Bone-Sticking Good

Bone-Sticking Good

This time of year, it can be tough to motivate to reach for vegetables and fruit.  It’s so cold and crisp out, the last thing I want to do is reach for a carrot stick, apple or any other veggie and fruit that has a cold and crispy feel.  The vegetables don’t even look as appealing in the grocery store.  The colors don’t seem as vibrant and the leaves seemed to have lost their luster.  If you are uninspired to pack a salad for lunch and raw veggie for a snack, you are not alone.  For me, snacks have been more along the lines of dried fruit and nuts, and meal times have been a bit heartier as well. 

In October, I went through a phase where I stalked vegan websites and blogs.  As a wellness coach, I too can get sucked into a theory or concept that sounds good and may work well for others.  As I study the recipes on these sites (and look at the pictures), I sometimes think, “I really wouldn’t be missing out on anything.”   The vegan concept makes sense to me.  In fact, Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo (Who wrote Eat Right 4 Your Type) says my blood type would thrive on a vegan diet.

So why am I not a vegan (or a vegetarian for that matter).  There are a bunch of reasons.  But the number one reason is winter.  Winter stew, chili, chicken soup, Sunday sauce and my grandmother’s American cheese and chopped meat casserole.  Once the winter comes, I crave bone-sticking foods.

In today’s recipe, I have taken a family favorite of chopped meat, cheese and macaroni and turned it into a casserole that has a balance of meat, vegetables and whole grain pasta. I hope you enjoy the following bone-sticking recipe as much as my family does.

American Classic

Ingredients:  1 pound of ground chop meat, 1 medium-large yellow onion, 1 bunch of collard greens, 6 carrots, 1 of a head of cauliflower, 28 oz can of chunky tomato sauce, 8 slices of American cheese, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ bags of Tinkyada Pasta - Joy Brown Rice Pasta - Elbow (or pasta of choice),

1.)   Peel, rinse and chop vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, collard greens and onion) and place on the side.

2.)   Place sliced onions in a large pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3.)   Put stove on medium high and sauté the onion for about 6-7 minutes or until the smallest pieces start to slightly brown.

4.)   Place chop meat in the pot and stir in with onions and lower the heat to medium.

5.)   Add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and continue to stir.

6.)   When meat is almost cooked (almost all browned with just touches of pink meat remaining) add the chopped carrots, cauliflower, and collard greens mixing well after you add each vegetable.

7.)   Add 28oz can of chunky tomato sauce and then fill the empty can ½ of the way with water making sure you get the remnants of the left over sauce mixed in with the water and add to the pot.

8.)   Stir well and add ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

9.)   Cook on medium heat, stirring often until the ingredients come to a light boil; then place stove on low.

10.)  Place 1½ bags of Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Elbow Pasta into a pot of boiling water (about 6.5 quarts) and cook the pasta al dente.

11.)  Drain the pasta and slowly add it to the large pot of vegetables and meat.

12.)  Stir well.

13.)  Place the mixture in a medium size baking dish filling it half way.  Take two pieces of American cheese break them into small pieces and place over the mixture.  Make a second layer in the same dish and break up three pieces of American cheese for the top layer.

14.)  Cover with tinfoil and place in it the oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

This recipe makes enough for two medium-size baking dishes so this makes for a great “cook once, eat twice” meal.  If you are saving the second dish for another night, let it cool to room temperature.  Then cover with plastic wrap and a layer of tin foil and put it in the refrigerator.  When you take it out to cook, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE PLASTIC WRAP OFF.  Then, put the tin foil back on top and bake on 350 for 35 – 40 minutes (It takes longer than the first dish because it comes out of the refrigerator cold.  If you can remember to take it out and let it come to room temperature before baking, cook time will be a bit quicker).

Enjoy!

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy - kimgilroyinsideout