Fall Vegetables

Twice Baked Cauliflower

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I LOVE cauliflower.  Roasting it, steaming it, whatever it is, I love it!  But I was getting a little bored with the way I make it on a regular basis, so I decided to try something different this week, and it worked to my advantage!  With the weather drastically dropping I really wanted something warm and savory and that’s when I decided to make twice-baked cauliflower.  We have all heard of twice-baked potatoes, so I thought it would be a good experiment since cauliflower can often replace recipes you use potatoes for…And it worked to my advantage! Easy to make, limited ingredients, and DELISH!  This will be made again!

Cauliflower isn’t just a tasty fall vegetable, it is a good source of fiber and vitamin C- which we could all use right now so we don’t get sick.  It is a great source of fiber, and great for the heart!  Cauliflower has also been known to help the brain boost the memory– which is something I need these days because I sure do have a bad case of baby brain!

 

Ingredients-

1 head cauliflower cut into pieces

1 chive chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

1/2 cup greek yogurt- plain

1 tablespoon organic Earth Balance buttery spread, or whatever organic butter of your choice

1 cup organic cheddar cheese

Directions-

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roast cauliflower on baking sheet until tender- about 10 minutes, but check after 7.

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Once tender, process in food processor until rice like.

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 Add yogurt, butter, chive, and garlic and process until smooth.  Mix in cheese with a spoon. Scoop out cauliflower mixture into four 6-7 inch ramekins.  Place ramekins on a baking sheet (easier to handle) and bake for 15 minutes.  Broil for an addition 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  Take out and enjoy!

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Eating foods that benefit different parts of the body will benefit you in the long run.  The more “good foods” we eat now, the healthier our future self will be!

Remember to always eat for your body!!

Pumpkin-Chai Cupcakes for Halloween!

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With Halloween right here and Thanksgiving not too far after, it is most definitely that pumpkin time if year now.  I love pumpkin everything,  especially pumpkin donuts and cupcakes.  However, more often than not, the pumpkin we are purchasing and consuming is not made up of real pumpkin.  So this past weekend my friend and I decided to bake our own pumpkin cupcakes and whip up some chai frosting~ a healthy version, of course! Healthy treats right in time for Halloween!

Pumpkin is good for the body in more ways than one.  Pumpkin benefits our eye sight because of the carotenoids, which gives pumpkins their very orange appearance.  The carotenoid can also keep the skin wrinkle free, which is always a plus! It helps in weight loss due to the fiber found in them.  In one cup, there is 3 grams of fiber, which will help us feeling full longer.  And with 564 milligrams of potassium, it is a perfect after work out snack to help restore electrolytes.   So with all these benefits pumpkin’s contain, when eating it I want to know I am eating the real thing to help my body, and skin, shine!

Pumpkin- Chai Cupcakes (Gluten and Dairy Free)

Cupcakes-

1 3/4 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

1.5 Teaspoons Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Powder

1.5 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Cloves

1/2 Cup (or a little less) Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

4 Egg Whites

1 Cup Organic Pumpkin Puree

1/3 Cup Almond Milk

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Their are two choices for what to add next-

1

1/4 Cup Organic Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Organic Apple Sauce ( Be sure to always read ingredients with Apple Sauce-

You can be surprised with what you read!)

OR 2

1/2 Cup Apple Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tin with coconut oil or line them.

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In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

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In a medium bowl, beat together sugar and egg whites.  Add pumpkin puree, apple sauce and coconut oil (or just apple sauce depending on recipe)

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Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir together.

Pour into muffin tin- 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.

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                Applesauce             Coconut oil and Applesauce

Let cool and add  Chai Frosting

Chai Frosting-

1/8 Cup Almond Milk

.5 Cup Organic Earth Balance Butter Spread

2 Teaspoons Chai Powder- your choice

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1.5 Cup Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Arrowroot Powder

Blend together coconut palm sugar and arrowroot (or use grinder) until powdery like confectioners sugar.

Mix Butter with the sugar mix slowly.  Add spices.  Last- Slowly add milk.  Keep mixing until fluffy and smooth.

Add to cupcakes and Enjoy!

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When we make our own foods, we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies!  Enjoy and have a safe, HEALTHY, and Happy Halloween!!!

Fall in Love with this Autumn Salad!

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This time of year happens to be my favorite. The crisp air, the color change of the trees, and most of all the vegetables and fruits we can get! Summer was all about tomatoes and fresh lettuces of different sorts, now it is time for the kale, the sweet potatoes, and the beets. You can also get different types of squash this time of year and be guaranteed they are super fresh because now is the time for them to be harvested.

Kale is the superfood people are going crazy for, but many people do not know all the benefits Kale has to offer. It is a bitter green, that yes- is good for your bones- it actually has more calcium than milk! It is also good for cardiovascular health, is low in fat, high in fiber, high in iron, and has zero fat! Beets have an earthy flavor, and may not be a top choice for everyone- but they happen to be a favorite of mine! They are good source of betaine and trytophan that can help improve your mental health. They are also loaded with fiber and can help lower blood pressure.

Red peppers will help absorb iron- so goes great with the Kale. If you are iron deficient, when you combine the red pepper with any iron source it will help your body absorb the iron needed. They contain almost 300 percent of your daily vitamin C intake for the day. They are also low in calories- one cup contains about 40-45 calories!

Sweet potatoes contain vitamin E to help protect against heart disease, Potassium to help with muscles, bone health, and to regulate blood pressure. It has more potassium than a banana. Sweet potatoes also assist in producing collagen that helps the muscles stay healthy and help keep the skin firm!

Can’t BEET this salad!

Autumn salad

Bunch of Kale- ripped up into pieces

2 Beets- roasted, peeled, diced (you can buy roasted or roast yourself)*

**1 Large sweet potato- diced and roasted (peeling is optional)

1 small red onion- diced

1 red pepper- diced

Handful of feta cheese

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 tablespoon Thyme

* To roast beets- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets in foil with oil covering them fully. Wrap tight and let cook for 30-45 minutes- until you can insert fork smoothly.

** You can substitute butternut squash for the sweet potato. It will just have to roast a longer than the sweet potato- 30-40 minutes.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. After dicing up sweet potato- add to a bowl and mix with EVOO and Thyme. Place on cooking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Rip up kale, and place in a bowl. Add diced beets, red pepper, and onion. Once sweet potatoes are done, let cool and add to salad. Top with feta cheese and enjoy with favorite dressing- or add some balsamic vinegar with EVOO and enjoy!

Eating with the seasons has never gotten better, and your body will always thank you for eating good foods that are growing right now!