Skinny Cottage (or Shepherd's) Pie

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, I've been experimenting with lightening up some traditional (and not-so-traditional) Irish recipes. One of my favorite easy dinner recipes is cottage pie. It's got your meat, veggies, and potatoes all in one dish, and it is delicious (note how much was eaten from the platter before I got the chance to take a picture of it)! I like to make this with lean ground beef, but you could easily swap it out for ground turkey or make it a shepherd's pie with ground lamb. I also swapped the traditional mashed potato crust for my own skinny version of mashed "potatoes" with a secret, healthy ingredient: cauliflower. It really does taste like potatoes, and is a great way to trick picky eaters into eating their vegetables. The first time I made it them, I served them loaded with garlic, with chives on top, and watched my veggie-hating boyfriend eat a huge serving of them. I asked him if he liked the "potatoes," and he said they were delicious! Muah ha ha ha ha (that's my maniacal laugh).

Skinny Cottage Pie

Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

1 lb lean ground beef

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1 head cauliflower

1 small potato

3 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon light butter

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, for topping

1 can tomato paste

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red wine

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil cauliflower and potato in a large pot until very tender. Drain, add butter, milk, salt, and whip using an immersion blender until the consistancy of mashed potatoes. Set aside.
• Cook the mirepoix in the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Then add garlic and ground beef. Cook until meat is brown, then add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and a glug of red wine. Simmer a few minutes, then transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Top with mashed "potatoes" and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until top is lightly browned.

Skinny Patatas Bravas con Chorizo

The Spanish have the right idea about so many things. Siesta. Sangria. Tapas. They've just got it all figured out. A couple years ago (after many mojitos) I stumbled into this restaurant in Barcelona and had a plate of life-changing patatas bravas. The potatoes were perfectly fried, the brava sauce was tangy and spicy, and it was served with a cool, garlicky aioli. I had dreams about these potatoes, they were that good. About a year later, I went to the same restaurant, eager to eat the delicious patatas. They had changed their menu, and no longer offered the dish I'd eaten the year before. The new patatas bravas was served "con chorizo." For those of you who don't speak Spanish, con chorizo translates to "with delicious, delicious sausage." It. Was. Amazing.

Unfortunately, fried potatoes with fatty meat and a mayonnaise-y sauce don't really fit under the "skinny eating" category, so I've come up with a (somewhat) lighter version that would be great as the star of a tapas themed dinner.

Skinny Patatas Bravas con Chorizo

Serving Size: 1/4 Recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 6

The Main Bit:

1 large potato

1 fully cooked chorizo sausage

1 Tablespoon olive oil

The Brava Sauce:

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Pinch of each of the following: onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano

Red pepper flakes to taste

Dash of hot sauce

The Aioli:

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon mayo

Directions:

• Parboil the potato in vinegar spiked water, then remove and let cool.
• Combine all ingredients for the brava sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• While the brava sauce is cooking, combine all ingredients for the aioli in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When the potato is cool enough to handle, cut into cubes.
• Heat olive oil over high heat in a frying pan, then throw the potato cubes in and mix them around, coating them evenly with the oil. Cook until nice and crispy on the outside, then add the chorizo until heated through.
• Put the potato/chorizo mix into a serving platter, and top with warm brava sauce and cool aioli.
• Enjoy with a selection of tapas and a nice glass of red wine. Or a cold beer. Or some sangria...Honestly, these taste good with anything.