A New Year - A New You - New Food in your Fridge

God that sounds like a salespitch. I have been meaning to keep up with this blog because writing & recipes are my passion, but I have been too busy, well...eating. Eating and traveling and trying new things. The holidays are over, thankfully and 2009 is here!

My mission is to begin the new year with the right attitude and arm myself with the right tools. Check out www.wholeliving.com for lots of good ideas. Body & Soul magazine is my favorite magazine, other than Skirt! of course! For books, check out “Sugar Shock” by Connie Bennett or anything by Dr. Mark Hyman. Both are lifechanging reads and what is starting a new year all about? Changing your life for the better.

I just tried Kale recently and would like to revisit a turnip. I remember not liking them much years ago, but taste buds change over time. To bump up my whole grains I have been cooking (YES, I HAVE BEEN COOKING) bulgar wheat, quinoa, brown rice and my favorite whole wheat pasta, which some brands are 100% whole grain while others are not.

Since we celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being vegetarians this past December, I thought I would share a great recipe that you might enjoy!

It’s great for a cold snowy Sunday when you can curl up on the couch and watch Football or Lifetime, even.

SWEET POTATO SHEPHERS PIE (by Gillian McKeith)

2 tsp virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, washed and sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved, de-seeded and cut into small pieces
450ml vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable cube or your own stock)
420g can 'no added salt' red kidney beans, rinsed in a colander under cold running water and drained
4 tomatoes washed and sliced in half
2 red or yellow peppers, washed, de-seeded and sliced
2 medium courgettes, sliced
2tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1tsp arrowroot (optional)
3 carrots washed and chopped into small pieces (optional)
1 head of broccoli chopped into small pieces (optional
4 sweet potatoes, steamed for 15 mins until soft, then mashed.

Method:
Heat a little water and the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, onion celery and then simmer for approx 3 mins.
Add the squash and heat for a further 3 mins, stirring. At this point you can also add in the optional vegetables (carrots & broccoli) if you have chosen to use them.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over a medium heat.
Simmer gently for ten mins, stirring occasionally.
Add the kidney beans, peppers, tomatoes, and courgettes.
Simmer for a further 5 mins until the squash is just tender. Stir in the parsley. Add a little arrowroot to thicken, (though this is optional, you may not need it).
Transfer into baking dish/pan, add the sweet potato mash as a topping and bake for 15 mins at 200°c / 400of / gas 6. Just enough to set.

YUM! Cheers to a deliciously satisfying year ahead.