Shepherd's Pie, Paleo style

One of the meals that my family has enjoyed over the past few years, that I was worried we would have to do without under a Paleo lifestyle, is Shepherd's Pie.  Glory Halleluja, sweet potatoes make for a VERY good Shepherd's Pie.  I made a basic Bolognese sauce.  I saw the recipe on youtube, and have altered it slightly for my needs.  Yellowsaffron is a youtube channel that I subscribed to a while back.  They specialize in Italian food, which has been the hardest habit to kick in the transition to Paleo.  At least this rendition of Shepherd's Pie lets me get to keep making my bolognese! WooHoo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwyCUOijLeE


First, I fill a pot with rinsed sweet potatoes, then cover with water and put on to boil.
 
I take 5 or six slices of bacon and cut them into pieces, toss them into my dutch oven and let them crisp up.  Dice 2 onions and let them caramelize in the fat from the bacon.  If necessary, I have added a tablespoon or 2 of butter, but I have found that the fat from the bacon is normally sufficient.  Then add three diced stalks of celery.  Grate up 2 carrots and add them too.    When the vegetables are softened, add 2 pounds of ground meat.  I chose ground turkey this time because I always have it on hand.  1 cup of red wine, and simmer until the wine is integrated into the meat.  This will take a few minutes.  Add your cup of bone broth.  In the video, the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste, I use a 24 oz can of tomato sauce or a 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce.  I did not add milk or cheese.  

When the potatoes are softened, take them from the water and let them cool.  The peels should be able to be removed easily.  I rub a paper towel over the surface, and it comes off.  Use a hand mixer, 1/2 a stick of butter, and some plain almond milk to blend until smooth.

Put the Bolognese sauce in a pyrex dish, then cover with the mashed sweet potatoes and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Bolognese Sauce

Bacon                                 $  .75
2 Onions                             $  .40
Celery                                 $  .15
Carrots                               $  .35
Ground turkey $1.19x2       $2.38
Red Wine 1 cup                  $  .50
Bone Broth                         $  .10
Butter                                  $  .15
                      Total =          $4.78

Boil sweet potatoes until softened and ready to blend with hand mixer

Thanks to Aldi's having Sweet Potatoes for 87 cents per 3 lb bag, my topping of mashed Sweet Potatoes was only $ .87.   Add 1/2 a stick of butter ($ .50) and almond Milk until smooth ($ .75)                                
Complete total = $5.65 for the Shepherd's Pie, Paleo Style  :-)

Add a mixed salad for about $1.50, and my family ate well for $8.40.

t

Finished Product

Trip to ONF for alternate nut butters

In Fayetteville, there is a very nice food co-op.  I had never been, but I had been hearing about it for 11 years, ever since Husband and I moved to Northwest Arkansas from the "Big D".  I was going to be in Fayetteville in order to take an  OSP (oh so pregnant) friend to Terra Tots. ( http://www.terra-tots.com/ )

I took the opportunity to drag her to Ozark Natural Foods (  http://www.ozarknaturalfoods.com/  ).  She has been a member ever since her college days at UofA - Fayetteville campus.  I parked her at the deli - which is VERY cool in and of itself.  They have all sorts of breads, wraps, and soups.  For less than 5 bucks, you can get a veggie wrap on a gluten free, wheat and grain free wrap.  Not sure that it is dead on Paleo, but it is a very healthful meal with a very low glycemic index.  I will definitely be making ONF a regular thing.  Maybe every other month or so.

My mission on this day was to price out, and possibly buy, some alternate nut butters.  I wound up getting Sunbutter Organic Sunflower Seed Spread.  I looked at the non-organic versions of this brand, mostly because they were cheaper, and saw some un-pronounceable ingredients.  The ingredient list for the version that I bought?  " Roasted Organic Sunflower Seed" and that is it. It was $7.79 for a 16 oz jar, and I bought 2.  I also picked up a jar of "Eastwind Nut Butters; Almond Butter Crunchy - no salt" for 8.99 per 16 oz jar.  Grand total before tax? $25.78  Since we are not big peanut butter eaters, I had thought it would not be difficult to make the transition to the alternate nut butters.

Only one issue.  Husband is going through the sunflower butter twice as fast as he had ever gone through peanut butter.  He has found an amazingly satisfying Paleo snack that I must say I also love.  Put some sunflower butter in the bottom of a bowl and heat for about 15-30 seconds, until it is runny.  Cut up some bananas into the bowl and stir.  Crumble walnuts over the concoction and stir once more, then eat.  LOVE IT!!!  In the grand scheme of things, this $2.00 treat is so much better than donuts, or honey buns, or any other similarly priced flour based snack.  Is it full of fat? Yes.  Are they healthy fats? Yes.  Should this be an every day treat? No.  Should it be a big bowl? No.

Needless to say, our new found love of sunflower butter just might be the Achilles heel of our monthly food budget if we are not careful.

Keeping on with the snack topic, Paleo Banana Bread in a bowl with almond milk poured over it is Thing1's favorite all time breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.  She would eat it as many times as I would let her in a day.  I love it as a parent when I hit a culinary home run.  Now, if only Thing2 would be as enthusiastic about anything that I make.  <sigh>

t

p.s.  As if to add insult to injury, Thing2 is absently licking the little bits of play dough left on her hands left from her playing with it earlier.  Yes, play dough.  <sigh and palm smack>

Paleo Stuffing

At Thanksgiving, I made my preparations mostly from the website The Paleo Secret.  One of the dishes that we fell in love with was the Paleo "Stuffing".  Dinner tonight was a close approximation of a  double batch of the stuffing.  http://www.thepaleosecret.com/2012/11/15/the-paleo-thanksgiving-series-paleo-stuffing/

2 lbs Ground Pork 2x $2.73                                                                                          $5.46
2 onions     2x .20                                                                                                          $  .40
10 stalks celery                                                                                                              $1.00
8 sweet potatoes                                                                                                            $2.80
2 eggs                                                                                                                            $  .20
4 garlic cloves - pressed                                                                                                 $  .15
2 tbsp fresh thyme                                                                                                          $  .30
2 tbsp fresh sage                                                                                                            $  .30
4 tbsp fresh rosemary                                                                                                     $  .60
1 tsp salt                                                                                                                        $  .10
1 C. bone broth                                                                                                             $  .50
                                                                                                                        Total = $11.81
                                                                        
The original recipe calls for 3/4 C of butter, but I totally forgot to add it.  The recipe turned out fine, so I do not think I will add it in the future.

 I cut and pasted the directions directly from their site here:
"Cube sweet potato and cook in oven at 400 for about 20-30 minutes and let it cool.  Another option is to cook the sweet potato whole and let it cool, peel it and then cube it. Set aside.  Brown ground pork while adding herbs and salt.  While pork is browning, sautee onions, celery and garlic in butter until soft.  Using a slotted spoon remove pork.  Combine pork, onion/celery mixture and sweet potatoes in a 8×8 baking dish.  Wisk eggs together and add drippings or broth to mixture.  Pour over pork mixture and mix together.  Bake at 350 deg for about 30 min until starting to get brown on top.  Serve and enjoy!!"

My method is slightly different.  In a big pan, I saute onions, celery, etc, until soft.  Then, I dump in the pork, seasonings, and mix and mix until brown.  Then, I add the sweet potato cubes.  I turn off the burner and keep mixing for a bit, then I whisk together my broth and eggs, pour over the whole thing, give it one last stir, then slide into the preheated oven.  Since I do all the clean-up, I like to dirty as few pans as possible. ;-)

It made a double batch.  All 4 of us ate last night, and I have 3 more good sized portions for leftovers.

Earlier this week, as a bow to Thing2, I tried to make chicken nuggets, Paleo style.  Cubing chicken thighs, I dusted them with coconut flour and cooked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  They wound up dry as a bone.  The flavor was good, but they were dry, dry, dry.  I have made sesame chicken nuggets before, and felt confident that I did not have to refresh myself on the recipe.  I really should have, because then I would have remembered to drizzle butter over them before sticking them in the oven so that they would crisp up and stay moist.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/sesame-chicken-recipe/index.html  Note: this is not the actual recipe I will use, just wanted to give an example of how/when I will butter up the chicken nuggets for maximum moisture.

The cost of the nuggets should be something like this:
2 lbs Chicken thighs                                                                                                 $3.00
1/2 C. melted butter to drizzle                                                                                  $  .25
1/4 C coconut flour                                                                                                  $  .50
                                                                                                                 Total =   $3.75

For the price of roughly one happy meal, the yield is 25-30 nuggets.  At least that is how many I got when I made the nuggets the other night.  You know, the failed recipe. 

t

Groceries 12/6/2012

Lunches for Things 1 & 2 do include sandwiches most days.  For now, my Paleo repertoire does not lend itself to lunches that my children will eat.  They had been ditching the lunches that I made and charging lunches to an account that apparently every kind in the school district automatically has.  I did not know until I got a call that I apparently owed the district in excess of 20 dollars.  Oy vey!  I am working on it.  In the meantime, I do feed the girls whole wheat breads; and offer our Paleo adjacent fare at breakfast and dinner.  As a result, you will see bread on our list.

Again, my trip was to Aldi.  Each week, they have special buys, and this Wednesday, a couple of the special buys were things that I wanted to grab for the girls for Christmas.  I picked up some victuals while we there.  :-)

Wide pan wheat bread x 2@ $1.69 for sandwiches                                                          $3.38
 Split top wheat bread x 2 @ $.99 for French toast                                                          $1.98
Almond Milk x 4 @ $2.49                                                                                               $9.96
Medium EZ peel shrimp x2 @ $4.99                                                                                $9.98
Unsalted Butter x2 @ 1.99                                                                                               $1.98
Chunk tuna in water x 10 @ $.69                                                                                     $6.90
Eggs x5 @ $1.59                                                                                                             $7.95
Carrots x2 for 2 lb packs @ $.99each                                                                             $1.98
Navel Oranges 2 bags @ $1.48 per 4lb bag                                                                    $2.96
Broccoli x4 frozen bags 1lb each @ $.85                                                                         $3.40
Onions x 4 3lbs each @ $1.69                                                                                         $6.76
Walnuts 1lb bag                                                                                                               $6.49

I have found it more cost effective to buy nuts and grind them myself to make nut meal.  
                                                                                                                       Total =   $63.72

Over the next few days, I plan on making some meals from one of my favorite TV cooks, Melissa D'arabian.

Tonight, I am making Chicken in Mustard sauce, only I will be serving it over Spaghetti Squash, instead of buttered noodles. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/chicken-in-mustard-recipe/index.html    I leave out the flour for this recipe.

Tomorrow or the next day, I will be making a big batch of French Onion Soup and freezing individual portions for quick meals.   Again, I do not use the flour or baguette suggested in the recipe...   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/french-onion-soup-recipe/index.html

Also on the agenda will be BBQ bundled shrimp by Hungry Girl..  http://www.hungry-girl.com/show/edible-idols-bacon-and-peanut-butter-bacon-bundled-bbq-shrimp-recipe

Dinner tonight, a breakdown:
Spaghetti Squash 3.71 lbs @ $1.28 per lb                                                                       $4.75
Chicken thighs 1/2 of a 3lb bag ($6.29 for the bag)                                                          $2.10
Diced Tomatoes 1 can                                                                                                    $  .59
2 onions - diced $.20 each                                                                                              $  .40
Mushrooms 8oz clamshell                                                                                                $1.49
Bone Broth                                                                                                                      $  .30
White wine                                                                                                                      $  .50
                                                                                                                         Total = $10.13

Tomorrow, the french onion soup:
Onions 3lb bags @ $1.69 each x2                                                                                    $3.38
Bone broth (4 cups)                                                                                                          $  .60
Butter                                                                                                                               $  .25
Thyme - fresh                                                                                                                    $ .70
Red wine                                                                                                                           $ .75
Bay leaf and other spices                                                                                                    $ .50
                                                                                                                          Total  =   $6.18

This makes 12-15 large servings, a whole pot of soup! It averages out to about 50 cents for a large and flavorful bowl of French Onion Soup whenever we want them.

I like having freezer friendly meals at our disposal.  Within 10 minutes, I can have dinner well on it's way to being done. Back when I was learning about menu planning and avoiding the siren song of the fast food drive through of convenience, I happened upon the idea of "dinner by 10" i.e..., you decide what you are going to have for dinner by 10am, so that you can get it out of the freezer to defrost in the refrigerator by 10am.  If you and your spouse both work, then decide by 10pm, so you can then out dinner in the refrigerator to defrost.   It is a great tip that I use just about every day.  On the days that I forget to think of my dinner by 10, it is nice to have a few meals in the freezer waiting for re-heating. 
I am increasing my repertoire of easy freezer meals that are Paleo, and will note the recipes that work well, and also the spectacular failures.  :-)

t

Podcasts are AMAZING!!

Technology is incredible.  Husband showed me how to download podcasts to my phone, and I have become addicted to Paleo View.  If you have never heard it, check it out.  It is two bloggers that get together and talk about what Paleo means to them.  They are both moms, and they have both had significant weight losses - over 100 lbs each.  I can definitely relate to them.  Husband and I both have our share of weight demons that we do not want to pass along to Things1&2.  We started the Paleo diet to reduce inflammation and improve our cardiovascular health.  One of the pleasant side benefits if our new way of eating has been slow and steady weight loss.  Husband has lost 60 lbs, and I have lost 36 in the last 4 months.  Yet, it is the improvements in our mental clarity and energy levels that we have pretty much marveled over.  As we exchange notes in the evening, after the girls are in bed, we have each mentioned an improvement in our moods, more patience with the girls, more energy in the evenings, diminished appetite for sweets and starches, the fact that we can now decipher thirst from hunger.

Sorry, off topic.....  Back to podcasts -
The women on Paleo View are Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. (www.thepaleomom.com)  and Stacy from Paleo Parents (www.paleoparents.com)

It all started with my looking for egg recipes on the internet, and I stumbled on a link to Mini Egg Pizzas... http://paleoparents.com/2011/mini-egg-pizzas/ .  Poking around on the site, I saw  Stacy's before and after pictures, and they made me cry.  It was like looking at pictures of myself in my undies in the mirror.  Little secret time.  When I feel the need for a little motivation, I e-mailed the link of her before and after shots to myself, and I will look at them and remind myself that the road I am on is long, but good.  Especially since the weight loss is a nice side benefit, and was not the original goal.

After some further poking around on Paleo Parents, I saw the tab for the podcast.  Husband saw me listening to the podcast through earphones at the computer and offered to "untether" me from the computer and see if the podcast could be downloaded to my phone.  Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, they could!!  Now, I can listen to the ladies whenever I get a free moment.

I have also found a plethora of other podcasts: Everyday Paleo, This Week In Paleo, Balanced Bites, The Paleo Solution and Latest in Paleo. To date, I have listened only to Paleo View, but I look forward to checking all of the others out too.  For the most part, I listen to podcasts as I fold laundry.  For whatever reason, I find it to be quite zenlike to fold warm and fluffy clothing while listening to disembodied voices wax eloquent about Paleo living.

Oh, and they have all been FREE!!!!  We live in a marvelous age. :-)

t

A Paleo Banana Bread Recipe

Banana bread, paleo style. :-)  from Three New Leaves  (http://www.threenewleaves.com/recipes/paleo-banana-bread/)  The only change I made was in the amount of the baking powder.  The first time I made it, I accidentally used a tbsp instead of a tsp, and it turned out well, so I kept using that amount.

This has become a family favorite.

3 eggs, separated
4 tbsp raw honey
4 tbsp olive oil
3 mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 c. almond flour (or any other nut flour)
1 c. pecans or walnuts (optional)

Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form

In a separate bowl, cream yolks and honey until light and fluffy with hand held mixer. Add olive oil, vanilla, spices, and mashed bananas and mix until fully combined. Add nut flour and mix. Fold in egg whites gently until combined.

Add your optional walnuts or pecans.

Pour mix into greased pan and cook at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

I make this recipe in the evenings, so that it can "set up" over night. It is firmer the next day, and more the texture that I prefer.

3 eggs $.40 / honey $.35 / olive oil  $.25 / 3 bananas $.65 / spices, vanilla and baking powder $.20 / almond flour $4.20 / handful walnuts $.70  Total =  $6.75

In addition to having it straight, which is very tasty, I like to heat the bread up with almond milk, and it feeds that oatmeal yen that I sometimes get.  Mmmm, warm comfort food....  ;-)

Cheers!
t

1/12/2013
UPDATE!!!!  A friend of mine utilized this recipe to make some nut bread for her family.  When she realized that her lovely little ones had cleaned her out of bananas, she used pumpkin puree, and it turned out fabulously.  Then, I did it, and it was amazing!  you can substitute 1 1/4 cups of pumpkin puree for the bananas!!  But, keep in mind that you are losing the sweetness from the bananas, so add more honey. :-)