Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie times 2, that is! I made this meal for a new momma of twins in our neighborhood. It sounded so good that I decided to double the recipe, double the fun and make one for her family and one for our family.

The original recipe for this dish came from Today’s Parent. The one thing that I would amend is the time recipe preparation time. Unless you have ALREADY chopped all your veggies, boiled your potatoes, and maybe even pre-browned your meat, there is NO WAY that the recipe prep time will be 10 minutes as the linked article says.

It took me around 30 minutes to complete recipe prep. On top of that, do note that if you are taking this to new parents, it will also take longer than 20 minutes to cook the dish if it comes out of the refrigerator. I would bake it for 25 minutes, and broil the top for 2-5 minutes for that browned crispy effect.

This meal was savory, filling, and just what I needed on a cold day. Plus, the leftovers were DELICIOUS!!! Hope your Wednesday is brilliant.

XX, Megan

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup peeled, chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
2 tsp chopped garlic
4 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sodium-free beef stock
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen green peas

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place potatoes in a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 min or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain. Return potatoes to a pot over low heat for 1 min to evaporate any remaining water. Add 2 tbsp butter and mash until combined and fluffy. Add milk to loosen, season with 1⁄4 tsp salt and stir in half of cheese. Set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tbsp butter in large frying pan over medium. Add carrot, onion and celery and sauté for 5 min or until beginning to soften.
Turn heat to high. Add beef and garlic, and sauté, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, for 5 min or until meat begins to brown. Add flour, stirring for 2 min to cook out floury taste.

Add stock, Worcestershire, mustard and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 min or until broth has reduced and thickened and made the meat saucy. Season with remaining 1⁄2 tsp salt and pepper and stir in peas.

Transfer beef mixture to a deep 9-in. ovenproof casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes overtop. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 min or until sauce is bubbling. Turn to broil and cook until potatoes are golden.

You can make this well ahead and refrigerate, but it will need more time in the oven to heat through.

 

No I did not dine on this fine salad in Austin, TX. However, it is the perfect get-back-into-healthy-eating or detox salad for my week after vacation. I mean that in all seriousness as I sit down to prep this post with a serving of Super Charged Spinach Salad real-time in front of me. YUM!

This recipe comes from The Scramble*, and I have made this salad five or more times in the last month. I’m pretty sure that it will be a summer staple around our house. In reality there is nothing groundbreaking about this combination. But I do love the tuna and egg combo, as well as the homemade dressing.

A note about the tuna. I made mine with 1 Tbsp. of mustard, and 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise. To that I added some Sweet and Spicy stackers from Hee-Haw Pickles. For me, the pickle makes the tuna. The pickle makes the whole salad, really. This is my humble opinion. But if you have a kickin’ pickle, it just seems to make the entire dish that much more delectable.

I’d love to hear about your favorite salads. Do you have any that you make on a regular basis? Do you have any that you love to serve for guests? Do you have a salad that is the perfect summer barbecue side? I’d love to know!! Wednesday is with us, and we’re nearing mid-week. I hope that makes you smile!!

XX, Megan

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
1/8 tsp. salt
6 oz. baby spinach
1/4 red onion, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 cup total)
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced, or use 1 orange, peeled and chopped
6 .4 oz. chunk light tuna in water (sold in pouches rather than cans), drained, or use white beans or chickpeas

Directions

(Start the eggs first, if you are serving them.) For the dressing, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt until the ingredients emulsify (combine and thicken).

In a large serving bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Wah-lah! Your salad is complete!

*The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 8 weekly meals which means 8 recipes (main course plus a side dish), complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts.

PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.

Our family really enjoyed this dish. Let me rephrase that. My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. To be honest, green beans are not a favorite food of either of my boys. But we asked that they eat four beans each and their turkey with the promise of mangoes afterwards!

I really enjoyed how light and fresh this meal tasted. I ate mine sans rice, we’re trying to be more carb conscious around here. But I still make grains and starches for my kiddos to enjoy. As always, it was a quick, easy, delicious dinner on what have been increasingly busy nights for us.

Do you have any Asian-fusion dishes you’d like to share! I’d love to know any of your favorites. You can comment below. I am always looking for good recipes. We’re rolling through Wednesday, and I couldn’t be more glad. Tonight I hope to get out on my road bike and make a good ride of it! Have a great day, friends!

XX, Megan

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
1 Tbsp. rice wine, mirin or dry sherry
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1 Tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil
1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half, or use frozen
1 lb. ground turkey, pork or meatless crumble
2 tsp. minced garlic, (3 – 4 cloves)
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup scallions or chives, thinly sliced

Directions

(Start the rice first, if you are serving it.) In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, cornstarch and red pepper flakes (optional). Set it aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. When it is smoking, add the beans (if using frozen beans, defrost them first) and cook, stirring frequently, until they are shriveled and black in spots, 5 – 8 minutes. (Meanwhile, slice the mango, if you are serving it.) Reduce the heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Transfer the beans to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the turkey, pork or meatless crumble. Cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the beans to the pan, stir the sauce again, and add it to the pan. Cook until heated through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the scallions or chives and serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

*The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 8 weekly meals which means 8 recipes (main course plus a side dish), complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts.

PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.

Fresh rolls are one of my all-time favorite eats. I love the pop of the fresh ingredients with sweet and sour sauce or peanut sauce. I love the chew of the rice paper, and how they fill you up but are light and FRESH at the same time!

The other great thing about fresh rolls is that you don’t necessarily have to stick to the same ingredients. You can make them from different stuff each go-round. While the rolls are easy to make, they do take me some time. I am not yet a master of the wrap, and it does take some additional time to soak each rice paper. Just a note, so that you can plan that time into your dinner schedule. With prep, they may take as long as 30-45 minutes.

We ate these Fresh Rolls with the Indonesian Chicken Satay recipe I posted today. These rolls are also the perfect compliment to stir-fry, pad Thai, and any curry soup you feel like concocting. I hope you thoroughly ENJOY!!

XX, Megan

Ingredients

10 rice paper wraps
1 avodcado
1/2 large red bell pepper julienned
1/2 head purple cabbage (I subbed shredded broccoli this time)
1/2 carrots julienned (1 large or 2 medium)
1 large cucumber julienned
1/4 cup cilantro (you can also use mint, basil, chives or all four!)
1 cup greens (I used spring mix, but romaine also works well)
1 can shrimp (or 20 peel and eat shrimp, cooked, and thinly sliced)

 

Directions

Cut, slice, and chop all of your ingredients, and lay them out on a cutting board or a baking sheet so they are easily accessible.

Place warm water in a 9 ” round baking pan, or on a 9″ square baking sheet.  I used the latter. Soak each rice paper for 10-15 seconds. Transfer the rice paper to a plate, cutting board, or other flat surface.

Place your ingredients in the far 1/3 of your rice paper. Make sure not to overfill your wrapper. Ingredients may roughly fill 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup. Picking up the end of your rice paper closest to your filling. Wrap it tightly around your ingredients. Try to make the roll shape with this first wrap.

Roll once more around, and then tuck in the sides or edges of your rice paper like a burrito. Once your edge are tucked in, your ingredients should be completely contained. Finish rolling your wrapper to the end of the paper. Set rolls aside on a serving plate.

This meal is almost as pretty to look at as it is delicious to eat… Almost. Because it really is one of the most delicious meals we’ve had here at casa Refined + Rugged. YUM! In fact, if you head over to Refined + Rugged’s Facebook page to see my husband’s comment on it!

I’m posting the Indonesian Chicken Satay from The Scramble*. I’ll also be posting my Fresh Roll recipe today to accompany this meal. The combination is absolutely irresistible. I’m sure we’ll be coming back to this meal time and again this summer. I hope your tastebuds are ready to be tickled.

Happy Wednesday, and a happy healthy meal time to you!!

XX, Megan

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. + 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (use wheat/gluten-free if needed)
2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. minced garlic, (about 4 cloves)
2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 lbs. chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch wide strips

Skewers

 

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together 4 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. honey, the oil, garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, and the red pepper flakes (optional). Put the chicken in a large dish with sides, pour the marinade over it, and turn the chicken several times to coat it. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (While the chicken is marinating, prepare the slaw, if you are serving it. Recipe below.)

When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill or the broiler (with the rack about 4 inches from the heat), and coat a grilling tray or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with foil.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer each piece as you transfer it to the tray or pan, discarding the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken for 4 – 5 minutes per side until it is cooked through and the edges are browned.

While the chicken is cooking, make the peanut sauce. Recipe below.

Note: Make sure you soak your skewers in water before baking or grilling.

Ingredients

 

1 12 oz bag of broccoli slaw
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded green apple

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey

Directions

Pour the broccoli slaw into a medium bowl. Mix in the carrots and green apple. In a measuring cup mix the mayonnaise, vinegar, oil, and honey. Pour the dressing over the slaw and mix.

Ingredients

1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. honey
1 lime, juice only
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

As much chili past or Sriracha as you’d like! I used 2 tsp chili paste for my sauce.

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup hot water, the peanut butter, lime juice, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. honey and 1 tsp. ginger until it is smooth.

*The Scramble is a meal planning service to which you can subscribe here. For a fantastic price you will receive 8 weekly meals which means 8 recipes (main course plus a side dish), complete grocery list, the ability to tweak the number of people you are making for, and full nutrition facts.

PLUS tips as to how best to PREP your meal beforehand, add a punch of FLAVOR, and how to SLOW COOK almost every recipe if you’re especially slammed that night. This wonderful service really does live up to it’s name. You can come home at 6 p.m. and be sitting down to a DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, HOME COOKED meal by 6:30 p.m. most nights.