.  They can be soups, stews, hearty grain dishes, or even salads.  In fact, more and more, I prepare my salads chopped–meaning that the ingredients are cut small and tossed together to make more of a slaw than a chunky salad.  Which is one reason I also like the vegetable grater for veggies like carrots, beets, and zucchini.  Tonight, I took the grater to another vegetable, the daikon radish.  Shown above, it’s much larger than the typical round, red radish.  I’ve seen them over a foot long.  This one was not so big. 

Why eat daikon versus red radishes? I actually prefer them to red radishes because they have less of a bite.  The taste is similar, just less intense. And to me, this is one vegetable where looks can be deceiving because rather than a vibrant red or orange or green color, they’re white and I always associate bright colors with beneficial nutrients.  Yet for few calories, they’re loaded with vitamin C, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and lots of fiber.   And shredding really brings out the water in them, so they’re juicy and a little crunchy at the same time. 

Just wash, peel, and shred with the large grater.  Tonight, I ate them alone as a side dish with some greens and pumpkin soup.  But they’re great in a salad too and I like to cut them into sticks for dipping into hummus or guacamole.  If you normally shy away from radishes, I encourage you to try daikon.   It’s a simple healthy food you don’t want to miss out on…