I love fall. It is a wonderful time of year to celebrate and embrace change in our lives and nature. Just as the trees begin to transform with orange, red, yellow leaves and the weather cools down a bit, we also start to prepare ourselves. Harvesting the rest of your garden, preparing wood for the winter, or pulling the sweaters out for easier access on cool mornings. Perhaps you have started changing your eating habits from berries and greens to squashes and pumpkins, or at least pumpkin flavored everything.
Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables is a wonderful way to add variety to your diet, enjoy the bounty of your garden, and save a little money on groceries because in-season produce is generally cheaper. If that is not reason enough for you to go buy and make some of these food items, then let’s discuss other reasons why they are good for you. Squash includes many varieties, including spaghetti squash, pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash and on and on. They include a huge amount of vitamin A, as well as significant amounts of vitamins C, E, B6, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and folate. In terms of minerals, squash contain magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, phosphorous, calcium, and iron. Apples are a super convenient food. Just grab and go. Even though you can buy apples all year long, they are best from September to November. There are many varieties of apples and eating the entire apple provides a good source of vitamin-C and beta-carotene, B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine, rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenolics, and the fruit is rich in dietary fiber. Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family and grow on a stalk about 1-2 inches in size. They contain excellent levels of vitamin C and vitamin K, with more moderate amounts of B vitamins, such as folic acid and vitamin B6. These little guys are not just for holiday meals. I personally love to saute them with bacon and garlic as a side dish. There are many more fruits and veggies that I could share with you but now let’s get cooking. I included recipes for each food item we discussed above. Remember to enjoy all foods in moderation. Happy cooking and baking. Pumpkin Spice Cookies: Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk 2 eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar (or ⅓ cup Stevia), ¾ cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup oil and ¼ cup molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and 1 cup raisins into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1-2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Beet & Apple Salad: Toss 2 thinly sliced apples, 4 thinly sliced celery stalks (with leaves) and 1 minced shallot in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon. Peel 1 beet, then slice into matchsticks and add to the bowl. Toss in 1 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp chopped walnuts, 3 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes. Roasted Brussels sprouts and grapes: Heat oven to 375° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 ½ Brussels sprouts and 1 lb. grapes with the 3 tbsp oil, 2 sliced garlic cloves, ½ tbsp thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Turn the Brussels sprouts cut-side down and roast until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
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Tis the season for squashes and pumpkins galore. This time of year I like to incorporate more squashes into my diet. Butternut squash and pumpkins are my favorite, therefore I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes that I use this time of year. I love to find new recipes online and lately these have been my favorites. Get cooking and savor good, comfy food! Spicy Butternut Squash SoupINGREDIENTS
PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut squash in half and seed. Place the halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scoop out flesh when cool enough to handle. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and carrot and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the squash flesh, cumin, chipotle to taste and cloves. Add broth and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender (in batches) until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a drizzle of yogurt and sprinkle of chives (or parsley). Crustless Pumpkin PieINGREDIENTS
PREPARATION Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut pie pumpkin in half and seed. Place the halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scoop out flesh when cool enough to handle. Coat a 9”-round pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, yogurt, Splenda, and Truvia. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate, and bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, or until the center barely jiggles when gently shaken. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, and chill at least 2 hours before serving. Spaghetti Squash Lasagna w/ BroccoliniINGREDIENTS
PREPARATION Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F. Place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccolini, garlic and red pepper (if using); cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring, until the broccolini is tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl. Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into the bowl. Place the shells in a broiler-safe baking pan or on a baking sheet. Stir 3/4 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the squash mixture. Divide it between the shells; top with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Move to the upper rack, turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, about 2 minutes. |
This is me, Liz. I am an, instructor, personal trainer, exercise physiologist, dog-mom, loving wife, little sister, coolest-aunt ever, and now blogger living in Libby, Montana.
Welcome to my blog! This blog follows my life and my interests in fitness, adventure, food, and healthy living. The Girls, Katy & Madi, and I. We have spent a lot of time together the past few years. I appreciate them for their quirks and how they love me unconditionally. They help me appreciate the small, simple things in life. Archives
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DiclaimerThis is a personal blog created and maintained by Liz Whalen. My blog posts document my life and sometimes highlight the food I eat and workouts I perform. I do not have professional medical training, nor am I a registered dietician. I am an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, while the content you see on my blog aims to bring you along on my health & wellness journey. The published information may not be right for you and should not be viewed as guidelines in any way. Seek counsel from a medical doctor when looking to incorporate or change your physical activity and/or dietary habits.
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