Shepherd's Pie

Flexitarian

I realized yesterday that I have never made a shepherd's pie before. I also remembered that I'm trying to stop eating red meat. So I looked around and found this recipe. I love Natalie's Killer Cuisine and I figured I could switch this great recipe up and make it flexitarian. I am making the carnivorous version tonight though. Did I mention I am a bad vegetarian?

Here is the recipe with a few of my own tweaks:

Meat (or not) Filling
1/2 lb Ground beef*
1/2 lb Ground Polish sausage*
1/2 tsp Minced dried garlic
1/2 tsp Minced dried onion
1/2 tsp Dried parsley
1/2 tsp Ground cumin
1/4 tsp Dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Strips bacon (omit for Flex)
1 Carrot- diced
1/2 Onion- diced
2 Cloves garlic- diced
1 Small can mushroom stems and pieces (can use fresh too)
*Substitute with Boca veggie crumbles for Flex

Potatoes
Whatever potatoes you prefer for mashing. I used red potatoes.
Mashed potato flavoring packet
Milk
Shredded cheese- I used fresh Parm


Brown the ground meats (or Boca) with the dried garlic and onion, parsley, cumin, dill, S&P. Remove from pan and set aside.

Fry bacon in pan until crispy and drain on paper towel. Skip the bacon and use olive oil for the veggies and add some vegan bacon salt for Flex.

Cook the diced carrot, onion, and garlic in the bacon grease for 3 minutes. Add the mushroom pieces and cook for another bit, until tender. Meanwhile, chop the bacon. Mix with the meat and add the finished veggies.

Boil potatoes until you can poke through them with a knife very easily then drain and mash. I used a mashed potato garlic and butter flavor seasoning packet, but if you want to do them another way, go for it!

Place the meat mixture in the bottom of a baking dish and cover with potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Broke-Ass Beans

Flexitarian


We are super broke right now. I'm talking down-to-change-with-no-income broke. One good thing to always have around is dried beans. I just happen to have about four pounds laying around. You know what that means? Time for beans!


I figured it out, if you already have all the dried spices, this meal would cost less than $10 if you had to buy the rest of the stuff, including olive oil. And unless you are feeding a literal army, it should feed a small family with leftovers for soup tomorrow.

Bean Spice Mix
(All ingredients are dried spices)
1 Tbsp Cilantro
1/2 Tbsp Parsley
1/2 Tbsp Ground White Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/3 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Sage
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1/4 tsp Tumeric
1/4 tsp Thyme


Pepper Mix
2 Jalapeno Peppers- Chopped or Minced (seeded or not)
1/2 Tbsp Chile Pequins (optional)
5 Cloves Garlic- Chopped or Minced
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Butter


Broth
1 Sliced Onion
1 Ham Bone (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs Dried Pinto Beans
1 Can HEB Brand Petite Diced Tomatoes- Either Chipotle or Green Chile flavor
Bullion Cubes, Vegetable broth, or whatever you use to make broth
Optional Not-So-Broke ingredient- 1 can of beer or a couple of shots of tequila. Substitute proportionate amount of water for beer.


Directions
Sort and rinse dried beans and either soak over night or do a "quick prime". To quick prime, add beans to boiling water and boil for 5 minutes, give or take. Once they start to float, set aside for an hour while you prep the rest of the ingredients.


Get all the ingredients for the spice mix together and mix. Set dry ingredients aside. 


Finely chop or mince the peppers from the pepper mix ingredients, or cheat and use a mini food processor with a splash of olive oil so your fingernails don't burn. Warm olive oil or butter in small pan and add peppers and liquid smoke. Saute until soft. Add garlic and a splash of water and cover. Once the garlic renders a bit, remove from heat and set aside.


Cut the onion in half and slice. Drain beans, add water to about 2 inches above beans, less if you are using veggie broth. Return to high heat and add broth ingredients, pepper mix, and bean spice mix. Boil rapidly for 20-30 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 2 hours, stirring and tasting broth occasionally. Serve when beans are soft. If you see water running low and you are not near the end of cook time, add some more water and taste. If the broth is bland, try adding bullion cubes, chili powder, or salt. The trick to these beans is a good, strong broth. 

Mexican Lasagna

Flexitarian Recipe

Mexicans like lasagna too, ya know...

This might be one of my new favorite recipes. Fuckin nomnom to the max!

1 Hatch Green Chile (this is the first time I have used them, they smell yummy!)

1 small onion- diced

1 can each corn and black beans

1 16 oz jar HEB brand Smoky Citrus Salsa

4 HEB brand Fajita seasoned chicken thighs (frozen)

Flour tortillas

Grated cheese

I sauteed the hatch chile in a tiny bit of EVOO to bring out the flavor and now the house smells AMAZING!! Throw everything in the crock on high for 2 hours and low till dinner. 

30-60 minutes before it is done, shred the chicken and replace in pot for the remainder. 

Spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer in tortillas, salsa chicken, cheese, repeat, end with cheese. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and cilantro rice.

For Veg recipe you could probably use the veggie protein crumbles or even just use rice instead of chicken. Going to have to try this Veg soon too!

Bell Pepper Stuffing Casserole

Flexitarian Recipe


This recipe can be used as a casserole or you can alter it and actually *gasp* stuff bell peppers with it. Turned out to be a hit with the boys, I had to hoard some of it before it was gone so I could have it for lunch the next day. I'm pretty sure someone licked the pan too...

1 lb ground turkey (can substitute ground beef or Boca veggie crumbles for Flexitarian)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

½ medium onion- chopped

1 jalapeno- chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ – 4 tablespoons uncooked rice (I used Jasmine rice)

1 (10 1/2 oz) can condensed tomato soup

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes

3/4 cup water
Half a head of cabbage

Brown turkey meat in olive oil with onions, jalapeno, and cumin. Add rice and remove from heat.

Chop cabbage and spread in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle garlic flakes lightly over cabbage.

Mix tomato soup, Rotel, and water together.

Spread turkey mixture over cabbage and cover with tomato mixture.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 & 1/2 hours.