What's Cookin'

First, I’m sorry I didn’t get this posted yesterday.  I was at the renaissance festival most of the day and then, when I got home, I didn’t want to do ANYTHING.  So, I procrastinated and by the time I got going, it was too late to get everything done and it was also too late to type up this post and get it posted before I went to bed last night.  So I didn’t.  This post will also include my recipe for a healthy taco salad, which is what I took to work for my lunches all last week. 

BEEF POT PIE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cubed stew beef

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups chopped zucchini

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1 cup chopped carrot

• 1 tsp dried basil

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 8 oz sliced mushrooms

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ cup dry red wine

• ¼ cup no salt added tomato paste

• 1.5 tsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce

• ½ tsp ground black pepper

• 1 can (14 oz) low sodium beef broth

• 2 tbsp corn starch

• 2 tbsp water

• 1 tube refrigerated breadstick or Italian bread dough

Directions:

• preheat oven to 400°

• heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and cook 3 minutes, or until browned.  Drain.  Wipe drippings from pan with paper towel.  Heat the other half of the oil in the pan.  Add zucchini, onion, carrot, mushrooms, basil, thyme, and garlic; sauté 7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Return beef to pan.  Stir in wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cook 3 minutes.  Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stir with a wisk.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

• spoon beef mixture into an 11x7 baking dish.  Arrange dough on top.  Bake at 400° for 12 minutes, or until browned.

don't pay attention to the servings, i doubled the recipe for myself

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LENTIL CURRY

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked lentils

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 16 oz no salt added tomato sauce

• 2/3 cup light coconut milk

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 2 tsp curry powder

Directions:

• cook lentils according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

• heat olive oil in a frying pan.  Add the garlic and the onion and cook them until golden brown.  Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk and spices and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• add cooked lentils, stir and cook for at least 15-20 minutes over medium heat. 

again, i doubled the servings in this recipe

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SWEET POTATO “FRIES”

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ¼ tsp ground pepper

• ½ sea salt

Directions:

• preheat oven to 425°.  Peel the sweet potatoes.  Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and slice each half into 4 equal wedges.

• put the oil, cumin, pepper and salt in a bowl and mix well.  Toss the potato wedges in the mixture.  Arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the flesh is tender and the outside is lightly browned and the edges slightly crisp.

**you could sub the spices listed with cinnamon and nutmeg, cayenne, or rosemary in place of the cumin and pepper.

on this one, the recipe makes 2 servings

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HEALTHY TACO SALAD

Ingredients:

• 5 low calorie whole wheat tortillas (I use Santa Fe Tortilla Company brand)

• 16 oz ground turkey

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa

• 2.5 avocados

• 10 tbsp premade pico de gallo

• 10 tbsp light sour cream

• 1.25 cup 2% milk fat mexican blend shredded cheese

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:

• place tortillas in oven safe bowls that are lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

• cook quinoa according to package directions, yields 1 cup cooked.

• mix the spices together.

• brown the turkey in a pan over medium-high heat.  add spices to turkey and cook for another minute.

• mash avocado flesh.

• assemble the taco salad: place 3 oz seasoned ground turkey in the tortilla bowl, then 1/5  of the cooked quinoa, 2 tbsp pico de gallo, the mashed flesh of 1/2 an avocado, 2 tbsp light sour cream, and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

recipe, as listed, makes 5 taco salads

**add 1/4 cup mashed or whole low sodium black beans for just an additional 55 calories, if you want them:

nutrition facts for 1/4 cup low sodium black beans