Veggie dishes

I have two to share tonight, one the baby Badger LOVED, the other he shunned. But the adults in the room enjoyed both, so they'll stay in the rotation! Veggie burgers (the big hit) and veggie shepherd's pie.

Veggie Burgers

1 can black beans
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes with diced chiles (I did mild)
1 garlic clove minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp onion powder
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped (didn't have so we skipped this, but I'm sure it would be good)
1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 cups rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Process first 7 ingredients until blended, add to oats (mine seemed really soupy at first, so I let it sit for a few minutes and the oats absorbed a lot of the liquid). Form into patties (I got about 8 out of this). Put on a baking sheet and bake 8 minutes. Then you have options:

-Turn oven up and broil 2 minutes until browned
-Cook in frying pan with a tiny bit of oil, about a minute on each side
-Use counter top grill and grill until score marks appear (this is what we did)

Because there were oats, I didn't feel like putting these on a bun, so we ate them bun-less, dipped in a tiny bit of bbq sauce. We all enjoyed them this way. If you can't live without the bun, these are a really good, meaty texture that would masquerade well as a regular burger.

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

5 small red potatoes
1 clove garlic
1 onion diced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped and washed thoroughly
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 can of beans, drained
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or regular)
1/4 c grated low-fat cheese

Cook potatoes until soft.
Saute veggies in a little bit of olive oil for 10 min
Mash the potatoes with the milk and cheese

In a 9x9 baking dish, put veggies on bottom, top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 for 20 min.

This is adapted from a recipe I found on allrecipes; the biggest change I made was that I halved the amount of potato to balance our plate a little. I don't feel like the dish suffered from it, and the veggies were allowed to play a main role.

Worrying about the holidays?

For a lot of people, they think of food when they think of the holidays. The scents, sensations and tastes of rich holiday food are probably washing over you right as you read this. This year, I hope that my new health-focused approach to life will help me remember what wonderful things I'm forgetting if I just think about food:

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for our plentiful conditions. Did you know that at one time some Americans actually FASTED to celebrate Thanksgiving? What a thought! I am grateful for my God, my family, and a wonderful job that lets me help people find health and happiness.

Christmas is another time for reflection and gratitude. Celebrating Christ's birth, spending time with those I love, and stepping away from life for a little while are the most wonderful things about this holiday for me. What does a sugar cookie have on that? (I'll give you a hint: NOTHING!)

I am so glad I have this time of year to remember what's important to me. And, by the way, many people on my program actually LOSE weight during the holidays! My mom started right as the holidays went into full swing and she did amazing. So if you want to refocus with me AND start your journey to optimal health, CLICK HERE to learn more!