#GDRecipes: Shepherd's Pie

#GDRecipes: Shepherd's Pie

Since being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (GD), I'm trying new recipes that are carb-friendly; and, the best part is that these recipes are even more tasty than what I used to eat! 

Here's the recipe and instructions for a delicious shepherd's pie! My husband and I used to eat this all the time, but now we're using fresher ingredients and making the mashed potatoes from scratch; the fresh ingredients make all the difference!

Step 1

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes
• 3 large carrots
• 3/4 cup broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups green beans
• 1 lb. ground meat
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar are my favorites!)

Serves 6. 

Directions

Step 2

EARLY IN THE DAY

1. Chop up potatoes and carrots and put into the crockpot. 
2. Add 3/4 cup broth and s&p to taste. 
3. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until vegetables are soft enough to mash up. 

LATER IN THE DAY

1. Cook the ground meat in the bottom of a deep skillet. 
2. Steam the green beans (in the microwave, or on the stove) and place the cooked beans on top of the cooked meat in the skillet. 
3. Mash up the carrots/potatoes in the crockpot. 
4. Spread out the mashed vegetables on top of the meat and green beans. 
5. Top with cheese, letting it melt before serving. 

Step 3

Nutrition Facts

Of the entire recipe 

Calories: 2000 

Total Fat: 60g

Total Carbohydrate: 235g

Protein: 111g

Fiber: 38g

Per Serving Size (1/6 of the pie)

Calories: 333

Total Fat: 10g

Total Carbohydrate: 40g

Protein: 18.5g

Fiber: 6g

Step 4

Watch out for more #GDRecipes in the future! I'm going to continue to record my food successes here, not only for those looking for GD-friendly recipes but also for those who want to try healthy (and delicious) alternatives to processed foods!

And, if you have any ideas for carb-friendly entrees, I'd love to hear about them. I'm starting to become less creative with my menu planning, so I really would appreciate some new recipes.





Thanks for reading!

#GDRecipes: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

#GDRecipes: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Original recipe found here on KeyIngredients.com

Since being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (GD), I've been blogging some of my new-found-favorite, low-carb recipes. I really love pizza and decided to try this recipe, an alternative to regular pizza crust.

And, to make a meal of it is REALLY easy! Just add some of my favorite homemade marinara sauce, then top with mozzarella cheese, veggies, and the meat of your choice. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked, mashed cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup low sodium mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried parsley

Yields one, 11" diameter crust: Serves 6. 

Directions

For Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Spray a pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
3. In a bowl, combine cooked cauliflower, egg, and mozzarella. 
4. Spread the mixture out on the pan, pressing it evenly on the pan. 
5. Sprinkle evenly with oregano and parsley. 
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 

For Pizza:

1. Remove the pan from the oven. Add sauce, toppings (make sure any meat is precooked), and cheese. 
2. Place under a broiler at high heat, just until cheese is melted (about 2-3 minutes). 

Nutrition Facts

Of the entire recipe (one, 11" diameter crust)

Calories: 249

Total Fat: 23.5g

Total Carbohydrate: 9g

Protein: 39g
Fiber: 2g

Per Serving Size (1 slice, about 6 servings per batch)

Calories: 41.5

Total Fat: 4g

Total Carbohydrate: 1.5g

Protein: 6.5g

Fiber: <1 g

Watch out for more #GDRecipes in the future! I'm going to continue recording my successes here, not only for those looking for GD-friendly recipes but also for those who want to try healthy (and delicious) alternatives to processed foods!

Thanks for reading!

#GDRecipes: Homemade Marinara Sauce

#GDRecipes: Homemade Marinara Sauce

Since being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (GD), I've decided to adjust some of my favorite recipes to be more carb-friendly. I'm a sucker for Italian food (especially pizza and spaghetti), but when my nutritionist told me that most canned spaghetti sauces have added sugar, I decided to come up with a more natural alternative. 

Here's the recipe and instructions for my new favorite marinara sauce--and the best part is that its carb-free (yes, there are some carbs in the tomatoes, but for my diet my nutritionist says tomatoes are "free" in that I can eat as many of them as I want without it affecting my blood sugar levels)! 

So, grab your crock pot, some fresh ingredients, and sauce it up! Then, to make a meal of it, just toss this sauce over some whole wheat pasta or put it on top of english muffins to make your own personal pizzas.

Ingredients

Homemade Chunky Marinara Sauce

• 6 ripe tomatoes (I use small Roma tomatoes)
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and roughly chopped)
• 2 tsp dried parsley 

Yields about 3 cups of sauce. 

Directions

1. Chop the tomatoes, onion, and garlic into small pieces. If you want to avoid pieces of tomato peel in your sauce, be sure to peel them first. 
2. Place the chopped vegetables, along with the olive oil, into a crockpot. 
3. Add in the seasonings and stir. 
4. Reduce the vegetables in the crockpot in one of two ways: on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. 
5. Every few hours, you can stir up the ingredients in the crockpot to make sure everything cooks through. Also, if you have a potato masher, I suggest mashing up the vegetables (especially the tomatoes) to help with reducing the vegetables to a sauce. 
6. Depending on how you like it, you can keep the sauce chunky and use it straight from the crockpot. Or, pour the sauce into the blender and blend for a few seconds until you get the desired consistency. 

Nutrition Facts

Of the entire recipe (3 cups)

Calories: 661 

Total Fat: 57g 

Total Carbohydrate: 52g

Protein: 7g 

Fiber: 12g

Per Serving Size (1/2 cup, about 6 servings per batch)

Calories: 110 

Total Fat: 9.5g 

Total Carbohydrate: 9g

Protein: 1g 

Fiber: 2g

Watch out for more #GDRecipes in the future! I'm going to record my food successes here, not only for those looking for GD-friendly recipes but also for those who want to try healthy (and delicious) alternatives to processed foods!

Thanks for reading!