Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

I've had the idea for this dish in my brain for months and months. I don't know why I kept putting it off. Even after I made my grocery list with the proper ingredients, I waited a few weeks to buy the stuff. Then after my fridge and pantry were stocked with the right ingredients, I waited until my sweet potatoes almost started sprouting before I finally forced myself to make it.

Actually, I do know why I was putting this off. It's because it feels like holiday food. Hot and mushy and rich. But I'm very glad I made it because it was very tasty, and loaded with nutrition!

A shepherd's pie is some type of meat and/or veggies in a gravy-type sauce topped with some mashed potatoes and all baked together. Each Thanksgiving, we make amazing leftover shepherd's pies with our extra turkey, gravy, and potatoes.

This version of a shepherd's pie is much healthier sans crust, but with a mountain of cremini mushrooms, kale, a creamy yogurt gravy, and topped with beautiful bright orange sweet potatoes.

It was super flavorful and made an amazing dinner and an even more impressive workday lunch the next day. But it definitely needs a piece of crusty artisan bread slathered with butter to provide that contrast in textures to make a complete meal.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 yellow onion, diced

2 packages crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 bunch Tuscan kale, washed and stems removed and chopped

2 heaping Tbsp AP flour

1.5 cups vegetable stock

1/3 cup plain, full fat, greek yogurt

salt, pepper, and olive oil

Place sweet potato cubes in cold water in medium pot over high heat. Bring to boil, add salt, and cook until soft. Drain, season with salt and 1 Tbsp butter, and mash. Set aside.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until brown. Add kale, salt, and pepper.

Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add in vegetable stock and boil until thickened. Add yogurt and remove from heat.

Pour veggies and gravy into an oven safe dish. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Broil briefly until potatoes are slightly charred.

ONE YEAR AGO: Orange Glazed Tempeh Cutlets

TWO YEARS AGO: Caprese Salad with Creamy Pesto Dressing

White Pizza with Greens

As usual, I'm the one doing opposite what everyone else is doing. I know this is the traditional "healthy" eating time for all of those who've made new year's resolutions. Food Network this weekend is full of shows (even Paul Deen y'all!) featuring healthy recipes because many of us have gorged ourselves in the past two months.

Since my Christmas Day was squandered on the couch with the flu, I certainly didn't overindulge this holiday season. So now, instead of getting on the steamed veggie and salad bus, I'm cruising down the road to pizza town.

Specifically, pizza with lots of cheese. At least 3 kinds of cheese. Ooey, gooey, creamy, salty, melty, rich cheese. My pizza base was a piece of naan - soft Indian flatbread, similar to pita only softer.

Cheese number one is a fresh ricotta spiced with garlic, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper.

Then I layered on a whole bunch of shredded provolone cheese (although any Italian melting cheese would work, especially fontina or mozzarella) and finely grated parmigiano reggiano.

All that rich cheese needed a contrasting texture and flavor to make the perfect meal so I topped my pizza with some basic greens simply dressed in a lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette.

It tasted as good as it looks! And while it's not as light as steamed veggies with poached fish, I still think it's healthy. Plus, who likes eating so extreme - stuffing yourself one day, then depriving yourself the next? Not me. I prefer to eat healthy and well-balanced food year round!

White Pizza with Greens

Pizza Crust (homemade, store bought, or pita or naan)

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

a pinch each of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

1/2 cup shredded Italian melting cheese such as provolone, fontina, or mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups leafy greens

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, or as hot as it gets.

In a small bowl, mix your ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red together. Spread a thin layer of this mixture on your pizza crust. Top with your other 2 cheeses.

Bake 5 minutes or until edges of crust get darkened, then transfer to broiler until cheese is perfectly melted and bubbly and brown.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper (or shake in a mason jar). Drizzle over greens until just moistened.

Top hot pizza with greens and eat immediately with a glass of wine.

ONE YEAR AGO: Barley Risotto with Mushrooms, Kale, and Sweet Potatoes

TWO YEARS AGO: Nigella's Chocolate Peanut Granola

Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I used to think I hated buffalo sauce. I thought it smelled funky and had an unnatural orange hue. Plus it always reminded me of the one time I ate at Hooters on my 22nd birthday with my parents, my best friend Amy, and her parents. My dad brought us there because the first two restaurants we tried to get into had a long wait and we had tickets to a show. Before we went in, my mom started joking that he goes to Hooters a lot so it's his favorite restaurant.

When we walked in the door, every single waitress in that place knew my dad's name and came up to him to say hi. I was beyond embarrassed and super pissed. Then the manager came over to shake my dad's hand. Dad kept encouraging me to eat the buffalo wings but I pouted and complained that they smelled like diapers. I acted like a total snot.

I didn't find out until we got home that night that it was all a joke...dad had gone into the restaurant first and asked the staff to play along so he could trick my mom. It backfired - she thought it was funny and I was the one who got mad!

I've since gotten over my distaste for buffalo sauce. In fact, Frank's Red Hot rules. But I still don't like chicken wings - too many bones for me. So this post on Serious Eats sounded brilliant - substitute cauliflower for the wings! I roasted some up right away and tossed it all in a melted butter and Frank's mixture.

The dressing was from Ellie Krieger - I used a fancy blue cheese (again found in the odds 'n ends bin at Kowalski's) and eyeballed the rest of the ingredients, heavy on the yogurt.

I added tomatoes, carrots, avocado, and lots of celery on a bed of spinach and this salad ended up being a great combination of spicy, creamy, tangy, and crunchy.

Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

olive oil, salt, and pepper

2 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce (or other hot sauce) - or less to taste

1 Tbsp melted butter

greens - such as lettuce or spinach

veggies - carrots, celery, tomatoes, avocado

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp greek yogurt

2 Tbsp buttermilk

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp white wine vinegar

pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast until charred all over. Toss immediately with hot sauce/butter mixture.

Layer cauliflower and veggies on top of greens.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together with a fork. Drizzle on top of your salad.

ONE YEAR AGO: Wasabi Pea Encrusted Tuna Steaks

TWO YEARS AGO: Kale and Egg on Toast and Herbed Goat Cheese, Edamole, Feta Salsa

Potato Leek Frittata

Prior to Christmas, we had a little cocktail party at Angela's house to drink some bubbly and toast the season with Cassandra who was visiting from NYC. Multiple cheeses, breads, and fruits accompanied a rustic Leek and Potato Soup. It was a beautiful evening by the crackling fire.

That combination of leeks and potatoes - so classic - stayed in my brain. And then I read the Wedge's weekly produce blog (a great resource for finding what's in season or freshest each week), and read about organic ruby crescent fingerling potatoes. They're teeny tiny little spuds with a pink skin that taste amazing. I bought some immediately to make a killer frittata.

Leeks are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. I love cutting them, cleaning them (cut into rings and soak in a bowl of water so the dirt sinks to the bottom), the smell of sauteeing them, and especially eating them! Leeks have a subtle onion flavor, but are mild and slightly sweet. They are prevalent in France, so I felt like amping up the ooh-la-la factor tonight with the addition of some Herbs de Provence.

Continuing on the French theme, I topped my frittata with a nub of French Raclette cheese that I found in the bin of cheese odds 'n ends at Kowalski's (truly, my favorite thing ever is to go through that bin and try a bunch of different fancy cheeses for $1 or $2 each!).

Frittatas are my favorite work lunch - at room temperature and accompanied by a green salad, I consider it a most satisfying meal, and I often feel sorry for those poor souls eating their Lean Cuisines or running through a drive thru!

Potato Leek Frittata

1 large or 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, chopped and cleaned

1 cup chopped or sliced potatoes, par boiled

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs

1/2 cup water or milk

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In medium non-stick and oven-proof skillet, saute leeks over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter. Add Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. When softened, add your parboiled potatoes and cook until it's all hot and cooked through (but make sure there's still some moisture or oil in the pan so your eggs don't stick - add more if necessary).

In separate bowl, mix your eggs, milk or water, and spinach together with a little more salt and pepper and beat with a fork until frothy. Slowly pour egg mixture over leek/potato mixture and spread out eggs evenly in pan with all the other ingredients.

Cook 5 minutes or until it's halfway cooked (i.e. spatula pulls eggs away from side of the pan cleanly). Top with grated cheese and throw it into the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until it's puffy, cheese is golden, and the eggs are all cooked. You'll know it's done when you shake the pan and the eggs don't wiggle anymore.

ONE YEAR AGO: Baked Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs

Top Ten of Green and Lean '10

For the past week, I've been reflecting on 2010 and have been filled with a complete sense of peace, gratitude, and pride. I remember last year at this time, I was determined to make 2010 a great year. My facebook status on 12/31/09 was: "I've got 3 words for you 2010: Bring. It. On." Attitude is everything. It worked. 2010 was amazing.

What I'm most proud of this year is the way I have faced my fears and tried new things. While I've been approaching all areas of my life with this intention, here on the blog it's been particularly apparent. I even pulled back the comforting curtain of anonymity and posted about me.

And now I am in the final day of a year that has been jam packed with delicious, colorful, nutritious, and home cooked foods. Many of them started out as frightening or scary ingredients or ideas.

Here are my favorite posts from 2010.

10. Chipotle Salad Dressing - this is probably the number one restaurant thing I crave and it's rewarding to be able to recreate it at home. I've also recreated French Meadow's tempeh cutlet with good results.

9. Zucchini Oat Bran Muffins - boy, oh boy was I proud of this one! First time I ever felt like I had created a recipe for a baked good from scratch that actually worked.

8. Garlicky White Beans with Veggies and Egg - this was the first time I'd cooked dried beans, and it wasn't the last. I've cooked up several big pots of black, garbanzo, and cannellini beans since then and I love having them available in the freezer for last minute meals.

7. Steamed Artichoke with Balsamic Aioli - artichokes are not scary! It's like eating crab legs...takes a little work to get to the good stuff, but it's worth it!

6. Vegetarian Lunch Meat - it was fun using vital wheat gluten for the first time and I enjoyed sandwiches with this "mock meat." I also used mock meat in my Vegetarian Pot Pie, Rustler Pizza, and Vegetarian Pulled "Pork" Sandwiches.

5. Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp and Pineapple - I've become really confident on the old Weber and I'm no longer afraid to fire it up for dinner. I used to think it was way too much work and too much mess but I've made a great Grilled Balsamic Veggie Sandwich and Grilled Chili Lime Veggie Burritos.

4. Squash and Spinach Risotto - lots of people are scared to make risotto from scratch but it's very simple and the results are ridiculously good. I also made a risotto out of barley that was awesome.

3. Pizza Dough - so much easier than I thought it would be! I even used it to grill pizza and make calzones.

2. Sweets - in the first couple years of my real food challenge, I didn't do a lot of baking. Now I know good desserts are real food if you use the right ingredients and enjoy them in moderation. I've made some amazing sweet things this year including the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, Guinness Cake, Chocolate Lava Cakes, Carrot Cake, and Greek Yogurt Lemon Mousse.

1. Wasabi Pea Encrusted Tuna Steaks - I used to think fish was difficult to cook at home, especially the kind that you want to eat rare. But this recipe was a breeze. And out of this world delicious.

I also want to give honorable mention to these recipes that stand out in my memory as being exceptionally delicious: Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Baked Egg Rolls, Avocado Boats, and Sweet Onion and Mushroom Galette.

The best part is that I'm not done yet. I have a fairly lengthy list of items I'd like to eat or try in 2011. I'll continue to post here and you're welcome to continue reading! Thank you for following along and I wish for you to make 2011 an outstanding year, just as I'm intending to do!

ONE YEAR AGO: Top Ten of Green and Lean '09

Miso Soup

I hope you all are having an amazing holiday season - eating good foods, drinking tasty drinks, and sharing time with family and friends. That's really what it's all about!

I sadly didn't get to enjoy the seafood lasagna my mom made for Christmas Day because I came down with a touch of a stomach bug. Instead I had a saltine cracker and a few bites of oatmeal. Not fun. As I ease back into real food, I thought miso soup would be a good way to go.

I bought a tub of miso paste at United Noodles a few months ago. It's a good investment because it will last FOREVER in your fridge, and Wikipedia says it's high in protein, and rich in vitamins and minerals.

Anyways, I wasn't even going to post this because it's such a non-recipe. BUT then I read the lid of the miso paste container and I deemed it too hilarious to not post. Read the first line of instructions carefully.

I'm not trying to make fun of other cultures or anything, but COME ON! If I was going to sell a product in another country I would at the very least have my product packaging proofread by a native speaker! This is just lazy marketing!

But it did give me a good laugh - now all I can think about is the scene in A Christmas Story where they're at the Chinese restaurant and the waiters are singing "Deck the harrs with bars of horry. Fa ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra." Ah, good stuff.

So this miso soup was nice and gentle on my stomach, with enough flavor to satisfy me. I didn't have tofu or seaweed but I did have carrots, mushrooms, edamame beans, and chopped baby lettuce greens. I added some toasted sesame oil at the end because...well, because toasted sesame oil just makes everything taste better!

Miso Soup

3 cups water

1 large carrot, grated

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 Tbsp miso paste

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame beans

handful chopped greens (like spinach, arugula, or other leafy greens)

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat water in a small pot over medium high heat with carrots and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and cook until carrots and mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add miso paste and edamame and stir gentry. Let it all heat together for a couple minutes.

Remove from heat and add greens and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

ONE YEAR AGO: Christmas Colors Casserole (I know it's a stupid name and the photos suck, but this dish tasted awesome. I'll be making it again soon!)

Spicy Beans and Tomatoes on Polenta

I love reading about Liz's pantry challenges over at the awesomely named blog Food Snobbery is my Hobbery when she does them. I know the feeling she gets when she's able to accomplish amazing meals without grocery shopping. There are few things that I'm more proud of than making a seriously delicious dinner out of stuff I find in my cupboard or freezer.

Tonight I experimented with a little container of Quaker corn meal which has been in my cupboard for awhile. I don't know if corn meal is exactly the same as polenta, but they're similar enough. I just boiled up some water, whisked in the corn meal, added butter and salt and it came out rich and creamy.

I also found a jar of roasted tomatoes and shallots in my freezer. I froze several pints of roasted cherry tomatoes in the fall and they came in handy tonight along with another frozen find: home cooked cannellini beans.

I was inspired by this post, but really all I did was defrost my tomatoes and beans (you can just open cans!), add a hefty pinch of crushed red pepper, ladle it on top of the polenta, and top it all with coarsely grated parmesan cheese.

Healthy, filling, comforting. It's also vegetarian AND gluten-free! Vegan, too, if you nix the cheese and butter. Exactly what you need the week before Christmas as you prepare your body for sweets, snacks, and cocktails!

Spicy Beans and Tomatoes on Polenta

2 cups water

1/2 cup corn meal or polenta

1 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

tomato sauce (either home made or store bought - or even just some canned tomatoes added to sauteed onions)

1 can of beans, any kind, drained (or 1 pint home cooked)

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

grated cheese - any kind (I used parmesan)

fresh herbs - optional (I didn't have any but parsley, basil, or chives would be great)

You should follow the directions on the back of your corn meal or polenta package. But all I did was boil 2 cups of water in a small pot, whisk in 1/2 cup corn meal, add butter and salt and stir.

Heat your tomato sauce in another small pot (or add a can of diced or crushed tomatoes to some sauteed onions in a skillet). Add drained beans. Season to taste, as spicy as you can handle (maybe just start with a pinch and add from there).

Serve on top of polenta, add grated cheese, and any fresh chopped herbs you have in the house.