Shepherds Pie

 This recipe makes a huge Shepherds Pie as I am feeding a family of 9 

( I would suggest halving the recipe for a family of 4-6)

Ingredients for Meat portion of Pie:

4 pounds grass fed ground beef
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 pound green beans (cut into smaller peices or broken if they are frozen)
4 carrots, diced
2/3 cup beef broth
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 TBSP Kirkland Signature No Salt Seasoning (my new favorite seasoning!), or more, to taste
1 tsp basil, or to taste
pepper and salt to taste

meat mixture simmering

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large skillet brown your ground beef, onion, garlic and celery, cooking until the beef is browned.  Then drain off the fat and liquid from your beef (you can save it for later use if you would like).  Add your broth, tomato sauce, carrots, green beans and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until your veggies are tender and ready.

While that is simmering is a great time to prep and make your cauliflower mash.

After your meat mix is done, then pour it into a casserole dish or large pan of you choice and top with your mashed cauliflower ( I sprinkled mine with paprika for looks, but it's not necessary).  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes and then turn the heat up to broil and broil until the top is nicely browned.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, serve and enjoy.

Ready for the oven.

*Note:  you could easily up the veggie amount on this, however, since it's topped with cauliflower I tried to keep the carb content down a bit.

Mashed Cauliflower, if you have a recipe you like for mashed Cauliflower you can just use that.
This is just a suggestion:

3 heads of cauliflower florets removed 
Beef Broth
4 roasted garlic cloves (optional) (really easy to make homemade)
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Steam  your Cauliflower until it's nice and soft, then just throw it into the bowl on your Food Processor, along with a little beef broth, salt and pepper (and garlic if you'd like).  Hit the button and puree until it's your desired consistency.  Delish!

*I have to apologize for the fact I didn't get any pictures of this dished up, it was devoured and given a thumbs up by everyone.  I got it on the table and ran out the door to the 6:30 workout at the box, and by the time I got home the kids had polished it off, not even a crumb left! *

Fresh and hot from the oven, ready to eat.

Deals of the week

Did my grocery shopping yesterday, here is what I found.

GROCERY OUTLET:

Simply Good Chicken Sausage, sun-dried tomato and basil (12 oz package) $3.49

Woodstock farms Organic Applesauce (flavors are: Blueberry, mango, raspberry) 24 oz.  $1.69

Gertie's Artichoke Tapenade 19.4 oz $3.99

Frozen Peaches 2 pound bag for $1.99

Alessi Pasta Sauce, FraDiavolo (good for seafood ) 24 oz $2.49


EUREKA NATURAL FOODS:

 Rocky jr. Natural Chicken, Vegetarian Fed, NO antibiotics or growth stimulants, Whole Chicken Fryers are just $0.99 per pound

Unsweetened So Delicious Coconut milk from the cooler, half gallon. $3.29

Coconut Water Amy and Brian $1.39 per can

Back Home!

Meredith and I are back from our weekend of Nutrition training!  What an awesome weekend!  We got to meet  and talk with so many people!  We met Robb Wolf and Sarah Fragoso (Everyday Paleo and NorCal trainer) and had some very helpful conversations with them (oh, and Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, Whole 9) regarding training and nutrition.  

We are moving the Box tomorrow so it's crazy busy, but one little tidbit I will throw out there is to make sure you are getting lot's of protein (nearly 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight).  And a warning not to start your day out with fruit, it sets you up for sugar cravings all day!  Instead eat your eggs and bacon or leftovers from last night.

There will be a ton more information in the next couple of weeks, look for some Our Thoughts articles.