Tag: healthy meals

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (and a lucky Whole Foods giveaway!)

Are you in luck this month! Not only do we have a healthy and delicious recipe for you, but we have another fantastic giveaway from Whole Foods! So check out the recipe below and follow us on Instagram (@twofitmoms) for your chance to win a $250 gift card from Whole Foods (giveaway runs from noon EST on March 3 until noon EST on March 10). Good luck!

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, what better way to celebrate than with a hearty Shepherd’s Pie. I’ve updated this classic dish by making it vegetarian – which is a nice alternative for non-meat eaters and those trying to limit their meat intake. This recipe can also be easily modified to appeal to the vegans out there!

What I love about this recipe is that it yields a delicious and hearty dish without being heavy or fatty. It’s made with fresh (and flash frozen) organic veggies, herbs and seasonings that, when paired together, offer big flavor.

Instead of using ground beef or lamb, I use baby portobello mushrooms (aka cremini) which have a taste and texture similar to meat. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals such as selenium, niacin, copper and pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5) — so they are good for you!

All of the other ingredients are pretty traditional — with the exception of the topping. I used mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potato. I did this because I happen to love cauliflower mash — but I thought it would be great for those trying to limit their carb intake. Whether you use cauliflower or potatoes it will be equally delicious though — so modify away!

As I mentioned, the recipe, as it stands, is not vegan – the topping includes egg yolk and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. However, if you swap those ingredients out and replace with some veggie stock the recipe is vegan – voila!

Ultimately, I think you will love this fresh take on Shepherd’s Pie. It will be perfect for your St. Patty’s Day-inspired meal – and any meal, any day of the week.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
Serves four

For the filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil
16 ounces of baby portobello mushrooms (chopped — approximately 4 cups)
1 large carrot grated (approximately 1 cup)
1 large onion grated (approximated 1 cup)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 cup of red wine
1/2 cup of chicken or veggie stock
1/2 cup of frozen peas
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (Vegan version available)
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme (or fresh, but add a bit more)
1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary (or fresh, but add a bit more)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper

Topping:

2 cups of Cauliflower Mash
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a deep skillet over medium heat. Once it comes to temperature, add the chopped mushrooms. Let them begin to cook down a few minutes and then add the grated carrot, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook the veggies until the water evaporates, approximately 10 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and mix until incorporated. Deglaze the pan with the wine and the stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary and the frozen peas. Mix until combined. Test the mixture to see if you need more salt/pepper. Pour the mixture into a baker — I used an 8 inch by 11 inch baker.

Add two beaten egg yolks to your Cauliflower Mash along with 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Spoon cauliflower mixture over the mushroom mixture and spread evenly across the top. You can also add some extra grated cheese to the top to help brown the pie. Cook for 18-20 minutes and serve hot.

Helpful Hint: The cauliflower topping does not brown as easily as a potato topping — even after broiling for a bit. So, don’t be discouraged — it’s equally delicious!

Product samples were received for this post. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

March 2, 2017
Penne with Cauliflower Ragu

When there’s a chill in the air I tend to crave hearty meals and pasta automatically comes to mind. One of my favorite pasta dishes is Penne with Cauliflower Ragu. I love this pasta dish because it is a simple preparation with very few ingredients (only six!). The “sauce” essentially is a delicious cooked down mixture of cauliflower, garlic, shallot and olive oil. How can that not be amazing?

Cauliflower is only just coming into its own as people explore new ways to prepare this cruciferous vegetable. It’s not uncommon to find Cauliflower Mash on a menu or to run into riced cauliflower at your local market. It’s even used to make pizza “dough”.

It’s super versatile, and it’s a surprisingly delicious addition to pasta. In fact, it’s so good, I think you will find that this pasta dish becomes a staple in your house — as it has in mine. It’s frequently on the menu – especially as the cold weather sets in and all I want to do is make a simple pasta dinner.

Penne with Cauliflower Ragu
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
2 shallots
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper
1 cup of reserved pasta water
1 pound of penne pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, whatever works with your diet)
grated parmiggiano-reggiano

Directions:

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the base of a heavy pan over medium heat. Let the oil come to temperature and add the garlic and shallots. Cook until soft (7-10 minutes) and then add the cauliflower, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like to get some good color on the cauliflower at this point. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower softens.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water an add to the cauliflower mixture (this helps to create the ragu). Combine the pasta and cauliflower mixture — along with another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (more olive oil helps bring it together but is not necessary). Top with grated parmiggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

October 28, 2016
STOCKED: Hearty Lentil Soup

I’m a big fan of stockpiling — food, specifically. I have a pantry in my basement where I stock all sorts of foods — canned tomatoes, olive oil, beans, pasta, nuts, etc. I feel very stressed when my supply is depleted, so I keep a mindful eye on my pantry to make sure it’s always well stocked.

If you are like me, you may feel similarly. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing that you have a lot of healthy food staples in your house. And, there’s an even greater sense of comfort knowing that you have a stock pile of healthy meals at your finger tips — or at least in your freezer!

Today we offer you the first recipe in a series we are calling STOCKED. This recipe is for a delicious, healthy and hearty lentil soup. It yields a huge batch that you can divide into containers and freeze for another day. It’s a simple recipe, and I bet you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now. (However, if you need help creating a well-stocked, healthy pantry, check out this article).

Here’s what you need: onions, carrots, celery, garlic, lentils, fresh baby spinach (or another green of your choice), canned tomatoes, olive oil, chicken or vegetable broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper.

It’s a very basic and heart warming soup. The greens, in this case spinach, add a nice touch (courtesy of my friend Michele who inspired this recipe). It’s also an extremely economical meal. And, like I said, you will get a tremendous vat of soup out of this recipe. Enough to feed a small army. . . for days.

Enjoy!

Hearty Lentil Soup

Yields a lot.

1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes (chopped, crushed, pureed – whatever you have on hand)
16 ounces dried lentils (I used green lentils — don’t forget to rinse them!)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups of water
1 large dried bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, warm the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, can of tomatoes, chicken/vegetable stock, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat. Let the soup simmer for about 25 minutes — or until the lentils are soft. I just left my on the stove and let it simmer away.

Helpful hint: When re-heating the soup, you may need to add more stock/water. Don’t stress. The lentils absorb a lot of the liquid.

October 26, 2015
Recipe on the Go: Arugula Pesto

If you are like us, you are always on the go! Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, you are all too familiar with having no time to spare. Being able to rely on quick and nutritious recipes are key (especially if you can make them ahead of time!). That being said, we are here to help.

I want to share one of my favorite on the go meals. It’s Arugula Pesto.

I’m a big fan of pesto. You can make it many ways — with different greens (maybe fresh spinach?) and herbs (think basil, parsley) and nuts and cheeses. I like arugula. I prefer the taste, and I can also always find a pre-washed bag of arugula in the grocery store, so it works for me.

Generally, pesto will involve nuts. This version does not. I actually prefer the arugula on it’s own. So, it’s super easy. Arugula, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. That’s it.

This recipe is sufficient for one pound of pasta — any kind your heart desires — and, in a pinch you have a healthy pasta dinner.

Arugula Pesto
Yields approximately 1.5 cups, which is enough for a pound of pasta

4 cups of arugula (if not using pre-washed, make sure the arugula is dry)
3/4 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
3/4 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In the bowl of a food processor, add the arugula, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Turn the food processor on and begin to stream in the olive oil. Mix until combined. Remove mixture to a separate bowl, and fold the grated cheese into the mixture. Do not process it. The heat from the food processor may change the consistency.

Helpful Hint: You can make the pesto in advance, either keeping it in your refrigerator (up to a week) or freezing it in ice cube trays. In addition to being the perfect pasta topping, it’s also ideal for marinating meat and fish and for spreading on sandwiches.

April 14, 2015