Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie.   Well it's not really a pie in the traditional sense.  Historically it began as a dish of leftover meat which was baked in a crust of potatoes.  As a kid, I always remembered my parents making it with canned cream of corn (it was the 80's) along with the traditional potato and ground beef duo. This is the one I prepare for our family.  It's an updated, healthier version of the Irish classic. 

One of the biggest differences in this Shepherd's pie is I use either sweet potatoes or butternut squash. No white potatoes in mine.  I guess if you really loved your white potatoes you could use them but I will promise you; you will not miss them once you try this version. 

Ingredients
3 Large sweet potatoes or 1 medium butter nut squash
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt or butter 
1 package of ground beef
2 medium yellow onions, diced
4-5 large carrots, diced
1 bag of frozen peas
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, minced or about 1 teaspoon dried
sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
coconut oil 

What is so great about this meal, is the make it and done factor.  You can make this ahead and put it in the oven when you are ready to eat.  No watching over a boiling pot, no stirring, no tending to.  This is great for those nights you want to come home and have a great, healthy meal without having to make it fresh. Truly a one dish dinner.

Typically I cook the squash or sweet potatoes ahead of time.  For the sweet potatoes I wrap them in foil and place them in the oven on a baking sheet heated to 400 degrees. Bake until they are done. (about 25 minutes or so)  Don't worry if they are in the oven a little longer.  The smooshier the better.

Baked Sweet Potatoes-Skins removed

Sweet potato skins don't go to waste at our house.

If you are using butternut squash.  Cut it in half and de-seed. Rub with a little coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Place face down on a parchment lined baking sheet in the oven heated to 400 degrees. Again, no need to fuss too much if overcooked.  

Once your tubers or squash are done, allow them to cool.  Sometimes I do this step at night and allow the squash or potatoes to cool in fridge until morning.  This makes the potatoes or squash easily slip right off the skin.  Literally, they will fall right off and into a bowl for you. Once the potatoes or squash are in a bowl, add a generous scoop of whole milk yogurt or butter.  This adds a little creaminess to the sweet "crust".

Sweet potato mixed with plain yogurt

In a saute pan, add coconut oil and heat to medium.  Once oil is melted add in diced carrots and onions.  Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until carrots are soft. Occasionally give them a toss to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Once the carrots and onions are cooked, place them in a bowl and toss in fresh minced garlic and rosemary. Taste and season as needed. 

Cooked carrots, onions, garlic and rosemary

Lana likes to pick the fresh rosemary

In the same pan, brown your meat.  I usually use grass-fed beef or buffalo.  Buffalo is naturally very lean, so when I use the beef I do drain off some of the fat once fully browned.  We eat fat.  Fat is good.  But as with all things-moderation is best. 

Browned Grass fed beef

Drain off a little fat

Once the meat is browned, season to taste and layer it in the bottom of a casserole-type dish. This is the first of 4 layers in my Shepherd's pie. 

Layer 1: Beef Layer 2: Carrots and onions

Next, add your cooked and spiced carrots and onions.  

Then open your bag of frozen peas and sprinkle them over your carrots and onions in an even layer.  No need to cook the peas, they will cook in the final bake.

Layer 2: Frozen Peas

My little helper wanted a pea or two

Finally spread the sweet potato or butternut squash over your layers.  Cover and bake when you are ready to eat.  

My little helper wanted more than a pea or two.Oh no you don't!

Life is rough.

I usually  bake mine at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.  There is no need to fuss too much with the perfect bake time.  It has so much moisture in it, you could bake it for 1 hour and it will not dry out. ( Not that I have tried.  At least not on purpose.)

Jam packed with flavor and loads of nutrients.  This could be one of your new go-to recipes.  Once you have made it for the first time, you can do it with your eyes closed there-after.  Really you can. 

Homemade Vitamins

 

We are blessed with two children that really eat well. Without a doubt they get at least 8 servings of fruits and veggies/day and on some days much more than that.  
Typical Meals:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Despite their good eating habits we still give them supplements.  Typically vitamins are taken to bridge the gap between what people ate and what they should be eating.  Unfortunately, due to today's farming practices, I lack confidence in the amount of nutrients in our food (organic or otherwise). So, Archer and Lana start each day with Juice Plus gummies and a quality fish oil with high amounts of DHA/EPA. We sometimes supplement with other things based on their growth or health needs at given times. And at night, they don't want to miss their dose of spicy honey. (fresh chopped garlic on a teaspoon with raw honey) 

 
 I know. kind of .... different.  But they LOVE IT! Raw honey and fresh chopped garlic have many health benefits and we love to make goodnight kisses memorable. 

For us Juice Plus is a great supplement for kids and adults alike.  17 nutritiously dense fruits and veggies all packed together in convenient, naturally sweetened gummies and/or capsules.  For the price, you really can't go wrong.  Wholesale customers can get Juice Plus capsules for around $45/month (adults) and $25/month (kids).  For us, supplements are a no-brainer.  This is our health insurance. 

For others, the value of supplements, like buying organic food over conventional is not yet understood.  Sometimes it takes a health scare to see that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  This is okay.  Your health and your health choices are personal and when you gain enough knowledge you usually make the best choice for yourself. So, this got me to thinking, if someone won't invest in the supplements maybe they might consider making their own? This brought me to my homemade "vitamin" gummy recipes.

I decided to first start with a standard gummie loaded with antioxidants from fruits and a unique tea made from a flower.  Awhile back a practice member gave me a terrific gift.  It was a hardy collection of sorrel buds.  I had used sorrel before but only the greens in salad.  Never had I thought or even heard of using the flowers?  I had been told they are used in the islands for the purpose of making a tea type beverage.  Typically the buds are added to boiling water with ginger and left to steep.  Then sugar or honey and/or cinnamon is added.  Sometimes for a special treat rum.  For this purpose, I left out the rum.  ( Adult gummies to follow.  ha!) 
The sorrel buds are a beautiful deep red color and make a tea that is equally as vibrant.  Unflavored the tea tastes a little bitter similar to cranberry but with less pucker power.  Slightly sweetened and flavored it is deliciously refreshing! 
 Nutritionally, sorrel contains vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins and is loaded with antioxidants.  Research has shown sorrel to be beneficial for lowering elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels which help prevent heart disease.  It is also believed that the flavonoids found in sorrel may be a useful deterrent against certain types of cancer and can help to enhance the body’s immune system.

Making Sorrel Tea
A hardy handful of sorrel buds (about 1 cup)
4-5 cups filtered water
Add buds to water and bring to a boil.  Turn off heat and allow to steep at least 1 hour.  

Vibrant Red Sorrel

Gorgeous Sorrel Buds

 

Boil the water with Sorrel buds

Strain tea.

Immuno-boosting Sorrel and Berry Gummies
3/4 cup sorrel tea ( can substitute for organic fruit juice or another variety of tea)
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 c gelatin powder ( I use Bernard Jensen)
2 Tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup (optional and to taste)

3/4 to 1 cup pureed berries ( I used blueberry and strawberry)  

Prepare your silicon or candy molds by greasing them with coconut oil.  If you do not have mold you can simply use a greased glass baking dish.  8x8" square works best for this amount.  
1. Puree fruit.  
2. Boil water
3. Mix honey and tea.  
4.  Add gelatin to 1/2 of the tea and stir until it forms a thick paste.
5.  Quickly add boiling water. Stir until well dissolved.
6.  Add remaining tea and pureed fruit. Continue stirring.
7. Pour into molds.
8. Place in fridge until set.
9. Remove from molds and store in refrigerator for upto 2 weeks. 
 

Mix part liquid with gelatin

Add other liquid and fruit puree

Pour in molds

Slicing set gummies with sharp knife.

Remove from mold

Orange Banana & Ginger Gummies

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup gelatin
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup of orange & banana puree
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Fresh grated ginger

Orange Banana & Ginger gummies

Yep, they loved them.

Basically you can do any combination.  Just remember 1 cup of liquid to 1/4 cup of gelatin.  ( a minimum of 1/4 cup of that liquid needs to be boiling) Add 1/2-1 cup of fruit or veggie puree.  Sweetener and spices as desired.

Detoxifying Mouthwatering Cabbage Soup

Cabbage has some pretty awesome health benefits.  For one, it is loaded with Vitamin C (an immuno-booster that is great this time of year) and Vitamin K ( a bone building nutrient that is also essential for healthy teeth).
In addition, Cabbage has also been found to have 3 major properties:
1.  Anti-Inflammatory
2. Cancer Protection
3. Digestive Support
Yep, cabbage is great; whether it be green or red, it has so many health benefits you would be silly to not eat it.
This soup hits the mark as far as nutrient dense and flavor abundant.  I can tell you my kids LOVE this soup.  The other great thing about this soup is- it is a ONE POT WONDER.  Yep, everything goes in to one pot and you are done. 

Hearty Cabbage Soup
1 head of cabbage (green or red), chopped
2 medium yellow onions, diced
5-6 large carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves
1 cube of vegetable bouillion.  ( I use Rapunzels Organic with sea Salt)
1 can of tomato paste
1-1/2 cups of green lentils
1-1.5 lbs of organic stewing beef, grilled to medium rare and diced (optional)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper


Cook onions, carrots and chopped cabbage in large soup pot with olive oil and sea salt.  Cook with lid on pot until carrots are softened.  Add garlic, vegetable bouillon and enough water to cover the vegetables.  Add tomato paste and allow this to simmer on low/medium heat while grilling steak or meat of choice.  Once steak  is cooked to medium rare, remove from heat and allow it to rest before cutting into bite sized pieces.  Add steak and lentils.  Adjust seasoning if needed and simmer on stove until ready to eat!

Cabbage, onions, carrots and broth.

I can add the lentils mom.

Oops I missed a few, but I will get them.

Resident Label Reader:  Mom do you know how much protein is in these lentils?

Grilled steak- Optional

Easy Homemade Granola

Granola is one of those foods that is assumed to be healthy.  However the granola of the past has transformed into today's high sugar, high calorie junk food that disguises itself as healthy by it's name .  Depending on the brand, granola falls into the same category as Vitamin Water, fat-free foods and baked chips.  Their names imply healthy, but they are anything but.    

 

Cascadian Farms granola is one of the better cereal options. Their cereals do not contain high fructose corn syrup or trans fats.  They are organic which means no GMOs, no use of toxic pesticides and artificial ingredients. However, some Cascadian Farms granola is higher in sugar than I like.  For the little effort that goes into making your own Granola, why not give it a try?  The cost and effort is minimal, you can control the amount and type of sugar and the flavor options are endless.

Here is my recipe for Maple Cinnamon Pecan Granola
Other flavors you can try: 
* Cranberry Chocolate
* Cinnamon Raisin
* Harvest Pumpkin Seed ( fall spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger and pumpkin seeds)
* use honey in place of maple syrup


16.5 cups of Old Fashioned Oats ( I used Publix Greenwise Organic Oats which equalled about 2 1/2 containers)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons organic cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup organic cane sugar 
1 cup chopped pecans

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  In a glass measuring cup mix coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and sugar.  Stir until well combined.  Pour mixture over the oats.  With gloved hands, toss until oil mixture is well coated over all the oats.  Place in the oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  Stir, then bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  It will harden as it cools.  Evenly toss the pecans in the granola.  Once completely cooled.  Place in an airtight container for storage.  Will keep for months. But it won't last that long. 

Mix oats and spices

Measure coconut oil, maple syrup and sugar

My helper's mouth is watering.

Mixing ingredients together

Remove from oven and cool

Toss in pecans or nut of choice

Use parchment to help you pour into storage container

Mikey likes it!