Fake Mashed Potatoes and Shepard's Pie

For the cauliflower mashed potatoes:
1 head of cauliflower
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup milk


For the shepard's pie:1 can of corn
1 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg



For the fake mashed potatoes:
Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for a full minute. Dump into the Vitamix with the milk and garlic cloves. Select Variable 1 and increase speed to 8. Blend for about 30 seconds. 


For the shepard's pie:
Cook the meat and onions on the stove with olive oil until browned. Drain of oil and then add spices. Spread peas, corn, and carrots in a shallow baking dish and top with a layer of meat. Next, pour on cauliflower mixture and spread evenly. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then broil for 3.

Taste score: 7/10

Likes: I only eat peas with mashed potatoes. Why? Because I love garlic mashed potatoes and can hide in the vegetables without hating them...which makes shepard's pie an excellent meal to sneak in some veggies. This recipe is filling but not high in calories. I really liked the texture- just like the "real" thing!

Dislikes: I could definitely taste the difference between cauliflower and real mashed potatoes, but this close enough for the starch trade off. I will take Outback Steakhouse garlic mashed potatoes anyday, but they certainly don't have the same nutritional value!

Nutrition score: 8/10
The key to this recipe is extra lean ground beef. You can add a lot of saturated fat just by buying the lean version. Why switch out potatoes? Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which affects our blood sugar quickly and then makes us feel hungry sooner: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/questionsandanswers/a/potatoglycemic.htm

Faux Fried Chicken Fingers

1/2 cup flake cereal- Special K, Fiber One, or corn flakes

1 piece wheat bread (optional)

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

2 egg whites

One package of boneless, skinless chicken

Add cereal, bread, and spices in the Vitamix. Select Variable 1 and increase speed to 4. Blend for 20 seconds, pushing down ingredients with the tamper (I only added the wheat bread because I had an end piece I wanted to use up but it worked out fine). Dump the breadcrumb mixture from the Vitamix into a small dish. Slice raw chicken into strips. Crack egg whites into another small dish and whip with a fork until you see bubbles. Dip chicken strips into egg whites and then the breadcrumbs. Bake for 10 minutes each side 425 degrees.

Taste score: 10/10

Likes: Two thumbs up! Who doesn't love chicken tenders? Usually they're dripping with oil and most of the calories are found in the breading. But using fiber cereal and wheat bread amps up the fiber content, while still retaining the delicious crunch. I ate these with ketchup but I saved half for chicken parmesean and pasta tomorrow.

Dislikes: This isn't necessarily a dislike, but as lover of all things spicy, I might experiment with taco seasoning or hot sauce next time.

Nutrition score: 8/10
I remember reading in the Hungry girl newsletter that cereal makes a great breading for chicken and she's right! I guess this recipe would be better for you if you just steamed the meat and left out the breading, but that's boring. At least in this recipe the breading is fiber fortified!

Turkey Chili

Salsa:

1 Roma tomato

1 peeled onion

1/3 red pepper

1 packet taco seasoning

Meat:

1/2 pound lean ground turkey

1 tsp olive oil

1 can black or kidney beans

Cook turkey on the stove with olive oil. Meanwhile, add all salsa ingredients to the Vitamix. Select Variable 1 and increase speed to 4. Blend for 20 seconds, pushing down ingredients with the tamper. Drain meat, then add beans and salsa. I also added an extra dash of cumin and chili pepper.

Taste score: 9/10

Likes: I have to admit this is the first time I've ever had ground turkey. Far from someone with a refined palate, I didn't notice any difference between this chili and any other beef chili I've had. I ate this in a whole wheat spinach wrap with baby spinach and a sprinkle of cheese. Popped it in the microwave and it was way better than Taco Bell!

Dislikes: It has a lot of spices but it isn't necessarily hot and spicy. I should have bought those jalapenos...

Nutrition score: 9/10
Between the meat and the beans, this dish is packed with protein! Lean turkey has less saturated fat than ground beef, so that's a plus. It does have quite a bit of cholesterol, but everything in moderation right?

Pesto Sauce

1/4 cup (120 ml) olive oil
1/4 cup (50 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts

Add all ingredients to the Vitamix. (I like to keep the basil and cheese frozen so they keep longer). Select Variable 1 and increase speed to 8. Blend for 10 seconds. Makes 1 cup.

Taste score: 9/10

Likes: This pesto tasted great on wheat bread with american cheese and grilled chicken. I will try the rest with wheat pasta and a little olive oil.

Dislikes: I wish I added salt, and I think sticking with the traditional parmesan would have turned out better.

Nutritional score: 7/10 

While pesto is a better alternative to butter or mayo, it's still high in fat (but the good fats). Basil leaves have a good source of Vitamin A, and the pine nuts are loaded with antioxidants like Vitamin K and Lutein.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon
5 baby tomatoes
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 red pepper
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 cup cooked chicken
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
Optional: cheese and tortilla chips

• Cook boneless, skinless chicken in a pan on the stove. While it's cooking, prepare the ingredients.
• Open the cans of corn and beans and drain thoroughly. Peel the garlic cloves and slice the onion, red pepper, and celery in half. Add all ingredients except the chicken, corn, and beans in the Vitamix. Start on Variable 1 and increase speed to High. Blend for about 4 minutes or until steam rises from the vented lid.
• Set to Variable 2 and drop in cooked chicken, beans, and corn. Sprinkle with cheese or tortilla chips. Makes 6 cups.

Taste score: 10/10

Likes: This is the famous Vitamix recipe, but I altered it because I always found it too watery and not spicy enough. With the addition of black beans and more chicken, corn, and taco seasoning, this soup tastes just like a taco. Even my younger sister, who hates soup and veggies, loved it!

Dislikes: There are a lot more ingredients in this recipe than most Vitamix soups, and preparing the chicken takes a while unless you have cooked chicken on hand.

Nutritional score: 9/10 

How could you go wrong? This soup is incredibly filling, but it's not filled with preservatives and salt like the canned version! You get protein from the beans and chicken, lots of random veggies, and it tastes amazing! Just don't overload on the tortilla chips or cheese topping.