Classic Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

 

This is, as it turn out, our 6th shepherd's pie on the blog, but just so happens to be the only *normal* version which I find hilarious! I made this for dinners this week, and it turned out pretty well! The only thing I would change is that there was not really a gravy or sauce with this recipe once you drained the fat off, and so it was lacking in flavor and a bit dry. Once I made some gravy to go with it, it worked really well. I omitted the cheese in the potatoes here too, and kept it whole 30 except for the flour which easily could have been arrowroot. This recipe was adapted from NYT. This was also incredibly quick and easy to whip up for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

1 package frozen peas and carrots

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 tbsp flour

3/4 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper 

1/4 tsp dried thyme and rosemary

4 tbsp butter (I used ghee)

1 cup milk (I used almond milk because that's what was on hand)

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes, boil until fork tender. Drain, mash, then add butter and milk until it becomes a thick consistency. Season as desired.

2. While the potatoes cook, brown the meat in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Drain and return to the pot, reserving 1-2 tbsp of the fat in the pot for cooking.

3. Add garlic, stirring for 2 minutes, then add peas and carrots.

4. Once the mixture heats back up about 5 min, add in tomato paste, herbs, and salt and pepper. 

5. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stirring for 2 min, then add broth and let simmer until sauce thickens (there was no sauce with mine so I would at least double this).

6. Adjust seasonings, then smooth the potato mixture over the top, forming peaks.

7. Bake at 375 for 30 min, until the liquid is bubbling on the sides and the potatoes are nice and golden (I stuck mine under a broiler for a few minutes because my top didn't brown after 35 min of cooking time).

Cauliflower Fried Rice, by Cheryl

The last time I made cauliflower rice I wasn't too impressed. But this was GOOD! There was a lot of flavor and it went really well with our tuna steaks. Yum! 

Ingredients (from here):

2 large eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper

Avocado oil

5-6 scallions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh giner

2 lbs ready to cook cauliflower

4-5 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sugar (I omitted this)

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp toasted Sesame oil

Directions:

1) Cook the eggs over medium heat and then set aside.

2) Add 3 tbsp of oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and cook, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. 

3) Add the cauliflower, 4 tbsp soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar (if using) and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots and cook until the cauliflower is tender-crisp and vegetables are cooked through. Stir in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, and eggs. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.   

Split Pea and Ham Soup, by Diane

If I've said this once on this blog I've said it a million times, it is incredibly hard to get a good photo of soup. Especially thick, green soup that isn't clear so you can't see the delicious ingredients below the surface (I tried putting some of them on top and they sank...). So you're going to have to trust me that this was amazing and total comfort food. I made it as part of my post-surgery recovery, and only 6 days out of surgery so you know it's super easy to make :)

What made this soup so good was the smoky ham flavor. Whenever I come across an occasion where there is a spiral ham, I save the bone and boil it in water for a few hours. After straining the broth and skimming the fat when it cools, I freeze it so I have it to add for soups just like this. The original recipe called for a ham bone, so I just used some old bone broth from a spiral ham that we had at Chrismukkah this year instead. For the ham in this soup, I would highly recommend using an actual spiral sliced ham in this, as it seriously enhances the flavor, but a store bought ham steak or two is also fine. I also added carrots and sweet potatoes to this for some extra veggies, and some bay leaf and garlic for extra comfort soup flavor.


Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bag carrots, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, chopped
2-3 cups ham, cubed or shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1lb bag dried split peas
1 bay leaf
1 large ham bone (or leftover ham bone broth if you have that)
Water or broth (definitely recommend broth, I used chicken bone broth!) to cover all ingredients


Directions:

1. Add oil to a large soup pot, and cook the onion until translucent.

2. Add in the carrots and sweet potatoes, cover and cook until the veggies begin to soften- about 5-10 min. Stir often so they don't brown.

3. Add in the ham, garlic, peas, bay leaf, and ham bone. Add in enough liquids (water or broth) to cover all ingredients.

4. Cover and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until the peas dissolve and the soup becomes thick and green (approx. 2 hrs). Remove ham bone and bay leaf, and season if needed (mine didn't need a thing).

5. Remove from heat and let thicken until cool.

Healthy Chicken and Dumplings, by Diane

This Sunday I am going on day 13 of being sick with a devil cold, and I've been having a really hard time wanting to eat anything except broth, which I am frankly sick of by this point! So I created this version of chicken and dumplings in an attempt to convert what I would normally put in a healing chicken soup into an actual meal that I would be tempted to eat. I borrowed the dumpling idea from this website, but converted it into a quinoa flour dumpling boosted with fresh thyme to get some extra protein and healing herbs in here too! I used coconut oil throughout this recipe for it's antibacterial and antiviral effects, but other oils can be used as well. Finally, I used bone broth since it's renowned for it's healing properties, which I usually make but ran out of- and I was surprised to see that my grocery store carried a brand called Pacifica which makes it!

I can't write enough words in here to describe *just* how freaking amazing this turned out. I have never attempted chicken and dumplings before, and at the beginning before I let it simmer it looked like it was just going to be a clear, thin soup with lots of veggies and chicken in it with the occasional dumpling. But once I stirred it after an hour, I saw that it was transformed into a thick and creamy consistency very much like the chicken and dumplings I've had at restaurants in the past! I have no idea how this magic happened! The dumplings turned out to be soft, airy, herby pillows of goodness too! The combo of the texture and the flavors had me eating bowls of this stuff- my first real meals in weeks! Now if that isn't a testament to how good this is, I don't know what is. Make this NOW. Like, yesterday. Go!!!



Ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 small baby bella mushrooms, diced
1.5 cups frozen green peas

2 cups quinoa flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup milk (any type- I use unsweetened almond milk which accidentally was vanilla flavored but it still worked!)
1 tbsp dried thyme
3 chicken breasts, cubed
5 cups chicken broth (bone broth preferred)
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add in 3 tbsp coconut oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and peas. Cook for 10-15 minutes until veggies are softened and onions are translucent.

2.  While the veggies are cooking, whisk together flour, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in 3 tsp melted coconut oil, milk, and thyme, and stir together well until combined. Set aside.

3. After the veggies are cooked, add in the chicken and stir well. Add the broth and bring to a boil.

4. When the soup is at a boil, drop in the dumplings by small spoonfuls (like making drop cookies or biscuits- they don't need to look nice!). Cook uncovered for 45 minutes, do not stir.

5. After 45 minutes, cover and cook for 15 more minutes.

Wasabi Chickpea Bites, by Diane

This is a Rachael Ray recipe that caught my eye because it seemed like an idea for a new afternoon snack- I've been bored with all my regular ones lately. This came together easily and tasted like a spicy hummus ball! They are supposed to be coated with sesame seeds but I ran out. I also had to add some salt to this which was missing from the recipe (I've included it below).


Ingredients:

1 15 oz can chickpeas
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp lemon zest (I omitted this, I don't like a lot of lemon flavor)
1/3 cup finely grated carrot
1/3 cup crushed wasabi peas
1/4 sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the last 3 in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Add in the carrot and peas and mix together.

3. Form into 1/2 inch balls and coat with sesame seeds.

4. Refrigerate to set for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Kitchari, by Diane

Kitchari is an Ayervedic dish that is designed to help detox and cleanse. After several weeks straight of traveling and eating out, I was looking for just this and tried it out this week. It tastes a lot like traditional Indian food (both the dish and Ayerveda come from India) and is really warm and comforting. For my vegetables, I added mushrooms and carrots. It's very easy to make and I'll definitely make it again!

Note: Asafoetida or hing can be found in asian supermarkets. If you're going for a detox/cleanse effect, you can't skip this one!! It is incredibly pungent or fetid (hence the name!) but when cooked has the flavors of garlic and onions. It's known for it's stomach soothing properties like reducing gas and constipation, but it's also antimicrobial and antiviral (it was used as flu medicine in the 19th century!) and anti-inflammatory making it incredibly good for you. I'm really glad this spice is in my cabinet! Make sure you store it in an airtight container, though, because the smell will come straight through the spice jar and infuse your pantry!

Note: This recipe makes only four servings, so I doubled it for this photo.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup basmati rice
1 cup mung dal (split yellow peas)
2 cups vegetables (I used carrots and mushrooms)
2 tsp. ghee or coconut oil
1/2 tsp each coriander powder, cumin powder, whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric powder
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
1/2 inch ginger, grated
1 handful chopped cilantro leaves
2 tsp pink sea salt/mineral salt

Recipe from: https://www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/kitchari_recipe.html


Directions:

1. Soak peas for a minimum of 2 hours, I usually do this overnight to ensure they are soft.

2. Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water. Add the 6 cups of water to the rice and dal and cook covered until it becomes soft, about 20 minutes.

3. While that is cooking, prepare your vegetables and add the vegetables to the cooked rice and dal mixture and cook 10 minutes longer.

4. In a separate saucepan, sauté the seeds in the coconut oli or ghee until they pop, watching to ensure they don't burn. Then add the ginger and other spices. Stir together to release the flavors. Stir the sautéed spices into the cooked dal, rice, and vegetable mixture.

5. Add the mineral salt and chopped fresh cilantro and serve.

Pea and Scallion Pancakes, by Diane

I love scallion pancakes, and try to get them whenever I go to a Korean restaurant. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit for scallion pancakes with spring peas, and decided to give it a try. The batter came out much thicker than it should have been, and as a result the pancakes browned too much on the outside while the middle took too long to cook. The flavor was good though, and I may try to recreate the recipe with a thinner batter.

Ingredients:

1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for skillet
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted (I skipped this since it's only a garnish and adds calories)

Directions:

 

1. If using fresh peas, cook in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes (if using frozen peas, do not cook). Drain. 

 

2. Purée eggs, cottage cheese, flour, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer batter to a medium bowl and stir in peas and 4 scallions. (Batter should be thick but pourable; stir in water by tablespoonfuls if too thick).

 

3. Heat a lightly oiled large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add batter to skillet by 1/4-cupfuls, spreading out to 3-inch-4-inch rounds with a spoon. Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until pancakes are browned on bottom and the centers are just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. 

 

4. Serve pancakes drizzled with butter and topped with scallions.

Chili Mint Peas, by Diane

This recipe is a recreation of a side dish at Nando's restaurant. I ordered it because it sounded interesting and it was a really odd but great combination! This is my attempt to recreate it. It's really healthy- especially if you switch from butter to coconut oil like I did- and packed with flavor. Definitely a great side for lunch on the go or for dinner and very easy to make! I should also note that I have hated peas all of my life and this has converted me, so it's that good!


Ingredients:

1 lb. frozen sweet green peas
2 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
Sea salt to taste
1/2- 1 tbsp. red chili flakes
2-3 cloves minced garlic
4 large sprigs of mint, with leaves removed and chopped
1/2 cup parsley chopped



Directions:

1. Boil or steam peas until soft. Place in large bowl and add in coconut oil and salt, stir until blended.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mash until you have reached a texture that is smashed but still a bit chunky. If you want it smoother you can use an immersion blender.