CHEF ASHLEY SHEP
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when your momma tells all your business

11/7/2019

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VOYAGE ATL INTERVIEW

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So moms have a way of getting you to do stuff that you weren’t really trying to do…
even though it’s what you should do. 

​The same is true for my momma. When she heard that I was featured in
VoyageATL Magazine’s Local Stories Series and that I didn't share it with anyone, she did what every good Southern mother would do: tell everybody about it herself. But since she’s tech savvy, that means she shared it and tagged me accordingly on social media.

Which led to others reposting it and celebrating me. Which felt wonderful, but honestly also kinda weird. (Like when people sing happy birthday to you and you’re like doing the Chrissy Teigan awkward smile waiting for the time to pass.)

It’s not that I wasn’t going to post it, I was just a little preoccupied with this new little person that’s come into our lives (aka Baby William). 
And then another part of me wasn’t sure exactly how to share without having it seem like I was bragging. I pride myself on being humble...which actually sounds like an oxymoron now that I think about it. 
So I guess what I’m trying to say is...
sometimes it’s hard for me to take time to celebrate the wins in life especially if I’m the center of attention. 
At times I find myself downplaying them when really I should take time to stop and bask in the fabulosity of accomplishments...no matter how big or small they are. And thank God that He’s chosen me for the moment. 
And I have a feeling that you might need to do a little bit of that too. 
So I’m taking a cue from my momma and sharing the interview with you. During our chat, I talk about how I got my inspiration for Chef Ashley Shep back in 2015. You may be surprised to find out that my story started out very similar to yours. (Hint: I didn’t always have my food life together.) Click the link to check it out. 
Oh and remember that your food life doesn’t have to end the way it starts. 
I also talk about how sometimes I can overthink things (like I mentioned above) and how I’m working on overcoming that. 
Maybe you can relate? Either way, take a little time today to celebrate a win in your life no matter how big or small it may be. 
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Fast Figure Friendly Meals without Relying on Takeout with Chef Ashley Shep

1/23/2019

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LISTEN NOW
Recently, I got the chance to chat with one of my food biz friends, Concita Thomas. Concita is a Food and Fitness Strategist who helps busy moms find figure friendly alternatives to Get It Off and Keep It Off for life long healthy habits. 
During the podcast interview, we talked about all things food, but because I know you're busy, I'm sharing the highlights below in case you don't have time to hear it all (even though you should), so instead you can fast forward and get what you really need to hear. You can also listen to the full episode here.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE

Show Topics:

1:11 – Get It Off Keep It Off Coaching Program Promo
2:42 – Chef Ashley Shep’s Introduction
​3:11 – Why People Don’t Cook at Home Often These Days
6:48 – What Stops People Who Do Cook from Home from Making Healthy Meals
11:45 – Tricks of the Trade to Make the Process Faster
17:50 – The Kitchen Tools & Apps We Need
22:58 – Common Mistakes to Avoid
30:10 – Fierce Follow-Up
30:40 – Become a Fierce Friend

Click to the left to hear a little bit of the interview or listen to the full thing by clicking down below. 

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE
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join the daniel fast 21 day food and faith challenge

12/31/2018

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Check out the video below to get more information about how to join the Daniel Fast 21 Day Food and Faith Challenge. 
  • Thinking about doing the Daniel Fast this year and need some help with what you can and can't eat? 
  • Have no idea what the Daniel Fast is, but want to learn more about this vegan based fast and what it has to do with Christianity? 
  • Looking for easy vegan recipes?
Here I explain what the The Daniel Fast 21 Day Food and Faith Challenge with Chef Ashley Shep is all about in detail, but if you ain’t got the time then just check out the info here or request access to the group.
Here’s what folks had to say about last year’s challenge:
  • "I loved that I stuck to a challenge but also that other people were going through the challenge with me and the leadership of [Chef] Ashley!"
  • "The meal plans were great! I loved getting to try new recipes that will become staples in my weekly meals."
  • “It’s given me clarity of purpose, and I’m better than I ever thought.”
Join Today
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Declutter your kitchen in 20 minutes or less

12/27/2018

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2019 is almost here which means that it's time to check in with ourselves and see what kind of things we can recycle, declutter, and get rid of finally! Check out this recording of where I speak with Nonnahs Driskill of Get Organized Already about how to get our kitchens in order quickly.
Also, get your free checklist of the 10 things you can easily toss or donate to make your kitchen feel less cluttered! 

10 THINGS TO GET RID OF IN THE NEXT 10 DAYS WITH GUEST NONNAHS DRISKILL OF GET ORGANIZED ALREADY

Click above to watch Nonnahs Driskill, (Professional Organizer at Get Organized Already) and I talk about decluttering your kitchen in easy steps.
Click below to get your checklist of  quick ways to cut the clutter. 

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Sun dried Tomatoes & Shrimp with Spinach

12/21/2018

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Recently, I made this dope recipe and decided to record the steps on Instagram & Facebook Stories. On a whim, cuz people like to see stuff as they unfold. 

Now honestly, the recipe was inspired by one that I saw the other day that just looked….like it didn’t have enough seasoning on it to be honest. Lately, there’s this trend with all these 30 second cooking videos where the seasonings only include things like salt and pepper. Or they rely heavily on getting their flavor from cheese. 
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Y'all, it makes me feel like Oprah in that clip that resurfaced recently where she was eating some $1 million chicken….that didn’t have salt and pepper on it.

I often think about the time Oprah did a cooking segment with a woman whose chicken recipe won $1 million, and Oprah's jaw dropped when she tasted it and realized the lady didn't even add seasoning pic.twitter.com/rfs7PS1Jc3

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) December 9, 2018
Now I’m not saying get rid of the salt and pepper, but what I am saying is, let’s add some other stuff or mix it up with some garlic salt, or fresh herbs like basil. In this recipe, I even use a seasoning blend to save on some of the work of mixing it up yourself.

There's too many ingredients on God’s green earth for you to be foolin’ with the same 5.

So, I decided to change up the recipe, add my own twist on it and share the deliciousness online. Since the response was so great, I thought maybe I should type this up so others can eat good too. (Now if you’re already on meal prep services, don’t worry, this is already on the menu for next week.)

Serve this with pasta or over potatoes for a quick weeknight meal. There’s also a lighter variation if you’d like to go dairy free or don’t want to use whipping cream.

RECIPE STARTS HERE

Sun Dried Tomato & Shrimp with Spinach
Source: www.chefashleyshep.com
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
Total 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Serving: 4

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 (10 ounce) pack cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined
  • 4 tablespoons garlic
  • 1⁄3 cup fresh basil about 10-12 large leaves
  • 1⁄3 cup sun dried tomatoes sliced
  • 1 cup mushrooms (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • 1.5-2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning Blend
  • 3⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream or 1/2 cup white wine if doing the lighter version
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock add more as needed to thin out sauce
  • 1 pack fresh spinach
  • garlic salt & pepper to taste
  • 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese
Directions
1.Slice tomatoes in half, dice garlic, slice basil, defrost shrimp,
2.Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until butter melts some. Add in tomatoes, garlic and stir. Season with about 1 tsp garlic salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend.
3.Add in shrimp and cook until slightly done (until they are still a little see through.
4.Lighter option: Add broth/white wine, and all remaining ingredients here and bring to a low boil. Cook on low and add spinach. Serve over pasta.
5.Regular version: Remove shrimp & set aside. Add in cream and butter. Let butter melt some. Add all other remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to a low boil and add basil, spinach, & shrimp back in. Combine and serve once shrimp are fully cooked (no longer pink)
6.Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve over pasta. Add shredded parmesan and parsley to top (for pics, otherwise leave it off because it does nothing lol).
7.Tips: If you want more sauce, stretch out the cream by adding more broth 1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons at a time.
8.Add a pinch of red flakes to spice it up a bit.

Prep Notes
The day of: Prep all ingredients (cut, measure, etc).
If you liked this recipe and want to know more ways to use seasonings other than (seasoning) salt and pepper, then be sure to join me Sunday, December 23rd over on Facebook Live for Season Til You’re Satisfied: 12 Must Have Seasonings You Need . 
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Or if you can’t wait til then or know good and well you’re not gonna watch, get the Season Til You’re Satisfied Guide here and start living your best food life.
Tag @ChefAshleyShep on Facebook or Instagram and #SimplifyMealTime when you make it for a chance to get featured on my page.

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What should you really be buying this black friday?

11/20/2018

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:Black Friday is here and there's deals all over the place that started way before Thanksgiving and will end well after you're tired of the turkey. 

But...do you really need all of that stuff? 
Probably not. 
But how do you decide? 
Well, that's where I come in! 
This year, I'm happy to present to you the 2018 Black Friday Kitchen Deals Guide so you can know what's really worth buying and what can sit in your Amazon cart til next year. 
​In this guide you'll find:
  • The BEST deals on the latest appliances that will help you save time and money
  • What's ABSOLUTELY worth buying this Black Friday
  • Breakdown of how much you're saving
  • My personal recommendations for products that I use every day. 
Many of the deals are already live and will be available til Monday....or until supplies run out at stores. 

So get your copy of your guide today and get shopping! 

Take Me To The Best Deals
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Upgrade your kitchen (Without buying the crap you'll never use) - Black friday edition

11/18/2018

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Cuz sometimes we want all of the things...

Facebook Live featuring Nonnahs Driskell of Get Organized Already

Black Friday is almost here and you know what that means: getting lots of great deals on things you need and some things you want.

I love Black Friday, because it gives me a chance to get those things that have been sitting in my Amazon shopping cart for a while. 

​​If you're anything like me though, you probably didn't already check and go through what you had before you bought that new thing.  
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Now we all know when there's a sale that sometimes we get a little click happy and end up buying stuff we may or may not need. 
​
“But it's on sale!”
is often used to justify some purchases for sure. But before you spend another dime or add something else to that Amazon shopping cart, I want to invite you to join me on Tuesday the help you get organized already! 
(This training is for me too ? cuz sometimes, life is a mess.)

On Tuesday, I'll be speaking Nonnahs Driskell, the founding organizer of Get Organized Already (Southern California). They are a team of professional organizers who help people like you (and me) declutter and organize their stuff every day.

She has organized about 251 kitchens. She’s been featured on Hoarders, The OWN Network ?, Good Housekeeping, and many more!
Y'all, she's seen it all and knows what’s in your kitchen.
  • The giant container of peppercorns from Costco? Check.
  • 4 different bottles of balsamic vinegar you never use? Check.
  • Enough Tupperware to survive the apocalypse? Check.)
Join us on Tuesday @ 8pm EST or catch the replay over on my Facebook page. 
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what's that smell? Roasted salsa verde soup + Make 3 Batches in 1

11/11/2018

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"What's that smell?"
That’s often a phrase that I hear at work.
Now when you’re around kids all day and you hear it, that could often mean one of two things...
But in this case we were in the teacher’s lounge, so usually the smells are safe. 🤣
In this case the person was talking about my Roasted Salsa Verde Soup that I was eating for lunch (pictured above. Since it's one of my favorites, I made it for my photo shoot back in the summer).
In this case the person was talking about my Roasted Salsa Verde Soup that I was eating for lunch.
Then my coworker followed up with a
“OMG, that smells SO good!”
So I decided to bring her some for lunch the next day. Then she proceeded to tell me how good it was. Words she used were fresh and filling. 
My coworkers make the perfect taste testers!
Anyway, I realized that I should probably not be stingy and share with everybody, so here’s a link to a video I did making the soup along with the recipe, so you can eat good too.

And no it's not a bunch of steps. 
And yes you can make it into a freezer meal. (I show you how in the video.)
And yes, healthy and tasty at the same time (so you can save those calories for sweet potato pie instead). 
If that's not enough of a reason to check it out, here's a few more. 

​Here’s a few more reasons why you should check it out:
  • You’re probably hungry right now anyway.
  • You can make some for now and then some to freeze for later (Don’t worry, I show you how.)
  • The ingredients can easily be found at any major grocery store
  • It’s $2 a serving. (The last time you spend $2 on lunch, you were probably in elementary school.)
Check out the video above and the recipe below.
Stay warm out there y’all!
🥘Salsa Verde Soup Recipe
  • 1 jar of ROASTED Salsa Verde (Roasted and regular are not the same)
  • 3 Boneless Skinless chicken Breasts
  • 5 cups Chicken Broth 
  • 1 Yellow Onion 
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 2 TB Cumin
  • 3 cans Cannellini or Navy Beans-drained
  • 1 - 2 TSP Chipotle Chili Powder
  • 2 TSP Ancho Chili Powder (optional)
  • 1 Poblano Pepper
  • 1 TSP Salt 
  • Your heart’s content of Garlic (This is very personal for some folks. I use about 2 TB or 6 cloves.​
• To garnish: 1 bunch Cilantro, 1 Lime, & Avocado.
•••••••••••••••••
Directions: 
1. (Optional) Using a gas stove, place the Poblano pepper on top of the aisle on LOW heat. Watch it closely, and turn as necessary. The skin will blacken. Rotate until all sides are a little charred . Let cool. OR Spread oil on skin of peppers and in oven on 425 degrees for 30-45 mintues. Add to a ziplock bag for 5 minutes and peel. 
2. Combine chicken, broth, beans, seasonings, salsa, bell peppers, onions, and garlic in slow cooker. Gently peel the charred skin off the poblano pepper, chop, and add to pot. Leave the seeds in for an extra kick. 
3. Use a crockpot or instant pot to slow cook on LOW for 3.5- 4 hours (depending upon your appliance.)
4. Add cilantro and shred the chicken during the last 30 minutes.
5. Enjoy with avocado, more cilantro, tortilla chips. 
Like crunchy bell peppers and onions? 
Add them in the last 30 minutes instead of the beginning.
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    How does Roasted Salsa Verde Soup sound to you? 

Submit
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Food Fam Reviews: Mandarin Spinach Pasta Salad by creme de la crumb

9/4/2018

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Hopefully you had a restful Labor Day, and you’re ready for the mini week ahead.

Oh so maybe you’re not ready? Don’t worry, the Food Fam has you covered with a quick & delicious recipe for lunch that you’ll have to stop yourself from eating again for dinner because it’s just that good.

Don’t take my word for it. Bernadette from the group made it and ended up eating it for lunch and dinner
…because it’s just delicious.
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By now, you’re probably SUPER tired of trying recipes that look really good but end up in the back or your fridge or the trash. Save yourself some:

  • Time
  • Eye rolling & groans of dissatisfaction
  • ​Disappointment
By checking out the recipe inside our community here. Click here to jump in.
Why not get encouragement to actually make those recipes you see in those videos instead of just liking and sharing them?

I mean, you're already on Facebook anyway...

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Join the Food Fam today.

​Already a member, but missed the action? Be sure to turn on your notifications for the group so you don’t miss a thing. And check out the link above to see what’s poppin.
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Mandarin Spinach Pasta Salad by Creme de la Crumb was originally posted here.
The best part is the ladies in the group have already tried out for you.

That means you’re getting:
  • Suggestions of how to make this work for your diet (low carb, pescatarian, etc.)
  • What’s tasty ingredients to add (that aren’t on the recipe)

Cuz that’s how we do it in the Food Fam!
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Plus: I share how to prep this ahead of time without having things get soggy.

(A soggy salad is the absolute worst, but who has time to pack a salad every day?)
Check out the recipe & our tips here so you can be great without spending all day in the kitchen.  
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If you end up making the salad, post on the thread in the Facebook group or comment below letting us know how you liked this recipe by Creme de la Crumb. 


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Breakfast bowl casserole

2/19/2018

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Office potlucks are the never-ending classic that make for a great way to test out recipes on a large group of people. In my case, my office is a school which means there's always something to celebrate.
  • Babies
  • Weddings
  • Birthdays 
In this case, the last option was what led me to choosing this recipe from PlainChicken.com to adapt for my school peeps. I like to keep options on my Breakfast?  More Like Brunch Pinterest Board for situations like this. 
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I needed something quick and tasty and this proved to be a great option after a few changes from the original. 

First, the recipe suggested to let the mixture soak for an hour or overnight in the fridge, but since that it was already 9pm, that was not going to happen. I let it soak for about 15 minutes and everything was good to go. 

Second, I added cinnamon to give it a bit of a change in flavor. (And cuz I love cinnamon. Almost as much as peanut butter.) If you want it to be even more like french toast, add vanilla extract as well (see below).

Third, since I made this the night before, I made sure to not cook it all the way so I could reheat it the next night (directions below). 
​

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And....they loved it! 

(See the empty dish.) 

They also mentioned that the cinnamon gave it a nice twist which I was glad to hear. Often cinnamon is added to  sweeter dishes and with sugar. (Ex. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cinnabon, etc.). But, when it's by itself, it doesn't really have to be sweet, though in this case, it goes well with the eggs, waffles, and maple syrup.

I'm sure you have a bazillion recipes saved on your boards just waiting to be eaten. They're calling your name. Try some of them out at your next office party/potluck!

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Ingredients
1 box frozen homestyle waffles 
1 package of breakfast sausage (maple preferred, but I used mild) 
8 large eggs
1-2 cups mild cheddar cheese (make it as cheesy as you like)
1 ¼ cup milk
⅓ c maple syrup
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 dash of salt and pepper each
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  1.  Cook sausage according to package directions. 
  2. Using a large knife or scissors, chop waffles into smaller pieces (about the size of a quarter/coin). 
  3. Combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla extract (optional) together in a bowl and whisk well. 
  4. Layer half of the waffles, cheese, and sausage and repeat until all ingredients have been used. 
  5. Pour egg mixture on top.
  6. (optional) Let soak 1 hour up to overnight. 
  7. Cook at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (If you're making this ahead of time, be sure not to overcook since you'll reheat it later to eat.)

Tips:
  • If you're going to soak it for an hour or overnight, don't mix the ingredients in a glass dish. Glass can shatter when shifting from cold to hot or hot to cold too quickly. Use a metal pan instead. 
  • Only have sausage patties? No problem! Cook them 4 minutes on one side and then break them up with a spatula once they're flipped. 
  • Reheating: Reheat uncovered on low for 250 degrees for 20 minutes. 
    • Glass Dish: Let dish sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to give the glass some time to get to room temperature. (250 degrees isn't that hot, so the glass was fine. after sitting out for 10 minutes). 


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    As a self taught culinary creator, Chef Ashley decided to take her love of food to the masses by launching her brand that focuses on ways to be "healthyish", simplifying meal time, and dispelling the rumor that delicious food has to have tons of salt and fat. She believes that meal prep isn't just for the super health conscious and that it can help us all to take back the hours stolen by our kitchens. She began her meal prep journey as a way to save time and energy, but ended up finding a calling.

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