Recipe Makeover Challenge - Shepherd's Pie

Eating healthier ain't easy. I guess nobody said it would be, but still I expected to be sailing thru this here "lifestyle change." As it turns out, every recipe makeover is it's own little monster, but it's a monster I am learning to love! It feels GOOD to cut calories by 30-50% and keep all (or more) of the flavor and feel of the original dish. I'm hoping to develop a "Recipe Makeover Challenge" series here... and this is take ONE!

I'm starting with this recipe for 30 Minute Shepherd's Pie from Rachael Ray, which got great reviews on the Food Network website. I plugged it into my trusty calorie counter, and it came out at a whopping 713 calories for each of the recommended 4 servings!! Here are the deets:

I hereby make it my mission to healthify this recipe and keep it delicious and filling and scrumptious and still satisfy the comfort food craving!

GOAL: around (hopefully under) 450 calories and 15g of fat per serving

Changes I'll be making include:

• Change the all potato topping to a 3:1 ratio of cauliflower to mashed potatoes
• Double (or more) the veggie content
• Use reduced fat cream cheese
• Swap nonfat milk for the heavy cream
• Reduce meat content
• Switch from ground beef to 1/2 ground chicken and 1/2 ground pork (yeah, I know... not really a Shepherd's pie... but if it's tasty, who cares?? Also, Shepherd's pie technically has lamb, so minus 1 for Rachael, too)
• Cut the butter in half (not subbing in evoo since we are making a roux for gravy)
• Cut down the amount of gravy (using more veggies should help keep it moist)

Plugged in this NEW recipe to the calculator, played around with it A LOT, and came up with this! I'll be sticking with this revised version for tonight, thankyouverymuch :)

Filling before potato/cauliflower layer.

Fresh out of the oven (yes, Adrien's side has some shredded cheese on top... I didn't want to start a fight!)

Final product (1 serving pictured). VERY filling and seriously delicious!

Here's the updated recipe!! If you try it, please comment and let me know what you think!!

For the topping:

• 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower florets
• 1 1/4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup nonfat milk

For the filling:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 turnip, peeled and chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Boil the potatoes and cauliflower in salted water. Drain and run thru a food mill using the medium blade. Combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, egg yolk, and nonfat milk in a bowl until smooth. Incorporate into the potato and cauliflower mixture until smooth. Season with S&P.
2. While the other stuff cooks, add 1 t evoo and the meat to a hot skillet. S&P and brown it till tasty (spoon some of the fat off, if there is any). Add the carrots, turnip, onions, garlic, and thyme, and cook for about 7-8 more minutes, until those veggies are soft and delicious.
3. In a separate small pan, make a 3-minute roux with the butter and flour, then whisk in the cup of chicken broth and the Worcestershire. Let it cook and thicken for a minute or so (it doesn't thicken too much), then add to the meat and veggie mixture, and cook over medium or med-low until veggies are done. Stir in the peas.
4. Preheat the broiler to high. Put the meat mixture in a baking dish and top with the cauliflower and potato mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and place under the broiler for 8-10 mins until browned and tasty looking. Top with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!!

Killer Tofu!!

Ahhhh eee oooooooo, KILLER TOFUUUUUUU!!!! If you never watched Doug on Nickelodeon as a child, you missed out big time. Not to worry, though, you have a chance to get on the wagon now by listening to this clip!

About 30 days ago, I joined MyFitnessPal, aka MFP (see Make Like a Tree & Branch Out!!), and it has helped me make a major turnaround in my life. I'm trying not to be all weirdo health nut psychopath, but as much as eating junkfood is super addicting, so is eating healthy! I'm loving the challenge of getting as much protein, fiber, and body-boosting goodness out of a meal as possible, while also making it delicious and not missing any of the crap that likes to stick to my no-no places. Experimenting with new veggies (red swiss chard, turnips, fennel) and grains (quinoa, farro) and different ingredients all together (almond milk, TOFU) is becoming a passion... I freakin daydream about it, I swear! There's something kind of sick about that, isn't there?

Anywho, that brings us to today's topic... TOFU!! Yes, it must be in all caps. It doesn't have the same effect otherwise.

I'll admit, I really don't know much about the stuff. Ok, it's made from soy beans, and according to The Beets' song, it's curd (not sure exactly what that means). It comes in a block packed in water, has several firmness options, looks pretty weird, and MUST be approached with an open mind. Other than that, I'm pretty clueless. Enter the internet and MFP.

I've seen some posts on MFP about tofu, and that it can be used in smoothies. THAT'S GREAT NEWS... I LOVE SMOOTHIES!! That's it, this morning I went into the kitchen, whipped out the blender, and started throwing shit in there. The result is completely delicious!!! Yes, a little high in sugar, but whatever, it's a freaking smoothie and it's SO good!!

Banana Chocolate Almond Smoothie

• 4 oz Silk Almond Milk - Dark Chocolate
• 20 g (abt 1 heaping tbsp) Trader Joe's Creamy Almond Butter with Sea Salt
• 1/3 c silken tofu
• 1 medium banana
• 1 to 1 1/2 c ice

Put it all in the blender and GOOOOO!!! It makes a meal-sized 16 oz smoothie. I prefer not to share, but to each his own.

Nutrition Facts Banana Chocolate Almond Smoothie
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories		309.7
Total Fat		12.9 g
	Saturated Fat	1.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	3.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	6.8 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		130.4 mg
Potassium		679.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate		44.7 g
	Dietary Fiber	4.9 g
	Sugars	27.7 g
Protein		9.7 g

Here's some nutrition info, cuz that's how I roll :)  This also gives ya 35% of your daily Vitamin C, 28% of your Vitamin E, and 30% of your Calcium!

On tonight's meal docket is some extra firm tofu I've had marinating in a Jamaican Jerk type concoction since last night. Pretty excited to see how it goes! Big TOFU day... BIG TOFU DAY!!

In case you're interested, here's the link to that super easy (and super cheap) marinade... Jamaican Jerk Tofu.  I'm planning to serve with broccoli and carrots over brown rice. Hooray!!

Miso Hungry!

Last Thursday's foodventure featured 2 items I've never worked with before... MISO and QUINOA. Pretty exciting! I've had a package of quinoa in the pantry for a while and never really bit the bullet and gave it a shot (see what I did there?). The stuff is pretty awesome though! Good texture, got some good flavors going, and it seems to be a pretty versatile little grain. Miso is weird... I learned a couple of interesting facts: (1) Sprouts only offers brown miso. Bobby wanted yellow. This got complicated, but after doing a good deal of research, the difference still eludes me. I guess that isn't really learning anything... (2) Once opened, the stuff will last in the fridge for about a year once opened... kinda creepy, no?

 

Miso Orange Glazed Salmon (adapted from Bobby Flay's Grill It!)

• 2 salmon fillets, about 8-oz each
• 1 c freshly squeezed OJ (about 4 oranges), plus the zest from one
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1/4 c miso paste (see intro)
• 1/2 T soy sauce
• 1/2 T rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c thinly sliced green onions 

1. Make yourself a cheese plate for snacking. Begin consumption immediately.

2. Make the glaze for the fish:  Mix up the OJ, zest, and brown sugar in a small saucepan, and boil it. Then simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the miso and cook for 1 minute, then take it off the heat and whisk in the soy sauce and vinegar. Let it chill out. This is the perfect time to start the quinoa!

3. Coat the salmon with 1/2 the glaze and let it hang for 15 mins. By now you should be halfway done with your cheese plate.

4. Get the excess marinade off the salmon, season with S&P, and put it in a lightly oiled skillet... which shouldn't be too hot or you will burn it to a crispy crispness and be sad (I obviously didn't do this... as far as you know). Cook it over medium heat for, say, 4 minutes on the skin side, then a couple more on the other side, depending on how done you like it (I like medium, so like 2 more mins). Make sure to add the reserved marinade and baste the sucker as much as you can without seeming foolish.

5. Put it on a plate, put more of the miso stuff (it's good... you won't regret it), and throw on some green onions (don't skip... they are pretty AND make the flavors aweeesommee). You gotta scroll down to see the final product... I'm not gonna spoil it by showing you too early!!


Asiany Quinoa with Mushrooms (adapted from Quinoa with Asian Flavors)

• 1 c quinoa
• 2 c vegetable broth (use one you made, if you're awesome)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T fresh ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1. Defrost your homemade broth. I know you have it.

2. Toast the quinoa in some EVOO for 3-4 minutes. Add the broth, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Set the timer for 25 minutes.

3. When the timer says 15 mins left, add the sliced mushrooms, stir, and recover. Also, start step 5 for the salmon if you want to eat this all at the same time!

4. Once all the water is absorbed, you're almost done! Stir in the green onions, season with S&P, and serve er up!! Don't forget seconds.

 

Shroomin'

Friday night's foodventure was another glorious success! My only regrets are that I didn't photo-document the beauty and I didn't make enough to last a week. When I tried to steal a picture from somewhere else online and pass it off as my own, I couldn't find something that did it justice! The mushrooms make the butter and cream their bitch, spreading their deliciousness and earthy delights into the sauce and the pasta. Mixing different types of mushrooms is key here. It adds complexity as each mushroom contributes its own distinct flavor to build a truly amazing dish. In fact, I even bought oyster mushrooms, but they were rendered useless as soon as I got home from the store by the discovery of a tragic mold invasion. This recipe is truly a keeper... Adrien may have called it the best vegetarian meal he's ever had. Yeah... that happened!!


Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

• 1 ½ lbs mixed mushrooms (I used a combo of white, crimini, and shiitake), stemmed (save the stems for stock) and sliced
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ c chopped parsley
• 1 c heavy cream
• 4 T butter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb fettuccine
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 or more bottles of Chianti 

1. In heavily salted water, cook the pasta 1 minute short of the package directions. Strain.
2. Saute the shallots in olive oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt them liberally, and crank the heat up to medium-high, cooking the mushrooms until they give up their juices and the juices cook off. Add the parsley, stir it all up, then add the butter, melt it, and add the cream. Cook over high heat until the liquid reduces by about half (this makes just enough sauce to coat the pasta…if you like it saucier, add more cream before reducing).
3. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and cook it for a minute or so until the pasta is al dente.
4. Serve it up, top the pasta with Parmesan cheese, pour the wine, and embrace the gluttony.

Amendment (01/16/12)... PICTURES! Made this again for my momma, and took some quick pix. Sorry for the poor quality. My phone kinda sucks.

Soupy Weather

Ahhhh, rainy days in Arizona! Is it just me, or does cold, rainy weather just call out for a hearty soup, yoga pants, and a comfy blanket? Last week, when the cold weather really hit us hard (it was high 40's/low 50's out... BRRRR!!), I whipped out the dutch oven and made a seriously amazing Winter Squash Soup from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris (the only changes were to use only about 1/4 c of heavy cream and only about 1/2 of the can of pumpkin puree, since I had that much left over from making pumpkin french toast the day before). I can't give this soup enough credit... it's cheap, easy, hearty, and freaking delicious!! Not to mention, I didn't have to buy a dang thing, since I had everything in my kitchen already!

Today, the rain is coming down and it's dark and gloomy outside. And so, for tonight's sure-to-be-crappy Monday Night Football game (STL @ SEA), I've created a hearty winter soup with spicy andouille sausage, potato, kale, and lentils. Here's how I did it...

Ingredients:

1 lb spicy andouille sausage

Extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing stuff

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 russet potato

2 ribs celery

1 carrot

1 yellow onion

1 bunch kale

1 T fresh thyme (or as much as your poor, sun-deprived plant can spare)

1 c green lentils

4 c chicken stock or broth

A splish splash of Worcestershire

Heavy cream, if you so desire

S&P to taste (this should go without saying, but you never know)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, because you want it to be tasty

0. Begin streaming an appropriate rainy-weather Pandora station. I prefer Adele or comparable British crooner for this particular type of foodventure.

1. Cover the lentils in boiling water (use a lot... they soak it up!) and let em hang out for 15 mins while you prep your other stuff.

2. Chop the veggies however you will want them to be in the soup. Cut things in slices, dice it, freakin food process it for all I care. Just make sure you adjust cooking time so that things are cooked through. I trust you!

3. Cook things, preferably in an aesthetically pleasing dutch oven like I did. Start with the EVOO, onions, and garlic. Then add the sausage (remove the casings first!) and brown it up. Once that's done, toss in the carrots, and celery, thyme, S&P, and cook those for about 10 more minutes, until they look delicious and the smells make you so hungry that you just can't take it anymore.

4. Make it soupy. Add the chicken stock, potato, lentils (drain them first!), and a little more S&P. Bring it to a boil, and let 'er simmer for an hour or so uncovered so that your whole house smells delicious. Dance around to Duffy or watch the rain to pass the time. If you check the soup and it needs more liquid, add more chicken stock or water. After an hour or so, make sure the lentils and potato are cooked through, and then move to step 5.

5. Finish this son of a gun! Add the kale in bite-sized pieces so you and your friends don't look like Neanderthals when you're eating (remember to take out the tough stem part). Let that cook down for about 5 mins, then add the Worcestershire and heavy cream, if you're into that type of thing. S&P again as needed, spoon into bowls, and top with cheese. Then eat it while watching the Rams get their bootays handed to them on national tv.