Paleo Nights

This is the phase in the Whole30 plan when I start getting used to the foods, but get a little pissy when I am making dinner.  TheHub is not doing this plan, because he has no weight to lose and no real health reason to do it. (Ask me one day about the man who would eat and entire box of ice cream sandwiches in one sitting and never gain an ounce. And I am not talking about doing it just once, I am talking about all the time. Life is unfair, huh?)
So as I do this for me I have to consider him in the food equation. The usual filler foods like pastas and rice are totally off plan for me, and quite frankly unless we are having spaghetti (mine over spaghetti squash and his over regular spaghetti noodles) it just tees me off to have to make something that I am not going to be able to eat. Enter the lowly sweet potato! It fills him and me and is plan compliant.  It does not bother me in the least that he has a baked potato swimming in butter, because I made a wonderful mixed spice blend just for  my sweet potato, and I don't share my spices with him. (Cause I am petty that way! Though I would share if he would nix the butter.)

Over the last couple of days several of you have written about making shepherd's pie and I have been craving it.  TheHub called to say he was going to be a couple of hours later than normal so I had a lot of time to make whatever we were going to be eating and I thought why not make the dish paleo compliant and satisfy my craving.

Savory Sweet Potato Mashed Potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup almond milk

Toss the sweet potatoes in a pan and cover them with water, cook until soft, drain add the olive oil and mash with a potato masher. (If you prefer s super smooth mashed potato feel free to use a ricer) .
Stir in the seasonings and add the almond milk.  Set aside.

The Filling
3 carrots peeled and chopped into "coins" cooked (save cooking water)
1 lb frozen green beans, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 carton mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons ketchup (I use paleo cause, well, whole 30 and all)
1 1/4 lb ground beef, browned (I had mine browned and frozen. If yours is raw brown it in a pan then add the onions and the mushrooms when the meat begins to brown)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
salt and papper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch

Cook the carrots and the green beans until tender but not soft. (I am lazy and cook them in the same pan ) Reserve the cooking water.  Add the oil to a non stick sauté pan and wilt the onions, then add the mushrooms.  Add the ketchup and browned ground beef then add the herbs, salt and pepper.  Stir until it is piping hot, add the carrots and beans and let rest for a minute.  Meanwhile take about 1 cup of the cooking water and add the balsamic vinegar to it.  Bring it to a high boil and reduce by about a third. Mix the arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the reduced liquid.  Cook until it thickens, pour it over the ground beef mixture and stir to combine completely.  Put the mixture into an oven proof baking pan and top with mashed sweet potatoes.  Bake at 350 until hot (About 20 minutes)

I cannot begin to tell you how delicious this was.  I served it with a simple green salad and sliced tomatoes and that was it.  It hit all bases.  It was comforting, warm, filling, and was fantastic tasting.
Son2 ate with us again tonight and all three of us has seconds. I am not pointing finger but someone had thirds. I was especially  thrilled that there are some leftovers. While doing this plan I am less than enamored by making breakfast, so I try to eat a little of whatever was leftover from dinner the night before. A nice bowl of this nuked for breakfast tomorrow will be great.

And this is the truth: TheHub asked me to make this again even if I am not doing Whole30.  Win?  You betcha! Yum plus!