Celebrate Pi Day with Pie

For those of you who did not already know, today is Pi Day. March 14—numerically represented as 3/14—is a mathematician’s favourite day.

Pi (or π for you visually inclined folks) is a mathematical constant, representing the ratio of a perfect circle’s circumference to its diameter. It never ends, and it never repeats.

Pi’s history dates back many, many years—perhaps even as far back as the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Since then, brainy people of past and present have tried to narrow pi (or rather expand pi) to its most accurate representation. The current (though unverified) calculation of pi stands at 5 trillion digits (Yes, you read that correctly—trillions!).

In honour of pi, we’re suggesting you go eat some pie. Yes, we realize that the two things are not entirely related (although pies are typically baked in a circular shape), but we can’t pass over a good pun.

For dinner, try out this yummy shepherd’s pie, created by Marilyn Smith. It uses ground turkey and sweet potatoes rather than the typical ground beef and white potatoes—for a healthier spin on the classic. Still feeling spry this Pi Day? Cook up this delicious Organic Blueberry Pear Pie for dessert!

Shepherd’s Pie
3 sweet potatoes to equal 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
450 g (1 lb) extra-lean ground free-range turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) cracked black pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) organic low-sodium ketchup
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 cups (500 mL) leftover cooked vegetables or thawed frozen vegetables of your choice

Peel and boil sweet potatoes in water in covered pot. When cooked, cool, then mash. Add butter if using and mash lightly. Set aside. If using leftover sweet potatoes, simply mash and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F (190 C). Lightly oil 9 x 9 in (2.5 L) baking dish. Set aside.

Heat large frying pan over medium heat; add oil and onion, and sauté until the onion is soft, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add ground turkey, breaking up meat as you cook it. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink; pour off any excess fat.

Add garlic, rosemary, and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and stir until well combined. Add vegetables and stir in well. Pour into prepared pan. Evenly spoon mashed sweet potatoes over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until mixture is heated right through.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains: 250 calories; 15 g protein; 10.5 g total fat (6 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 23 g carbohydrates; 4 g fibre; 148 mg sodium