Taste test: Gillian McKeith's Shepherdess Pie

I recently got Gillian McKeith's 'You Are What You Eat' cookbook because I like her 'healthy food contributes to a healthy life' philosophy. Sometime in Feb. the husband and I are doing a detox diet of sorts by using this book to eat from for 3 weeks straight without any sugar, added salt, alcohol, caffeine, white bread, white rice and processed foods. It's going to be 3 weeks of salads, vegetables, fresh fruit smoothies and veggie juices, whole grains and beans. I know it's going to be hard but I am willing to go for it. I hope it will help me focus on eating more fresh fruits and fresh raw vegetables (I can get lazy) and I also hope to get rid of at least 5-8 pounds. My husband could use some weight loss too but I'm more concerned with his colon/intestinal/stomach issues that he's had for years. I don't remember him ever feeling "well" in that department. Lots of discomfort and pain and I believe diet plays a big part. I know for a fact all the delivery pizzas and hot dogs/chips/salty popcorns etc are not helping him right now. So we'll see how this all goes...

Today I decided to do a test run on one of the recipes for myself (husband's ordering pizza, good grief!). I love all kinds of comfort dishes like pot pies, casseroles and especially shepherd's pie. This one has kidney beans, lots of veggies and a mashed sweet potato topping. It's supposed to also have black eyed peas and butternut squash but I didn't have them. Those additions would have been great. I added a little miso paste and a tiny amount of soy sauce to the vegetables as seasoning which I think shouldn't matter too much considering how healthy and packed full of nutrients this dish is. I'm a big fan of beans and sweet potatoes so I liked it. I must admit though that it was veeeery healthy tasting and I'm a little afraid my husband will not enjoy the food. We'll see! If you're interested in healthy eating, you can find this recipe here as well as other recipes by Ms. McKeith.