The Irish, including Jen, grew up on Shepherd’s pie topped with a flaky crust and washed down with a Guinness.  That’s okay to eat when you walk into pub in a snow suit, but for those who work hard during these cold winter months to maintain their best physical and mental selves, here’s a recipe to enjoy on a frosty night: “Shepherd’s Need Not Apply Pie”  Pair this with a glass of red wine, kick back and keep up your Paleo lifestyle.

Shepherd’s Need Not Apply Pie

Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 5 carrots, sliced thin
- 1 bag frozen organic peas
- 3lbs. ground organic white chicken
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 8 large sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt & pepper, to taste

Directions
- Peel and cube sweet potatoes
- Put sweet potatoes into large pot of water, bring to boil & let simmer for 20 minutes
- While potatoes are cooking, Heat olive oil on medium high heat in large sautee pan
- Add onions and carrots.  Sautee until translucent (5-7 min)
-  Add ground chicken, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and salt/pepper
- Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through
- Add frozen peas, cover, take off of heat and let sit 3 minutes.
- Drain sweet potatoes in a colander and pour back into pot.
- Add 1 whole egg yolk and mash until soft
- Pour chicken mixture into an 8×10 Pyrex pan, then spoon & spread sweet potato puree over the top
- Put oven broiler on high & put Pyrex in for 8 minutes, or until top of sweet potatoes brown (remember, everything else is fully cooked, so don’t overdo it)
- Spoon into a bowl and enjoy!!!

Jarrod Charbonneau, a spin instructor at Beacon Hill Athletic Club & a good friend of mine, shared this recipe with me.  It sounds DELISH!!  It includes potatoes, which can be a good source of carbohydrates for athletes looking to supplement a normal diet while in training season.

Shepherd’s pie recipe will feed 4 people easily and if you do everything simultaneously it should only take an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes TOTALLY PALEO FRIENDLY

Ingredients:
• 1 bag russet potatoes
• 2lbs of ground beef, bison, or turkey (I have tried all three and like the bison best)
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 2 carrots (or if you have baby carrots just chop up a dozen)
• 1 ½ cup of peas
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of tomato paste
• Salt/pepper/(red pepper flakes if you like a little zing)

Instructions:
Start by peeling the potatoes and put them in boiling water (you can do everything else while they are boiling)
1. Start by chopping the carrots and onion
2. Put the onions in a fry pan, medium heat with a little olive oil and let them cook until they are a little transparent and add the peas/carrots/corn (stir often)
3. In a separate fry pan add a little olive oil and whatever meat you choose
a. Constantly turn and chop the meat with a spatula to help cook thoroughly
b. Add 1 tsp salt
c. 2-3 tbsp ground black pepper
d. Add 1 tsp red pepper flakes (if that’s your thing)
4. Once the meat has browned add all the veggies and mix thoroughly
5. Once mixed add a whole can of tomato paste and mix until everything has a pink/red color
6. Mash the potatoes with a little milk and butter
7. Take a Pyrex dish and coat the bottom with the mashed potatoes (a thin layer maybe ½-1 inch)
8. Add the meat/veggie mixture and spread evenly throughout the dish (you will have to press it down to fit it all)
9. Cover the meat mixture with a thicker layer of mashed potatoes (1-2 inches)
10. Bake in an oven for 20-24 minutes @350 degrees or until you start to see the top of the potatoes slightly brown
11. Enjoy the goodness!

Today my client Kara shared with me a recipe that she and her sister enjoyed recently.  They got the recipe online (www.skinnyms.com) and tried it at home- came out great!

Kara asked me what she could use as a substitute for pasta, and I suggested raw baby spinach.  I love putting a bed of spinach in a bowl, topping it with the hot portion of the meal.  It wilts the spinach just enough!

Here’s the recipe- I’m excited to try it!

Ingredients

-       4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-       2 14oz cans diced tomatoes

-       1 medium onion thinly sliced

-       4 cloves garlic

-       ½ cup balsamic vinegar

-       1 tbsp olive oil

-       1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, rosemary

-       ½ tsp thyme

-       salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Pour olive oil on bottom of Crockpot, add chicken breasts, salt & pepper.  Place sliced onion on top of chicken and add dried herbs & garlic.  Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.

Cook on high for 4 hours, serve over angel hair pasta. [to make Paleo friendly, serve over a bed of spaghetti squash or raw baby spinach!]

If you’re reading this blog, you have (or are trying to have) an interest in eating healthy, exercising, maintaining a healthy & balanced lifestyle, or all three!  Seeking to incorporate this into one’s life is no easy thing; it does not take long to understand that it can be EXPENSIVE!!  A gym membership and/or a personal trainer are a big investment.  I truly believe that it is one of the most important investments you can make; it is literally investing in your body and life.  Another thing that can be pricey is eating healthy.  It is NO coincidence that the food that is the least nutritious and harmful to your health is the cheapest.  Alternately, the food that is nutrient-dense, healthy, disease fighting & beneficial is very expensive.  This is the case for myriad reasons, including the fact that it takes more human power, resources and time to grow healthy food in/on the Earth.  Things like french fries from McDonalds, an 89 cent Chalupa from Taco Bell or the now-defunct Hostess food cakes are all made up primarily (if not completely) of artificial things made in a lab.  The little bit that might ACTUALLY be real is of such low grade that it is very cheaply purchased in bulk.

All that being said, I get asked ALL the time just how in the heck I can afford to eat organic, grass-fed, wild caught & all the rest.  The short answer is this: its EXPENSIVE but it is what I value, so I spend the money on it.  The longer answer is this:  It isn’t as pricey as you think.  If you do your own shopping and cooking, it can actually be cheaper. There IS a way!!!  I invest a LOT of time in my food shopping, prep & cooking.  Eating healthy and enjoying what I eat is a BIG part of my life.  So, I don’t just go to Stop & Shop and do a 20 min shopping trip once or twice per week.  I go to different stores to get different things.  This might seem like a pain, but it saves $$!!  To be quite honest, the food budget in our house for 2 adults (plus having family/friends over for meals 1-2x/wk) is approximately $300/week.  This might seem CRAZY, but let me break it down:

Total Groceries per week: $300, which is $150/person.  That makes 21 meals per week per person.   Quick math averages it out to a little over $7.00 per meal per person.  To me, $7 per meal is absolutely reasonable when it means grass-fed, organic, pasture raised, natural, healthy REAL foods.  Compare it to this….

Going out to eat or getting takeout M-F only:  breakfast/coffee: $5-$7, lunch: $10-12, dinner: $25.  For 5 days of this its $210.  This is MORE than I’ve spent per person on food for the WEEK, and this doesn’t even include weekends!!!  Even if a person is not getting every single meal at a restaurant, the point is that it is JUST AS expensive and SOOOOOOO much less healthy.

The problem for most people???? TIME!!!!!!  nobody has enough, it runs away from us, and we all wish we had more.  The honest truth is that we ALL have 24 hours in a day; its about how you choose to use those hours.

Here are some tips on how to eat healthy on a budget:

1. Learn about the Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen  Not all fruits and veggies have to be organic.  This chart breaks it down: which are worth the extra expense.  Things from the clean 15 list don’t need to be organic. Save $$

2. Buy in Bulk  Go to BJ’s or Costco and buy the things you use often in bulk.  BJ’s carries organic spinach which is SOO much cheaper than anywhere else.  If you can’t use the food fast enough, freeze it.

3. Prep meals in advance  I will preach this until my dying day.  Take 2-3 hours on a Sunday to do some cooking.  Prep meals for the week, put them in Tupperware so you’ll have them set and ready to go.  If you make a HUGE amount of food, freeze some.  Nothing is simpler than taking soup out of the freezer and heating it up after a long day.

4. Look for deals  Trader Joe’s often has much cheaper produce, eggs, milk, etc. than Whole Foods… you can save a TON of $$ by hitting up 2 or more grocery stores.

5. Make your food budget a priority  If you are going out to dinner a lot, having cocktails 2-3x/week, and spending your money on lots of other different things, don’t expect a lot to be left for your groceries.  Prioritize food shopping when you have a full wallet.  Make sure your items for the coming week are purchased before you hit the mall and get sucked in by a new sweater, boots, sneakers, or toy.

Eating healthy on a money and time budget IS NOT EASY.  However, if you value your health and wellness, and are willing to make these things a high priority, it is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.  If you are interested in making changes to your diet and lifestyle and would like support and help doing so, Lucky13Fitness would love to help! Email: michelle@lucky13fitness.com

This recipe was posted on the Lucky13Fitness Facebook page by a fan and I wanted to add it to the recipe page!!

Thanks for sharing, Jackie!

Asian stirfry:
- Sautee chicken with sesame oil, a little bit of orange juice and diced carrots.
- When chicken’s browned, add veggies of choice (I used onions, red peppers and carrots this time), grated/pressed ginger, fresh basil (I used several leaves and it could have used more) and diced pineapple.
- Add curry powder and a little cayenne (if you’re a lover of spicy food).
- I was going to add peanuts, but forgot. It can certainly be varied, but it’s delicious and light!

*Author’s note: This recipe is absolutely Paleo friendly… sesame oil is perfect for medium heat cooking, such as sauteeing.  The only thing that would cause this recipe to deviate from being Paleo would be the peanuts.  I can’t wait to try this!!!

Here is another DELISH Paleo recipe that we tried last week… we got the recipe from www.fastpaleo.com, which is a Paleo recipe sharing site. I must give FULL Credit 'cause these were delish!

These muffins are perfect to make when you’ve got some bananas that are just a wee bit too ripe for eating on their own. My favorite way to eat these muffins is….you guessed it… with a little almond butter on top! I heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then top with nut butter. Delicious for breakfast or a pre-workout snack! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
3 ripe banans, mashed
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (we subbed and used pecans since Jen is allergic to walnuts… they came out just as great!)
4 eggs

Preaheat oven to 350. Combine mashed bananas and honey. Heat coconut oil in the microwave and then add to banana/honey mix. Mix well and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Whisk until eggs are combined.  In a separate bowl, sift coconut flour. Add all other dry ingredients and whisk together. Add the dry to the wet and fold in nuts. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper lined muffin tins.  Bake 20-25 minutes

Last night, as per usual for Sunday afternoon, Jen and I cooked and prepped our food for the week.  We decided to make chicken meatloaf & Jen took full charge of that, while I roasted sweet potatoes and made apple/cranberry sauce.

Jen did some research on a few Paleo websites to find a Paleo-friendly version of chicken meatloaf.  After browsing a few recipes, she ended up making her own… it came out ABSOLUTELY delish.  Better than any I’ve ever had…

JR’s Chicken Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground white chicken
1 medium sized onion
6 full sized carrots
1/3 cup almond flour
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 eggs
2 Tbsp dried parsley
salt/pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Puree carrots garlic and onions in blender or Cuisinart.  Put entire blend (including water from the puree) into large bowl and add all remaining ingredients.  Hand mix well.  Form 2 loaves side by side on standard baking sheet. Top each loaf with 1-2 Tbsp crushed tomatoes.  Bake at for 45-50 minutes.

This past week, my sweetie made an AMAZING dinner- Cioppino.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, cioppino consists of various fish and shellfish in a tomato-based broth.  It is healthy, Paleo-friendly, and delicious!

Jen followed Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe:

CioppinoRecipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
5 cups fish stock
1 bay leaf
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut or salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks

Directions
Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

In the autumn & winter months, I love warm comfort food that tastes good!

Last night, I roasted a tray of cubed butternut squash, chopped yellow onion, and cranberries. It came out great!! It was savoury, yet tart. And a smidge sweet. The perfect side to dinner, or on its own as a snack!

Ingredients:
- 1 bag cubed butternut squash
- 2 chopped onions
- 2 handfuls of raw, whole, unsweetened cranberries
- olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Chop butternut squash and onions. Place on roasting tray and add cranberries. Drizzle olive oil generously and mix on tray. Roast at 350 for 60-75 minutes.

Here is the recipe for a dinner that I think is the PERFECT fall comfort meal.  It is completely Paleo friendly, and is very healthy.  I was lucky enough to have my better half cook it for me, and MAN it tasted great.  It was even yummy re-heated the next day! Hope you enjoy it!

Spaghetti Squash
Cut squash in half, lengthwise, scrape out seeds, & put on baking sheet.  Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.  Let cool, then scrape squash out of skin with a fork.  It will have a spaghetti-like consistency.

Pesto
In blender, combine:
2 cups spinach
1 cup basil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Blend until the mixture reaches desired consistency.

“Flash” Marinara
In medium sautee pan, combine:
6-10 chopped basil leaves (sub 1tsp dried basil, if necessary)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste), sliced
salt & pepper to taste

On medium/low heat, cook until garlic is lightly browned, approx. 2-3 minutes.

Add 3 cans organic crushed tomatoes

Simmer and then immediately remove from heat.

*The sauce should take under 10 mins to cook, total.

Meatballs
In a bowl combine:
- 1 lb. organic grass-fed 90% lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. organic ground pork
- Fresh or dried parsley, to taste
- Basil, to taste
- Oregano, to taste
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs [***to make this recipe Paleo friendly, sub 1/8 cup Almond flour/meal]
- 1-3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped

Mix together and form small, equal sized meatballs.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.