The Beloved Shepherd's Pie

Organic turkey from Thanksgiving!

Around here, Shepherd's Pie is well loved. James did a fast recently and during the fast he specifically said, "After this is over, can you make me Shepherd's Pie?" So, I figured I should share the recipe with you all, especially since I have a few dear friends who have been wanting this recipe!
The thing I love most about Shepherd's Pie is how versatile it is. You can use almost any vegetables  you like (I like spinach and broccoli, but didn't use them this time) and any type of meat. I usually use chicken, but this time, I used turkey (since I made it right after Thanksgiving).
Don't be afraid to experiment with this recipe and feel free to take shortcuts where you'd like to. I think this is pretty simple as far as cooking skills go, but if you make it all from scratch it takes some time.

What you need:

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped (you can even use the flowery part)
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 6-7 medium potatoes (russet are good, but red or gold make for creamier mashed potatoes)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 stick butter
• olive oil 
• 1/2 cup milk (maybe a little more or less depending on how you like your mashed potatoes, you want them to be soft enough to spread over the top of the pie though)
• 1 cup cooked turkey (I used leftover turkey pieces from Thanksgiving, but have also used boiled chicken or crock pot chicken breast/pieces, or ground beef)
• 1/4 cup parmesan and romano or mozzarella (cheddar would be good too)
• 1 cup gravy (if you have, this is optional)
• parsley for garnish

 Chop potatoes and put them in a pot of water to boil. Once they are soft enough to poke with a fork, drain, add butter, sour cream, milk, s & p. Add some olive oil if you need more of a soft consistency or more butter. You can also add some minced garlic. Mash! Or use a hand mixer :)
In a pan on over medium heat, heat up olive oil and add onion to soften. Add carrots, celery and garlic. Stir and let cook about 3-5 minutes until vegetables soften slightly, then add zucchini, corn, and peas. Turn off heat.
Then take a 9x13in pyrex dish and lay the gravy down (if using) put the veggies down, then the turkey pieces. Cover with mashed potatoes and spread them around! Sprinkle cheese over the top and parsley.
Put it in a preheated oven of 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and a little crispy.
Serve with more gravy (or don't, if you don't want to!)
Thoroughly enjoy!!!!!

This is healthy comfort food at it's best :)
And I say it's healthy because I love using lots of veggies in here, use more or less depending on your preference!

xoxo

Softening all the veggies

Since I am so new at blogging, I can't figure out how to get all the pictures where I want them to go, so who cares! I'm going to bed haha.

Healthy Crunchy Cranberry Granola

Well, it sure has been quite some time since I've posted! Let's blame it on Jimmy ;)
I have had so many friends ask for recipes and cooking tips and keep thinking how helpful it would be if I would just write down the recipes... so here it goes. A few friends have asked for granola recipes and this is one of my favorites! It's adapted from my favorite chef, Giada DeLaurentiis' recipe for Cranberry Nut Granola - I've just made my own tweaks to make it work for my family.


Healthy Crunchy Cranberry Granola

Makes approximately 4 to 6 servings and takes about 45 minutes to make it (it's worth it, trust me:))

Refined sugar free, gluten free, dairy free & vegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• coconut oil cooking spray
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup (do not try using aunt jemimah!)
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar (aka coconut crystals)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (do not use sweetened or it will mess with the flavor)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or more if you prefer)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the almonds and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with coconut oil spray. Set that aside.
In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, coconut sugar, cranberry juice, cinnamon and sea salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved and everything is blended together.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
Pour the maple mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Stir in the cranberries and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture begins to brown. Cool completely. Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.

Serve over yogurt, with milk, or just eat right out of your hand! You could even serve it over ice cream! Yum!!
 This granola is so tasty and if you play around with the wet ingredients, sometimes it's slightly chewier or crunchier. Last time I made it it turned out pretty chewy but this week I used a little less maple syrup and cranberry juice (because I was being lazy about measuring) and it turned out crunchier.

crunchy cranberry granola served over whole milk yogurt with chia seeds on top!

 

I hope you all enjoy it!