Shepherd’s Pie with Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Normally, comfort food does not involve kale or carrots but carbs, cream, sugar, and all things that leave us bloated and slightly disappointed with ourselves. But, one of the best ways to keep your diet on track is to put a healthy spin on that comfort food you crave.

For this shepherd’s pie, we’ve upped the veggies and replaced the white potato for its orange cousin. It certainly is a great, warm recipe for the cool weather and will fill you up without the enhanced belly.

Ingredients: Bunch of diced carrots, sliced mushrooms, kale, Brussel sprouts, half of white onion, half of bag of frozen peas, 1 1/2 lbs lean beef, 2 large sweet potatoes

Meat and Veggies: Heat a large skillet with olive oil on low. Add onions, mushrooms and carrots first and cover for about 15 minutes. Add kale, diced carrots, and peas.

Season beef as you like (we added garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar). Gradually add meat to the skillet. Raise heat.

Sweet Potatoes: Peel sweet potatoes and slice. Bring a medium size pot of water to boil and add potatoes. Once soft, strain and let cool. In a large bowl, add butter or coconut oil and salt. Smash with a masher until smooth.

Pie: In a casserole dish, spread out veggie meat mixture. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes. Broil for 5.

Brussel Sprouts: Cut Brussel Spouts vertically. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip in olive oil. Spread out on an a cooking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Broil for 5.

It’s best if served with a spatula. The smooth sweet potatoes and savory beef compliment each other amazingly that you forget all about those regular, old white potatoes.

Steak Pasta Primavera

Not all pasta is created equally. Well, actually it is, but then it’s processed, stripped of the majority of its nutritional value and has a pound of cream dumped on top it and is then called cuisine. **cough** Olive Garden.

Whole wheat pasta has much more vitamins and fiber than its lighter component. Also, it has a much lighter taste and doesn’t give you that heavy gut feeling when you’re done eating.

Ingredients: Whole wheat shells (any whole wheat pasta will work), .87 lb of round steak, bunch of asparagus, bunch of carrot sticks, 1/4 onion, sliced mushrooms, 1 clove of garlic, Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions: Boil water, add pasta and sliced carrots. Taste to check if soft.

Slice veggies. Cut up raw meat separately. Add garlic, mushrooms and onion to heated pan. Once browned, add meat. Once sufficiently cooked, add asparagus and tomatoes.

Once pasta is in colander and dryer, add garlic powder, salt and pepper. In large bowl, combine pasta, meat, and veggies. Once mixed together, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix. Add a bit of Parmesan cheese to taste.

Pasta tends to get a bad reputation for its heavy carb content. But it can be indulged in as long as it’s portion controlled. This recipe perfectly shows how to balance out good carbs with plenty of protein and veggies.

Portobello Pizza

Pizza is the end all cheat meal. It’s carbs, dairy, grease, and fat all rolled into a delicious, handheld treat. While many feel like it’s the hardest thing to give up while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, there’s variations that deliver the taste without the trash.

Ingredients: Portobello mushrooms, tomato paste (preferably organic), chicken tenderloins, low fat shredded mozzarella cheese, peppers, onion, kale to garnish

Directions: Scoop out inside of portobello caps (a melon baller was used here), saving the extracted mushroom. Make sure to be CAREFUL while still insuring that a large amount of the inside has been removed. No one wants a holey pizza! Lightly sprinkle with salt to absorb moisture. Bake on 350 for about 15 mins.

Slice peppers and onions. Slice chicken to fit size of portobello cap and lightly season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Sauté the removed mushrooms and sliced veggies first. Once browned, add chicken. Cook for about 10-15 mins.

Once portobello caps have cooked, remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, spread a layer of the tomato paste on for your sauce. Then add chicken and cooked veggies. Finish with mozzarella.

Bake for about 10 mins and broil for 2-5 minutes. Watch carefully!

It’s important to remember that all bad food is based off of good, nutritional ingredients (like a bad movie derived from a good book)😜. Don’t think about what you’re giving up, but what you can spin into making healthy!

One Pan Meal: Roasted Chicken

Sunday is meant to be a day of leisure so don’t let meal prep consume it! There are plenty of meals that cook all together and don’t demand too much time. Above is roasted chicken with red potatoes and veggies.

One pan=one dish to wash=more couch time:)
The veggies chosen are Brussels Sprouts and Eggplant with Mushrooms and Onions thrown in. We have selected these because they make great absorbers and there’s a lot of fat (and flavor) to catch! They have been lightly seasoned with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Make sure to throughly clean and then season your bird. We used the same flavor assortment (EVOO+lemon+oregano). Also, position is key to make sure your veggies get maximum drip.

The rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound (this chick is about 6lbs). The end result is a delightful aroma, a quick cleanup, and meals for the week.

Stuffed Mushrooms

chickmush

After a while, even the most flavorful dish begins to warrant an audible sigh when the Tupperware lid is peeled off. But, to avoid ending up in the fast food window line around 12:15pm, its important to get creative with what you have. Pictured above are stuffed mushrooms, featuring the leftover Middle Eastern Chicken with some bell peppers, onions, and cheese. Any veggies that you are eager to use before they spoil can essentially be used as a “throw in”.

Stuffing- sautee leftover chicken with bell peppers, onion, and the extracted inside of the mushrooms. The chicken is already cooked, so only about 5 minutes or so is all it will take.

Mushrooms– after removing the stem and inside of the button mushrooms, lightly season with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Fill inside with cheese and chicken/veggie mix from above. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at 350°.

The mushrooms go very well over rice or quinoa, or just by themselves as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpea Salad

Let’s face it: chicken can be boring af. It’s the blandest of all the proteins, but also the most benign when it comes to your waistline. That’s why we will be coming up with some chicken options that provide flavor without any guilt attached (tap the chicken option tag to see all).

Trust me, this one will get your taste buds going and make you forget you’re eating healthy.

Chicken Breast-Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon/2 Tbsp Olive Oil, Through Rub of Cumin, Salt and Pepper to Taste. Baked with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms at 360° for 45 minutes.

Chickpea Parsley Salad-One Can of Chickpeas, Half Chopped Red Onion, Half Chopped Green Pepper, Half Chopped Tomato, One Chopped Cucumber, Bunch of Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon, 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tbsp of Stevia, Salt and Pepper to Taste

The dish doesn’t exactly fall into any one country’s culinary profile, but the lemon/olive oil marinade and use of cumin, parsley, and chickpeas slides right into the Mediterranean/Middle East area. Isn’t it funny how the food from other countries is so much healthier than America’s?