Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pieadapted from Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals
6 medium potatoes
1lb carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2lblean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 jar (12oz) fat-free beef gravy
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:  Peel and cube the potatoes; place in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.  Add 1inch of water to another saucepan; add carrots.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer until crisp-tender, about 7-9 minutes.  Drain.
 In a large nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the carrots, gravy, 1/2 tsp salt, sage, thyme, rosemary and pepper.  Transfer to a shallow 3qut baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
 Drain the potatoes; mash with milk, butter and remaining salt.  Spread over meat mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. 

Nutrition Facts:
Cal 390
Fat 13g (6g sat fat)
Choles 53mg
Sodium 859mg
Carb 43g
Fiber 6g
Protein 30g

Diabetic Exchange:  3 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 fat

Modifications:
-I used ground chicken instead of ground beef.
-I added a can of Italian styled diced tomatoes.
-I used a packaged gravy instead of a jar.
-I did not sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Here's what you'll need:

Peel and cube the potatoes.

Slice up the carrots.

Dice up the onion.

Put the carrots in water to boil and soften.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brown the ground chicken.

Cook the potatoes, drain and add the butter.

Add the onion to the ground chicken.

Once the chicken is cooked through, add the carrots.

I decided to use a can of Italian-style diced tomatoes.

Add the tomatoes and the herbs.

Make the gravy.  If using jarred gravy, skip this step.

Add the gravy to the pot and let simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Pour into a greased baking dish.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the top.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
We love shepherd's pie around this house and this one is no different.  The addition of the brown gravy in with the mixture of onions and tomatoes really gave an extra depth.  Scott said it was one of his favorite meals that I have made in a long time and he had 3 helpings! 

This is a perfect comfort food dish!

Hope you enjoy!
April

Texas Ranch-Style Stew

Texas Ranch-Style Stew adapted from Everyday Light Meals
1 cup small shell pasta
1lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (5.5oz) reduced-sodium V8 juice
1 can (15oz) ranch-style beans or baked beans, undrained
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain the pasta.  Stir into the stew.  6 Servings

Nutrition Facts:
One Serving (1 1/3 cups) equals:
Cal 307
Fat 7g (3g sat fat)
Cholest 37mg
Sodium 886mg
Carb 37g
Fiber 7g
Protein 22g

Diabetic Exchange: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 1/2 starch

Modifications:
-I did not use a green pepper.
-I used ground chicken instead of beef. (Nutrition Facts reflect ground beef)
-I did not use picante sauce.

Here's what you will need:

Brown the meat.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Add the onions, garlic, and rest of the ingredients.

Simmer for 8-10 minutes.

 Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the other ingredients.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
This is another easy recipe from the Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals cookbook that I received from my sister for Christmas.

This recipe was very easy, almost like a pantry meal, and was perfect for a cold winter's night.  I did feel like a little flavor was lacking, even with the addition of the V8, so I think that this recipe definitely needs the addition of the picante sauce.  I continued to add more chili powder and cumin to taste.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Turkey Spaghetti Pie

Turkey Spaghetti Pie adapted from Everyday Light Meals
6oz uncooked spaghetti
5 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4lb lean ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups meatless spaghetti sauce
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain well and cool to room temperature.  In a bowl, combine the spaghetti, Parmesan cheese and egg substitute.  Transfer to a 9 inch pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray and form into a crust; set aside. 

In nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook turkey, onion and green pepper until turkey is no longer pink; drain.  Add spaghetti sauce; heat through.  Spread cottage cheese over crust; top with turkey mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition Facts
One serving (1 wedge) equals
Cal 274
Fat 11g (4g sat fat)
Cholesterol 57mg
Sodium 710mg
Carb 19g
Fiber 2g
Protein 25g

Diabetic Exchanges:  3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable

Modifications:
-I just used 3 whole eggs instead of egg substitute (not calculated in the above nutrition facts)
-I did not use a green pepper.
-I did not use the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop an onion.

Brown the ground turkey.

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.

Add the onions to the ground turkey

Add the spaghetti sauce to the turkey to warm.

In a separate bowl, pour the Parmesan cheese.

Add the eggs or egg substitute.

Drain the spaghetti, add to the egg/cheese, and mix.

Pour into a coated 9 inch pan.

Spread the cottage over the spaghetti.

Add the meat mixture on top.

Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

My family loved this dish!  Kanin had 3 helpings and even pick Gracie ate it.  The cottage cheese really added an extra gooeyness to the dish but you could also substitute ricotta.

The 2 things I would do different is that I would add more sauce and I would mix everything together and then pour it into the baking dish.  Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Taco Twist Soup

Taco Twist Soup adapted from Everyday Light Meals
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth or
  vegetable broth
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups picante sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Directions: In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, pasta, green pepper and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.  Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Nutrition Facts:
Cal 216
Fat 5g (2g sat fat)
Cholesterol 12mg
Sodium 1,052mg
Carb 33g
Fiber 6g
Progtein 10g

Diabetic Exchanges:   2 vegetables, 1 1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Modifications:
-I added 1lb 93/7 ground beef (nutrition facts do not depict the ground beef)

Brown the ground beef.

Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic.

Add the beef broth.

Add the diced tomatoes and black beans.

Add the picante sauce, pasta, and seasonings.

Add the ground beef.  Simmer until the pasta is tender.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
My sister got me the cookbook, Everyday Light Meals, from Taste of Home for Christmas.  I couldn't wait to start cooking some of the recipes in there.

This soup had a good flavor to it.  It is a fantastic meal for when you don't have a lot of time.  This recipe is also very versatile.  You could add diced chilies, chicken instead of ground beef, jalapenos, corn, tortilla chips, etc.  Literally, the possibilities are endless.

We all really liked this dish.

Hope you enjoy!

April