#FitReaders January 23rd Check-In

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January 16 - January 22, 2015

So my week was good.
I had mild congestion throughout the week and decided to listen to my body and slow down a bit. I didn't do as much cardio as I'm used to, but still kept myself active. The yoga workouts still had me sweating hard at the end. By the time Thursday rolled around, I was ready to take on tabata! Man, did it feel good to get the heart rate up there!

What I did this week

Fri. 1/16

30 min yoga + 3.71 mi walk

Sat. 1/17

Rest Day; 2.06 mi walk

Sun. 1/18

3 mi run + 2.92 mi walk

Mon. 1/19 

4 mi walk

Tues. 1/20

34 min yoga + resistance training

4.31 mi walk

Wed. 1/21
Rest Day; 1 mi walk

Thurs. 1/22

60 min Tabata + 2.34 mi walk

Audiobook listened to:
Finished

Started

This week's recipe HIT!
A friend tried this healthy recipe for Shepherd's Pie recently, and it was a huge hit with her family. Of course, I had to try it out as well.

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping (GAPS, Paleo, Grain-Free)

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, etc)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• ¼-1/2 cup homemade beef broth
• 1 tablespoon homemade ketchup or tomato paste (omit if you don’t have a GAPS-legal or Paleo option)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, etc)
• ½ cup shredded GAPS-legal cheese (omit for Paleo)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
2. In a large pot, steam or boil cauliflower until tender.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of fat in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until browned. Add beef broth as necessary to keep the mixture wet. Add the ketchup or tomato paste (if using), parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the cauliflower topping.
5. To make the topping, drain the cooked cauliflower. Mash or puree with a stick blender until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of fat and season with salt and pepper.
6. To assemble, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cauliflower mixture and smooth with a spoon. Cover with shredded cheese, if using.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.

Make sure you stop by Oven Love to view her yummy pictures! I love this recipe because it uses cauliflower "mashed potatoes".

Modifications that I made:

Used coconut oil in the skillet for the veggies and meat

Omitted the ketchup/tomato paste

Used Nutriva shortening for the fat when making the cauliflower "mashed potatoes" (you can use butter if you want)

Omitted the shredded cheese

Result:

My family LOVED! We felt satisfied without the our tummies feeling full.

This is definitely a keeper for us!

I hope you had an active and healthy week!